Yawn ... do ya feel me?

Okay so when I was listening to 89.7 yet again last week, they were talking about (which the internet supported) that those who yawn in response to someone else yawning are more empathetic than others (yawn! :-)) - did you know that? It reminded me of a book I read by Octavia Butler, an african-american sci-fi writer. I really liked the story,

• one because it was backdropped in California - so even though it was based in the future, I recognized the places being mentioned. Dean Koontz, horror, does that as well; its enjoyable to envision stories in familiar venues. Another feature I like in fiction is referring to other characters, places and such in subsequent stories - Stephen King, horror, and Robert Ludlum, political/spy thrillers, are among those that do that well - its like recalling old friends, familiar memories. Another thing that fascinates me about these particular guys is their use of pseudonyms in an alter-ego sort of way. But I drigress and...
  
  
• two, because the main character was an empath. She intensely felt others people's pain. Have you felt like that - having to turn away from something because its personally painful to be aware of it, wanting to be able to end that pain so you can end yours, something that makes your joints down to your knuckles ache and your stomach sick. I have and do. If you look it up you'll get every notion from supernatural and psychic abilities to super heroes and healing. There is a test to see what kind you are. If you can relate to the concept at all, you might appreciate this poem - otherwise I'm sure it would seem silly to say that the poem itself hurts.

The book is a great story about survival as I recall; it's been quite some time since I read it. You might like it too. Ohhhh...what was the name of it? Parable of the Sower - it was the title that originally caught my eye. I see she did another parable, Parable of the Talents - the sequel. I'm intrigued; I'm going to check it out. And I just saw that Octavia died last year, what a sad loss to literature and I feel it!