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"Bloodchild" Assessment

"Bloodchild" by Octavia Butler



  1. My first reaction to Octavia Butler’s  Bloodchild is a mix of interest and disgust. Using humans as a subservient society to the Tlic rather than having humans assert power over the aliens is a fresh twist on the usual sci-fi story. I’ve never read or watched a story that had humans as powerless as they are here- there’s no way for them to fight back, really. The human race has been completely taken over, and they’re generally okay with it, which is unsettling. It was an interesting read, that's for sure. Such a unique story gets the mind wondering about a world where humans aren't the superior species and don’t come out on top after an invasion, a concept far less explored in the sci-fi genre. The disgust I felt is, of course, for the humans’ role in the Tlics’ lives. Parasites are a big fear of mine personally, so reading a story where humans exist solely to be hosts to the worm-like children of the Tlic is absolutely terrifying and revolting. I cannot stand the mental image of having worms inside of you; ever since learning about tapeworms and the like in middle school biology, that concept has firmly taken hold as being a top fear. So, upon reading that humans were essentially raised to become hosts, I immediately hated the Tlic and the society Butler designed- which is the point. T'Gatoi is introduced as kind and generous, but the mother and Qui's hostility is a critical warning sign to the reader to not trust the Tlic. I had hoped that Gan's stand-off with T'Gatoi would have ended differently- maybe he does shoot her, or maybe he does something to thwart her plans to lay eggs that night- but I suppose that because even Gan could not escape the Tlic and his designated role, the society is even scarier.
  2. I connected to Qui and Gan the most in this story, which I feel is the intent of Octavia Butler. They bother bolster a fear of the implanting process and their powerlessness in the Preserve, and as I mentioned before I too fear everything about that parasitical concept. If I were in their situation, I'd definitely side with Qui. I wouldn't trust the Tlic, and while I don't think I would have run, I'd be looking for an out or a way to not get picked by the Tlic. I also related to Gan's need to protect his sister because I have a little sister myself. While I would despise being picked for such a disgusting process, I would rather sacrifice myself than assign the role to my sister. That protectiveness would trump my own revoltion. Of course, I say all of this as an outsider looking in; had I grown up with that family, I may not be as able to see the wrongness of it all. Nevertheless, I connect most with those two boys and their doubt and disgust in that society. I recently read “I Live With You” by Carol Emshwiller, a story about a woman named Nora whose life is controlled by a slinky, shadow person slowly meddling with her identity and lifestyle; both that story and Bloodchild make humans helpless. Neither Nora nor Gan have any control over their lives, a concept both terrifying and frustrating. The major difference, however, is that by the end of “I Live With You” Nora wins; Gan does not.
  3. If I were to adapt Bloodchild into a different medium, I think a podcast would be quite unique. The descriptions are strong enough to not need visuals (I wouldn’t want to watch Lomas’ procedure or Gan’s implantation, to be perfectly honest), and while the story works in its short format, there is enough material to stretch it on into a series of recordings. Each one could look into a different situation and point of view in the Preserve- one from the eyes of a Tlic, one from a N’Tlic, one from a human unclaimed perhaps. Butler’s writing relies a lot on dialogue, which would work well in podcast form. Bloodchild is too gory for an animated film, and live action would look like a typical sci-fi flick: creepy aliens, blood and guts, dystopian society. That isn’t a bad thing, per se, but if I wanted to make the story stand out, a podcast would be the way to go. Podcasts have been increasing in popularity in recent years, so now would be the perfect time to strike. The first episode would be this story, and I’d expand on the society in the rest. Or, to add some drama, I’d change the ending so that Gan did indeed revolt and progress from there with the story of change and revolution, another big topic in today’s entertainment industry.

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