Blood Child And Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler (book review).
In the introduction to ‘Blood Child And Other Stories’, Octavia E. Butler admits to not favoring the craft of short story writing, primarily identifying as a novelist. This admission sets a tone of confused expectation, particularly for readers familiar with her novels. It has been a couple of decades since I last engaged with one of Butler’s novels, and upon revisiting her work through this collection, it became clear that she often immerses readers directly into events, leaving them to navigate the unfolding situations.
‘Blood Child’ stands out as a tale centered around symbiosis with alien creatures, offering an engaging narrative. Although it garnered awards, my preference leans toward the second story, ‘The Evening, The Morning And The Night’. This narrative introduces a minority group afflicted by a fictional ailment known as Duryea-Gode disease (or DGD), characterized by self-harm. The story unveils its gravity through the experiences of Lynn Mortimer (whose name is revealed midway), returning home from school only to discover her father has killed and skinned her mother before succumbing to self-inflicted wounds. Despite its grim imagery, the story primarily explores the journey of living with DGD.
The trio of stories following these initial tales lack significant science fiction elements, presenting a deviation from expectations. However, Butler’s essays within the collection, ‘Positive Obsession’ and ‘Furor Scribendi’, offer insightful reflections on her love for books and the inception of her writing career, respectively.
The subsequent story, ‘Amnesty’, showcases Noah, who is evaluating six recruits poised to collaborate with alien entities referred to as Communities. These aliens, lacking visual senses and reliant on tactile feedback, initially experimented on humans until recognizing their intelligence. Although the narrative provides historical context, it concludes ambiguously, leaving Noah’s final selection undisclosed. The story feels more like an exploration of a potential novel’s premise rather than a self-contained short story.
Concluding the anthology is ‘The Book Of Martha’, a narrative steeped in fantasy, where the protagonist, Martha, engages with a shape-shifting god who grants her desires.
Ultimately, ‘Blood Child And Other Stories’ presents a varied, somewhat disjointed anthology that may leave readers approaching Butler’s novels with caution. However, based on the five novels of hers that I’ve read, Butler’s long-form works, especially the Doro series, offer a more rewarding literary experience.
GF Willmetts
September 2023
(pub: Seven Stories Press, 2000. 214 page small enlarged paperback. Price: varies – this is a second edition. ISBN: 978-1-58322-698-8)
check out website: www.sevenstories.com
