Bloodchild (2 Points)

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

That was…a lot. There’s a lot to unpack with the relationship between the Tlic and the Terrans. It’s disgusting in a literal sense, but it also mirrors a lot of things going on in the real world. Their parasitic relationship, which the Tlic make out to seem mutually beneficial, reminds me of how some white people view Black people. In America, the whites are the ruling race, like the Tlic in the Preserve. They make it seems like Black people are just part of the “mutually beneficial” system of capitalism, but really, they are an oppressed class, being used to further the wealth of those in charge. This parallels how the Tlic use the Terrans as host bodies for their young, but make it seem like they’re doing the Terrans a favor by “protecting” them, when in reality they are putting them in harm’s way. 

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

I was able to connect to Gan and T’Gatoi’s relationship. Having experienced a manipulative relationship, and having been exposed to many stories about others, I instantly recognized the power T’Gatoi held over Gan. T’Gatoi drugs him to make him complicit and threatens to hurt his family when she doesn’t get her way. However, she does this in a way that doesn’t sound like a threat; she makes it seem like it’s unavoidable and that it’s a problem for her. Their relationship is completely centered around T’Gatoi eventually using Gan for his body, something Gan doesn’t have agency over. It’s a physically and psychologically parasitic relationship. 

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

What medium would you choose; what changes would you make? I kind of like the idea of adapting this into a visual novel. While this could definitely work as a short film or a comic, I think there is potential in seeing an alternate ending where Gan does take his own life. If I were to make it a visual novel I would add moments where the player (controlling Gan) can make choices that impact the story. It would maybe end up being similar to the game adaptation of I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, in that many changes were made to expand the story and add player choice but the central lore, themes, and tone stay relatively unchanged. 

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

While I definitely think there are purposeful allusions to the experience of being Black in America, I wouldn’t say Bloodchild is Afro-futurism. Afro-futurism tends to focus more on imagining worlds without white supremacy/influence, where Black culture can evolve undeterred. The genre (or sub-genre?) tends to lean more towards Black-centered utopias, whether it’s to revel in the ideas or to deconstruct them. Bloodchild, however, doesn’t present this. While it does deconstruct a society seen by some as a utopia, it is not a society that favors Black people or their culture. It doesn’t explore African culture in any way, and there isn’t an expunging of white supremacy (literally or symbolically). In fact, the stand in for white supremacy stays in power throughout the story and ultimately continues to thrive undeterred. So, while I do think it is Black centered science fiction, I don’t think it is Afro-futurist.