Book Review: "Dawn" by Octavia Butler

This is the kind of story that I think succeeds and fails. It's the kind of story that has such great ideas and questions if it would only shut up and keep its darn plot out of the way. There's a lot to like about this story, but one has to wonder if it's the same stuff Butler intended us to like. In any case, here is my review for Dawn.

Setting

The story takes place after the end. America and the Soviet Union (this was first published in 1987) have bombed the crap out of each other, and most of humanity has bitten the dust. The planet is covered in nuclear fallout, and there isn't much hope for what remains of the human race. That is, until the Oankali arrive. The Oankali are a star-faring race of aliens whose name translates roughly into "traders" or "geneticists." I never said it was subtle... In any case, they helpfully decide to rescue as many of the humans as they deem necessary and put them in cold storage for 250 years. (Well, not cold storage. They're actually giant Venus flytraps. You get the picture.) Lilith is one such human, and she Awakens to learn all of this and interact with the Oankali.

This right here is the story's biggest draw. The Oankali are such strange, unique creatures that they immediately call your attention. I wanted to learn everything there was to learn about the Oankali and how their civilization works. They're also the focus of the major philosophical question in this novel: is it okay to manipulate the genetic makeup of things to make them "better?" That's the Oankali's raison d'être, after all. And if that were all there was to the story, then it'd be great. But, well...

Plot

I'll admit, I haven't read the next two stories in the series. It may be that the Oankali get a larger stake in the rest of the series. But where Dawn is concerned, the Oankali only take up the first half of the story. After that, Lilith is charged with Awakening more humans in order to begin colonization. The Oankali are still around (though mostly the "ooloi," the Oankali "third sex" that controls all reproduction), but in a much smaller scope. All of that just feels less interesting compared to learning about the Oankali and their interesting society. The human section is also a little too heavy on the rape and the murder, although that might be the point. If age-of-civilization human drama is what you're into, then it might keep you enthralled, but I was too busy shouting at my pages, "Go back to the part with the aliens!"

Characters

Our main character, as I've said, is Lilith, an anthropologist (convenient!) who is chosen by the Oankali to reestablish humanity now that the radioactivity has died down a bit on Earth. Why choose her? She's strong, smart, perceptive, and persistent. These are some of the things that personify Oankali, by the way. She also surprised them because she had a genetic disposition towards cancer, which the Oankali ate right up (possibly literally. Yuck). Through the story, we follow her as she tries to fit into the Oankali's plan. It isn't easy, and she finds herself almost at the point of losing herself, but in the end, she manages to survive. Though whether it's the same her (from a lost and scared woman trapped in a cell to a preternaturally strong, smart leader) is a guiding question of the story.

Along the way, she is paired up with an adolescent ooloi by the name of Nikanj (full name Kaalnikanj oo Jdahyatediinkahguyaht aj Dinso: in order, the clan name, Kaal; his personal name, Nikanj; his age, oo; his father, Jdahya; his mother, Tediin; his ooloi parent, Kahguyaht; and his purpose on the ship, Dinso. I think.) who guides her and helps her acclimate. Unfortunately, at times he is just as manipulative as every other ooloi on the ship, so perhaps he should be lumped in with the other ooloi. They're not exactly Lilith's allies, but she doesn't have much choice. They believe they can manipulate her into any choice they desire based on the genetic data they have on her. They are mostly right. This has to do with Octavia Butler's beliefs on genetic determinism, and at times it gets a bit ridiculous. In general, though, it makes them seem suspicious and powerful, not impossible.

There are some human characters of note in the second half, particularly Joseph, her lover, but like I said, it's not terribly interesting. Most of them just fall into one-note stereotypes: the jock bully one, the wispy quiet one, the sneaky two-faced one, the idiot rebel one, etc.

Conclusion

It's quite a good book, although the second half tends to drag a bit. Definitely worth reading if you're into science fiction with a message. If you like aliens, genetics, and the question what makes you human, you'll really like this book. If you like survival, human drama, and controversial aspects, you might like this book as well.