408: The Green Brothers Often Are Wrong

The novel follows Jonathan Harker, a solicitor who travels to Transylvania to finalize the sale of a property to Count Dracula. Upon discovering Dracula's true nature, Harker escapes, and Dracula moves to England to spread his vampirism. The story unfolds with various characters, including Professor Abraham Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, and Mina Murray, who band together to thwart Dracula's plans and ultimately destroy him. The novel explores themes of Victorian fears, the struggle between modernity and superstition, and the undertones of sexuality and disease prevalent in the late 19th century.

Published in 1993, 'Parable of the Sower' is a dark and vivid portrayal of a future where global climate change and economic crises have led to social chaos. The story is told through the diary entries of Lauren Olamina, a 15-year-old Black girl living in a gated community near Los Angeles. Lauren suffers from hyperempathy, a condition that makes her feel the pain and pleasure of others. As her community is destroyed by external threats, Lauren embarks on a perilous journey north, developing a new faith called Earthseed along the way. Earthseed's central doctrine is that 'God is Change' and cannot be resisted, but can be influenced. The novel explores themes of survival, faith, family, hope, and community in a world torn apart by environmental devastation, economic collapse, and violence.