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Book Review: Imago by Octavia E. Butler
May. 20th, 2015 03:54 pmTitle: Imago (Xenogenesis/Lilith's Brood Book 3)
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Published: New York: Open Road Integrated Media, 2012 (1989)
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 224
Total Page Count: 160,859
Text Number: 470
Read Because: continuing the series, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Human/Oankali unification is proceeding apace until the unexpected occurs: a construct child matures into an ooloi. An ooloi point of view has been a long time coming: they are the crux of the Human/Oankali relationship, a view into the need that justifies inexcusable exploitation. Butler excels as creating a character in equal parts sympathetic and discomforting, and the unique Human/Oankali relationships are at their most compelling in this book. The human element remains simplistic (to the point of mechanistic), but Lilith is a welcome exception: her lingering anger is nuanced and—even with the deceptively optimistic conclusion—never allows the reader to forget how unreliable the ooloi point of view is. Imago is my favorite of this series, disconcertingly seductive and keenly thoughtful; it's bittersweet to have, but also end on, such a strong book.
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Published: New York: Open Road Integrated Media, 2012 (1989)
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 224
Total Page Count: 160,859
Text Number: 470
Read Because: continuing the series, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Human/Oankali unification is proceeding apace until the unexpected occurs: a construct child matures into an ooloi. An ooloi point of view has been a long time coming: they are the crux of the Human/Oankali relationship, a view into the need that justifies inexcusable exploitation. Butler excels as creating a character in equal parts sympathetic and discomforting, and the unique Human/Oankali relationships are at their most compelling in this book. The human element remains simplistic (to the point of mechanistic), but Lilith is a welcome exception: her lingering anger is nuanced and—even with the deceptively optimistic conclusion—never allows the reader to forget how unreliable the ooloi point of view is. Imago is my favorite of this series, disconcertingly seductive and keenly thoughtful; it's bittersweet to have, but also end on, such a strong book.
