Imago

Imago

by Octavia E. Butler

4.5 (3,228)

4.5 stars from 3,228 reviews. Top 68% of Literary Fiction books we track.

244 pages~4.1 hr readPublished by Mai MésPublished 1989-01-01

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Last checked: Jun 4, 2026

Price history: $1.99 $11.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • N.K. Jemisin
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Fans of these books will like this...

  • The Left Hand of Darkness
  • Kindred
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Perfect for you if...

  • You're drawn to science fiction that explores identity and belonging through a genuinely alien lens, not just adventure in space.
  • You appreciate Butler's unflinching examination of bodily autonomy, consent, and what it means to be trapped between two worlds.
  • You want speculative fiction that treats big questions about evolution, survival, and reproduction as serious philosophical territory.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You're looking for fast-paced action or clear heroes and villains; this is slow, introspective, and morally complicated.
  • You need romance or traditional emotional arcs to stay engaged; the relationships here are strange and often uncomfortable by design.
  • You prefer science fiction that feels grounded in current technology; Butler's focus is genetic manipulation and alien biology at scales that might feel abstract.

About this book

After nuclear war nearly destroys humanity, the surviving humans rebuild by interbreeding with the Oankali, an alien race that rescued them from extinction. The Oankali possess a unique ability to adapt and evolve, guided by their third sex, the ooloi, who can read and mutate genetic code. For the first time, a human mother gives birth to an ooloi child: Jodahs. During childhood, Jodahs appears to be a male human-alien hybrid. Upon reaching adolescence, Jodahs develops ooloi abilities including shapeshifting, DNA manipulation, and the capacity to cure and create disease. Frightened and isolated by these emerging powers, Jodahs must learn to control them and come to terms with this new identity. The outcome will determine whether Jodahs can unite humanity's remnants or become their greatest threat.

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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 '23Sep '23Dec '24Jun '26
$1.99$11.99

Currently on sale at $1.99 — 83% off peak. Price has dropped 6 times over the last 3 years. Goes on sale roughly every 199 days.

Sales Rank

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

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#383#127,648#254,913Apr '23Nov '23Oct '25May '26

Currently #4,688 in the Kindle store — a top-10K bestseller. Climbing the charts — 33% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

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

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4.0★4.5★5.0★May '23Oct '23May '24Jan '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.5★ from 3,228 reviews

Gaining approximately 20 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.6 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$6.00$11.99Apr '23Sep '23Dec '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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