Imagine a world on the brink of a global viral pandemic. Sound familiar? Octavia Butler brings to life a futuristic dystopian world that eerily resembles our reality.
The science fiction book Clay’s Ark begins when Blake, a physician, travels in the desert with his daughters when the family is suddenly kidnapped by strange people who appear very ill but possess unusual strength. Blake and his daughters, Rane and Keira, are taken to an isolated camp of infected people. Their leader, a man named Eli, reveals their illness — an alien disease that binds to the survivor’s body while giving them enhanced capabilities. These skills come at a cost, as hosts have an urge to infect others, an urge they must control to protect the rest of humanity. All it takes is one person to leave the compound and spread the disease, creating an incurable global pandemic and a new species of humans. Blake and his daughters must escape their destiny at the compound to warn others of the virus, but what if it’s too late?
While reading this book, I was pleasantly surprised by how much this book completely captured my attention. I didn’t want to put the book down! I was initially intrigued by the chapter’s alternate views of Eli’s past to Blake’s family’s present. From this format, you can put together clues from the past and present to understand the disease’s nature while learning more about Eli’s complex past. The book is action-packed! It starts pretty quickly when Blake’s family is taken. You are immediately drawn in by wondering: what is wrong with these kidnappers? And then later, questioning the biggest mystery: how did they get this disease?
Octavia builds a futuristic, relatable world through the character’s behaviors and faults. The book makes you question your morals as the disease compels characters to act immorally. Octavia builds depth to the characters, especially the survivors of the disease, making it much more complicated than casting characters as evil. The book had unexpected twists, which kept it fun to read, and had a surprising ending.
Octavia draws many parallels to our present day. It was an interesting experience reading about this disease after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. I could understand the dangerous consequences of spreading the disease. I recommend this book; it was an enjoyable read! I was captivated by this book. Her skills are impressive, especially seen in her character development.
Clay’s Ark is the third book of her series. You could understand Clay’s Ark without reading the other books. However, if you want to read the books in order, read Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay’s Ark, Survivor, and Patternmaster.
About the Author:
Octavia was a famous African-American science fiction author and gained many awards for her skill. Her books have risen in public interest over the years and are currently being used in many colleges. Her predictions of the future have an alarmingly accurate portrayal of our modern world. While Octavia’s book was published in 1984, it is relevant today. Her books expose the injustices in our society- like racial injustice, women’s rights, and climate degradation- still prevalent today. She passed away in 2006, but her work carries her legacy.
Other Books by Octavia Butler:
Kindred (graphic novel adaptation)
Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Talents
Sources:
コメント