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December 11, 2005
Fledgling
Posted at December 11, 2005 05:05 PM in Books .
I've jumped so far ahead in my readings I am now way behind
on my reviews. In order to catch up, I
will probably post two a day for a while, or perhaps I will post them all at
once.
I realize I probably should have had something to clear the pallet – sorbet perhaps – between Walter Mosely's Cinnamon Kiss and Octavia Butler's Fledgling. Unfortunately, I did not and as such it took me a little time to get in to her book.
From Publishers Weekly:
The much-lauded Butler creates vampires in her 12th novel (her first in seven years) that have about as much to do with Bram Stoker's Dracula as HBO's Deadwood does with High Noon. They need human blood to survive, but they don't kill unless they have to, and (given several hundred years) they'll eventually die peacefully of old age. They are Ina, and they've coexisted with humans for millennia, imparting robust health and narcotic bliss with every bite to their devoted human blood donors, aka "symbionts." Shori is a 53-year-old Ina (a juvenile) who wakes up in a cave, amnesiac and seriously wounded. As is later revealed, her family and their symbionts were murdered because they genetically engineered a generation of part-Ina, part-human children. Shori was their most successful experiment: she can stay conscious during daylight hours, and her black skin helps protect her from the sun. The lone survivor, Shori must rely on a few friendly (and tasty) people to help her warn other Ina families and rediscover herself. Butler, keeping tension high, reveals the mysteries of the Ina universe bit by tantalizing bit. Just as the Ina's collective honor and dignity starts to get a little dull, a gang of bigoted, black sheep Ina rolls into town for a species-wide confab-cum-smackdown. In the feisty Shori, Butler has created a new vampire paradigm—one that's more prone to sci-fi social commentary than gothic romance—and given a tired genre a much-needed shot in the arm. (Oct.)
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First, I must dispense with an unpleasantry, grammar to be precise. One of my co-workers informed me this is a new publisher for Ms. Butler and feels the fault lies with them—no editor or lack of editing. Honestly, in my early days I was quite the stickler for grammar and/or typos. Today however, I'm not such the stickler because my grammar too is lacking at times. Because I was not prepared for "to to" as opposed to "to do", it took a little time for me to get into the book because I found myself more editing than reading for enjoyment.
By chapters 4 or 5, I finally began clipping away at a pretty good speed. Fledgling is about vampires and Ms. Butler does a fine job of describing the history of the Ina, their culture, and offers a little something special in her description of the Ina and the symbiotic relationship with their human hosts. This truly piqued my interests.
Without going too much into detail – you will need to read the book – there is a beautiful relationship between the Ina (vampire-like individuals) and their human hosts. Their relationship is reciprocal, as one would expect of any relationship – hopefully – and is not one-sided. Both derive a benefit from the other and that benefit is not as obvious as one would think, i.e., blood for one, longevity for the other. No, there is a special bond of love which highlights the true benefit one would receive from love, for both the Ina and their human hosts. In a sense, true ethics of reciprocity.
If you should read this book, pay close attention to the relationships and the love/bond between them. Also note the importance of touch. This becomes more apparent and/or obvious as you move through the story up to and including the very end. It is beautifully done.
I have never been one for sci-fi or fantasy but I did find Fledgling a very interesting read serving up many issues to contemplate. Not only was there the very deep and penetrating focus on love – both platonic and sexual – there was also an exploration of race, age and gender that was equally enjoyable.
There is more to this book than simply the words on the printed page. For the contemplative, there is much to chew on.
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