Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler

Six remarkable stories from a master of modern science fiction. Octavia E. Butler's classic "Bloodchild," winner of both the Nebula and Hugo awards, anchors this collection of incomparable stories and essays. "Bloodchild" is set on a distant planet where human children spend their lives preparing to become hosts for the offspring of the alien Tlic. Sometimes the procedure is harmless, but often it is not. Also included is the Hugo Award - winning "Speech Sounds," about a near future in which humans must adapt after an apocalyptic event robs them of their ability to speak. In this audiobook, Butler shows us life on Earth and amongst the stars, telling her tales with characteristic imagination and clarity.

Wow, this was amazing. And rough - really emotionally hard, because she is so good at evoking empathy in morally gray situations. Scratch that - Butler is so good at taking situations we tend to think of as morally black and white and evoking empathy to force the reader into the uncomfortable position of realizing their grayness.

I thought “Bloodchild” was a magnificent story, I was touched and shocked and completely drawn in to “Speech Sounds.” But by the time I was partway through “Amnesty,” I had to take a break to collect myself. It's a very brutal story - and I say that with admiration. Incredibly inventive and skillful, just dealing with harrowing subject matter.

I'm glad I forged on and finished though! It's easy to see how Butler became a preeminent name in science fiction - she has an astonishing ability to imagine novel situations and poignantly explore the real human issues they give rise to.

I've only read another book by Octavia Butler (Kindred), and that was the graphic novel adaptation. Now I'm angry at myself for not picking up this book first. Butler was a genius. She truly was. Her stories show such great mastery of the craft of writing. She was one of a kind, and truly deserves more recognition. If this collection of short stories is just a tiny piece of her work, I'm quite sure her novels will be even more fantastic!