Total listening time: 31hrs 37 mins
Summary of review
Just quickly, I would probably NOT recommend this series. I’m glad I finished it, but only for a sense of completion, not because I enjoyed it so much.
The series concept had lots of potential, but the author just did not seem to follow through on this great concept instead choosing to write about the themes of gender and racial animosity. For me, this was a let down. For others, it may be interesting, but in my opinion, to have such a great concept, and not really follow through with something spectacular, was very disappointing.
I imagine this concept could be made into a great TV show or even video game in the future… and I imagine that the time it was written it was amazing, but it’s not for me.
Below are my notes on each book, and afterwards some notes on the series. Maybe you can save some time by simply reading this instead of reading or listening to the book series.
Wild Seed
Narrated By: Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
For my thoughts on Wild Seed, check out my review here
Know that, in my opinion, Wild Seed is the best book in the series.
Here is the publisher’s summary for it for you to get an idea:
Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflexor design. He fears no one…until he meets Anyanwu. Anyanwu is a shapeshifter who can absorb bullets and heal with a kiss and savage anyone who threatens her. Together they weave a pattern of destiny unimaginable to mortals.
©2001 Octavia E. Butler; (P)2009 Audible, Inc.
Mind of My Mind
Narrated by: Christie Clarke
Series: Patternist, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
The story of Mary, a woman just gone through transition (a mental and physical ‘coming of age’ that solidifies one of Doro’s peoples powers) who has extraordinary powers to control others.
Think X-men, where everyone is a class 3 and Mary is a class 5. Except with a slower pace and what feels like a realistic vibe to it.
Maybe not realistic, but as they’re not constantly running off to be heroes…They’re just living their lives and for the most part improving lives of people around them. As compared to X-men, for which they are always in “hero” training or fighting ‘bad guys’.
-Actives are ones that has use and control of their powers.
-Latents are the ones that have the genes to be actives but… Don’t have control.
The people have to go through ‘transition’ to manifest their powers making them controllable.
A bit like powereds from Super Powereds series. And Mary’s (main character) gift to bring about a transition in latents is like the special operation that allowed the handful of powereds to become supers in super powereds. Much of the same concept.
Clay was the 1st latent to go through transition that Mary pushed.
Apparently latents that become active through Mary aren’t connected to the pattern anymore.
Pattern works more like a web. But the person at the end of each strand cannot feel each other, only Mary who is the ‘pattern master’ sitting at the centre of the pattern. She can tug on individual strands to pull people in.
She can also learn from others, their skills their abilities, plus read their minds through the mental shields that most of them have.
She also can absorb some of their energy if she desires.
Anyanwu (main character in Wild Seed) seems to have changed her name to Emma. No reason given as to why. She also chooses to die at the end, huge loss of potential here, and the reason why is imlicit rather than definite, being that she doesn’t want to live in a world without the order or Doro.
Clay’s Ark
Narrated by: Neal Ghant
Series: Patternist, Book 3
Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
Blake father, and 2 daughters Kira and Rain. (Reigng Norwegian pronounced Rain)
Set in 2021.
Clays arc. The only similarity with the 2nd book or the series, is that there was a guy called clay who was the first latent to go through a forced transition from Mary, the Pattern Master.
The “plague” that is passed on seems to heal, provide better eyesight be poisonous to poisonous creatures, and have the desire to infect healthy people.
It seems to kill others, but make others much, much stronger.
They can also sense feelings and smells from others to recognise what it means.
They live in a ranch to keep the disease/alien parasite contained to a relatively small population. Only really stated in chapter 19
There also exists “rat pacts” hustlers in the road, (imagine Mad Max), much of the country seems to be in a battle between lawless and lawful.
-Chapter 23 talks about the Ark. Playing Adam and Eve.
Notes:
Rape scenes.
Torture. Very dark.
Patternmaster
Narrated by: Eugene H. Russell IV
Series: Patternist, Book 4
Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
Narrator has a much deeper voice, gravely.
A bit like Darth Vader but with a southern accent.
And part of taking apprentices a bit like the Sith and their apprentices.
Taking only the very strong ones.
Chapter 1 explains the pattern and who the Pattern Master is.
Book 2 explains the war between Doro which is interesting and HOW the pattern was started.
Rale is this time period is the Pattern Master.
Teray (main character) is brother of Kerancy full brother.
Amber is the female partner/ travel companion to Teray.
Chapter 7 introduces what the Clay Ark disease is.
And even who Doro was and what the mutes are (normal humans are)
You could honestly just go Wild Seed (book 1), then this book (book 4) as most of the concepts that seem to take up space in book 2 and 3 are re-explained in book 4.
There’s actually another book in the series, however Octavia Butler later disowned it. Because? She thought it wasn’t as strong as the other books I presume. I find this a little unbelievable as book 3 (Clay’s Arc) was such an average book, yet she thought this had more strength than Survivor.
Here’s the summary below:
Survivor, depicts the Clay’s Ark disease ravaging the Earth, and Doro’s telepathic descendants asserting control over what remains of humanity. One group of regular humans decides to escape Earth to a new planet, where they struggle to co-exist with the species that already lives there.
Concept Potential?
In fact, the series was a bit of a let-down especially with the potential that the concept of the series had. It makes me think that the author concentrated too much on race and gender struggles, and seemed to push a great science-fiction concept into obscurity rather than let it have centre stage or let it stand as equal with the race and gender struggles.
I think this was a huge let-down.
It would have been good to hear a tie-in book between Mind of my Mind (book 2) where the Pattern is originally created and Clay’s Arc (book3) where it just skips many years into the future. Nothing much is mentioned about why humans are trying to send a ship to explore outside…or to leave earth, just that it happens and that it encounter’s an alien virus/entity of some kind.
It makes me think that ironically, Octavia’s disowned book may actually be pretty good. Or maybe it was just extra shit. Who knows? Although I know I’m not going to listen to any more of this series.
Themes
The themes of the whole series include racial and gender-based animosity, the ethical implications of biological engineering, the question of what it means to be human, ethical and unethical uses of power, and how the assumption of power changes people. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patternist_series)
Chronology
Although chronologically speaking the events pass by in the order I’ve listed above, Octavia Butler actually wrote the books in almost reverse order.
Order in which books were written:
-Patternmaster (book 4) – 1976
-Mind Of My Mind (book 2) – 1977
-Survivor (disowned book, originally 4/5) – 1978
-Wild Seed (book 1) – 1980
-Clay’s Ark (book 3) – 1984
The point is, is that if these kind of concepts and themes interest you, it’s probably best to listen to the books in THIS order, (the order she wrote them) rather than the chronological order of the events in the book.
This way you hear the potential of the Patternmaster, and then get to ‘fill in the gaps’ with the other books.
Recommendation
Concept was good, themes are interesting, but in the end its not for me.
I listened to this series because of the 1st book – Wild Seed, which deals with an immortality concept, as well as people with special powers, but instead the themes of race and gender struggles seem to be pushed to the forefront…which is not what I was looking for.
The series had a lot of potential, yet I feel that as a whole it just didn’t live up to this.
If you ARE interested in the themes of race animosity and gender struggles, and want a sci-fi twist to it, then this book series may be for you. If not, then I probably wouldn’t recommend it.
Stick to the book Wild Seed, and don’t go further than that.
To listen to samples of any of the books in the series click here: https://www.audible.com/series?asin=B00IA92S8A&ref=a_a_search_c3_lSeries_1_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=36RVVZQFV71ZC9TE0FG1&
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