A review by rhogregoire
Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler

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

5.0

 Read for climate apocalypse compariative lit class. Short story, really loved this one. There's a really cool discussion of the merging of gender dynamics via male pregnancy, and I like the body horror that accompanies it; although it is framed as horror, most of the descriptions of alien pregnancy are not far removed from normal human pregnancy. It raises questions of the role of the body and motherhood as something alien and threatening - a loss of autonomy as something else takes your body for it's own gain. 
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