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What does Bloodchild say about love?

  What does Bloodchild say about love?  The relationship between Gan and T’Gatoi left a bad taste in my mouth. After reading the story once, I assumed their relationship was intended to be interpreted as manipulative. However, here’s what Octavia Butler had to say about the story: “It amazes me that some people have seen Bloodchild as a story of slavery. It isn’t. It’s a number of other things, though. On one level, it’s a love story between two very different beings.” Personally, I still think Bloodchild makes more sense as a slavery narrative than as a love story. However, I can’t really argue with Butler about what she intended when she wrote the story. So from this point on, fine, Bloodchild is about love, presumably between Gan and T’Gatoi. But if that’s the case, what is Butler trying to say about love? The society in this story is poorly designed for easy love between Terrans and T’Lic. Terrans have much less autonomy than T’Lic. The T’Lic seem to be the only species wh...
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evolution of my sister

  I always knew when Jenny was on the phone. I could tell from Mom’s half of the conversation, when she dropped her stranger-voice. “Hello?” She would begin, smooth and clear, in the same tone the 911 ladies used on the gunshot victims on TV. Then there’d be a pause, a breath, and a rush of those rougher, louder, jumbled-together family-words. And then I knew, because who else could they be for? There was only one not-stranger who wasn’t within earshot. Mom devoured those phone calls. She strangled the landline with both hands, wrapped the cord around her wrists tight enough to turn her fingers blue, practically shoved the speaker into her ear canal. After all, family wasn’t family if it didn’t hurt a little. If it didn’t cramp your fingers, turn your hands all pins-and-needles-y, make your eardrums ache. Those were good pains. They reminded you someone else was there, a little too close, even. But now Jenny was gone, too far to pinch or prod or needle. The landline, with its dente...
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Reimagined: Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Private Daniels’ right arm ached under the weight of his rifle. Whoever manufactures these guns, he thought, should use lighter materials, or else load them with fewer bullets.  On top of that, the sun was in his eyes. Forester, on the other end of the bridge, got to face West, but Daniels had to stare directly into the rising sun as it filtered through the tree trunks. He squinted ahead, and just for a moment, allowed himself to close his eyes. The relief was immediate. Eyes still shut, Daniels yawned, and imagined his tent back at the encampment. He wished dearly to blink and find himself transported back there. Sure, his cot was scratchy and hard, and there were no pillows to speak of, but these days he could fall asleep anywhere. Never again, he decided, would he allow himself to be picked for sentinel duty.  He wondered what would be left for breakfast when they returned. Knowing those pigs back at camp, the bacon would be gone, and if this went on any longer the eggs wou...
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Reimagined: The Fall of the House of Usher

I loved my brother, but as our life neared its end, I came to the sad realization that our House would die at his hand. I felt no malice toward Roderick, but nonetheless, I resolved to kill him.  I went to the cellar. It took all my strength to descend the long flight of stairs that spiraled down into the vast and drafty bowels of the House. As I went I envisioned myself tripping, tumbling to the bottom of the stairs, and laying there crooked and limp until an unfortunate servant found me. That wasn’t an uncommon death among the Ushers, especially the older ones with compromised eyesight - Aunt Dorothea went that way, and before her, Great Grandfather Byron. They were treacherous stairs, small and slick and unpredictable in height. Nevertheless, I made it to the bottom.  When I stepped into the dark, cavernous cellar, gooseflesh instantly spread across my frail limbs. I smelled mildew, and felt ghostly curtains of cobwebs brush over my skin and stick in my hair as I wande...
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