Parable of the Sower – Octavia Bulter – John Palencar

Nothing but the best.
Image by John Jude Palencar

Title-free illustration of the John Jude Palencar cover for the novel ‘Parable of the Sower’ by Octavia E. Butler.

The image’s backdrop is of a night sky sparsely lit with stars as the moon hovers above on the upper-right side. The lower-half of the background is of a body of water the same colour of the sky; the horizon between water and sky being a line of flames. In the foreground is a Black woman is a black scoop-neck top. Both of her hands are casually raised at her sides in the traditional Catholic “blessing” gesture (ring and pinky fingers curled in, index and middle fingers extended). Her hair appears to be tied in hairnet or similar covering. Her face is expressionless. Her eyes are either closed or they’re looking down at the object in front of her: a small, Earth-like planet floating in front of her.