Book Review: Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

by Octavia E. Butler, John Jennings (Illustrations), Damian Duffy (Adapted by)

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published January 2017 by Abrams Books

OK this read was the library version of a impulse buy. I saw it sitting on the new release shelf and grabbed it. I am an Octivia Butler fan in general, in particular I love her Parable books. Like many readers I feel cheated by the universe that Butler was never able to finish in that series. I don't know how, in the 35 years since her masterpiece Kindred has been out that I never got around to reading it.

Half way through this book I became upset with myself that I have not read the novel first, but the graphic novel was in front of me so I kept reading. I can't compare it to the novel, but I can only state how this book made me feel. It looks amazing in a slick hardcover with fantastic art by John Jennings and A short but sweet introduction by the great Nnedi Okorator. The story of the two authors personal communications added depth to the artist whose story we were about to read. A perfect introduction to Butler the woman, and Kindred is a great example of Butler the story teller.

The story starts in the 70's - even in liberal southern California Dana and Kevin experience racism. The couple are both writers Kevin a White man and Dana a black woman. The story starts when Dana is suddenly transported through time to the early 19th century in the old south. There she saves the life of a young boy named Rufus. She is not in the past for long, when she returns to the 70's she discovers that Rufus was her Great great grandfather and also the slave owner of her descendants.

The means of the time travel is never explained but Dana quickly figures out she is tied to Rufus, being brough back and forth in time to key moments his life is in danger. Dana believes that she is being brought back in time to save her family line and in a sense her own life.

Eventually her husband come with her. holding on to her as she is pulled through time. Kindred is a neat example of Science Fiction horror using the strength of genre to explore and understand one of the most brutal aspects of our history. The most intense parts of the novel come from Dana's experience of going from a free liberated woman to a a part of the slave system. It is not as cut and dry as she gets there and leads a rebellion. That might seem like a path for the story but realistically that makes no sense story wise.

Dana has to keep Rufus alive and she has to accept some painful actions on his part if her life/ family are ever to happen. This novel has moral dilemmas one after another that drive the story. The plantation, is a abusive and awful place, but if they kill the slaver master the family will be sold and broken up. Time travel is less important to the story than the mountain sized moral dilemmas that drive the novel.

The art is fantastic, but it is the hardcover presentation that is most impressive thing about this project outside of the story itself. I would love to see more Butler novels get this treatment. Big thumbs up.