Autarky: Living in Manzanita Village

Manzanita Village is a prototype for a self-sustaining community in a drought ridden, violent, and chaotic world. To escape the mass mania of thieves, drug addicts, arsonists, and starvation, this community has been developed to be self-sufficient by relying on the vegetation that surrounds them for protection and sustenance. Inspired by Octavia E Butler’s Earthseed trilogy, Autarky: Living in Manzanita Village is a triotrilogy of guidebooks for the residents of Manzanita Village and future developments: “manzanita village vegetation guide”, “manzanita village recipe and nutrition guide”, and “manzanita village infrastructure guide”.

Within these three guidebooks, the vegetation in and around the village is documented and the possible uses for each are described. Recipes that are possible from plant life have been passed down through generations, with some similarities to the diet of Native Americans once native to Northern California. The infrastructure guide portrays the built environment of the village and the use of scavenged materials and living vegetation in the buildings. There are several different living units within the village to accommodate for various family formats and the responsibilities of each member. Similar to the Earthseed Community in Butler’s Parable of the Sower, every member of the village must work and contribute to the success of the community. These modularistic living quarters are arranged in groupings and the residents of each “pod” share one community kitchen and gathering space. This allows for equal food distribution and creates accountability for upholding the responsibilities appointed to each individual.