Tuesday, March 14, 2006
book report: Imago
Imago
by Octavia Butler
With the untimely passing of Octavia Butler, I plan to read more of her work. I both enjoyed and was repulsed by the Xenogenesis series, of which "Imago" is the third and final installment. I wrote about Book 2 here, and Book 1 here.
In this book, another one of Lilith's hybrid children, Jodahs, undergoes metamorphosis to adulthood and discovers that he is growing up to be an ooloi. The ooloi is the third sex of the Oankali race, and controls the reproductive capacity of the species. Jodahs leaves his family and runs into a secret human population. Due a genetic mutation, these people have been able to reproduce sexually, but the inbreeding has resulted in severe genetic disorders. Jodahs attempts to forge a connection with the secret population, in order to become a part of it.
This story is kind of an analogy for the larger story of the Oankali takeover of Earth. While Jodahs' intentions are not evil, the humans are not so sure they want any part of the trade he offers them.
I think I liked this book the best of the three. It was easier to focus on the idea of hybridization and the sacrifices demanded of the human population when it was taking place on an individual-to-individual level. And Jodahs seemed to grapple with the implications in a more personal, accessible way.
by Octavia Butler
With the untimely passing of Octavia Butler, I plan to read more of her work. I both enjoyed and was repulsed by the Xenogenesis series, of which "Imago" is the third and final installment. I wrote about Book 2 here, and Book 1 here.
In this book, another one of Lilith's hybrid children, Jodahs, undergoes metamorphosis to adulthood and discovers that he is growing up to be an ooloi. The ooloi is the third sex of the Oankali race, and controls the reproductive capacity of the species. Jodahs leaves his family and runs into a secret human population. Due a genetic mutation, these people have been able to reproduce sexually, but the inbreeding has resulted in severe genetic disorders. Jodahs attempts to forge a connection with the secret population, in order to become a part of it.
This story is kind of an analogy for the larger story of the Oankali takeover of Earth. While Jodahs' intentions are not evil, the humans are not so sure they want any part of the trade he offers them.
I think I liked this book the best of the three. It was easier to focus on the idea of hybridization and the sacrifices demanded of the human population when it was taking place on an individual-to-individual level. And Jodahs seemed to grapple with the implications in a more personal, accessible way.
Labels: book reports, Octavia Butler, science fiction
