![]() ![]() But Octavia Butler's great sense of plot keeps readers glued to this book's pages the whole way through. When you hear about a piece of classic literature that explores deep themes, you might not imagine a super-entertaining read. Along the way, Dana learns an awful lot about how to survive in the world of American slavery. Dana thinks that Rufus is a pretty despicable person, but she has to keep saving him if she ever plans on being born (you know-that whole ancestor thing). She quickly finds out that her purpose for being there is to save her white ancestor (and slave-owner) Rufus Weylin from dying. So here's the deal: a twenty-six year-old black woman named Dana travels back in time (we don't know why) to a Maryland slave plantation in 1815. What matters is the way the book makes you think long and hard about things like gender, race, and power. In the end, it might not really matter how you classify this book. ![]() Its author, Octavia Butler, has gone on record saying that the book is a sort of "Grim fantasy," although it includes elements of both science fiction (like time travel) and high literature (like difficult themes). In fact, critics have had a tough time categorizing the book ever since it first appeared in 1979. ![]()
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