Imago

The most frustrating aspect of Adulthood Rites and Imago is the same as in Survivor, the book Octavia disowned, which is the essentialism of race. In Survivor, blue Kohn are leaders; in the Xenogenesis series, humans and Oankali are also set in their respective singular tracks. It makes for more or less blank personalities and shallow relationships based solely on physiological addiction. The human sides of the constructs—stubbornness and fear of change—also keep the plot on the ground and off the ship. Imagine being endlessly curious yet having zero desire to explore space.

Nevertheless, Octavia's work is always effortless to read and I miss being immersed in her worlds.