Kindred

 Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, 264 pages

I was stunned to find this gem was written 35 years ago, and (to me) has not "aged" a bit. The voice, dialogue, tone and context are clear, unpretentious, and (sadly) still culturally/socially relevant. Also, I didn't feel voyeuristically or perversely entertained by the hardships of the main character, but empathetic and enlightened. Butler draws her characters with dignity, even the bad guys. I wish I had more spare time to read, I would devour all of Butler's books.