First science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship

OCTAVIA E BUTLER

This groundbreaking author of "Kindred" and "Parable of the Sower" explored themes of race, power, and survival in futuristic settings long before her 1995 "Genius Grant.

This clue points to Octavia E. Butler, a groundbreaking author known for works like Kindred and Parable of the Sower. She made history as the first science fiction writer awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (often called the "genius grant") in 1995. The answer fits because the clue directly names her achievement without wordplay—just a straightforward reference to her legacy in literature.