Bloodchild and Other Stories

"Bloodchild" redirects here. For the Tim Bowler novel, see Bloodchild (novel).
Bloodchild and Other Stories

First edition
Author Octavia E. Butler
Country  United States
Genre science fiction, horror
Publisher Four Walls Eight Windows, Seven Stories Press
Publication date
 Aug/Sep 1995
Media type Print (hardcover, trade paperback)
Pages 144 pp
ISBN 1-56858-055-X (1st ed.)

Bloodchild and Other Stories is the only collection of science fiction stories and essays by Octavia E. Butler. Each story and essay features an afterword by Butler. "Bloodchild," the title story, won the Hugo Award and Nebula Award.

Originally published in 1995, the 2005 expanded edition contains two additional stories: "Amnesty" and "The Book of Martha."

Stories

"Bloodchild"

Winner of the 1984 Nebula Award for Best Novelette and the 1985 Hugo Award for Best Novelette. Winner of the 1985 Locus Award for Best Novelette and the 1985 Science Fiction Chronicle Award for Best Novelette.

Published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, 1984; in Bloodchild and Other Stories, Four Walls Eight Windows in 1995; by Seven Stories Press in 1996 and 2005.[1]

Gan, the young male Terran chosen by the lead female Tlic, T’Gatoi, accepts his impending fate of being a host for her eggs and offers his body out of love, rage and desperation:

"I knew what to do, what to expect. I had been told all my life. I felt the familiar sting, narcotic, mildly pleasant. Then the blind probing of her ovipositor. The puncture was painless, easy."

Butler, "Bloodchild," 27.

"Bloodchild" describes the unusual bond between a race of insect-like alien lifeforms called the Tlic and a colony of humans who have escaped Earth and settled on the Tlic planet. When the Tlic realize that humans make excellent hosts for Tlic eggs, they establish the Preserve for their protection and in return, require that every human family choose a child for implantation. A human thus implanted is called a N'Tlic.

The story is narrated by Gan, a young boy whose turn has come to carry the eggs of T’Gatoi, a lead female Tlic who chose him for her partner when he was born. All his life Gan and his siblings, except his brother Qui, who has seen a birth go wrong, have perceived being a host as a privilege and felt that having T’Gatoi around was wonderful. However, when a "pregnant" man named Lomas is separated from his Tlic when her eggs begin to hatch inside him, Gan is forced to help T’Gatoi perform surgery on the man to retrieve the Tlic grubs and stop the man from being eating alive. After witnessing the horrendous process Gan then gets a gun that had been hidden away and threatens to kill himself rather than be impregnated, because the thought of a human male must go through to give "birth," Gan begins to question whether or not he actually wants to pursue being a host himself. Gan's fear pushes him to question T’Gatoi as to what kind of relationship humans and aliens truly have with each other. T'Gatoi, who must begin laying her eggs that night, asks Gan if she should impregnate Gan's willing sister instead. Out of love for his sister and for T'Gatoi, Gan chooses to become impregnated but requires that T'Gatoi allow his family to keep their illegal gun. As T'Gatoi impregnates Gan, she lovingly promises him that she will take care of him and will never leave him behind like Lomas had been left by his Tlic.

Backgrounds

In several interviews as well as in her afterword to "Bloodchild," Butler explains the different situations that led her to write the story. To begin with, she wanted to "write out" her fear of her body being invaded by a parasitic insect, specifically the bot-fly. She also wanted to write about a human male becoming pregnant; about the risks to his body as well as what it would take for him to have maternal feelings towards his alien brood, and so she ended crafting a story about a symbiotic, loving relationship between two very different species. This is why, she insists again and again, critics read "Bloodchild" wrongly when they argue it is about slavery. Lastly, she wanted to write a story about "paying the rent"—of how a realistic depiction of human immigration into space would not just repeat the colonialist tropes of traditional science fiction but rather require some quid pro quo or "accommodation" from the part of humanity.[2][3][4][5]

Themes

Morals Morals is being challenged because in Octavia Butler afterward she asks "who knows what we have that others maybe willing to trade for?" In the story the humans go to another world and have to pay rent to the Tlics so they can live on the planet , and that rent is that the humans have to be a host to the Tlics eggs for the alien race to survive. This questions morals because Gan was a male who was chosen to host the eggs. This questions morality because a male never layed an egg before in history when normally women are chosen as hosts.

Sex roles

Instead of having a female host, you have a male host. Gans masculine emotions allows him to go through with the pregnancy so he could be strong and also at the same time he gets these female behaviors such as empathy and selflessness while he is pregnant. Prior to this Gan accepts to be the surrogate parent to the Tlics so his sister would not have to go through the horrific pain. Also in the story the humans have no obligation to nurse and watch over the Tlics offspring as it is the Tlics job to watch over their own offspring.

"The Evening and the Morning and the Night"

Winner of the 1987 Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award, and nominated for the 1987 Nebula Award for Best Novelette,[1] The Evening and the Morning and the Night explores a world where a genetic disease has caused the appearance of a new social caste.

"Near of Kin"

Published in Chrysalis 4 in 1979; in Bloodchild and Other Stories, Four Walls Eight Windows in 1995; by Seven Stories Press in 1996 and 2005.[1]

"Near of Kin" reports a discussion between a girl and her uncle. The girl's mother has recently died and she is talking to her uncle about the lack of relationship that she had with her mother. She felt abandoned by her mother because she was left to be raised by her grandmother. There was a family secret that the girl felt was the justification of her abandonment. She felt as if she was the product of her mom and uncle rather than her mom and previous husband, so yes her uncle was also her father. Comparing her looks and personality with that of her uncle, she was just waiting for the confirmation that she was his child. Though this does not fully justify her mother neglecting her, it makes the situation as a whole and her relationship between her father/uncle more understanding.

Backgrounds

In her afterword, Butler explains that because of her Baptist background, the influences for "Near of Kin" come from incestuous Bible stories such as those of Lot's daughters, Abraham's sister-wife, and the sons of Adam having sex with the daughters of Eve.

"Speech Sounds"

Main article: Speech Sounds

Winner of the 1984 Hugo Award for Best Short Story,[1] "Speech Sounds" explores a universe where a virus has eradicated speech.

"Crossover"

Published in Clarion 1971.[1]

"Crossover" is about a woman who has a lousy job working at a factory in which she hates and struggles with alcohol as well as staying with her criminal boyfriend. With her constant fear of loneliness and death, she suffers from low self-esteem issues. During the 3 months that her boyfriend had been in jail she contemplated suicide many times but because of fear never went through with this plan. As the story continues, her actions and behavior become more self-destructive, constantly visiting the liquor store and turning to alcohol to solve her life problems. She had been around drunks most of her life that she got used to this habit and the more she drank the less things would matter. Octavia Butler relates this story, written when she too was working in a factory, to her real life by stating that it was about her own fears of failing as a writer and not wanting to end up like this character.

In short story "Crossover" a women named Jane, she drank and don't give herself time to think or taste or gag and also lived most of her life around the drunks."She had lived around drunks most of her life. She knew that if she could get enough down, nothing would matter"(Butler page 119).

Butler, Crossover, 119.

Backgrounds

In the afterword, Butler explains how the characters in "Crossover" were influenced by her old, dull jobs and the strange people she met while doing them. The strange people in the afterword represented the negative side of her conscious that was the main character in the story. "She stared at the bottle for a moment, then almost snatched it from him. She drank without giving herself time to taste or think or gag." This represented the temptation that she would've had if she let the stress of her dull job get the best of her.

"Amnesty"

Published in SciFi.com in 2003; in Bloodchild and Other Stories, Seven Stories Press in 2005.[1]

In "Amnesty" Noah was released from being held captive as an experiment by the aliens for years; she was then captured by the government who tortured her to get information out of her from the aliens: "...They knew what they were doing to me, and yet it never occurred to them not to do it."

Butler, Amnesty, 181.

Noah explains to James Adio, one of the recruits, why she is working for the aliens and apparently against her own species:

"No payback. Just what I said earlier. Jobs. We get to live and so do they. I don't need payback."

Butler, "Amnesty," 181.

In "Amnesty," Noah, the main character, is in the middle of a meeting with possible employees for the Communities, an alien species that has taken over Earth's desert areas. Noah who was abducted by the Communities when she was a child attempts to convince the group to overcome their fear of the aliens so they can prosper alongside the Communities. Noah discusses and compares the experiences she had with both the Communities and the humans. Despite being treated as an experiment and a lab rat by the aliens, Noah stated that she never once faced as much cruelty with the Communities as she did with her own government. This contributed to Noah's positive involvement with Communities which gave her the power to take on the role of translator and collaborator between the two species. Noah has become one of thirty people to participate in the enfolding process with the communities which enforces her bond with them. It is because of her ability to communicate with both species that opens up the possibility of creating a more unified environment between humans and the Communities.

Backgrounds

In her afterword to "Amnesty," Butler explains the circumstances of how Amnesty came to life. She uses Dr. Wen Ho Lee's negative experience with the US government when he was wrongfully imprisoned for espionage. In Amnesty, Noah is seen as a threat by the US government she is imprisoned and tortured in order to obtain information from her about the alien's technology.

Themes

Fear

One of the main themes of "Amnesty" is fear, mostly the fear the humans have of the alien Communities. Claire Curtis discusses this fear as a natural and rather overwhelming feeling. She states that humans do things simply out of fear, whether it's fear for others, fear for ourselves, fear of the unknown or, more importantly, fear of the known. "Amnesty" explores the idea that people are so afraid of the Communities simply because humans know nothing of who the aliens are, how they function, or what their intentions are. It is because of fear that humans turn to destruction rather than collaboration.[6] Elisa Edward also discusses how the humans race is fearful of their existence and how fear is turned into anger and frustration towards the Communities.[7]

Justification of violence

One of the most discussed themes in "Amnesty" is the use of violence by both the alien Communities and the U.S. government against Noah. However, the alien communities stopped using violence against humans once they learned more about them. Elisa Edwards points out the U.S. government's violent behavior towards the alien Communities’ "collaborators." As she explains, violence is acceptable when it is used for "the greater good for mankind." She discusses this violent behavior as means for the U.S. government to protect humanity and to ensure its survival. Noah, who was considered a traitor and a collaborator, had to endure physical and psychological torture in the hands of the U.S. government because it was willing to act unethically towards humans in order to destroy their enemies.[7]

In the story of "Amnesty" on the main theme is Trust. Noah couldn’t trust her own human government because they wanted to harm her. Noah's had many flashbacks, she was given an educational journey in which she learned, in quote that "it's not the aliens, who once abducted her, who want to harm her but that it is her own human government that inflict grief". (Edwards, 46). Noah was kidnapped and experimented upon as a child by superior aliens. When she was released, the US government held her captive for several years, torturing her for information. Now she works for the aliens, recruiting humans to serve in their now-harmless experiments.Her personal goals was to calm the humans, is to convince her afraid and hostile. Butler often root for characters who didn't stand up for their rights because it would have gotten them killed but rather compromised out of necessity.

Need for Dominance

An important theme that defines many aspects within the short story "Amnesty" is the human need for dominance.Which Sarah Outterson describes as the main issue faced among the human race. There is never a concern for learning, or collaboration between the two species. Instead there is just the overwhelming fear for the "imminent destruction of the human race as they know it." (Outterson 445).[8]

"The Book of Martha"

Published in SciFi.com in 2005; in Bloodchild and Other Stories, Seven Stories Press in 2005.[1]

Martha speaks to God and questions why she doesn't want to tamper with real people thinking she will make a horrible mistake. "What, exactly, do you want? A utopia? Because I don't believe in them. I don't believe it's possible to arrange a society so that everyone is content, everyone has what he or she wants."

Butler, "The Book of Martha," 202.

In "The Book of Martha," humankind is slowly killing itself and its environment. Their way of living is destructible. God gives Martha the task of finding a way to improve mankind reminding her she has all the time in the world to come up with an idea. Unfortunately, after fulfilling this task Martha is to return to her normal life as the lowest level of society. Frightened and confused she is reminded about the stories of Jonah, Job and Noah. They had to complete their jobs given by God and so did she. Martha is imbued with a small portion of God's power and quickly finds herself creating her own world within this grey canvas around her. Martha used her hands to cover her broad black face in fear and confusion and also whispered to herself if only if she could wake up. Throughout the story, God slowly shrinks down to her size as well as turning darker in skin pigment. This transformation throughout the story also showed a sign of equality. Eventually, she comes up with the idea to make dreams more potent, that way humans can achieve their needs in their sleep, overwhelming them with pleasure and instant gratification so that when they are awake, they are much more peaceful people.

Backgrounds

In the afterword to "The Book of Martha," Butler realizes that everyone has a different idea of perfection, making the task from God seemingly impossible. Each person's utopia would be another person's hell due to the different wants and desires. Butler wrote "The Book of Martha" to express her belief that utopia's can only exist in our individual dreams.

Themes

In "The Book of Martha," Butler questions society's authority over individuals’ interpretations of God. Her story strongly focuses on religion and how it "polices the borders of social value and disvalue" by raising certain members of society above others. Butler's de-gendering of God throughout the "The Book of Martha" is evidence of the inequality in the perception of God by society. Butler writes to encourage minorities to question society's approach to labeling groups by color, class, and gender.[9]

Essays

"Positive Obsession"

When Butler was thirteen years old, her aunt Hazel had her question herself about becoming a writer by stating, "Honey ... Negroes can't be writers."

Butler, "Positive Obsession," 127.

Octavia Butler is talking about her love in team sports in High School, but the sport she enjoyed the most was archery. She loved archery because in this sport you did well or badly on your own based on your own efforts. You don't have anyone to blame allowing you to aim high. "I saw positive obsession as a way of aiming yourself, your life, at your chosen target. Decide what you want. Aim high. Go for it."

Butler, Positive Obsession, 129

Positive Obsession though not the original title is one of the pieces Octavia Butler did not enjoy writing because it was about herself and her life. Her life was filled with reading and writing which to her is quite dull to write about. Her stories are the most interesting part of her life. When she started reading on her own at age 6 because of her mother making her, was when she started on her journey. At age 10, she found what she could do better than anyone else that of course is writing. She wrote down the stories she would read and when she would not have stories to read, she would write them down. She created a world however she wanted in her notebook because of her extreme shyness. Despite her aunt telling her being a writer is a nice hobby and not a job; her mother supported her passion by buying her a typewriter and bringing her books. Through tons of rejections, she pursued her writing. While trying to sell her stories she had many jobs that she would quit but she would find new ones. "Positive Obsession" is how she kept pursuing her goal of making writing a career and being the only black woman writing science fiction at that time. "Positive Obsession" is about obsessing over something that regardless of what may alter it whether it be doubts or other people's insights, you keep doing what you enjoy to achieve your ultimate goal.

"Furor Scribendi"

On her essay Furor Scribendi Butler's writes about the ups and downs of becoming a writer and gives essential advice on how to improve as writer. She focuses on the need to write even though you do not feel like writing; persistence is the most important part to become a great writer. "Write. Write every day. Write whether you feel like writing or not."

Butler, "Furor Scribendi",140 .

Octavia Butler's "Furor Scribendi" is a writer's guide from Butler's perspective to all those who wish to have their writing published and become established authors. She thoroughly explains the process of what it take to becoming a writer and the difficulty behind the art of writing. What you should do to improve and how important it is not to give up. Butler emphasizes how complicated the process of writing truly is; no matter how good or experienced you are. People will face many failures, and rejections throughout this process, which has led her to the belief that it is crucial to develop an obsession for writing. It allows for them to continue through all the hardships, and rejection they may face. Overall, Butler relies on the idea of persistence. If someone wishes to write, then they will do so. As long as a person remain persistent, then anyone is capable of accomplishing much more than they could ever possibly imagine, just as she did.

Octavia Butler explains that one does not need inspiration or talent necessarily to be a writer. She explains that habit is far more dependable than both, and that you must combat pride or laziness with persistence. With habit and persistence, anyone can be a writer. "Persistence is essential to any writer - the persistence to finish your work, to keep writing in spite of rejection, to keep reading, studying, submitting work for sale."

Butler, Furor Scribendi, .

Backgrounds

The Afterword of Butler's "Furor Scribendi" discusses the encouragement behind the essay; it for people who want to write. She talks about how arduous writing is, and why persistence should always be a word to keep in mind. She gives an example of why you should never give up, and tip never to forget. Such as not be discourage if you don't have wild ideas, just have fun with it. And why you should not take yourself too seriously in writing.

Publication

"Furor Scribendi." L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Vol. IX. Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1993.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Annotated Bibliography of Butler's Fiction." Strange Matings: Science Fiction, Feminism, African American Voices, and Octavia E. Butler. Ed. Rebecca J. Holden and Nisi Shawl. Seattle: Aqueduct Press, 2013. 274-292.
  2. ↑ McCaffery, Larry and Jim McMenamin. "An Interview with Octavia Butler." Across the Wounded Galaxies: Interviews with Contemporary American Science Fiction Writers. Ed. Larry McCaffery. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1990.
  3. ↑ Kenan, Randall. "An Interview with Octavia E. Butler." Callaloo 14.2 (1991): 495-504.
  4. ↑ Potts, Stephen. "’We Keep Playing the Same Record’: A Conversation with Octavia Butler." Science Fiction Studies 23.3 (1996).
  5. ↑ McGonigal, Mike. "Octavia Butler." Index Magazine. (March 1998).
  6. ↑ Curtis, Claire P. "Theorizing Fear: Octavia Butler and the Realist Utopia". Utopian Studies 19.3 (2008): 411–431.
  7. 1 2 Edwards, Elisa. Edwards, Elisa. Octavia Butler's "Amnesty." (2003) in Race, Aliens, and the U.S. Government in African American Science Fiction. Münster [u.a.: Lit, 2011. Print.
  8. ↑ Outterson, Sarah. "Diversity, Change, Violence: Octavia Butler's Pedagogical Philosophy". Utopian Studies 19.3 (2008): 433–456.
  9. ↑ Hampton, Gregory Jerome. "Religious Science Fiction: Butler's Changing God." Changing Bodies in the Fiction of Octavia Butler. Blue Ridge Summit, US: Lexington Books, 2010. ISBN 9780739137871

Further reading

Reviews

Scholarship

"Bloodchild"

"The Evening and the Morning and the Night"

"Amnesty"

"Speech Sounds"

"The Book of Martha"

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.