|Diverse Position Sci-fi| - Octavia E. Butler's "Lilith's Brood" - Book Review

Out of the many sci-fi books I was assigned to read,

This was it.

This was the best one.

I read about the creation of a whole new, better human-hybrid species and the struggles and sacrifices made in order to keep on with the idea of doing what’s necessary for the benefit of both an alien race and the restoration of the basically extinct human race.

All protagonists, from Lilith to her two offspring, have to go through such big decisions in order to do what’s good for their own species and the future around them. They’re all pretty selfless and likable characters.

In the book Dawn, I wasn’t entirely fond of the Oankali species, either. I could relate a lot to Lilith as the story kept going and I liked how all her decisions, from beginning to end were done with the conditions of doing a greater good. To save the other surviving humans. If I would’ve been in her spot, I would’ve done the same thing. Dawn shows how even after making such groundbreaking sacrifices, there are more exterior conflicts when it comes to changing ways life has been. Even though there’s literally no humans left, the surviving ones do not want to mingle with the aliens. What principles should be followed? The ending was not as promising as I expected, but knowing I had two more books to read made me more interested in what I was about to read next.

On Adulthood Rides, we see a little bit of progress and we experience first-hand thoughts on the first ever hybrid, Akin. Humans and Oankali now live in the same place, but separately. We go from having to read the perspective of a human to the perspective of someone who wants to understand both his human and his Oankali side. Is such a remarkable journey about the idea of appreciating one-self’s true origins and the change in the laws of nature. Akin is just as revolutionary as his human mother and he does his best to persuade the aliens to be compassionate of the humans and let them be fertile once again. The second book ends with a sense of hope.

Imago, lastly, pretty much ends up being a long epilogue to me. It explains how, in the end, the mixture of both the human species and the Oankali species brings out this beneficial race, the race that was meant to be all along that will bestow a hopeful future with bigger and wider opportunity of growth.

I was great trilogy. It felt as if I was reading history logs on a species that was already created. Having read another of Butler’s pieces, her use of imagery and character descriptions made it a well-enjoyable read.

I am excited to read more from her and to actually have a different aspect on aliens rather than fear and desolation.