“That Alien. That Ugly. That Powerful.” : an Analysis Of The Oankali As The Monstrous Other In Octavia Butler’s Lilith’s Brood

摘要

In Octavia Butler’s Lilith’s Brood the survivors of a devastating nuclear war in the 20th century are met with an alien species, the Oankali, who demand that, in exchange for salvation, humans reproduce with them. Yet, the Oankali’s attempt to interbreed with humankind is confronted by most humans. Focusing on the three Xenogenesis novels, this dissertation aims to examine the refusal of humankind to merge with the Oankali in relation to the aliens’ monstrous features. I argue that, in spite of the innumerable immoral acts performed on humanity, humans’ sole objection to the union is accounted for the Oankali’s monstrous physical appearance, which will be present in their Oankali-Human hybrid children.