Octavia Butler — American Writer born on June 22, 1947, died on February 24, 2006

Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction writer. A multiple-recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, Butler was one of the best-known women in the field. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Fellowship, which is nicknamed the "Genius Grant"... (wikipedia)