Xenogenesis: Octavia Butler

1
Xenogenesis Octavia Butlers Dawn

• A Presentation By
• Jay M. Gipson-King
• Gender, Authority, and the Politics of
• Representation in Science Art
• July 29, 2004
• Edited by Dr. Kay Picart

2
Class Goals

• To understand some basic background materials
  about Octavia Butler and Dawn.
• To engage in discussion about the various themes
  and topics of the book, but especially race,
  gender, and technology.
• To apply various concepts we have learned from
  class to the novel.
• To come away with a greater understanding of
  Butlers work.

3
Questions, Questions

• What does Lilith want? What is her struggle? Does
  Lilith loose her humanity in the end or retain
  it?
• Is it better to be human and die, or become
  something alien and live? Is hybridity, after
  all, a viable solution?
• What is Butlers commentary on human nature?
• What is Butlers overall message, or point? Does
  she have one? Can you tell from this novel alone?

4
Butlers Works

• Patternmaster, 1976 (Patternist)
• Mind of My Mind, 1977 (Patternist)
• Survivor, 1978, (Patternist)
• Kindred, 1979
• Wild Seed, 1980, (Patternist)
• Speech Sounds, 1983
• Clay's Ark, 1984, (Patternist)
• Bloodchild, 1984, short stories
• Dawn, 1987 (Xenogenesis)
• Adulthood Rites, 1988 (Xenogenesis)
• Imago, 1989 (Xenogenesis)
• The Evening and the Morning and the Night 1991
• Parable of the Sower, 1993

5
Butler Resources

• From Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, Utopia
  lthttp//www.feministsf.org/femsf/authors/butler.ht
  mlgt
• Allison, Dorothy. The Future of Female Octavia
  Butlers Mother Lode. In Reading Black, Reading
  Feminist A Critical Anthology, edited by Henry
  Louis Gates, Jr., 471-78. New York Meridian,
  1990.
• Foster, Frances S. Octavia Butlers Black Female
  Future Vision. Extrapolation 23 (1982) pages
  37-49.
• Friend, Beverly. Time Travel as a Feminist
  Didactic in Works by Phyllis Eisenstein, Marlys
  Millhiser, and Octavia butler. Extrapolation
  Volume 23, Number 1 (Spring 1982) pages 50-55.
• Gale Publishing. Octavia Butlers Kindred A
  Study Guide from Gales Novels for Students.
  ISBN B00006G3KN. PDF format. ---. Octavia
  Butlers Bloodchild A Study Guide from Gales
  Short Stories for Students. ISBN B00006G3R6.
  PDF format.
• Govan, Sandra Y. Notable Black American Women.
  Detroit, MI Gale Research, 1992.
• Johnson, Rebecca O. African American Feminist
  Science Fiction. Sojourner v. 19, n. 6 (February
  1994), pages 12-14. (includes interview with
  Octavia Butler)
• Lesniak, James G. Contemporary Authors. New
  Revision Series (v. 38). Detroit, MI Gale
  Research, 1993.

6
Butler Resources

• Levy, Michael. Green SF and Eco Feminism.
  Originally published in IAFA Newsletter, Spring
  1989 issues. Reprinted in Robert Collins and
  Robert Latham, editors, Science Fiction and
  Fantasy book Review Annual, 1989 Edition
  (Westport, CN Meckler, 1990). Review article of
  recent work by Octavia Butler, Nancy Kress,
  Pamela Sargent, and Sheri S. Tepper.
• Locher, Frances Carol. Contemporary Authors. (v.
  73-76). Detroit, MI Gale Research, 1978.
• McTyre, Robert E. Octavia Butler Black
  Americas first lady of science fiction.
  Michigan Chronicle, April 26, 1994, pp. PG.
• Raffel, Burton. Genre to the Rear, Race and
  Gender to the Fore The Novels of Octavia E.
  Butler. Literary Review, v.38, April 1, 1995, p.
  454.
• Salvaggio, Ruth. Octavia Butler and the Black
  Science Fiction Heroine. Black American
  Literature Forum. Volume 18, Number 2 (1984)
  pages 78-81.
• ---, M. Barr, and R. Law. Suzy McKee Charnas
  Octavia Butler Joan D. Vinge. Mercer Island,
  Washington Starmont, 1986. Starmont Readers
  Guide, No. 23.
• Stevenson, Rosemary. Black Women in America An
  Historical Encyclopedia. Brooklyn, NY Carlson
  Pub., 1993, pp. 208-210.
• Zaki, Hoda. Utopia, Dystopia, and Ideology in
  the Science Fiction of Octavia Butler. Science
  Fiction Studies Volume 17, Part 2 (1990) pages
  239-251.

7
Works Consulted

• Butler, Octavia. Dawn. New York Warner, 1987.
• - - - . Adulthood Rites. New York Warner, 1988
• - - - . Imago. New York Warner, 1989.
• Gaster, Snally pseudonym. Xenogenesis patterns
  of Octavia Butler. Sally Gasters African
  American Library. 1 Sept 1998. Viewed 27 July
  2004. lthttp//www.math.buffalo.edu/
  sww/butler/butler_octavia0.htmlgt
• Haraway, Donna J. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women
  The Reinvention of Nature. New York Routledge,
  1991.
• Humm, Alan. Lillith. 17 Feb 2001. School of Arts
  Sciences, University of Pennsylvania. 27 July
  2004. lthttp//ccat.sas.upenn.edu/humm/Topics/
  Lilith/lilith.htmlgt
• Graves, Robert. Hebrew Myths. New York 
  Doubleday, 1964. lthttp//www.webcom.com/gnosis/li
  llith.htmlgt
• Quilter, Laura. An Octavia Butler Bibliography.
  Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, Utopia. 26
  July 2003. Viewed 27 July 2004.
  lthttp//www.feministsf.org/femsf/authors/butler.ht
  mlgt
• Young, Sela. Octavia Estelle Butler An
  Unofficial Web Page. 7 Jan 2002. Viewed 27 July
  2004. lthttp//www.geocities.com/sela_towanda/index
  .htmlgt