Welcome to Litsy!

(1977) A body-hopping immortal spends centuries breeding a new psychically gifted (and socially stunted) master race. But his plan depends on maintaining control of his descendants -- control that is challenged when one of his daughters matures into an unexpectedly powerful telepath. It's a meditation on power, race, and trauma, though it was not always clear to me where Butler was going with it. I understand later books add useful context.

This classic SF novel completes my #NoShameReadathon23 for 2023!

Thanks @Nessavamusic - I enjoyed doing this challenge, especially that it pushed me to read some books from my TBR that I wasn't getting around to.

2 to go! #Booked2023
@BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen @alisiakae

This was my least favourite Butler so far - but it's Buterl. it's still pretty good.

#WickedWords @AsYouWish - 1 to go

#Booked2023 #InMemoriam (could also be About a Monster!) @BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen @alisiakae
- 2 to go

#ClassicSF #NoShameReadathon23 @Nessavamusic - none to go! Completed!

People use the term "highly readable" and I secretly gawf because what is that? Well it is books like this. I can sit down for 15 minutes to read look up and it has been a half an hour and I am speeding through this, and it is good! My attention is caught, all the way through. Mary is an interesting and complex character - do we like her? We are not sure?
I thought this was a fantastic follow up to the first pattermaster book.

Reading in a coffee shop and this man starts a conversation about this book ... Tells me he knows of it but hasn't read it. I tell him I love how she writes and how you don't really read stories like hers much in Sci/Fi.
And he recommends I read a white man as a pairing to this.

This book by a Black Woman McArthur Genius winner (which he mentioned knowing she had won). And you want me to pair her books with a random white man's book??? 😂

You follow Mary, one of Doro‘s children, as she comes through her transition into a telepath. But she is not just any telepath, a telepath that can link with others like her and make them stronger and capable of living together. Will this new found ability create a new stronger race that can overcome Doro? It‘s a fast paced read that really packs a lot of story. Works as a standalone but I think it works even better having read Wild Seed.

When a young black telepath being groomed by a powerful father activates her latent powers, other loner psychics are suddenly drawn together, leading to conflict and growth.

This slim book juggles eugenics, corruption, ableism, racism, and mental illness without drawing many conclusions; I couldn‘t draw one, either. Although standalone, it‘s neither first written nor first chronologically of a loose quartet; further reading may be more rewarding.

#gold #Sleightheshelves This is the 2nd book in her patternest series, & I haven‘t even read the first one.

Mind of My Mind, the second in the Patternist series, follows one of Doro‘s “children,” Mary through her transition into an active telepath, beyond his wildest dreams and plans, into the greatest threat to his millennia-long reign over his gifted “children.” This one had a hard act to follow in Wild Seed. Shorter and more of a page turner, Mind of My Mind was just as intense and unexpected but I found it a little too quick. Excited to continue!

MIND OF MY MIND continues the “Butler does the X-Men” theme, this time with more of a team angle than we saw in WILD SEED. Mary and her Pattern aren‘t superheroes, by any stretch, but they use their powers to achieve shared goals and build a community for people like them. The result is a fascinating, if often cruel, book, though I did like WILD SEED better. Here, my engagement wavered a bit after Mary called her First Family to her.

#Riotgrams #SciFibyPOC Some TBR Butler still on my TBR.It‘s always nice to find the older paperbacks in decent shape

Not sure if I like this more or less than Wild Seed, it needs to percolate in my mind for a bit longer, but I do know that Octavia Butler is a genius. I could easily live for many years reading nothing but her writing. She takes something like eugenics, & discusses it in such a way that at times you almost forget it's happening. I find myself being swallowed up in the characters & then all of a sudden being hit again with the enormity of the topic

The only thing better than staying home reading Octavia Butler, is reading with the subtle, and beautiful, scent of beeswax candles #moodlighting

Book 2 of the Patternist Series is set in the present and follows Mary, one of Doro‘s children and how she builds her own society.

I thought the story was driven really fast and therefore sometimes felt rushed and didn‘t let Butler let explore her themes of race and feminism as much as I had hoped for.

Still worth your time though.

“Mind of My Mind” is fascinating and weird and gripping. Some moments feel futuristic and others like the disco era, man. Honestly, I loved the book and will be reading more Octavia Butler.

The second book of The Patternist series follows the rise of Mary as leader of a sect of Doro's people. She is the grand experiment that he had been leading up to for centuries. Will she be able to handle the power and responsibilities? Has Doro created a monster even he can't tame this time?

Solid 🌟🌟🌟🌟☄

I didn't like this book as much as the first, probably because one of my favorite characters from the first book had such a minor role in this book. I did grow to love the new characters though and ended up not being able to put the book down.

Now on to sleep off #24in48 and start the 3rd book tomorrow!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

4.5 stars
I enjoyed the story, but not as much as Kindred or Wild Seed. Still, I doubt Butler was ever capable of writing a bad book. She was a master magician with words.

Almost done with the second book of the Patternist series 🙌🏾 #octaviabutler

I am addicted! This series is so unbelievably good! This second books is just as strong as the first and I am loving seeing the world evolve and change around these characters!

Almost finished with this book and went on and downloaded the third book. Guys this series is amazing! The ideas portrayed and the relationships explored are just... I can't even explain it adequately.

Well, I guess after bailing on that last book I should jump right into this one by Octavia E. Butler. That sounds like a really good idea right about now...

Nothing like old school back cover art too #octaviaebutler #litsygram #ownvoices #bookvember #booknerdproblems #photodaynov16

The patternmaster marathon continues...#octaviaebutler #lilbookishnovember #bookvember #litsygram #scifi #ownvoices

Patternist was great, but holy moly, the second book has me hooked! I'm so overdue for Octavia Butler. 😩🙌