A review by crybabybea
Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler

dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

A great collection by the mother of Afrofuturism. Her stories perfectly capture what speculative fiction is meant to be, an exploration of humanity on its rawest levels; fear, passion, love, morality. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the stories stood up to the test of time.

My favorite was the story Speech Sounds, which involved an apocalyptic future set after a pandemic that caused extreme isolation, to the point that it affected people's ability to speak, read, and write. Super eerie. The titular story, Bloodchild, certainly deserves its Hugo and Nebula awards. However, every story here is well-crafted and definitely gets you speculating. I was amazed at Octavia E. Butler's ability to pack so much feeling into such short stories; even without time to explore deep characterization or worlds, she is able to get to the root emotion, the core of humanity and really tug at it.

I also appreciated that each story came with a short afterword, so we can hear the author explain her thoughts behind her writing. It was so interesting to see what sparked the ideas for her stories; for example, Bloodchild was in part inspired by her consuming fear of botflies. 

It also features two short essays, in which she talks about how she got into writing, her struggles being the first Black woman to be published in Science Fiction, and gives tips for aspiring writers. She gives us this beautiful quote which will definitely stick with me:

Sometimes when I'm interviewed, the interviewer either compliments me on my "talent," my "gift," or asks me how I discovered it. (I don't know, maybe it was supposed to be lying in my closet or on the street somewhere, waiting to be discovered.) I used to struggle to answer this politely, to explain that I didn't believe much in writing talent. People who want to write either do it or they don't. At last I began to say that my most important talent--or habit--was persistence. Without it, I would have given up writing long before I finished my first novel. It's amazing what we can do if we simply refuse to give up.

I suspect this is the most important thing I've said in all my interviews and talks as well as in this book. It's a truth that applies to more than writing. It applies to anything that is important, but difficult, important, but frightening. We're all capable of climbing so much higher than we usually permit ourselves to suppose.

If you are wanting to try out speculative fiction, or want to get a taste of Octavia E. Butler's writing, this is definitely a good place to start. 
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