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Given that I’ve done some traveling recently, it comes as no surprise that that I had some time, mostly on flights, to due some reading. The book I finished this time is titled Adulthood Rites, and is written by Octavia E. Butler. It is a sequel to Dawn, which I recapped here, in the Xenoegenesis Trilogy. Beginning a few years after Dawn, this book details the journey through life of an offspring that resulted as part of the alien and human union. Similarly to the first book, the emphasis is placed on the mental state of the being rather than on exciting action, and to examine how the offspring adapts to both humans and aliens, and how it does not really feel at home anywhere - mostly because neither pure humans nor pure aliens feel really comfortable with it either. The book also examines deeper issues in human behavior, such as those of violence and guaranteed self-annihilation, given the rather slow pace at which we evolve genetically compared to technology, and hence rise in our destructive power. If the only certain way to safe some form of humanity is to alter its genetic makeup – should it be done? If we alter the genetic makeup – are we still saving humanity? These as well as other interesting questions are explored in the book, so give it a read if you have some spare time.

On a lighter note, the pictures from the wedding are up and commented. Head on over to the picture section if you need to kill some time – or simply want to see what a really well organized wedding looks like.