Lilith wakes up, not knowing where she is, but knowing that humans have destroyed Earth in a nuclear war. She soon finds out that she's on a spaceship and the Oankali have been trying to save humans by keeping them in a deep sleep with the goal of returning humans to a healed Earth. But the Oankali are not doing this out of the kindness of their hearts - they do want something in return. Lilith is tasked with assimilating with the Oankali and then Reawakening more humans and teaching them how to interact with alien species.
There is so much going on in this book that it's hard to know where to start. The book's big themes are big. Colonialization, gender roles, consent, imprisonment, assimilation, and bodily autonomy come up. But, and this is key, Butler isn't preaching about any of it. Lilith is angry with her captors, confused that they won't give her information about her own body and her own life, but she eventually realizes she needs to cooperate in order to get back to Earth.
The book looks at shades of grey and doesn't give you an answer. Is it the right strategy for Lilith to collaborate with the Oankali? Are the Oankali's morally correct in taking from humans to be repaid for saving them? What does consent look like in a world in which you can't leave? It's absolutely fascinating and brings up so many thorny ethical conundrums.
It also ended on quite a cliffhanger and I'm excited to dive in to the rest of the trilogy.
5/5 stars
That sounds like a very deep dive into science fiction. Wait, let's hope this stays as Science Fiction!
ReplyDeleteWow, 5/5 stars.... that's quite a recommendation! It sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh love how this sounds. need to check if I can get a hold of the book.
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