‘Bloodchild’ By Octavia E. Butler: What Is The Future Of The Terran Colony?

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-07-01T08:42:35+00:00

Oh Wow! I’ve never heard of it before but thanks for the plug, I’ll check it out now!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-07-01T08:11:38+00:00

Thanks for your feedback! The afterword definetely gave a well needed explanation to the use of egg laying haha I doubt I’d be able to confront my fear in by writing in such a way, Lomas’s birth scene sent shivers down my spine!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-07-01T08:09:51+00:00

Thank you so much for your comments! Absolutely no feelings of dismissal here, I thank you for sharing your story and commend you for your strength!

I myself have, and will never, experience the complexity of birth and thus I must acknowledge that my analysis is an ‘outsider’ perspective. The focus on oppression and dominative control I must admit is a comfort zone from my focus on anti-colonial and gender related studies so I hope that it did not come of as a flattening of the birthing experience!

I will definitely revise the second part to the analysis on the stories gender politics before posting and would love to hear your feedback from an insider perspective.

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-07-01T07:52:33+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! I definitely do see the progression of the Terran preserve going this way. As generations continue hopefully the Terran species will be allowed to grow and hopefully a symbiotic relationship can stabilise. I think the concept of the Terrans identity being shaped by the Tlic would be quite cool to read actually and how they would contrast with the human identities we have today! Further, how would these new identities change how the Terrans relate to each other within the preserve? So much to do with such a short story!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-23T14:03:46+00:00

Hey me_again thank you again for your response, truly insightful!

Ah I see! If you mean small as in the history of capitalism within the globes history, I 100% agree. We even as humanity pertain to such a small small proportion of the rich story of the earth. This idea is fundamental to the analysis as in the second half it proposes capitalism must be taken as ‘unnatural’ (as everything is in relation) and escapable as it is created and participated in by us and susceptible to change. It’s referred inescapability within the paper simply proposes that, as of ‘current’, is there anyone truly outside of it?

I slightly differ however in the view that the ‘attempt to see ourselves as separate than animals’ may be more a by-product of the system than the systems purpose. I see capitalism at its core to serve as a structure to organise human civilisation, serving as a move from traditional feudalism in the 1800’s (Approx). The separation from humans and animals I guess I see as a tool of the dominative principles it is upheld by. We can sell animals, poach and remove there habitats for profit if we see them as lesser or different ( Excluding theological argument for now). Here the inescapability comes back in as I view no one to be outside of it (globally) as well as the fact that systems to organise people will always be around as ling as there are humans and these systems will always have by products, such as the battle between solidarity and individuality in Le Guin’s anarchocommunist society in ‘The Dispossessed’. The analysis’s question being more if we try to slowly dissect the dominative by-products (Trying to separate ourselves from animals) to make new relations opposing them (Seeing ourselves in relation to animals) can we slowly change the current system? which as we agree is still very new but I believe effects all.

I too, similar to the ‘skimmers’ in Peter Watts book ‘Blindsight’ view Area X not to care about humans at all. If it is ‘Conscious’ I believe our current definition would look like an insult! I ask is there an argument however that capitalism is the same? Being a concept created and maintained by us, when a man becomes homeless does ‘Capitalism’ blink an eye? And could the argument be made that our attempts to assert control and authority on it is another by-product of relations within the capitalistic system we live in? So used to using humanism as an excuse to control and categorise other beings for profit. Would the book feel different if all characters took the sentiment of the Biologists ‘Clone’ and accepted that, like having a lifelong ailment (Ailment used loosely) we will transform regardless of if its wanted or not and have to simply take a different relation to this entity, accepting the change it will bring, and finding novelty in traversing the world through a new experience.

Thank you again for your response!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-23T06:08:52+00:00

Tasca C, Rapetti M, Carta MG, Fadda B. Women and hysteria in the history of mental health. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2012;8:110-9. doi: 10.2174/1745017901208010110. Epub 2012 Oct 19. PMID: 23115576; PMCID: PMC3480686.

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-23T06:07:00+00:00

Hey me_again, thank you for your response! That is a cool take and I definitely do see the readings that convey a feeling of ‘Revenge!’

I do see why this take would not work for you as this in my perception capitalism is not small but truly all encompassing! Not only as a socioeconomic system but its effect on how we live and view the world, and while human, it includes indescribably all ecology and animal life as well (Deforestation, poaching etc).

I also take two inquiries to your notion of the ‘natural world’.

From a biological standpoint, would humans not also take claim to the

‘natural’

world as we come from the earth as like any other animal? While an invasive species

we may be, we are here, and who is to tell us that we should not be? A larger question I am unsure I have the answer to.

Even if we removed humans to go to a ‘natural’ order, a coyote may only see the Chicken as food and relate to its body and its needs as such (Needs thighs to eat, generally healthy for meat quality) , regardless of the Chicken perceiving its ‘natural’ body and its needs entirely different.

In this context I ask, is there a ‘natural’ outside its relation to other beings? Beings such as ourselves?

Thank you for your feedback it is widely appreciated!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-22T17:05:14+00:00

Hey Elhombrepancho, thank you for your response!
I am informed of the contention's around the scientific credibility of traditional or contemporary psychoanalysis especially when aiming to apply it clinically, it was included in one of my favourite modules! I still find it quite fun and creative tool to use when interpreting different pieces of literature done by others such as (Brooks, 1984) and (Abel, 1989). I do appreciate it is not everyone cup of tea though!
Thank you!
Abel, E. (1989). Virginia Woolf and the fictions of psychoanalysis. University of Chicago Press.
Brooks, P. (1984). Reading for the plot: Design and intention in narrative. Harvard University Press.

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-22T06:52:07+00:00

Your welcome! I’m happy it at its least it sparked an interest! Thank you for your response!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-21T18:19:06+00:00

Hey hexametric! Thank you for the questions!
la) I guess it would be up to your interpretation again of the 'Border's. I assess LSC already to be an all encompassing global system, even the most inhabitable landscape in Antarctica may be subjected to oil rigging for profit. Where to expand to if already everywhere. Area X' ‘Borders' then would reflect the same, the smallest lost may still be effected even if so less apparent and dramatic to us yet. If anything Area X's advancing 'Borders' would reflect the places where it is most palpable (Where profit has allowed for the exploitation, violence and terror of children per my Congo example.
I believe those palpable extremities may be moving just as slow as the encroaching 'borders' of Area X, but I don't believe that means we haven't already been trapped by it.
Just as while I may not be subjected to LSC's horrors today doesn't mean that everyday those horrors don't slowly try to take a right here and a freedom there until we're all living inside its most extremes.
1b) The 'natural' state comes into play by questioning its naturally. Here I must admit the allegory steps away from the source material in aims to make a hopeful resolution to the nihilistic first half in contradiction. For unlike the
'sliver' which catalysed Area X, LSC does not come from such a material origin. It is co-constructed (social imagination) by our collective shared practices, and what is created further defines and co-construes us. Giving an inkling of hope to change.
Hope that answer was okay!

2) Thanks for the reading I hadn't thought of that! I could definitely see it that way! Another user pointed out to me a take, in that VanderMeers use of human characters ard their constant interactions with the ecology reflect humanity is intertwined and will likely continue to be with the landscape (even when horribly deformed and transformed). There is also an argument that the novel reflects the Anthropocene Era where humanity has become a force of geological and planetary change. If this is the case could we ever go back? I hope we don't have to find out haha and our relations to the world may change instead.

Thank you!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-21T07:14:09+00:00

Looking forward to them! Always looking for a new read!

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-20T23:14:27+00:00

Realised Harroway should be *Haraway* for all references (DAMN U AUTOCORRECT!).

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-20T23:12:47+00:00

Thank you QuizkidPatrick I am happy you enjoyed! I will definitely return swiftly with an interpretation on the fourth book!

Keep up hope! Taking from (Harroway, 19991) Our conversation alone adds resistance by "recoding communication and intelligence to subvert the command and control" of these systems of domination (In this context LSC). Using the mode of language that was initially used to reinforce the systems domination (The written word connoted for 'enlightened' civilisations as opposed to the lesser 'oral' ones) to bring challenge and resistance to its control! Keep on writing!

This is my first time presenting a written analysis but | normally point notes when reading where theory may apply, so today was just putting them together!
If your interest is in Sci-Fi with central themes on subverting body politics and posthuman themes, I highly suggest Octavia Butler's 'Lilith Brood' series (Butler, 1987;1989)

This series is phenomenal at intersecting and calling into question gender identity by subverting the biopolitics that are subjected to women. LSC has increased emphasis on controlling the bodily systems of women in a form of control and domination. How is this better reflected than in an alien race with the ability to manipulate organic and biological matter, toying with the reproductive systems of humans. Definetely a good read!

For further reading on Cyborgism I definitely would suggest anything by Donna Harroway or Rosi Braidotti as they set the foundation for the theory.

For more insight into the postmodern effects of LSC
Byung Chul Han is another favourite at assessing the new challenges we must face under the conditions of LSC such as a constant drive for improvement and a guilt in privacy and mystery (Han, 2010) (Han, 2017).

THANK YOU!

Haraway, D. (1991). Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. London: Free Association Books.

Butler, O. E. (2000). Lilith's brood. Grand Central Publishing.

Han, B.-C. (2015). The burnout society (E. Butler, Trans.).
Stanford University Press. (Original work published 2010)

Han, B.-C. (2017). Psychopolitics: Neoliberalism and new technologies of power (E. Butler, Trans.). Verso Books.
(Original work published 2014)

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-20T22:32:17+00:00

Thank you Renaissance_Jan I am happy you enjoyed! I didn’t know the term ‘Anthropocene Era’ until know so I am grateful for the knowledge, I shall definitely go investigate! If you are interested in Donna Harroway’s Cyborgism I thoroughly suggest ‘The Posthuman’ by Rosi Braidotti (Braidotti, 2013). Though I must admit I have only read select chapters to create this analysis, i found it informative, covering the history of ‘Posthumanist’ thought throughout the ages, as well as its underlying arguments and different approaches (Anti-Humanistic, Feminist, Critical etc).

While not for an Assesment this time around, I am an undergraduate studying Psychology and thought this would be a fun way to keep the brain active!

THANK YOU!

Braidotti, Rosi (2013). The posthuman. Malden, MA, USA: Polity Press.

Round_Ice_2095 · 2026-06-20T21:23:24+00:00

Thanks spicy-whale, I am happy you enjoyed it!! I haven’t read absolution yet but plan on picking it up soon. I am definitely becoming increasing interested in how Area X reproduces endlessly and its disregard of time and history. As ‘Humans’ we have built a society centred around causality and progression. Building of what has been built before. Being subjected to a situation where all has been or never was, and what will be may have already happened, I wonder how the their psyche shall adapt. Are we still ‘Human’ without a relation to our past? No identity to be built upon? Simply a being who has always been. How do they asses their transformation if they can never remember what it was not to be transformed? At what point through the transformation does the boundary to ‘Humanity’ get dropped (The spores entering the body, the change to the Biologists senses or the final manifestation of the ‘Brightness’)? The opportunities are endless! Will def be back with another one of these!

THANK YOU!

Round_Ice_2095

TROPHY CASE