Afro-futurism and Diverse Position Science Fiction: Bloodchild (2 Points)

 Please give a substantial answer to each question, that is a paragraph or so. Here are four questions:

1. What is your reaction to the text you just read?

1. At first, I was very confused, but after thinking into the context of what we talked about in class, it finally started to make sense towards the end. In the beginning, I was getting a very dystopian vibe from reading, trying to make sense of the new terms I was being exposed to without any real context or comparison. At first, I was really confused about what was going on, but once the climax hit of the short-story when Lomas being torn apart, the pieces finally were coming together for me, and I understood at the end.

2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss what elements of the story with which you were able to connect?

1. For so long I was trying to understand T’Gatoi and what she looked like and why the story kept talking about her limbs, only to realize only when she was slicing up Lomas’ body, that she was not human and what I assume, alien. I think this is because of the way Octavia wrote her character or at least the point of view we’re given by our main character, who favors T’Gatoi as well as she does herself favor him. 

3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you choose; what changes would you make?

1. Honestly, I think the unclarity of the text is told through only words really helps the reader be able to fully unleash their imagination of the events being revealed. Through the first half of the story, I imagined T’Gatoi as a very pretty but suspicious woman, but as soon as the Lomas scene began, she transformed into a terrifying beast in my mind, and then to a slightly less frightful beast when talking to Gan afterward. I did enjoy having the pace be at my own will, but if a vocal storyteller were able to capture the same sense of pacing then I think that could be successful as well.

4. Are there elements of this work that you would consider afro-futurist?

                
I think this short story is very interesting because I can’t really think off the top of my head a sci-fi story I can relate to this one, but from my knowledge, the whole idea of Afro-futurism is “the reimagining of the future through a black lens,” which would make sense since I feel like most media being shoved down our throats are very European centric, even whitewashed I would say. I always found it weird that the media always demonized the idea of aliens and I always wondered what if they’re just like us? I think Octavia shows a well morally gray version of alien conquest on our society and in a way compares to the human past of conquest.