Finished reading: Xenogenesis by Octavia E. Butler 📚

This book, Xenogenesis, is actually a collected trilogy, one hardcopy book containing the novels Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago. The trilogy is still in print but is now called “Lillith’s Brood”; I thought Xenogenesis was a much cooler name so I tracked down an old hardback copy of the trilogy with the original name.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but to put it in broad strokes: these books tell the story of humans encountering an alien species after an apocalyptic event on Earth, and explore the two groups decide to approach a mutual interdependence. There are no metal spaceships, no lasers, no advanced computer technology; just humans and aliens working and living together in close proximity. The alien species has a third sex in addition to male and female, and all three sexes are critical to reproduction. The book is sexually candid and very weird in places, but extraordinarily written. Butler does such an incredible job creating these species that she makes the three-sex model seem appealing!

I mentioned in my review of Rest Is Resistance that I’m keen to expose myself to a spirituality that embraces physical embodiment instead of physical transcendence, and that perhaps the former could be considered a more “feminine” spirituality. This trilogy further supports my thinking. In addition to the deeply embodied nature of the narrative, I found these books to conform to what I recently heard described as the female story arc.

I cannot find the podcast to link here, but I know that the host and guest were talking about this profile of Céline Sciamma by Elif Batuman when they discussed how the male storytelling model (a linear story wherein a conflict is presented, escalates, then breaks) differs from the female storytelling model (wherein a situation or set of circumstances swirl, swell to a higher frequency, and then comfortably descend). When I talked about it with Liz, she confirmed that this is a pretty standard understanding within Gender Theory.

These books certainly fit the latter model. Readers in search of a climactic ending of the third book will be disappointed; in fact Butler at one point intentionally lets a previously central conflict walk away while she decides to develop a smaller, more relationally involved story. Because there was no satisfying resolution, I do think the story has stuck with me longer.

These books are very weird, but I enjoyed the strange places it took me. I think I’ve now read over half of Octavia Butlers oeuvre!