Please navigate at your own pace; the site is set up to guide you through the information in a carefully planned manner, but you are completely free to jump around as you so desire. Click here to begin the guided tour.

It should be noted that, while there is a summary of the story and characters available on this site, I have taken the liberty of assuming that those who read my analysis are already familiar with the story. This means two things: one, if you have not read the story, you probably won't really understand what I am talking about and two, there will be "spoilers," those evil constructions which can ruin a first reading of a story. Therefore, though I can't and won't try to stop you from diving right in to the site, consider yourself warned. You will enjoy yourself more fully, or at least learn more, if you take the time to read the story. It will be worth your while if only for the story itself. It is quite easy to find, as it is very frequently anthologized. It was originally published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, June 1984, and later appeared in and lent its name to Ms. Butler's first and only short-story collection in 1995; 2005 saw the publication of the second edition of this collection.

I made this site as a final evaluation for Professor Arthur B. Evans's seminar entitled "Science Fiction: Speculative Visions" at DePauw University.

If you have any comments, questions, or complaints concerning this site, "Bloodchild," or Octavia Butler, or if you just want to pass the time or discuss the weather, feel free to email me at matthewbrauer_2011@depauw.edu.