Adulthood Rites

Adulthood Rites

by Octavia E. Butler

4.4 (2,965)

4.4 stars from 2,965 reviews. Top 70% of Literary Fiction books we track.

288 pages~4.8 hr readPublished by Ultramar.Published 1988-01-01

$1.99Deal83% off peak

Last checked: Jun 10, 2026

Price history: $1.99 $11.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • N.K. Jemisin
  • Becky Chambers
  • Ted Chiang

Fans of these books will like this...

  • The Three-Body Problem
  • The Left Hand of Darkness
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Perfect for you if...

  • You're drawn to hard science fiction that treats biological transformation and genetic engineering as serious philosophical territory rather than plot device.
  • You appreciate protagonists who are fundamentally alien to human experience but still grapple with questions of identity, belonging, and choice.
  • You want speculative fiction that interrogates power structures and asks whether survival of the species justifies compromising individual autonomy.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You're looking for a traditional hero's journey where the protagonist defeats external enemies through courage or cleverness.
  • You prefer fast-paced plots over dense worldbuilding and philosophical exploration of what it means to be human.
  • You want stories that affirm human superiority or treat contact with alien species as straightforward conflict rather than complex negotiation.

About this book

After nuclear war nearly destroys humanity, an alien race called the Oankali intervenes to save the survivors. However, their rescue comes with a condition: the Oankali, who can read and mutate genetic code, insist on interbreeding with humans to create a hybrid species. They recognize human intelligence but believe the species is inherently destructive due to rigid social hierarchies and destined to fail without intervention. They will not permit resistance to their plan. Akin is the first true human-alien hybrid, born with extraordinary abilities that exceed those of both parent species. He understands language at birth and speaks in sentences by two months old. He possesses molecular-level vision and lethal touch capabilities. As the architect of both races' future, Akin must navigate his dual heritage in a world divided by the conflict between humans and the Oankali, while determining whether humanity can learn from its past and build a sustainable future or remains bound to self-destruction.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$6.00$11.99Apr '23Aug '23Feb '24Jun '26
$1.99$11.99

Currently on sale at $1.99 — 83% off peak. Price has dropped 7 times over the last 3 years. Goes on sale roughly every 171 days. Typically stays discounted for 8 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#451#85,475#170,498Apr '23Jul '25Oct '25May '26

Currently around #39K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Climbing the charts — 28% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

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3.5★4.3★5.0★May '23Oct '23Sep '24Feb '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.4★ from 2,965 reviews

Gaining approximately 24 new reviews per month. Steady word of mouth growth. Rating has remained stable at 4.4 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$6.00$11.99Apr '23Aug '23Feb '24Jun '26PredictedJun '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $1.99. It typically returns to around $11.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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Octavia E. Butler

1 book on Vagrant Press

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