Paperback, 220 pages

English language

Published Dec. 28, 2021 by Aspect.

ISBN:
978-0-446-60363-8
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ASIN:
0446603635
Goodreads:
60934

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5 stars (2 reviews)

Child of two species, but part of neither, a new being must find his way. Human and Oankali have been mating since the aliens first came to Earth to rescue the few survivors of an annihilating nuclear war. The Oankali began a massive breeding project, guided by the ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA, in the hope of eventually creating a perfect starfaring race. Jodahs is supposed to be just another hybrid of human and Oankali, but as he begins his transformation to adulthood he finds himself becoming ooloi--the first ever born to a human mother. As his body changes, Jodahs develops the ability to shapeshift, manipulate matter, and cure or create disease at will. If this frightened young man is able to master his new identity, Jodahs could prove the savior of what's left of mankind. Or, if he is not careful, he could become a plague …

3 editions

Trilogia excepcional

5 stars

(resenha original com links → sol2070.in/2024/07/octavia-butler-imago-xenogenese/ )

"Imago" (1989) é o último volume da trilogia "Xenogênese", de Octavia Butler. A série narra um contato apocalíptico com alienígenas ambíguos. Obviamente, um dos temas é o colonialismo, mas ao contrário da opinião predominante, não acho que seja a ideia central. Não é um retrato preto no branco de vilões e vítimas. Invasores têm muitas nobres qualidades, e também o contrário para humanos, apesar de não haver dúvida sobre quem está subjugando quem — humanos ou obedecem ou se rebelam.

A palavra “imago” tem dois significados. No estudo de insetos, é sobre o ser que se completa após uma metamorfose. Na psicologia (junguiana), é a imagem idealizada da figura materna ou paterna, geralmente, formada na infância e que influencia todas as relações posteriores. Esses são os temas desse capítulo final.

No livro, acompanhamos em primeira pessoa a história de Jodahs, o primeiro “ooloi” …

reviewed Imago by Octavia E. Butler (Lilith's Brood, #3)

Lovesick tentacled freak seeks diseased nuclear mutants for serious polyamorous relationship

4 stars

For me, a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, continuing to push the themes of race, gender, nuclear armageddon, sex and biology. The alien-human hybrid Jodahs is the narrator. It - for that is its pronoun - is another Christ figure, like Akin in the previous novel. But this time the name suggests Judas, and there is frequently a suggestion that a putative mediator could turn out to be a betrayer.

One thing I like about Butler is how she goes to extremes. In this case the most sexually desirable creatures left on planet earth are a community of nuclear mutants afflicted with debilitating degenerative conditions and horrible skin diseases. Bow-chicka-wow-wow!

In her other novels (e.g. the Patternist series) she portrays the worst traits of human debauchery and murder, just to make it hard to pick a side - hegemonising aliens or violent human psycho-killers. Here I found I had sympathy …