Join Stanford Pride for a book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s Fledgling. Fledgling follows Shori, an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarming needs and abilities lead her to a startling truth: she is a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. As Shori pieces together the fragments of her stolen past, she must uncover who destroyed her family and who still seeks to erase her and those she cares for, and decide how to save herself. Butler’s captivating novel tests the limits of “otherness” and asks what it means to be truly human.
“A master storyteller, Butler casts an unflinching eye on racism, sexism, poverty, and ignorance and lets the reader see the terror and beauty of human nature.” (The Washington Post)
Our conversation will be facilitated by Stanford Pride Board members, Roz Thomas (they/them) and Autumn Carter (she/her).
RSVP by November 15 (Friday) for access to the Zoom link. Stanford Pride will make electronic copies of the book available for attendees who prefer that. All members of the Stanford Pride community, i.e. alumni, students and staff, are welcome to attend.
Trigger warning: The protagonist, Shori, is a vampire-like creature in their 50s, but has the physical appearance of a 10- or 11-year-old Black girl. The narrative includes graphic sexual content involving Shori and her adult partners. Though Shori is biologically an adult, themes of child sexual abuse can be inferred.
| When: | Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 4:00–5:00 p.m. PT / 7:00–8:00 p.m. ET |
| Where: | Online via Zoom |
| Cost: | Free |
| RSVP: | https://tinyurl.com/stanfordpridebook RSVP by November 15 |