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Hibridek

(Xenogenesis #3)

Octavia E. Butler

4.19 · Rating details · 12,535 ratings · 892 reviews

Az emberek és az oankálik azóta párosodnak egymással, hogy az idegen faj megmentette a nukleáris háború utolsó túlélőit. Az idegenek célja, hogy a hímek és nőstények mellett létező, harmadik nemű társaik, az ólojok – akik az alakváltás, gyógyítás és génmanipuláció képességével rendelkeznek – addig kísérletezzenek az emberi DNS-en, míg létre nem hoznak egy olyan hibridet, ...more

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Paperback, 272 pages

Published 2020 by Agave (first published May 1989)

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Oct 30, 2013 Apatt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The last volume of the mind blowing, thought provoking Lilith’s Brood series (I prefer the original name Xenogenesis myself, it has a nice sci-fi ring to it).

Jodahs the protagonist of this book is another offspring of Lilith Iyapo. The least human of the series' central characters, especially after its first metamorphosis. As Jodahs is neither male or female, and certainly not a hermaphrodite, the pronoun it is the only appropriate one for referring to characters of the “ooloi” gender; he third The last volume of the mind blowing, thought provoking Lilith’s Brood series (I prefer the original name Xenogenesis myself, it has a nice sci-fi ring to it).

Jodahs the protagonist of this book is another offspring of Lilith Iyapo. The least human of the series' central characters, especially after its first metamorphosis. As Jodahs is neither male or female, and certainly not a hermaphrodite, the pronoun it is the only appropriate one for referring to characters of the “ooloi” gender; he third sex of the alien Oankali race.

The story of Imago is basically a Bildungsroman, centered around the adventures of Jodahs. As if being an ooloi is not alien enough he (I'm slipping back into using he instead of it again, old habits) is even more alien than the average ooloi, being the first of this third gender to have human gene as well as Oankali. This necessitates that he goes into exile until he can control his genetic manipulation abilities; as the other aliens are concerned that he will inadvertently contaminate them, their biotech habitat, food sources etc. Fortunately he has his family going along with him to back him up. After straying in the woods with his family for a whole he soon wanders off on his own and soon encounters a couple of humans who he seduces to become his mates.

That is probably the longest synopsis I have ever written, I normally avoid writing these like the plague but sometime I find a synopsis to be an unavoidable component of the review. Perhaps because there are so many bizarre concepts which need to be mentioned in order to proceed with the review. As with the other books in this series weird biotechnology is the main sci-fi aspect. While amazing the sci-fi fans with her wild inventions Ms. Butler is subtly making us ponder what it means to be human and whether it is worth preserving our humanity at all cost. The problem with being human, according to the Oankali’s observation, is that “the human biological contradiction” dictates that we will eventually self destruct because we can not refrain from hierarchical behavior. Basically being human is not what it is cracked up to be.

The theme of xenophobia is also more prominent in this volume, how an open mind is required to achieve racial harmony. While conveying her ideas and themes Butler never forget that she is telling a story, more importantly a science fiction story. The novel is rich in subtext which can be inferred from reading between the lines, but reading the lines themselves is always entertaining, thrilling and involving. As with all her works the characters are very well developed and believable, and the writing is powerful. The book is also weirdly erotic in places without ever becoming sexually explicit or titillating.

As my friend Michael kindly pointed out to me there is also an element of alien invasion in this trilogy. However, from the Oankali’s point of view the invasion is for our own good. They believe they are saving us from self destruction (“the human biological contradiction”), even if it means taking away our freedom to choose. The story so far, from their initial rescue of the few remaining humans in Dawn, would indicate that they may be right. However, mating with the Oankali would lead to hybrid offsprings and eventual end of the original human race.

After reviewing the two previous volumes of this series I am almost out of hyperbole. One bold statement I can make is that Lilith’s Brood series (or Xenoegenesis) is my all time favorite sf series, and I have read all the greats, Dune, Foundation, Hyperion etc. Thank you Ms. Butler. ...more

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Mar 28, 2020 J.L. Sutton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

“Listen, no part of me is more definitive of who I am than my brain.”

Octavia Butler, Author Info, Published Books, Bio, Photo, Video ...

Octavia's Butler's Imago is a fabulous finale to the Xenogenesis Trilogy. The perspective once again shifts as it has in previous books, from Lilith in the first book to Akin in the second book and finally to Jodals, an ooloi-human construct. What's perhaps most impressive is the depiction of Jodahs' perspective; this is a perspective that is demonstrably not human. There is a also a morality here that feels alien and sometimes ...more

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Mar 26, 2018 Beverly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Wow! A stunning ending to a magnificent science fiction trilogy, Imago is brilliant. Octavia Butler creates an earth now almost completely made up of the aliens, their human mates, their children and now a new type of offspring. The aliens have 3 sexes, male, female and it. They have deliberately not allowed humans to reproduce by themselves any more, because of their historic violence and hierarchy. They have also only allowed males and female constructs to be created from their matings with hu ...more

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May 31, 2019 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-shelf, sci-fi, biopunk

Maybe I'll be in the minority by preferring the middle book out of the entire series, but the last one definitely puts everything in perspective. We start out from the purely human perspective in the first, the hybrid perspective in the second, and end with an entirely new perspective of a new Ooloi who now threatens the gene-line of the Ooloi, being the most alien out of all the bunch but with a singular interesting gift...

Of humanity. :)

Enough time has passed since the first book that history ...more

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Jul 20, 2016 Gergana added it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

WOW! What a perfect end to this great series! Definitely the strongest book in my opinion.

Will I recommend the series? Only to a certain extant. It's a heavy read, not because of the style or the descriptions, but because of the existential questions you are constantly being bombarded with. It's a world where you can't even decide what's truly wrong or what's truly right, it can be quite infuriating if you try to pick sides.
Basically, if you like dystopian books with "peaceful, well-meaning" a ...more

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May 05, 2013 Stuart rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: superhuman-powers, humanistic-sf, alien-contact

Imago: Finally, we see the Ooloi perspective
Originally published at Fantasy Literature
Imago (1988) is the third book in Octavia Butler’s XENOGENESIS trilogy. It concludes the story begun with the human woman Lilith in Dawn (1987) and continued with her Oankali-human ‘construct’ son Akin in Adulthood Rites (1988). Imago takes the bold but logical next step by shifting the perspective to Jodahs, an Ooloi-human construct. The Ooloi are the third, gender-less sex of the Oankali, the alien race of ‘g Imago: Finally, we see the Ooloi perspective
Originally published at Fantasy Literature
Imago (1988) is the third book in Octavia Butler’s XENOGENESIS trilogy. It concludes the story begun with the human woman Lilith in Dawn (1987) and continued with her Oankali-human ‘construct’ son Akin in Adulthood Rites (1988). Imago takes the bold but logical next step by shifting the perspective to Jodahs, an Ooloi-human construct. The Ooloi are the third, gender-less sex of the Oankali, the alien race of ‘gene traders’ that saved the remnants of humanity on the condition that humanity share its DNA with them and be forever transformed in the process.

Once again Butler doesn’t hesitate to plunge us into the unknown, this time exploring the strangest aspect of the Oankali, the psychically-powerful Ooloi who can manipulate the DNA of living creatures directly, serving to help the Oankali continuously evolve as they combine with new lifeforms throughout the galaxy. Until now we have had the perspective on Lilith in Dawn, a human woman forced to come to grips with the Oankali and try to convince other humans that accepting their offer is the only viable option for humanity. Subsequently in Adulthood Rites we shifted to the story of Akin, a human-Oankali construct sympathetic to both sides, though he struggled to reach this understanding.

In Imago we go far beyond this, for to see the world as an Ooloi is to experience directly the feelings, emotions, and genetic structures of both Oankali and humans. Though conventional Ooloi shape the genetic material of their male and female Oankali mates to create children, Jodahs has human DNA as well, so it finds itself not fully suited to Oankali society, and wants to avoid the fate of being forcibly returned to the Oankali ship to find mates there. Instead, as Lilith’s children Jodahs and Aaor are truly something new, and once again face the struggles of not fitting into any group fully.

Moreover, the Ooloi themselves wield great power to genetically alter living things around them, and before they learn to control this they can be a danger to everyone around them, causing random mutations in themselves and others. Because of this, even other Ooloi shun their company. As a result, both Jodahs and Aaor isolate themselves in the jungle. When Jodahs encounters two human siblings, Jesusa and Tomas, it is attracted to them sexually. These humans are from a hidden human settlement that escaped the sterilization program imposed on human resisters that refused to merge with the Oankali.

Much of Imago centers on the evolving relationships of Jodahs, Aaor, the human siblings, and this remote human community that has evaded the notice of the Oankali. As in the previous two books, the sexual and emotional ties are complicated, unsettling, and very alien. This is particularly so in Imago, since we see things as an Ooloi does, where physical and emotional attraction takes the form of irresistible scents, and the almost uncontrollable urge to find a compatible mate.

Once again, the issues of consent, coercion, enslavement, and power are explored unflinchingly. It has been very difficult to pin down exactly what Butler thinks of these subjects, because she consistently refuses to clearly moralize or tip her hand overtly. It can be somewhat frustrating not to be given any clear cues as to which side she thinks is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, whether it be the forced enslavement of humanity by the Oankali, the repeated sexual coercions that occur between and among both species, or the eventual human-0ankali hybrid race that is bound to emerge. Is humanity better off in the end? Did the end justify the means? How many parallels about colonialism and cultural domination are we meant to draw, if any?

The Oankali are driven by the biological imperative to mate with other races and create new DNA combinations to further themselves, so morality as humans understand it is not really their concern, though they always claim it is for the benefit of mankind. But that assertion is questionable when we understand that no real choice is being offered, only the illusion of choice. Can the Oankali offer truly be benevolent when ‘conventional’ humanity is sterilized, essentially a protracted death sentence? Why cannot humans remain on the Earth as they were before? What are the ultimate plans of the Oankali, whose gift of survival has so many strings attached?

I won’t reveal the ending of this series, but it wasn’t what I was expecting based on the hints scattered throughout the series. In fact, I felt Butler pulled her punch at the end, as though she was leading up to a Childhood’s End-like denouement. I felt this final volume was more difficult to follow than the first two books, but that largely has to do with the fact that it is told from the perspective of a genderless Ooloi, utterly different from humans and yet desperately needing them at the same time. Because it is such as alien viewpoint, it was hard at times to connect with its emotions, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Overall, the XENOGENESIS trilogy has been a uniquely unsettling and challenging piece of SF storytelling. There are few stories that plunge you into such unfamiliar and morally ambiguous territory, not to mention many unpleasant situations involving sexual coercion and control, which means that some readers will definitely not find it to their liking. But if you are willing to forge ahead, you will find that Octavia Butler was one of the most unique and uncompromising writers in the genre, continually exploring gender, power and dominance, physical and cultural coercion, and frequently taking a pessimistic view of human nature, but always leaving it to the reader to draw their own conclusions. ...more

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Aug 14, 2017 Wanda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-project, speculative-fiction, female-authors, read-in-2017

In the third book of her Xenogenesis series, Octavia Butler gives us the alien’s perspective. It makes the Oankali marginally less creepy, but only a tiny bit. Butler excels at creating truly alien life forms, with wildly different forms of reproduction.

The Oankali having stinging cells and tentacles, giving them some resemblance to jellyfish (Cniderians) in our world, but they are upright walking, hand-and-arm-possessing, intelligent life forms. And, it turns out, they have a three stage metamo In the third book of her Xenogenesis series, Octavia Butler gives us the alien’s perspective. It makes the Oankali marginally less creepy, but only a tiny bit. Butler excels at creating truly alien life forms, with wildly different forms of reproduction.

The Oankali having stinging cells and tentacles, giving them some resemblance to jellyfish (Cniderians) in our world, but they are upright walking, hand-and-arm-possessing, intelligent life forms. And, it turns out, they have a three stage metamorphosis like Earth’s insects do. This installment follows that mysterious third sex, the Ooloi, as one of Lilith’s children matures sexually into the adult form (hence the title, Imago).

In the first book, the Oankali have rescued the small remainder of humanity from a disaster of their own creation and have begun combining the two species. That’s what the Ooankali do and they consider it their payment for their rescue services, but that’s not what it looks like or feels like to humans. Lilith gradually becomes convinced that she won’t be allowed to live as human and reluctantly gets involved with the aliens, although it is against her true wishes.

In the second book, we follow Lilith’s construct child, Akin, who actually has five parents and who understands the relationship between the two species better than either the humans or the Oankali. He sees the basic incompatibility between the two species but also how they can also become compatible. Seemingly a paradox, which Akin reveals as a prejudice of the Oankali against humanity—we’ve always known that humans are prejudiced against the aliens.

This third installment reveals just how much the Oankali need and long for relationships with humans. To this point, they have seemed very unemotional, almost clinical, in their desire to revitalize their own DNA through incorporation of the human genome. Jodahs, who is metamorphosing into one of the mysterious Ooloi, shows us the depth of feeling, the intense sexual need, and indeed the pain of separation that we have been missing so far in the story.

Despite gaining understanding, the whole sexual system of the Oankali feels deeply creepy. The human male and female in the sexual constellation experience repulsion when they touch one another directly, but when joined by an Ooloi, experience intense sexual pleasure. Pheromones by the Ooloi make the situation addictive—being apart from one’s group becomes torment.

Butler is skillful in her refusal to “pick a side.” She provides logical reasons for the aliens’ behaviour and points out both the logical and totally illogical responses of humanity. She explores co-operation, coercion, limited choice, and unequal power without making it obvious which species she favours.

In some ways, this series makes me think of Arthur Clarke’s Childhood’s End, in that humanity is being absorbed into a genetic continuum, but likely won’t survive on its own ever again. Do we mourn the loss or celebrate what survives?

Book 260 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
...more

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Sep 24, 2014 Mimi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014, favorites, science-fiction, my-kindle

The oankali have three sexes: female, male, and ooloi. The ooloi is a crucial part of the reproduction process as it controls and manipulates genes and is responsible for the gene trade. Up until now in the story, there have only been male and female construct children. The creation of a construct ooloi has only been discussed, but not yet attempted until now.

Imago tells the story of Jodahs, the first ooloi construct. This book ties the previous two together seamlessly by showing what Jodahs is ...more

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Jul 22, 2016 Dan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Spoiler Alert. The following is a metaphorical plot summary of Octavia Butler’s Imago.

The scene is a meet-up night club. A and B are strangers to one another. A sneaks up behind B and whispers.

A: If I don’t have sex with you, I’ll die.

B whirls around and faces him angrily.

B: You are disgusting! Get away from me!
A: Oh, don’t be like that. Here, let me just touch you like this.

B screams.

B: Get your limbs off me! I told you you disgust me! Go away!
A: If you would just be still and let me finish ...more

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Jul 24, 2016 David rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to David by: Michael

Shelves: science-fiction

In an nuclear apocalypse, humans have virtually wiped out life on Earth. From the aliens' point of view, their rescue of humans and repopulation of Earth is for their own good. Without cross-breeding with humans, and blending their DNA with that of humans, the human race is on a direct course for extinction. Human predilection for forming hierarchical societies is the basis for human self-destruction.

But the aliens have their own survival in mind, also. Their motivation is not entirely altruisti ...more

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Jun 28, 2017 Claudia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: deep-thoughts, sci-fi

If the first two volumes are written in third person, this last part is told in first one, which makes it even more harder for the reader not to be involved in the story.

However, despite the never-ending feeling of discomfort, it is mainly an ode to life and love.

“[…] I think I became all the things he liked, even though he never told me what they were.” “His body told you. His every look, his reaction, his touch, his scent. He never stopped telling you what he wanted. And since he was the sole ...more

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Sep 06, 2014 Maggie K rated it really liked it · review of another edition

hmmmm....somehow, I am suspicious of being manipulated into liking this book.

This last installment of Butler's trilogy has us seeing the inside view of the ooloi, the 'third sex' of the aliens that have taken over Earth. Ooloi operate by using their pheromones and sensory arms to calm and pleasure humans. Once this happens to you, you decide you like them and literally cannot live with out them.

What we don't know is how bad they NEED humans. If they don't have human contact, they literally go in ...more

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Oct 13, 2019 Evelina | AvalinahsBooks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fiction, sci-fi, owned-ebooks-read, books-of-2019, human-relationships

One of the best scifi series ever, and what's interesting, it remained just as good throughout the entire three books. I am in awe. ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star, year-2021

A solid read, though an interesting shift from third person to first person perspective for this last installment.

I stand by the idea that this is my least favorite of Butler’s works that I’ve read thus far. But it’s still a very good series & explores some really interesting ideas about humanity, individuality, independence, and codependence. I’m glad to add the series to my shelves & I’m excited to read more from Butler.

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Jul 14, 2019 Kogiopsis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: space-ain-t-pretty, favorite-2019-reads

Wow. Butler really was a genius.

This is the kind of book/series that I wish was read in English classes, because it is both an intensely absorbing narrative and a perfect jumping-off point for a myriad of discussions: about consent, biological determinism, transhumanism, the extent to which we can ever truly understand other people... it is thought-provoking and rich without being didactic. You could argue that the Oankali truly have destroyed humanity just as well as you could argue that they h ...more

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Sep 30, 2016 Obsidian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So this is the last in the Xenogenesis or Lilth's Brood series written by Octavia E. Butler.

I liked this one a lot. We once again focus on just one POV throughout the entire novel. We have Lilth's son Jodahs who is born an Oankali construct (humans and Oankali breed with the help of an Oankali called ooloi) and every child born has 5 parents. The ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA and without them no one would be able to have children. Jodahs starts to metamorphosis and real So this is the last in the Xenogenesis or Lilth's Brood series written by Octavia E. Butler.

I liked this one a lot. We once again focus on just one POV throughout the entire novel. We have Lilth's son Jodahs who is born an Oankali construct (humans and Oankali breed with the help of an Oankali called ooloi) and every child born has 5 parents. The ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA and without them no one would be able to have children. Jodahs starts to metamorphosis and realizes that he is becoming an ooloi. Until now, no one has been allowed to bear an ooloi since they are careful of so many things and without training, can end of hurting everyone around them.

So once again this book brings up a lot of issues that people may have trouble with. The rape of women is brought up constantly (thank goodness we don't get in depth scenes with that). We also have the discussion of free will, coercion, and human beings who just want to be free without feeling manipulated by the Oankali. The Oankali seem to think that human beings are just one big contradiction since they can tell that humans do want what is being done to them even though they keep saying no (shudder).

Since it has been several hundred years since book #1, and now it is has been 50 years between books #2 and #3, we have a lot of callbacks to the preceding books.

You feel for Jodahs, but also I was torn because as readers we know that he and his other sibling have to have mates or they will be forced to be exiled to the ship and away from their family. When Jodahs comes across two humans with a ton of genetic abnormalities, he finally realizes that fixing humans is something he is supposed to do. Now we get why ooloi could not sit back in books #1 and just let the humans they were paired with be hurt. It also hurts them as well.

We now get an update regarding what is happening and that the Oankali is not stopping any humans/resisters from going to Mars. They just know though that ultimately the humans will fail since they still can't stop fighting or harming each other.

The writing in this book was very though provoking. We have a lot of discussions about looks and Jodahs feels I would say ugly and does his best to look like those around him that he is trying to "seduce". In fact we get to see Jodahs do these several times so unlike the previous ooloi he looks more human. It is even said later in the book, if the ooloi had looked more like how Jodahs now does, more humans would not have been able to say no to the Oankali and resist. So there is definitely a discussion of appearances in this one.

Also Butler doesn't shy away from discussing homosexuality in this one. It is mentioned how many human males are angry for becoming "women" since they need to be around their Oankali and ooloi mates and hate that they can no longer mate with human females. But in this one, Jodahs male human mate definitely loves him and is more forgiving to him of things he holds back (how they will all get sick and feel desperate without one each other) and constantly keeps saying that Jodahs will never get away from him.

This book flow was much better than book #2. I liked how we saw Jodahs go and interact with his family more. And you get a better idea of why the constructs need to be around their siblings and mothers and fathers so much. It keeps them "solid" and more likely to be look more human.

The setting of this book was more expanded than in previous books. We now know the new Earth has a lot of towns/villages and their are shuttles arriving to take humans who want to leave to Mars. There are a lot of resistors angry about the Oankali just not giving up Earth, but the Oankali refuse to leave the Earth to humans and you get why when Jodahs and others talk about what is going to come next with this new race.

I thought the ending was definitely supposed to be more hopeful than books #1 and #2. You know have ooloi who look human and maybe in several hundred years they will look even more human and eventually human beings as we know it will be another species. ...more

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Jun 01, 2019 Meagan ✊🏼 Blacklivesmatter ✊🏼Blacktranslivesmatter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: aliens, all-time-favorites, female-sff-adult, sci-fi, diverse-main-characters, gender-exploration, black-sff-authors, favorites

I am so sad this is over 😭😭

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Jun 11, 2017 Ben Winch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american, sci-fi

I’ve never read, seen or heard of anything like this before, and short of a post-Octavia Butler movement I don’t expect to. Alien invasion without violence, “kill ’em with kindness” tale, inter-species family drama. Along the way it manages – playfully, but with requisite seriousness – to upturn myriad taboos, from the gender-bending of its first-person, part-alien protagonist to various configurations of sexual intercourse, all of them tempered and enlightened by their part-alien context. Other I’ve never read, seen or heard of anything like this before, and short of a post-Octavia Butler movement I don’t expect to. Alien invasion without violence, “kill ’em with kindness” tale, inter-species family drama. Along the way it manages – playfully, but with requisite seriousness – to upturn myriad taboos, from the gender-bending of its first-person, part-alien protagonist to various configurations of sexual intercourse, all of them tempered and enlightened by their part-alien context. Other nice touches abound: a character (Ooloi – ie part-alien) devolves into a sluglike ooze floating in a jungle river for lack of human touch, its body mimicking what species it comes most close to; if it should devolve further, we’re informed, it would break apart into diseased cells, each capable of the same mimicry, and infiltrate the ecosystem, ultimately endangering the planet. Meantime villages are not built but planted, and serve as biological, living platforms on which the Ooloi and their alien parents the Oankali find nourishment. And the Earth itself is slowly milked of lifeforce, until one day it will be a husk and the new race resultant from the interbreeding will move on to greener pastures. But fascinating as these concepts are, it’s not from them that the story derives its power; instead, it’s psychology that drives this thing, and provides a subtly haunting depth throughout. The protagonist, evidently, wants nothing but the best for its humans, but is driven to manipulate and withhold truths from them to that end, because for all its superior strength, skill and endurance, it physically can’t live without them. Skewed slightly to either direction, this voice could be either cloying and self-justifying or cruel and ruthless, but in Butler’s careful hands it rides the line between soppy and savage; thought-provoking moral ambiguity is the result. Yes, the ending’s a little pat, as befits its genre context, but that didn’t bother me, since its apparent fairytale resolution has, nonetheless, this sinister subtext. Nor did the plainness of the prose offend me; it was neat, exact, unfailingly correct and transparent – it did its job. Overall, I’m impressed. I hear Imago is the third book in a series of four (the others told, I think, from human perspectives); that didn’t bother me either – the story seemed complete enough in itself – but I’m curious to read more. ...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Donna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, read-in-2013, scifi-dystopian-apocalyptic

In this final book of the Xenogenesis trilogy, the focus shifts again, this time to another of Lilith's sons, Jodahs, who turns out to be the first human-born ooloi (the third Oankali gender). He is considered a mistake by the Oankali and must struggle to find mates and carve a place for himself in the world.

This is the only book told in first person which makes it more intimate but I never connected with Jodahs as I did with Akin in Adulthood Rites. I was also disappointed that we see nothing o ...more

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Feb 26, 2019 Jamesboggie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Imago is the third and final entry in the Lilith’s Brood series. Honestly, I found it to be the weakest entry by far.

Imago is a much more focused story than either Dawn or Adulthood Rites. It really does not add much to the lore. The setting has not changed much. No broad decisions are made the way that Dawn had the resettling and interbreeding of humans and Adulthood Rites had the establishment of the Mars colony. Instead, it focuses almost entirely on Jodahs’ internal experience of transformin ...more

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Aug 20, 2019 Monica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle_scifi_fan, aoc, female-author-fic, scifi-spaceopera, series-aargh, aoc-female, pub_1980s, classics

An unexpectedly good final installment to the creepy but fascinating Xenogenesis trilogy. Butler does ethical quandaries very well though she does find some very cerebral, awful new forms of oppression and enslavement.

4+ Stars

Read on kindle

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Mar 26, 2016 Britta Böhler rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, kindle-scribd, femlit, 2016, poc

This series introduced me to Octavia Butler (whom I hadn't read before, shame on me) and I loved it! Book 1 and 3 are the best in my opinion, and the series as a whole is amazing.
Inventive and beautifully written Butler is able to create aliens who feel real. Although first published in the 1980ies, the books' themes are now even more relevant: gender, xenophobia, intolerance (can we accept people with life choices we think are deeply wrong?) ...more

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Jul 18, 2014 Valerie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

In "Dawn," Lilith wants a choice, and it is denied to her at every opportunity. She has to live with that, and we as readers have to decide if her captivity is morally acceptable. We are as human as she, and we share her conflict.

In "Adulthood Rites," Akin wants a chance and has to fight to allow that Human part of him its expression, its freedom. Akin is a construct, and while we obviously side with him, we are given a deeper understanding of the Oankali morality.

In "Imago," Jodahs wants a chal ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 Lois rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: black-books, africanfuturism, reread-in-2020

This is the book that I first saw by Octavia Butler. It was the final installment of a trilogy so I started with Dawn.
I like Jodahs quite a bit and find their story fascinating.

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Mar 13, 2014 Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sff, awesome-world-building, smart, science-fiction, am-listening, diverse

Octavia Butler is a genius. She is a master of story telling and a master world builder. I admire her style, the simplicity of her writing and the various intricately woven meanings in her stories.
This last book though. I think that I'd had my fill of the issue of cross species mating in the first two books such that in this last book... well it sort of spilled over but not in a nice enjoyable way.
The overwhelming message/concern/point/question in the Xenogenesis trilogy is: are you really helpi Octavia Butler is a genius. She is a master of story telling and a master world builder. I admire her style, the simplicity of her writing and the various intricately woven meanings in her stories.
This last book though. I think that I'd had my fill of the issue of cross species mating in the first two books such that in this last book... well it sort of spilled over but not in a nice enjoyable way.
The overwhelming message/concern/point/question in the Xenogenesis trilogy is: are you really helping a people when your help is not wanted and the people would rather die than take said help? Does anyone have the right to force their way of life/understanding on a people even if it is in the name of love and help?
The Oankali saved the few remaining people on a scorched Earth after the inhabitants tried to wipe each other out. They restored Earth and offered to send humans back to live on her surface. But there is a catch. Isn't there always a catch? The Oankali want to trade. Their help for our genetic stuff. Imagine mating with a tri-gendered gross looking species with mind probing tentacles that can alternately sting you to death or send you to heights of erotic ecstasy... Yeah. I'm not sure I'd be so keen on it either. Imagine not being given a choice. Imagine having the ability to to produce, to give birth to your own human baby is taken from you unless you agree to this trade. Imagine being told that we're no good for ourselves, that while we're intelligent, our hierarchical tendencies doom us to repeat the same mistakes unless we agree to the trade.
In this tale human beings quite predictably dissolve into a mode that shows just how awful we can be. I think Butler got it right. This was an excellent hypothetical study in humanity, and it showed that for the most part, humans ultimately have far less than we think.
I'd recommend this series to anyone. It's well written, in many ways surprisingly realistic, objective and optimistic, diverse and honest. Did I mention that Butler is a master? Well, she so is. ...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Res rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sff

The one where Jodahs, the first ooloi born of both human and oankali genes, achieves adulthood and finds a family.

This is the most optimistic of the three books, though pointed references to the effects of ooloi scent on human reason make it clear that the author doesn't want us to be able to rest comfortably with the idea that these relationships are entirely consensual.

It would have been interesting to read books that revolved around breaking taboos that had more visceral meaning to me; sibli ...more

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May 24, 2009 Spider the Doof Warrior rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: i-love-this-book

Reading this book again because it is my favourite in the series. This sounds crazy but an ooloi human construct is one fictional thing I'd like to be! It would be so awesome to be a third sex that can heal and learn so much about organisms!!!!

August 2015

This book is still good but I notice some of the ableism more. Still, I want to be an ooloi human construct. It's really the best book in the series, to look at the perspective of such a fascinating and alien being who can shapeshift and seduces ...more

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Apr 22, 2008 Lois rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: african-diaspora-interest, audible-books-i-own, biography, books-i-own-digital-copy, feminist-fiction, hard-copy-books-i-own, person-of-color-author, sci-fi, poc-pov-char-or-peripheral-char, reread-in-2018

Jodahs is my favorite of the construct characters. I love that they are so kind and seductive.
Also their pronoun 'they' has aged well. ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Danielle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: black-girl-magic, own, readsoullit, 2016, sci-fi, series-finished

I loved this series! I'm going to miss these characters. ...more

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Feb 26, 2018 Zanna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

As irresistible as a construct ooloi. I want more!

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About Octavia E. Butler

Octavia E. Butler

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Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction writer, one of the best-known among the few African-American women in the field. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant.

After her father died, Butler was raised by her widowed mother. Extremely shy as a child, Octavia found an outlet at the li ...more

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