Dawn

Octavia E. Butler
Book 1 of the Xenogenesis Trilogy

I found this at the library and thought that I have discovered a new Octavia Butler series. And then I remembered that she had passed more than a decade ago. And then a perusal of the publication date places this trilogy in the late 80's. How did I miss it? Another reminder of how vast the literary library is, and how little I have actually read.

This book opens with Lilith coming awake and finding herself in an alien ship. Humanity is post global destruction war and was "rescued" by an alien race from a now toxic earth. Lilith is woken to begin the process of reintroducing humans to earth... and participating in "trade" with this alien species. The Oankali see themselves as a benevolent species, saving humans from extinction at the cost of genetic mixing to create a new species that will better populate a revived earth. Lilith (like all humans in this story) finds this forced genetic mixing repulsive. Fascinatingly analogous to a captive breeding program for nearly extinct species, coupled with genetic engineering of the species to promote sustainability. But we never ask the condor, or the white rhino, etc. whether it is willing to undergo genetic modification to "save itself". Now humans are the rhinos...

Lilith is conflicted, the Oankali are oblivious to their genetic colonialism, and the reader is 50-50 on whether they recognize the irony of thinking of certain colonialism as OK and other as repulsive. Fabulous.

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