Imago (Xenogenesis, #3)

Worked my way through this because I wanted to finish the trilogy, but in retrospect maybe reading all 3 in a row was a mistake. Too much of a sameness with the first two books in terms of themes, etc. Yes, more alien, and a different perspective. But also too much forced plot, etc.

Sexual coercion. This book dwelt even more on the coercive aspect of Oankali mating than the previous books. Here we have a colony of pristine humans, true resisters untainted by alien meddling. And they clearly want to stay separate. And then the aliens come in and with magic pheromones completely and fully possess them sexually, mentally, emotionally. And those rapist aliens are our protagonists, the ones we identify with. And that happens without comment.

Butler's not a stupid author, and certainly not some guy with dumb fantasies about seduction. I assume the coerciveness was intentional writing on her part. It's also really disturbing to me, rape culture stuff, and I don't know what to make of it.