In this sequel to Dawn, Lilith Iyapo has given birth to what looks
like a normal human boy named Akin. But Akin actually has five parents:
a male and female human, a male and female Oankali, and a sexless Ooloi.
The Oankali and Ooloi are part of an alien race that rescued humanity
from a devastating nuclear war, but the price they exact is a high one.
The aliens are compelled to genetically merge their species with other
races, drastically altering both in the process. On a rehabilitated
Earth, this "new" race is emerging through human/Oankali/Ooloi mating,
but there are also "pure" humans who choose to resist the aliens and the
salvation they offer. These resisters are sterilized by the Ooloi so
that they cannot reproduce the genetic defect that drives humanity to
destroy itself, but otherwise they are left alone (unless they become
violent). When the resisters kidnap young Akin, the Oankali choose to
leave the child with his captors, for he the most "human" of the Oankali
children will decide whether the resisters should be given back their
fertility and freedom, even though they will only destroy themselves
again.
This is the second volume in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series, a
powerful tale of alien existence.
