Tentacle people….hmm...well at least they’re not trying to kill us? Dawn, the first installment in a trilogy written by Octavia E. Butler, follows the story of Lilith Iyapo as she wakes up in the hands of the Oankali, an uncanny alien species, following the destruction of the Earth. At first, Lilith, like the reader, believes the Oankali are malicious in some way. After all, she was locked away in solitary confinement for two years. She would learn, however, that there’s more to it than that. The Oankali call themselves “traders,” that is, they trade their own genetic material. Thus, in an attempt to restore Earth alongside the human race after their near extinction, they use this ability preemptively to both prevent future catastrophes and to improve the humans. It is an act of goodwill as they see it. But what designates an improvement? Considering most of this genetic changing occurred without the humans consent, one might argue their actions are wrong in any case. Nonethel...
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