Escape Escape POD. Episode. episode 744. Summer Flashback. The evening, the morning and the night.

By Octavia Butler. Welcome to a skateboard summer school's final month.

The plan with these episodes. Welcome to a Skate Pod Summer School's final month.

The plan with these episodes has been to stag all our flashbacks for the year in one place and to use

them to examine big concepts in some detail.

I'm Alistin, your host for these episodes and over the last few weeks

we've looked at the different ways science fiction explores space, we've looked at the concept of

invasion and this month are taking a look at identity and we're starting with the amazing Octavia Butler.

One of the all-time greats, Butler's work is redolent with this theme.

This story in particular, a novelt, explores identity in a half dozen different ways and does so with Butler's customary grace, compassion, and laser-focused vision.

Some logistics for you before we dive in. This episode was originally published February 2nd, 2015.

Your narrator is Amanda Ching. Your host for the original episode was Norm Sherman.

Your audio producer for the original episode, was Matt Weller.

And without further ado, it's story time.

The evening, the morning, the Night by Octavia Butler

When I was 15 in trying to show my independence by getting careless with my diet,

my parents took me to a dearyagode disease ward.

They wanted me to see, they said, where I was headed if I wasn't careful.

In fact, it was where I was headed no matter what.

It was only a matter of when, now, or later.

My parents were putting in their vote for later.

I won't describe the ward.

...