Patternist series
Encyclopedia
The Patternist series is a group of science fiction
novels by Octavia E. Butler
that detail a secret history
continuing into from the Ancient Egyptian period to the far future
that involves telepathic mind control
and an extraterrestrial
plague. A profile of Butler in Black Women in America notes that the themes of the 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." http://blog.oup.com/oupblog/2006/02/octavia_butler.html#more
Butler's first published novel, 1976's Patternmaster, was the first book in this series to appear. From 1977 until 1984, she published four more Patternist novels: Mind of My Mind (1977), Survivor
(1978), Wild Seed
(1980) and Clay's Ark (1984). Until Butler began publishing the Xenogenesis
trilogy in 1987, all but one of her published books were Patternist novels. (1979's Kindred was the exception.)
Butler later expressed a dislike for the novel Survivor, and declined to bring it back into print.
, a telepathic human who transfers his consciousness from one victim to another, and Anyanwu
, a shape-shifter
with perfect control over her body. They struggle to live together over generations as Doro attempts to create a new race through a selective breeding
program.
The series' history continues with Mind of My Mind, in which Doro's breeding program has created a society of networked telepaths that he struggles to control.
Clay's Ark, the last book of the series to be published, deals with a colony of people who have been mutated by a disease that astronauts brought back to Earth from outer space. The group struggles to keep itself isolated enough to keep the disease from spreading throughout humanity.
Survivor
, the book in the series that Butler later disowned, 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.
Patternmaster, the first book to be published but the last in the series' internal chronology, depicts a distant future in which regular humans are dominated by the networked telepaths, who are themselves ruled by the most powerful telepath, known as the Patternmaster. The plot revolves around the aging of the current Patternmaster and the battle among other powerful telepaths to see who will become his successor. The descendants of the victims of the extraterrestrial disease, animalistic mutants known as Clayarks, make an appearance in the book.
reviewer Spider Robinson
faulted Patternmaster for "leav[ing] unanswered every moral question it raises -- or rather answer[ing] them unsatisfactorily," but praised Butler's characterizations and skill as a storyteller."
, and Mind of My Mind were published in a single volume titled Seed to Harvest in 2007.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novels by Octavia E. Butler
Octavia E. Butler
Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction writer, one of the best-known among the few African-American women in the field. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant.- Background :Butler...
that detail a secret history
Secret history
A secret history is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars.-Secret histories of the real world:...
continuing into from the Ancient Egyptian period to the far future
Future history
A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors in the subgenre of speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction...
that involves telepathic mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
and an extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
plague. A profile of Butler in Black Women in America notes that the themes of the 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." http://blog.oup.com/oupblog/2006/02/octavia_butler.html#more
Butler's first published novel, 1976's Patternmaster, was the first book in this series to appear. From 1977 until 1984, she published four more Patternist novels: Mind of My Mind (1977), Survivor
Survivor (Octavia Butler novel)
Survivor is a science fiction novel by Octavia Butler. First published in 1978 as part of Butler's "Patternist series," Survivor is the only one of Butler's early novels not to be reprinted after its initial editions...
(1978), Wild Seed
Wild Seed (Octavia Butler novel)
Wild Seed is a science fiction novel by writer Octavia Butler. Although published in 1980 as the third book of the Patternist series it is the earliest book in the chronology of the Patternist world...
(1980) and Clay's Ark (1984). Until Butler began publishing the Xenogenesis
Xenogenesis
Lilith's Brood is a collection of three works by Octavia Butler. The three volumes of this science fiction series were previously collected in the now out of print volume, Xenogenesis...
trilogy in 1987, all but one of her published books were Patternist novels. (1979's Kindred was the exception.)
Butler later expressed a dislike for the novel Survivor, and declined to bring it back into print.
Plot summary
Chronologically, the series starts with the fourth novel published, Wild Seed. Set in the 17th and 18th centuries, the story involves the relationship between two immortals - DoroDoro
Doro may refer to:* Doro , rock singer, former vocalist of the German heavy metal band Warlock** Doro , a 1990 album by Doro** Doro , a Swedish telecommunications company...
, a telepathic human who transfers his consciousness from one victim to another, and Anyanwu
Anyanwu
Anyanwu is an Igbo deity that is believed to dwell in the sun. Anyanwu was one of the principal spirits for the Igbo, often associated with Agbala, the holy spirit as they both dwelled in the sun...
, a shape-shifter
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
with perfect control over her body. They struggle to live together over generations as Doro attempts to create a new race through a selective breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
program.
The series' history continues with Mind of My Mind, in which Doro's breeding program has created a society of networked telepaths that he struggles to control.
Clay's Ark, the last book of the series to be published, deals with a colony of people who have been mutated by a disease that astronauts brought back to Earth from outer space. The group struggles to keep itself isolated enough to keep the disease from spreading throughout humanity.
Survivor
Survivor (Octavia Butler novel)
Survivor is a science fiction novel by Octavia Butler. First published in 1978 as part of Butler's "Patternist series," Survivor is the only one of Butler's early novels not to be reprinted after its initial editions...
, the book in the series that Butler later disowned, 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.
Patternmaster, the first book to be published but the last in the series' internal chronology, depicts a distant future in which regular humans are dominated by the networked telepaths, who are themselves ruled by the most powerful telepath, known as the Patternmaster. The plot revolves around the aging of the current Patternmaster and the battle among other powerful telepaths to see who will become his successor. The descendants of the victims of the extraterrestrial disease, animalistic mutants known as Clayarks, make an appearance in the book.
Reception
GalaxyGalaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
reviewer Spider Robinson
Spider Robinson
Spider Robinson is an American-born Canadian Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction author.- Biography :Born in the Bronx, New York City, Robinson attended Catholic high school, spending his junior year in a seminary, followed by two years in a Catholic college, and five years at the State...
faulted Patternmaster for "leav[ing] unanswered every moral question it raises -- or rather answer[ing] them unsatisfactorily," but praised Butler's characterizations and skill as a storyteller."
Compilations
Patternmaster, Clay's Ark, Wild SeedWild Seed
Wild Seed is a 1995 album by Norwegian singer Morten Harket. It is his first solo album to be sung in English.It was produced by Chris Neil .-Track listing:...
, and Mind of My Mind were published in a single volume titled Seed to Harvest in 2007.