Bloodchild by Octavia Butler

I love how the author explores her fear of parasites eating her from the inside out. Through the writing she expresses that fear so well in a truly disturbing manner. Making it impossible not to live with the parasite for the human family.
It's crazy that they grow up with these giant parasite like centipede beings, that practically raise them
What relationship does his mother have with this alien? Why is the alien the only form of safety available to them?
The way she integrated parts of the society without it having to be explained, but is demonstrated through peoples characteristics and just things that happen without insulting the intelligence of the reader. Like in those video games where the character is thrown into a society and every aspect of the game has to be explained by whoever specializes in whatever area. Like the blacksmith explains how to use swords, and so on. That never happens in the short story. Only the events are explained, and these events are all influenced by the society she has created between these human pets and parasites. Everything has a purpose, and can be easily understood, or misunderstood in the story.
The entire concept of pregnancy was flipped on its head as it was in Mary Shelly's work, Frankenstein. Where the birth giver is, again, male. Instead of a conventional birth it had been misconstrued and twisted, making it revolting and almost impossible to bear. First of all a man is implanted and gives birth rather than the female. And the birth is always a cesarean, or the impregnated man gets ripped apart from the inside, by the children inside. Just like a parasite or a baby, if it grows too much. At the same time, the protagonist confronts the same issues a high school pregnant girl would feel, doubt and insecurity about her partner, this feeling called love, which is actually them bonded together until he has the babies, I assume the creature will bring up the children after that. If the parasite does not perform the procedure it is even more painful, scaring, and deadly making the bond even stronger and more necessary.