Imago

By: Octavia E. Butler

Narrated by: Ron Butler

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

From the award-winning author of Parable of the Sower: After the near-extinction of humanity, a new kind of alien-human hybrid must come to terms with their identity—before their powers destroy what is left of humankind.

Since a nuclear war decimated the human population, the remaining humans began to rebuild their future by interbreeding with an alien race—the Oankali—who saved them from near-certain extinction. The Oankalis' greatest skill lies in the species' ability to constantly adapt and evolve, a process that is guided by their third sex, the ooloi, who are able to read and mutate genetic code.

Now, for the first time in the humans' relationship with the Oankali, a human mother has given birth to an ooloi child: Jodahs. Throughout his childhood, Jodahs seemed to be a male human-alien hybrid. But when he reaches adolescence, Jodahs develops the ooloi abilities to shapeshift, manipulate DNA, cure and create disease, and more. Frightened and isolated, Jodahs must either come to terms with this new identity, learn to control new powers, and unite what's left of humankind—or become the biggest threat to their survival.

©1989 Octavia E. Butler (P)2023 Grand Central Publishing

An Incomparable Work of Science Fiction

The Xenogenesis saga is what got me into science fiction 40 years ago. Today, it remains one of the most well written, entertaining, and thought provoking works of this genre I have ever read. In life, Octavia Butler was underrated as the brilliant author that she was. It is my hope that more people come to appreciate her work for the excellent world building and immaculate storytelling that was the hallmark of her life's work. Once you start this, you won't be able to stop listening.

Great ending

Very satisfying wrap up to an excellent story! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this author before. Will definitely be reading more of her work.

I love it

Amazing and captivating. Every moment you crave the way the characters crave. Truly outstanding and would highly recommend

A compelling finisher to the Lilith's Brood novels

Butler finishes of the series well in Imago, showing readers the culmination of humanitys next evolution and future. Though it lacks most of the suspense and surprise of books 1 and 2, and is a much shorter read, it beautifully ties up the problems and stories presented throughout the series.

A Worthy Sequel to Adulthood Rites

With favorite's from Dawn taking supporting roles to a new and unusual main character, this story surprised me again and again. Ms. Butler's illumination of merging and blending, connecting and deeply caring moved me again and again.

An interesting conclusion to the series

This book really gets into what it means to be ooloi, especially the new hybrid “constructs”. Told from the POV of Jodahs, one such construct, we see how he grows and evolves and just what his amazing skills are - shape-shifting, healing, genetic manipulation. It’s a great book for really getting into an alien mind! I was also glad to have fewer humans behaving idiotically, as in the first two books. It was fascinating to see the Oankali plan for humans and Earth finally coming to fruition!

Very Anticlimactic

The series just got progressively worse with this being the worst of the three.

I could see the purpose of the story being to make one feel uncomfortable about a dominate species taking over earth, but it’s odd that’s it’s told from said species perspective.

All in all kinda disappointing.

Not great

It’s tough to get into a book when the main character (and their species as a whole) is basically date rape drugging anyone who comes into contact with them. It’s again and again presented as a good thing that the Oankali, and especially the Ooloi, bind humans to them against their will. It makes it really unpleasant to read