Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 Kindred was a transcendent science-fiction novel, following Dana, a young Black writer who time travels from 1970s Los Angeles to 19th century Maryland. The literary offering was lauded for its exploration of time, history, and ancestry.
Decades after the success of Butler’s novel comes an FX-ordered series, created by showrunner and writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkin. Staying close to its original material, Kindred stars Mallori Johnson as Dana, who faces past secrets seeping into the present. The show also stars Micah Stock, Gayle Rankin, Austin Smith, David Alexander Kaplan, Sophina Brown, and Sheria Irving.
“The thing I’m always fighting to remind people is that this is a literary event,” Jacobs-Jenkins told Vanity Fair about Kindred. “It’s an American classic”.
The series will consist of eight episodes, with a first trailer having arrived this week. The tone is taut, thrilling, and terrifying — sure to keep viewers glued.
