Dawn by Octavia Butler

Dawn by Octavia Butler

Published: May 1987 by Warner Books

Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopia

Format: Kindle, 248 Pages, Own

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher's Summary:

Lilith Iyapo has just lost her husband and son when atomic fire consumes Earth—the last stage of the planet’s final war. Hundreds of years later Lilith awakes, deep in the hold of a massive alien spacecraft piloted by the Oankali—who arrived just in time to save humanity from extinction. They have kept Lilith and other survivors asleep for centuries, as they learned whatever they could about Earth. Now it is time for Lilith to lead them back to her home world, but life among the Oankali on the newly resettled planet will be nothing like it was before.

The Oankali survive by genetically merging with primitive civilizations—whether their new hosts like it or not. For the first time since the nuclear holocaust, Earth will be inhabited. Grass will grow, animals will run, and people will learn to survive the planet’s untamed wilderness. But their children will not be human. Not exactly. 

My Thoughts:

I love Octavia Butler. Her sci-fi series and books and phenomenal. The way she can take the ills of humanity and throw them into a story astounds me. How do we overcome our fears of others? How do we pick up the pieces after we've f-d everything up? What does it mean to be human? This series is no different. This is the first book in a trilogy called Xenogenesis. I mean to read the last two this next month.

Lilith is chosen to lead a group of humans back on earth. In exchange for saving humanity the aliens have asked for, well- not asked, gene exchange and to be set up on planet earth alongside the humans. Is she a savior for humankind? Is she a traitor to our own species? She does a fantastic job letting us the readers get into the mindset of the aliens. Why they do what they do. And why they feel the way they do towards humans.

If you haven't read her before start with Kindred. That's just one book so easy to read. Her Earthseed series is the best I've read from her so far. But all are fantastic and I wish she were still alive to share more of her writing with all of us. I can't wait to finish this series.