Octavia Butler, the iconic Africa-American science fiction writer, was celebrated with a Google Doodle on Friday on what would have been her 71st birthday.
Entering a field dominated by white male authors, Butler often featured diverse protagonists in her stories.
“Her spirit of generosity and compassion compelled her to support the disenfranchised,” her family said in a statement to TIME. “She sought to speak truth to power, challenge prevailing notions and stereotypes, and empower people striving for better lives. Although we miss her, we celebrate the rich life she led and its magnitude in meaning.”
Butler, who died in 2006 after hitting her head on the pavement after suffering a stroke, was the first science fiction author to win the MacArthur Fellowship.
Fans of Butler will get to see Butler’s work on screen. A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay is working on a television adaptation of Butler’s 1987 book Dawn.
