Octavia Butler, Bloodchild
16. Octavia Butler, Bloodchild
This is a book of short stories and essays. I'd never read anything by Butler before, though I know she's very popular, and a book of short stories seemed a good place to start (well, and also the book was sitting right there on the shelf looking at me when I was checking out at the library). The stories are science-fiction, though they range from very similar to the real world (a drug for cancer causes a disease in the children of the people who took it) to very, very different (humans live in a few encampments on a world controlled by giant centipede-like aliens). Unexpectedly, I discovered that I'd actually read two of the stories before, though I have no idea where I would have come across them, since I don't read short stories often. Regardless, they were both excellent, and I was glad to rediscover them. The essays are mostly advice for writers, with one about Butler's own experiences as a science-fiction fan and trying to become a published author.
I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely be reading more of Butler in the future. A lot of people have described her as depressing, but I didn't find these stories to be. Dark, yes, involving people in very bad places, yes, but there always seemed to be a certain... belief in humanity? Or at least in its potential? Not quite sure how to describe what I mean, but these stories didn't come off as depressing to me.
This is a book of short stories and essays. I'd never read anything by Butler before, though I know she's very popular, and a book of short stories seemed a good place to start (well, and also the book was sitting right there on the shelf looking at me when I was checking out at the library). The stories are science-fiction, though they range from very similar to the real world (a drug for cancer causes a disease in the children of the people who took it) to very, very different (humans live in a few encampments on a world controlled by giant centipede-like aliens). Unexpectedly, I discovered that I'd actually read two of the stories before, though I have no idea where I would have come across them, since I don't read short stories often. Regardless, they were both excellent, and I was glad to rediscover them. The essays are mostly advice for writers, with one about Butler's own experiences as a science-fiction fan and trying to become a published author.
I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely be reading more of Butler in the future. A lot of people have described her as depressing, but I didn't find these stories to be. Dark, yes, involving people in very bad places, yes, but there always seemed to be a certain... belief in humanity? Or at least in its potential? Not quite sure how to describe what I mean, but these stories didn't come off as depressing to me.