Book Review: Bloodchild

Bloodchild: And Other Stories

Octavia E. Butler

ISBN:

9781583226988

Publisher:

Seven Stories Pr

Publication Date:

2005

Binding:

Softcover

So now you know the truth. I'm a bit of a geek, a sprinkling of nerd, a sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast and one of the biggest fans of Octavia Butler's works.

My love affair with her writing started a while back, influenced by a good friend who sent me one of her books. For the first time I was confronted with the same surprise (please don't ask me why) that most people have when I tell them her novels primarily feature a black woman or a black girl!

I'll stop gushing and get on with the review.

Bloodchild is the story of a young man, Gan, part of a settlement of human beings 'rescued' by extra terrestrials, and his very quick journey to accepting his fate. The men of the settlement are used as incubation vessels for the young of the extra terrestrials. When the young come to term, the men undergo a very painful process to have them removed.

This deftly crafted story forces you to look at the role of pregnancy in cultivating and maintaining the human race on earth right now. It allows the reader to explore what it really means to be an integral part of maintaining the peaceful society in which they live, owning the responsibility to do so and keeping promises.

As is usual with my experience with Ms. Butler's novels, this one challenged my steadfastly held opinions about propagating any species. If roles were reversed, would I be willing to participate in acts that brought so much pain and confusion to a child just to bear spawn? If I were Gan, would I accept my fate so easily?

Needless to say, the book will rip your guts out, splay them on the ground and then walk away. READ IT!