Let's make this birthday one to remember.

78 years old (Born on June 22, 1947)

Happy Birthday to the legendary Octavia E. Butler! You boldly took us through time in "Kindred," made aliens feel like family in "Lilith's Brood," and showed us humanity’s quirks (and occasional absurdities) with your Patternist series. Honestly, anyone who can make dystopian futures seem oddly relatable deserves cake every day.

Your MacArthur Fellowship proved what we already knew—you’re a genius at making readers question reality while laughing nervously about our own species' antics. May your birthday be as timelessly brilliant as your stories, filled with fewer apocalyptic visions but just enough weirdness to keep things interesting. Cheers, Octavia!