Jillian's review
Imago (Book Three of the Xenogenesis Series) by Octavia E. Butler
So after reading this series, I've gotten to thinking, What Would Jillian Do?
Given the choice between (1) shunning the aliens and living in an all-Human colony which is doomed to fail or (2) mating with said aliens, which would result in mixed-species children, with some remnants of human genetics but are not recognizable as such... which would I choose?
The difference between this book and reality (besides the aliens I guess) is that in the book it's more or less certain that humans are doomed to destroy themselves because of genetic conflict. We are intelligent, but also hierarchical - this latter trait is what causes people to need to be dominant, marginalizing and/or ostracizing those who are different from the norm. This could be a valid theory from what I can see - while I personally don't feel the need to constantly try to stand above others and put them down, there are enough people who do that makes me wonder if it is genetic, or somehow programmed into us. Though ...more
Given the choice between (1) shunning the aliens and living in an all-Human colony which is doomed to fail or (2) mating with said aliens, which would result in mixed-species children, with some remnants of human genetics but are not recognizable as such... which would I choose?
The difference between this book and reality (besides the aliens I guess) is that in the book it's more or less certain that humans are doomed to destroy themselves because of genetic conflict. We are intelligent, but also hierarchical - this latter trait is what causes people to need to be dominant, marginalizing and/or ostracizing those who are different from the norm. This could be a valid theory from what I can see - while I personally don't feel the need to constantly try to stand above others and put them down, there are enough people who do that makes me wonder if it is genetic, or somehow programmed into us. Though ...more
Having not read the book but from your question above, if the choice were this cut and dried ... and assuming that I did want to procreate, which is not my reality currently ... I would go with the aliens. I would probably go with the aliens even if I didn't want children. What is the point of being part of a society that is doomed to failure no matter what I may or may not do? Human or otherwise? Besides, not sure what is so great about being human?
Oooh, aliens, all the way. As a biologist, I'd totally be up for it, just because hybridizing species are FASCINATING and I'd be so curious to see what my genes look like as combined with aliens!I totally want to read the books now - they sound fabulous!
