Octavia E. Butler - Fledgling

Octavia Butler, the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship-winning SF author who explores complex moral choices in her work, puts her own spin on the popular vampire subgenre. Shori, a small person with the appearance of a 10- or 11-year-old child, awakens in a cave, terribly injured, brutally hungry, and without her memories. Gradually, she learns the truth: she is the only survivor of a community of Ina, vampire-like beings who shun the sunlight and exist in a symbiotic relationship with humans, feeding on their blood but extending their lives for decades in exchange. Shori herself is actually 53 years old, and the result of a genetic experiment to create darker-skinned Ina who can survive daylight exposure. Unfortunately, this new information does little to protect Shori from the mysterious assailants who massacred her family, and continue to pursue her.

Key Information
Authors		Octavia E. Butler
Fiction Genre		Family & Relationships
Professional Reviews
		Publishers Weekly: "In the feisty Shiori, Butler has created a new vampire paradigm--one that's more prone to sci-fi social commentary than gothic romance--and given a tired genre a much-needed shot in the arm." (starred review)
Book Editions
		PaperbackReprint310January 02, 2007Grand Central Pub7.75"(h) x 5.25"(w) x 0.75"(d), 0.55 lbs.9780446696166