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Octavia Butler
SURVIVOR
book cover


1978


Who recommends: JW, Shelley, Catie, Preeti, Isabel
Who discommends:

What a great book. And I never would have picked it up if it hadn't been for you guys. It's a set on a different planet which already has furry (leonine) humanoid natives in conflict with each other and with the newly arrived human Missionaries. As the story begins, Alanna has just been returned to the human settlers after two years of captivity under one of the native clans. What she doesn't tell her bigoted people, and which we slowly learn through the flashbacks which alternate with the present day story, is that she had gradually fallen in love with and borne a child to her captor. Now she's doing a great big juggling act as she sets out to bring peace between her husband's people and the paternalistic and dangerously complacent Missionaries. A very tense and exciting story follows. It had lots to say about human survival and prejudice. I just could not stop reading this book.--Preeti

MIND OF MY MIND and WILD SEED are my favorites after SURVIVOR, but SURVIVOR is the best for my money. And I'm still bemused that the author apparently dislikes it so much that she'll not allow it to be reprinted.--JW

Recommend - with reservations. It pushed a couple of personal buttons but that discussion would come under spoiler territory.--Isabel (13 Mar 00)


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