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A review by callum_mclaughlin
Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
3.0
I knew nothing about this heading in, other than I wanted to try Butler’s work and had heard this was one of her most revered stories. Boy, was I unprepared for what I got! We find ourselves on a distant planet where humans have come to coexist with a strange alien race called the Tlic. In exchange for a peaceful existence, however, these humans are required to act as living hosts for the Tlics’ eggs.
The narrative itself is bizarre yet compelling (if deliberately revolting at times). Thematically, there are lots of fascinating layers to unpick, especially for such a comparably brief work. These include the fine line between love and servitude, the physical trauma inherent to birth, the reversal of gender roles, and in a more literal sense, the human fear of parasites and bodily invasion. Despite the short length limiting the opportunity for world-building, Butler does a good job of avoiding clumsy exposition, simply dropping us into this world and allowing us to gleam enough contextual information to find our feet.
I finished the story in a bit of a daze, unsure of what to think or how to feel. What’s certain is that I won’t be forgetting it any time soon, and I’m intrigued to explore more of Butler’s work.
The narrative itself is bizarre yet compelling (if deliberately revolting at times). Thematically, there are lots of fascinating layers to unpick, especially for such a comparably brief work. These include the fine line between love and servitude, the physical trauma inherent to birth, the reversal of gender roles, and in a more literal sense, the human fear of parasites and bodily invasion. Despite the short length limiting the opportunity for world-building, Butler does a good job of avoiding clumsy exposition, simply dropping us into this world and allowing us to gleam enough contextual information to find our feet.
I finished the story in a bit of a daze, unsure of what to think or how to feel. What’s certain is that I won’t be forgetting it any time soon, and I’m intrigued to explore more of Butler’s work.