A review by the_eucologist
Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler

4.0

Loved this short compendium. Not all of the shorts resonated, but Butler is clearly a careful writer who knows well how to hone a narrative. One of my favorite aspects of the collection is the way each short story is followed by an Afterword where Butler offers her inspirations, motivations, and thoughts on the writing process for a particular tale. On the one hand it allows readers a sneak peak into her writing process (which I find fascinating), but it also provides a unique means of interpreting her work that is rather cleverly a final way in which the author manipulates how each is absorbed. The afterword, then, is something of a Final Word and while I enjoyed the additional context, I'm sure it may prove frustrating for some. Particular favorites of mine here include "Amnesty", "Near of Kin", and "Speech Sounds".