![]() ![]() ![]() We don’t know why at first but, by the end of the story, the portentous meaning in all her brief comments becomes painfully clear. Subtle moments make it clear that Gan’s mother is afraid of T’Gatoi and for Gan. One Tlic, named T’Gatoi, lives with Gan’s family. Gan lives with other Terrans in “the Preserve,” an area that functions as a gigantic cage. As Butler gradually doles out information at the perfect pace, we learn that the narrator, Gan, lives on an alien planet where humans (Terrans) live alongside a race called the Tlic. ![]() The justly famous title story, “Bloodchild,” is fascinating. Some might characterize these works as escapist-personally, I think they’re as confrontational as literature can get. Yet for all their fantastical elements, every single story in this collection is rooted in dilemmas we face as individuals, societies, and a species. Some of the stories involve aliens, post-apocalyptic wastelands, imaginary diseases, or even feature god. Similarly, Butler reminded me that science-fiction can not only stimulate the imagination and raise intriguing questions but have as forceful an impact as any work of literature out there. I certainly didn’t need a reminder that books can be powerful, but Morrison’s works demonstrate just how much books can accomplish on a visceral level and how deeply they can expand you as a person. Butler’s masterful collection, Bloodchild and Other Stories, reminded me of when I read Toni Morrison’s first three novels. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |