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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Well… I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve ever broken into a nervous sweat just from reading. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to articulate all my thoughts here but I’ll try.
This was the first Octavia E. Butler book I’ve read, and while she’s renowned for her work in science fiction, I think this story edges much closer to survival horror.
First let me talk about the positives. I liked Lilith as a character, but I also found myself identifying with her a lot. She struck me as a very “come as you are” kinda gal and that’s exactly the approach I try to have to most things. And things there are…
The alien race that “saves” humanity, Oankali, were utterly fascinating for just how very alien they were. I know there’s been an uptick in bangable aliens in science fiction, but, being a fan of the Mass Effect series, I think the Oankali walked so the Asari could run. I loved learning about them, but I also loved thinking about how any of us would react if thrown into a situation like this. It was easy for me to sympathize with them during the first two parts. They’re just trying to help, right?
Now for the negatives. Act three is where it all went a little batshit crazy. I found my own anxiety rising, just as Lilith’s did, at the thought of Awakening more Humans, simply because of how predictably unpredictable they are. More horrifying than the prospect of never seeing Earth again was the idea that Humans didn’t learn a damn thing and would self destruct. Poignant, right?
Lo and behold, Humans came out swinging and misbehaving, as they do, and Lilith felt separate from them while trying desperately to make them understand that nothing was going to be the same anymore. And they damned well didn’t listen, because who would at that point? Very much a staple of survival horror and it made perfect sense.
There was rather a lot of cynicism about humanity, a bigger focus on the negatives than the positives. Not to mention the misandry in the idea that all men are inherently rapists, which I wholeheartedly disagree with; rape is a choice, raping someone is a CHOICE. It’s actually really easy to not be a rapist, just as it’s easy to not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or any other flavour of bigoted. Humans CAN make the choice to change their learned behaviors, and I reject any notion otherwise.
And then the Oankali got… extremely rapey. See, I can understand that things are different for them; the biological processes and pheromones and “acclimation.” Those are relatively simple concepts to grasp and accept. I mean, they ARE aliens. But then they started playing with the Humans, and I can’t recall ever being so uncomfortable in my life (while reading, anyway) This is where I broke out into a nervous sweat. I actually gave myself a headache because my brow refused to unfurl. The whole time I was reading THAT chapter I was just going “wtfwtfwtfwtfwtf…?”
I started questioning my sympathetic tendencies towards the Oankali, and even toward Lilith. This book shifted from a sci-fi story to straight-up horror. Yet because it was told from Lilith’s perspective, you could understand why she felt the way she did. However, I started to think of her as an unreliable narrator. I didn’t like any of the Human characters (except Joseph, a little) but I also think that was because Lilith was so separate from them. She didn’t like them either.
It got me thinking about the cycle of abuse, and how very often abused people will become abusers. Lilith, in my opinion, became that abuser, but I don’t think she meant to. What real choice did she have but to accept what was happening when her only options were eternal sleep, solitary confinement, or being a pet?
So, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone not in the right headspace, but I also wouldn’t NOT recommend it. It was definitely an… interesting experience.
This was the first Octavia E. Butler book I’ve read, and while she’s renowned for her work in science fiction, I think this story edges much closer to survival horror.
First let me talk about the positives. I liked Lilith as a character, but I also found myself identifying with her a lot. She struck me as a very “come as you are” kinda gal and that’s exactly the approach I try to have to most things. And things there are…
The alien race that “saves” humanity, Oankali, were utterly fascinating for just how very alien they were. I know there’s been an uptick in bangable aliens in science fiction, but, being a fan of the Mass Effect series, I think the Oankali walked so the Asari could run. I loved learning about them, but I also loved thinking about how any of us would react if thrown into a situation like this. It was easy for me to sympathize with them during the first two parts. They’re just trying to help, right?
Now for the negatives. Act three is where it all went a little batshit crazy. I found my own anxiety rising, just as Lilith’s did, at the thought of Awakening more Humans, simply because of how predictably unpredictable they are. More horrifying than the prospect of never seeing Earth again was the idea that Humans didn’t learn a damn thing and would self destruct. Poignant, right?
Lo and behold, Humans came out swinging and misbehaving, as they do, and Lilith felt separate from them while trying desperately to make them understand that nothing was going to be the same anymore. And they damned well didn’t listen, because who would at that point? Very much a staple of survival horror and it made perfect sense.
There was rather a lot of cynicism about humanity, a bigger focus on the negatives than the positives. Not to mention the misandry in the idea that all men are inherently rapists, which I wholeheartedly disagree with; rape is a choice, raping someone is a CHOICE. It’s actually really easy to not be a rapist, just as it’s easy to not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or any other flavour of bigoted. Humans CAN make the choice to change their learned behaviors, and I reject any notion otherwise.
And then the Oankali got… extremely rapey. See, I can understand that things are different for them; the biological processes and pheromones and “acclimation.” Those are relatively simple concepts to grasp and accept. I mean, they ARE aliens. But then they started playing with the Humans, and I can’t recall ever being so uncomfortable in my life (while reading, anyway) This is where I broke out into a nervous sweat. I actually gave myself a headache because my brow refused to unfurl. The whole time I was reading THAT chapter I was just going “wtfwtfwtfwtfwtf…?”
I started questioning my sympathetic tendencies towards the Oankali, and even toward Lilith. This book shifted from a sci-fi story to straight-up horror. Yet because it was told from Lilith’s perspective, you could understand why she felt the way she did. However, I started to think of her as an unreliable narrator. I didn’t like any of the Human characters (except Joseph, a little) but I also think that was because Lilith was so separate from them. She didn’t like them either.
It got me thinking about the cycle of abuse, and how very often abused people will become abusers. Lilith, in my opinion, became that abuser, but I don’t think she meant to. What real choice did she have but to accept what was happening when her only options were eternal sleep, solitary confinement, or being a pet?
So, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone not in the right headspace, but I also wouldn’t NOT recommend it. It was definitely an… interesting experience.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In the first chapter I wasn’t sure I’d like the book but I just kept reading. Compelling characters and story line. Very interesting take on human biases and judgments. Moving on to the other two books now.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Surreal! Foi o primeiro Sci-Fi que eu li, e já amei demais. A história é muito bem construída, com personagens incríveis que evoluem durante a história, tudo tem coerência e é muito bem escrito!