TBR: Fledgling
For a total change of pace, today’s book is Fledgling. It’s a vampire story, but since it’s by Octavia Butler, the main character is a vampire, Shori, who looks like a 10-year-old African-American girl. Thus, the book is an opportunity for Butler to revisit some of her favorite themes from her award-winning Xenogenesis trilogy — race, human-alien mixtures, multi-member families.
Unfortunately, Fledgling is pretty weak compared to the Xenogenesis books. What made them stunning is that Butler conveyed both the hope that the Oankali offered to humanity and the horror that humans felt about them. The main characters are put in situations where there are no right choices, and they stumble through, sometimes hurting people around them in the process.
In Fledgling, almost all of the complexity is gone. The "Ina" (vampires) are not monsters, but benevolent masters, who provide their human symbionts with orgasmic pleasure and healthy long lives. The only exceptions are the bad guys, who have no redeeming characteristics — they’re even racist. The lingering discussions of the complex families of the Ina (sibling groups marry each other, but live in single sex communities) and their human companions reminded me of nothing so much as Heinlein’s late novels in which he waxed ecstatic about group marriages. (And yes, many sci-fi writers would give their right arm to be compared to even lousy Heinlein, but Butler’s better than that.)
And, to be honest, I couldn’t figure out what was the point of making Shori appear to be a young child. There’s no portion of the book where she has to live with the restrictions on her activities that minors are usually subject to. And I was ooked out by the sex/feeding scenes between her and adult humans.
All this said, I read the book in a weekend, and found myself staying up later than I should have to finish it. Even at her weakest, Butler’s a compelling storyteller.
February 8th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
I took a look at the trilogy you recommended, and promptly had disturbing dreams about the premise. But it won’t stop me from looking for the books at the library. I’ve been reading Flux on your recommendation, and read Helen Simpson’s short stories (the collection you recommended way back when) in early January.
I haven’t read any Vampire stuff since Anita what’s-her-name’s early books. For the last ten years, I’ve been very, VERY gunshy when it comes to fiction. I don’t know how or why I lost my nerve.
February 8th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
i agree that butler ironed out or ignored a lot of the complexity and contradiction she built into her narrative. i was supremely creeped out by the sex scenes, given that shori is, to all appearances, a child. i reviewed the book for the latest issue of Bitch, and it’s not a positive review.
February 10th, 2006 at 5:25 am
Thanks for the recommendation. My husband is the one who finds new SF authors in this house, and I’ve never heard of this one. I’ll have to have a look (maybe even in the library!).