I recently began reading this book as well (FINALLY!!!) and have been feeling very similarly about Butler's eerily spot-on predictions of our near-future. I empathize with your empathy, Charles. Excellent piece.

Little Saigon is one of the worst parts of the city. There’s gotta be someone selling drugs there, because it’s full of zombies and nutjobs 24/7.

I missed the library discussion groups. If I’d attended, I’d have asked about the contradiction between being so empathetic but packing a gun. Doesn’t this give credence to right wing gun nuts?

Typo - “ the former is a 1993 novel” should be “ the latter is a 1993 novel”