Diverse Sci-fi

This week I read on my own, Bloodchild by Octavia Butler, and then read again for our in class reading. I found this story to be strangely uncomfortable and weird, but after reading for a second time found more compelling elements. The first time reading, I took this story for face value and thought it was just a weird tale of romance? But upon diving deeper beneath the surface in the second reading, I took into consideration the culture and values behind the writing of this story. There definitely seems to be an underlying analogy for slavery and the sex-slave aspect of this. The Terran are ultimatly controlled by the Tlic and used for the carrying of their young. The Tlic give them their egg to ingest which serves as a drug-trip-like experience of enjoyment and possibly hallucinogenic. There are themes of repression of the Terran and which can relate back to racial issues along with the female inslavement, due to the relationship between Tlic and Terran males, in this case role reversal.

I don't believe this text shares the views and themes of majoritarian culture, due to this being white americans. Octavia Butler has a very different perspective on things, those that are not necessarily shared by an "old white dude". Her values are those of a woman of color, stemming from a different culture so her story telling does reflect that in a subtle yet pronounced way.

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