Dawn (novel)

Dawn is the first book of Octavia E. Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy; it was followed by Adulthood Rites.

Plot

Lilith Iyapo awakens from a confused state to learn that 200+ years have passed since humans destroyed most life on Earth through nuclear holocaust. She and thousands of other human survivors have been captured/rescued by the Oankali, an alien race that controls its own evolution through deliberate "gene trading." Because they have a powerful grasp of genetics, the Oankali perceive that human biology contains within it a contradiction: intelligence and hierarchy. They know that it is these contradictory impulses that have led to human extinction.

The humans have undergone significant testing at the hands of the Oankali, and Lilith has been chosen to lead her people back to Earth, which is now able to sustain life again. She struggles with a great deal of hatred from her fellow humans, many of whom see her as a traitor to her race because she has agreed to not only work with the Oankali, but also to participate in their plan for the future, which is to cross-breed the two species.

Further reading

• Book discussion group on feministSF mailing list (Feb. 2000)

• "Where Am I?" (YouTube link), a scene live-action video adaptation of a scene from Dawn.

Themes

• gender
• xenophobia
• alien sex