The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

The Parable of the Sower is the first book in what will now be only a two book series. Before her untimely death, Octavia Butler had planned to write additional Parable books.

The Parable of the Sower begins the story of Lauren Oya Olamina, from her early adolescence until her expulsion from her family's compound (along with everyone else in the compound) when it was overrun by drug-addled, pyromaniac, killers.

Lauren is the prophet of a new religion, Earthseed. The story of her expulsion from the protection of her family and neighborhood is also the story of how she began to develop and promulgate Earthseed.

This is a powerful and beautifully written book.