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reviewed Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (The Women's Press science fiction)

Octavia E. Butler: Kindred (Paperback, 1988, The Women's Press) 4 stars

Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when …

Such an original and captivating storyline

5 stars

What a book. I was drawn in by the horrifying scenario that Dana found herself trapped in, but the examination of how slavery was so normalized, and how evil the institution of chattel slavery was.

I happened to have been in the middle of this book when a conspiracy theorist, racist member of my extended family brought up how whites are unfairly blamed for slavery. It made me realize that while the practice of owning people as slaves is gone, the same anti-black philosophy is still thriving among white men.

The idea that my family member or his ilk would tacitly endorse the return of slavery is slim, but, in finding themselves in Kevin's shoes might think similarly that "Hey, this isn't as bad as I thought it would be..."

replied to Rainer's status

Content warning Spoilers for the premise / end of Kindred