Kindred

This is classified as a science fiction novel, a genre I’ve been consuming lately–though mainly the contemporary masters Sterling, Stross, and Gibson–but even the author, the late Octavia Butler, said it was more a fantasy since there was no science in it. Well there is some, but it’s mainly modern medicine contrasted with early nineteenth century ignorance of common diseases and cures.

I originally bought Kindred (in a "25th anniversary" edition, no less) because of the American slavery theme, a subject that interests me, and the admonition that this was not a politically correct view of it. Well it is in some ways, less so in others. Although I really only encountered one PC sentence in its 264 pages and that was not about slavery. It’s a harrowing ride that is hard to put down. Ms. Butler was a very smart and humane person, indeed, and it’s a great pity that she died so young, just age fifty-eight, apparently from a stroke following a fall. I’ll be sure to try one of her other fifteen scifi novels soon.