Dawn (Lilith's Brood, 1)

A dystopian novel about aliens “rescuing” the human race. It’s full of provocative themes about individual will, social constructs, morality, and how humanity defines itself. The novel moves forward quickly but the themes can get kind of intense. It’s also written in a straightforward non-literary prose which isn’t for those who like a more stylized poetic flow (like me).

Octavia Butler packed a lot of thought-provoking material into this book. The first in a trilogy (often you can find them bound in a single omnibus edition), Dawn tells the story of an alien abduction and human re-integration to Earth that captures the complexity of such a plot while moving along at thriller-level pacing. It’s a story of survival, trust, and humanity, in all its glory and all its ugliness. I was so worried for the heroine throughout the book, and when I finally relaxed near the end, Butler delivers a throat punch of a plot twist that really needs a whole book club to sift through. There are no easy choices, and there’s so much to unpack and discuss. Honestly this would be a perfect adult science fiction book club read, or a great addition to a college curriculum. 9/10 highly recommmend.