Adulthood Rites (Xenogenesis, Book Two) [Paperback]

Octavia E. Butler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

Told in the haunting voice of Lilith, the heroine of "Dawn", this book is thestory of Lilith's only son, Akin. Though he resembles a normal human, Akin isthe first "construct"--part man/part alien.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this sequel to Dawn, Lilith Iyapo has given birth to what looks like a normal human boy named Akin. But Akin actually has five parents: a male and female human, a male and female Oankali, and a sexless Ooloi. The Oankali and Ooloi are part of an alien race that rescued humanity from a devastating nuclear war, but the price they exact is a high one--the aliens are compelled to genetically merge their species with other races, drastically altering both in the process. On a rehabilitated Earth, this "new" race is emerging through human/Oankali/Ooloi mating, but there are also "pure" humans who choose to resist the aliens and the salvation they offer. These resisters are sterilized by the Ooloi so that they cannot reproduce the genetic defect that drives humanity to destroy itself, but otherwise they are left alone (unless they become violent). When the resisters kidnap young Akin, the Oankali choose to leave the child with his captors, for he--the most "human" of the Oankali children--will decide whether the resisters should be given back their fertility and freedom, even though they will only destroy themselves again. This is the second volume in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series, a powerful tale of alien existence.

About the Author

Octavia E. Butler was the first black woman to come to international prominence as a science fiction writer. Incorporating powerful, spare language and rich, well-developed characters, her work tackled race, gender, religion, poverty, power, politics, and science in a way that touched readers of all backgrounds. Butler was a towering figure in life and in her art and the world noticed; highly acclaimed by reviewers, she received numerous awards, including a MacArthur "genius" grant, both the Hugo and Nebula awards, the Langston Hughes Medal, as well as a PEN Lifetime Achievement award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Warner Aspect Books; Reprint edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446603783
• ISBN-13: 978-0446603782
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The second in a series, which should be preceded by Dawn December 7, 1999

By Robert H. Nunnally Jr.

Format:Paperback

This science fiction work follows up on Ms. Butler's earlier work, Dawn. The book stands alone fairly well, but the story will seem tremendously better placed into context if the reader has read the earlier book, Dawn. Ms. Butler creates yet another of her dystopian earths, but its final crisis is ameliorated by the intervention of an alien species, the oankali. The book tells a crackling good story, but also addresses a key theme--what does it mean to be human? I recommend this book, as it has the old-fashioned virtues of a golden age work, but is told in the fine, well-written style that characterizes Octavia Butler's work. Reading a Butler, one gets the impression that one is watching a grandmaster writing in her prime--and yet, the nice thing about reading her is the sense that the best is yet to come. If you have not read Butler, but you are afraid that sci fi has lost its zing, then read Dawn and this one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a brilliant sequel April 12, 2001

By Robert J. Crawford TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

This book is far better than the first in the series. I was completely sucked into the characters, concept, and plot. The device of the alien child - a hybrid that is different from humans in obvious but also extremely subtle ways - is a unique creation in sci fi. His journey is fascinating and cruel, which makes a dark philospical statement on human nature. The dialogue is as excellent as you would expect from any fine novelist.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Could you, would you, breed with giant slugs to survive? August 23, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Humans had finally destroyed themselves and the planet Earth. This book continues the story of the few human survivors who had been captured by a revolting looking but talented alien race and forced to breed with them in order to perpetuate the genes of the human species within a new hybrid race. Most of the book revolves around two ideas, the innate human tendency toward violence and the unwillingness of people to accept others who are different. Those in the book who resist the breeding situation and run away to create their own childless communities are portrayed as an endlessly cranky group, a microcosm of the race who destroyed their own Earth. Every time you read an episode about them they're committing violent acts. They have an especially difficult time in accepting members of the next generation, the hybrids who are only part human. The dilemma posed in the book is that the only way to save the species is to accept and trust the non-human as well as the human.

I found the main character, a hybrid child, really interesting, and the book as a whole intellectually stimulating and full of challenge and ideas.