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xenogenesis by octavia butler

the cover of my copy made my friends ask if i was reading a smutty romance novel. and okay, i was reading a book about tentacle monsters who want nothing more than to have babies with the human protagonist they abducted. but it's not what you think, guys, really!

the three novels collected in lilith's brood are easier to read than many of butler's other works. this doesn't mean the material is light. throughout the trilogy, the characters are coerced into participating the genetic fusion of humans with their alien captors/rescuers, the oankali. i love the portrayal of the oankali. there are no overt reasons to dislike them. they are nonviolent, it is against their very nature. they're technologically superior. they cure diseases and heal injuries. they rescued humans and earth from nuclear apocalypse. they might condescend, but they are acting in the best interests of humans, or so they believe. they also rape, colonize, and destroy humanity and the planet. they make decisions based on biological determinism and the good of the species, even when that means denying individual agency and bodily autonomy. but it's difficult to notice the horrors when they are being carried out by benevolent actors.

also as an aside, this was surprisingly heteronormative for involving a third gender and five-member partnerships.

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