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Cover of Kindred by Octavia E. ButlerKindred
Classic · Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Kindred

by Octavia E. Butler
1979 · 288 pages · Fiction
75.5Must-Read
Score Classic
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 7 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Dana's 26th birthday celebration ends when she is ripped from 1976 California and thrown onto a Maryland slave plantation in 1815. Again and again she's pulled back in time, and her mission becomes clear: keep alive the white boy who will grow up to assault her ancestor, because without him, she will never be born.

Why it's worth reading

It's Octavia Butler's best-known novel, a modern classic widely taught in schools. It makes the horror of slavery immediate in a way few books do.

You'll love it if you liked

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Parable of the SowerOctavia E. Butler
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BelovedToni Morrison
Cover of The Underground Railroad by Colson WhiteheadThe Underground Railroad
The Underground RailroadColson Whitehead

Good to know

It uses time travel, but it isn't really science fiction. It includes violence and sexual assault.

By the numbers

75.5Must-Read Score
  • Readers95 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller34 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Reads as

Adventurous

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Octavia E. Butler

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Parable of the SowerOctavia E. Butler

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedClassic booksTop 25 · 762 rankedBooks of the 1970sTop 25 · 131 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is Kindred worth reading?

Yes. It's Octavia Butler's best-known novel, a modern classic widely taught in schools. It ranks #757 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.5 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Kindred about?

Dana's 26th birthday celebration ends when she is ripped from 1976 California and thrown onto a Maryland slave plantation in 1815. Again and again she's pulled back in time, and her mission becomes clear: keep alive the white boy who will grow up to assault her ancestor, because without him, she will never be born.

How long does it take to read Kindred?

About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Kindred?

If you liked it, try Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, Beloved by Toni Morrison or The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.