Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
"Bloodchild" is a science fiction short story by Octavia E. Butler, recognized for its exploration of unconventional themes surrounding reproductive roles and interspecies relationships. Set on an alien planet where humans, referred to as Terrans, have sought refuge from a ravaged Earth, the narrative presents a complex bond between the Terrans and the alien Tlics, who require male hosts to bear their young. The story's protagonist, Gan, navigates the emotional and physical complexities of being chosen as a host for Tlic embryos, particularly as his mother has traded his role for the chance to bear her own human children. The Tlics, unable to give birth themselves, use a form of narcotic to establish connections with their hosts, creating a nuanced dynamic that oscillates between affection and domination.
Butler's narrative intricately examines the power struggles and interdependencies that arise from this unique relationship, challenging traditional gender roles and perceptions of motherhood. The graphic depiction of the alien birthing process serves as a focal point for the conflict between Gan's horror and his familial obligations. Although Butler has described "Bloodchild" as a love story, its unsettling elements may provoke diverse reactions among readers. Ultimately, the work encourages contemplation of consent, sacrifice, and the complexities inherent in relationships across species boundaries.
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Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1984 (collected in Bloodchild, and Other Stories, 1995)
Type of work: Short story
The Work
“Bloodchild,” which won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, was first published in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine. Butler has said that she wanted to experiment with the idea of a man bearing children. The “children” in the story are worm-like creatures that will grow into adults resembling sea serpents with tentacles. The central event is the horrifying birth of the alien worms, which are torn from the body of the male host in a bloody operation.
Butler imagines an alien planet to which Terrans have escaped from the disasters of their native Earth. The alien Tlics cannot bear their own young and must use the male Terrans as hosts. The Tlics use a form of narcotic to seduce the Terrans and develop familial bonds with their hosts, a strange love-hate relationship which foregrounds the conflict.
Gan is a young man whose mother, in exchange for the right to bear her own human children, has agreed to sacrifice her son as a host for the alien embryos. The female Tlic T’Gatoi has an honored place in the home, but the original friendship between the mother, Lien, and T’Gatoi has turned into hostility. Gan, torn between his horror at witnessing an alien birth and his desire to secure his family’s well-being, agrees to be impregnated by T’Gatoi. This impregnation is grotesquely reminiscent of human sexuality but with the reversal of the male and female roles.
In this story Butler explores favorite themes: the reversal of gender roles and the inevitable power struggle between two species who must become interdependent if they are to survive. Butler called this a love story, but readers who find the explicit details repulsive might not agree.
Bibliography
Allison, Dorothy. “The Future of Female: Octavia Butler’s Mother Lode.” In Reading Black, Reading Feminist, edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Meridian, 1990.
Fry, Joan. “ Interview with Octavia Butler.” In Poets and Writers Magazine 25, no. 2 (March/April, 1997): 58-69.
Govan, Sandra Y. “Octavia Butler” in Notable Black American Women. Detroit: Gale, 1992.
Potts, Steven W. “We Keep Playing the Same Record: A Conversation with Octavia E. Butler.” Science Fiction Studies 23 (November, 1996): 331-338.
Stevenson, Rosemary. “Octavia Butler” in Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Carlson, 1993.
Zaki, Hoda. “Utopia, Dystopia, and Ideology in the Science Fiction of Octavia Butler.” Science Fiction Studies 17, no. 2 (1990): 239-251.