Lilith's Brood
Back of the Book
Presented for the first time in one volume with an introduction by Joan Slonczewski, Ph.D., Lilith's Brood is a profoundly evocative, sensual -- and disturbing -- epic of human transformation.
Lilith Iyapo is in the Andes, mourning the death of her family, when war destroys Earth. Centuries later, she is resurrected -- by miraculously powerful unearthly beings, the Oankali. Driven by an irresistible need to heal others, the Oankali are rescuing our dying planet by merging genetically with mankind. But Lilith and all humanity must now share the world with uncanny, unimaginably alien creatures: their own children. This is their story...
We Love It Because
Butler’s critically lauded prose engages with concepts of the monstrous in Lilith’s Brood. A fantastical consideration of the politics of pleasure, eroticism and provocation combine to create an exploration of what it means to be human and to have human desires. Octavia E. Butler shines in the innovation of her plot as usual, but also in her meaningful dissection of need and otherness.
Memorable Passage
Her search, she admitted finally, had been ridiculous. She could have stayed in Kaal, daydreamed about meeting another human, and gotten more satisfaction from it. She could not even be certain how much of Tiej she had covered. There were no signs that she could read. Oankali did not use such things. Their kinship group areas were clearly scent-marked. Each time they opened a wall, they enhanced the local scent markers-or they identified themselves as visitors, members of a different kinship group. Ooloi could change their scent, and did when they left home to mate. Males and females kept the scents they were born with and never lived outside their kinship area. Lilith could not read scent signs. As far as she was concerned Oankali had no odor at all.
About the Author
Octavia Butler (1947–2006) was a pioneering African American science fiction writer whose visionary work transformed the landscape of speculative fiction. Born in Pasadena, California, Butler defied racial and gender norms in a genre traditionally dominated by white male authors. Her groundbreaking Patternist and Earthseed series, along with acclaimed novels like Kindred and Parable of the Sower, explored themes of power, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. Butler received numerous awards, including the prestigious Hugo and Nebula Awards, and became the first science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Worth knowing for her literary innovation, Butler's influence extends beyond her genre, as she challenged societal norms, redefined science fiction, and paved the way for marginalized voices in speculative literature. Her commitment to addressing social issues through imaginative storytelling makes Octavia Butler a luminary figure in literature, whose impact resonates far beyond the realms of science fiction.
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