Reviews tagging 'Incest'

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

93 reviews

melissa_muses's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Murder

Minor: Incest, Racism, Rape, and Pregnancy

lostwaterbottle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

The fact that a book written almost 45 years ago is still one of the most original and captivating science fiction stories I’ve ever read speaks to the power of Butler. 

The writing is vivid and compelling and the characters are complex and real. I hated Doro and felt sympathy for him. 

What would it be like to never die? To be basically immortal like Sun Woman and still be a slave to someone else? To live through centuries and millennia not beholden to anything- but caring about something else is what makes us human. 

What a wild story that will stay with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder

Moderate: Incest and Rape

tawallah's review

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is a type of creation myth where an amoral being, Doro, finds his “Eve” in 17th Century Africa. With the background setting of the slave trading, essentially this is the beginning of a story of an immortal being   Doro is seeking to create special powers among his seed.  But Anyawu, Sun Woman is anything but tractable. She is a shapeshifter and healer. She is his equal and only possible companion.  He wants absolute dominion and obedience as he fulfills his dream. 

Butler tackles her constant themes in this series. Here, eugenics, power dynamics and gender clash.  Slavery is forever the undercurrent in her books. But it is unclear from this entry, the true purpose of Doro dream. He has no ability to predict the future, his arrogance and pride makes him slow to gain wisdom. Anyawu is the stereotypical woman - healer and builder of family. She is determined to be free and yet submits repeatedly to Doro. Often, reminding me of a woman suffering from abuse. But I fail to comprehend the purpose of this story. It is dark, repulsive and has moments of sublime irony.  But its purpose - remains elusive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation

kemrick19's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

clfenters's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Plot 0.7 - apart from a general desire to create children who could live long lives like themselves, I didn't see much of a driving force behind the plot
Characters 1
setting 1
writing style 1 - really easy to read, much appreciated
themes 1
Pacing 1 - at no point did I feel it dragging
originality 1 - at time of publication, it was probably way out there; less so now, but still pushes boundaries
Emotional impact 0.5
Ending 0.8 - eh, life goes on
Overall enjoyment - 0.9

Total = 8.9/10

Does not correspond to my intuitive rating of 3.25/5

Interestingly, I recently read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I see a lot of parallels between the two stories. Was Schwab influenced by Wild Seed?

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest and Murder

Minor: Racism

julaun's review

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Incest, Slavery, and Suicide

arkiwi88's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Colonisation

dahliapyne's review

4.0

Would not recommend for kids/teens because of many problematic/disturbing behaviors from a main character, but I really enjoyed it! It was an intriguing plot, interesting characters, and had a mostly satisfying ending. I loved seeing characters grapple not only with  fantastical elements but also the side effects of those! Very thought-provoking!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Colonisation

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and Murder

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Incest, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

kenrya's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I love the writing, but I hate one of the main characters. I am eager to finish this series and move on to a new world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism