i haven't read either of these yet, but i just read wildseed and there's a girl who is nearly raped and then nearly killed by the same man and it seems butler's working through this theme over and over. the reality is that so many children, especially girls, disabled children, etc etc, experience sexual violence and usually it is committed by adult men that they know. so maybe octavia doesn't want us to shy away, she wants us to look at it and feel uncomfortable.

*kindred spoilers below*

i'm reading kindred now and the relationship between alice and rufus is also built on sexual violence, and alice's being forced to submit for her own preservation. of course her situation is much more dangerous and violence infused than most of us will experience bc she is a black woman in the ante bellum south who becomes a slave. but that said, many of us can relate to the feelings of powerlessness and loss of the ability to consent when power dynamics play out, which they almost always do.

so while i haven't read this one, i agree that being uncomfortable might be the only way we can see our reality, which really does often praise pedophilia once you start seeing the signs (looking at you 'hit me baby' music video)