Kindred
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Standard 1-month free trial
Buy Now for $23.18
-
Narrated by:
-
Kim Staunton
-
Written by:
-
Octavia E. Butler
About this listen
The first science-fiction written by a Black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of African-American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity.
Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning White boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life.
During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she's been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.
Author Octavia E. Butler skilfully juxtaposes the serious issues of slavery, human rights, and racial prejudice with an exciting science-fiction, romance, and historical adventure. Kim Staunton's narrative talent magically transforms the listener's earphones into an audio time machine.
You may also enjoy...
-
Parable of the Sower
- Written by: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Lynne Thigpen
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall355
-
Performance310
-
Story310
God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose unlikely prophet is 18-year-old Lauren Olamina. The young woman's diary entries tell the story of her life amid a violent 21st-century hell of walled neighborhoods and drug-crazed pyromaniacs—and reveal her evolving Earthseed philosophy. Against a backdrop of horror emerges a message of hope: if we are willing to embrace divine change, we will survive to fulfill our destiny among the stars.
-
-
First Afrofuturism, first futurism and it’s a yes!
- By Heather Connell on 2020-09-03
Written by: Octavia E. Butler
-
Wild Seed
- The Patternist Series, Book 1
- Written by: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall34
-
Performance29
-
Story28
For a thousand years, Doro has cultivated a small African village, carefully breeding its people in search of seemingly unattainable perfection. He survives through the centuries by stealing the bodies of others, a technique he has so thoroughly mastered that nothing on Earth can kill him. But when a gang of New World slavers destroys his village, ruining his grand experiment, Doro is forced to go west and begin anew. He meets Anyanwu, a centuries-old woman whose means of immortality are as kind as his are cruel. Now they begin a struggle that will last centuries.
-
-
Great Story
- By Adesola on 2025-08-11
Written by: Octavia E. Butler
-
The Found and the Lost
- The Collected Novellas of Ursula K. Le Guin
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan, Jefferson Mays
- Length: 34 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall22
-
Performance22
-
Story22
Every novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, an icon in American literature, collected for the first time - and introduced by the legendary author - in one breathtaking volume. Ursula K. Le Guin has won multiple prizes and accolades, from the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to the Newbery Honor, Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and PEN/Malamud awards. She has had her work collected over the years but never as a complete retrospective of her longer works.
-
-
Le Guin doesn't disappoint, but the format . . .
- By Cindyloohoo on 2019-03-23
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
-
A Wizard of Earthsea
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall276
-
Performance215
-
Story213
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
-
-
Wish there had been more
- By girorv on 2019-04-06
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
-
Fledgling
- Written by: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall19
-
Performance19
-
Story19
This is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly unhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted - and still wants - to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself.
-
-
how disgusting it was.
- By Marianna Terelya on 2026-02-09
Written by: Octavia E. Butler
-
The Rebel
- Written by: Albert Camus
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall8
-
Performance6
-
Story6
By one of the most profoundly influential thinkers of our century, The Rebel is a classic essay on revolution. For Albert Camus, the urge to revolt is one of the "essential dimensions" of human nature, manifested in man's timeless Promethean struggle against the conditions of his existence, as well as the popular uprisings against established orders throughout history. And yet, with an eye toward the French Revolution and its regicides and deicides, he reveals how inevitably the course of revolution leads to tyranny.
-
-
Not the best of Camus
- By Reza on 2019-12-21
Written by: Albert Camus
-
Parable of the Sower
- Written by: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Lynne Thigpen
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall355
-
Performance310
-
Story310
God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose unlikely prophet is 18-year-old Lauren Olamina. The young woman's diary entries tell the story of her life amid a violent 21st-century hell of walled neighborhoods and drug-crazed pyromaniacs—and reveal her evolving Earthseed philosophy. Against a backdrop of horror emerges a message of hope: if we are willing to embrace divine change, we will survive to fulfill our destiny among the stars.
-
-
First Afrofuturism, first futurism and it’s a yes!
- By Heather Connell on 2020-09-03
Written by: Octavia E. Butler
-
Wild Seed
- The Patternist Series, Book 1
- Written by: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall34
-
Performance29
-
Story28
For a thousand years, Doro has cultivated a small African village, carefully breeding its people in search of seemingly unattainable perfection. He survives through the centuries by stealing the bodies of others, a technique he has so thoroughly mastered that nothing on Earth can kill him. But when a gang of New World slavers destroys his village, ruining his grand experiment, Doro is forced to go west and begin anew. He meets Anyanwu, a centuries-old woman whose means of immortality are as kind as his are cruel. Now they begin a struggle that will last centuries.
-
-
Great Story
- By Adesola on 2025-08-11
Written by: Octavia E. Butler
-
The Found and the Lost
- The Collected Novellas of Ursula K. Le Guin
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan, Jefferson Mays
- Length: 34 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall22
-
Performance22
-
Story22
Every novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, an icon in American literature, collected for the first time - and introduced by the legendary author - in one breathtaking volume. Ursula K. Le Guin has won multiple prizes and accolades, from the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to the Newbery Honor, Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and PEN/Malamud awards. She has had her work collected over the years but never as a complete retrospective of her longer works.
-
-
Le Guin doesn't disappoint, but the format . . .
- By Cindyloohoo on 2019-03-23
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
-
A Wizard of Earthsea
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall276
-
Performance215
-
Story213
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
-
-
Wish there had been more
- By girorv on 2019-04-06
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
-
Fledgling
- Written by: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall19
-
Performance19
-
Story19
This is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly unhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted - and still wants - to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself.
-
-
how disgusting it was.
- By Marianna Terelya on 2026-02-09
Written by: Octavia E. Butler
-
The Rebel
- Written by: Albert Camus
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall8
-
Performance6
-
Story6
By one of the most profoundly influential thinkers of our century, The Rebel is a classic essay on revolution. For Albert Camus, the urge to revolt is one of the "essential dimensions" of human nature, manifested in man's timeless Promethean struggle against the conditions of his existence, as well as the popular uprisings against established orders throughout history. And yet, with an eye toward the French Revolution and its regicides and deicides, he reveals how inevitably the course of revolution leads to tyranny.
-
-
Not the best of Camus
- By Reza on 2019-12-21
Written by: Albert Camus
What the critics say
"[Kindred] is a shattering work of art with much to say about love, hate, slavery and racial dilemmas, then and now." (Los Angeles Herald Examiner)
"Truly terrifying." (Essence)
"Butler's literary craftsmanship is superb." (The Washington Post Book World)
Featured Article: 16 of the Best Horror Audiobooks by Authors of Colour You Should Listen To
There is nothing quite like settling in and losing yourself in a chilling horror story. From thrilling science fiction to haunting ghost stories, these audiobooks have everything you could want from horror fiction. We have compiled a list of some of the best horror books from authors of colour that will keep listeners spellbound from beginning to end. Even the drabbest commute or chore will turn into a spooky time with these mesmerizing and expert narrations. So sit back, and be prepared to get hooked on 16 of the best horror audiobooks in our collection.
loved it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great Listen
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wonderful
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book and narrator
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
All around great story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.