Patternmaster (Mass Market Paperback)

by Octavia E. Butler (Author) "The sun had not been up long enough to burn off the cold dampness of morning when Teray and Iray left their dormitory room at..." (more)
Key Phrases: lead wife, mental privacy, good healer, Journeyman Michael, Lord Joachim, Patternist Territory (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A telepathic race is ruled by the strong mind of the Patternmaster, but his ruthless son craves the ultimate power of the position and has murdered everyone who stands in his way except a final victim--his younger brother. Reprint. PW.

About the Author
Octavia E. Butler was the first black woman to come to international prominence as a science fiction writer. Incorporating powerful, spare language and rich, well-developed characters, her work tackled race, gender, religion, poverty, power, politics, and science in a way that touched readers of all backgrounds. Butler was a towering figure in life and in her art and the world noticed; highly acclaimed by reviewers, she received numerous awards, including a MacArthur "genius" grant, both the Hugo and Nebula awards, the Langston Hughes Medal, as well as a PEN Lifetime Achievement award.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (May 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446362816
• ISBN-13: 978-0446362818
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #358,647 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Continuing Mary's Legacy - The Patternist World, July 19, 1997

By A Customer

The pattern established in the late 20th century by Mary, descendant of Doro, has continued into the far-flung future. Society is in three sects: The Patternists who are the ruling class. The Mutes -- humans who lack a psychic talent or ability, and the Clayarks, diseased half-human creatures -- who are regarded by the Patternists as mindless savages.

The story follows the two contenders for the right to take over the Pattern from the existing master of the Pattern who lies dying. Coransee, the elder, is brother to the younger but will not permit that to stop him from obliterating any obstacle between him and the ruling of the Pattern.

The most disturbing thing about the book is that plain, ordinary humans -- men and women who are neither diseased nor part of the pattern -- are spoken of with pity and treated little better than housepets.

The Clayarks turn out to be surprisingly sympathetic for disease-generated once-human mutations. They are displayed as easily as human as anyone else on the world which bears only passing resemblance to the Earth that we still recognized from Mind of my Mind.

The ending is only slightly surprising. But Butler's pervasive and unsettling theme is that, one way or another, at least in her world view--the human race will only survive if it is dramatically changed into something else. Better or worse, she leaves to the discretion of her readers

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Taut little coming of age novel, April 21, 2000

By	Robert H. Nunnally Jr. "gurdonark" (Allen, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The coming of age novel was a golden age mainstay. Butler's work here is reminiscent of the novellae of golden age writers. As we might have been in an Asimov, Heinlein or Silverberg, we are placed in midstream in a future history constructed as an extension of other Butler novels. Butler novels typically feature the dilemma of being human in a dystopian setting--this novel is no exception. This "future earth", inhabited by one group of humanoids with enhanced mental powers, and another group of intelligent nomads infected by an alien virus, is easy to wrap one's imagination around even if one is not familiar with the Butlerverse. Butler also spares us the detailed rehash of "prior future history to the present future history" that could weigh down (and no doubt increase word counts in Astounding Magazine of serializations of) the golden age novels. Instead,we have all of Butler's strengths at play--a direct, intelligent writing style, an ability to convey character in spare, plausible phrases, and plotting which is neither heavy science nor pure fantasy, but has a unique fictive plausibility allowing an easy "buy-in" by the reader. The book also has the factors that can make a Butler slightly off-putting--casual violence, a chilling soul-lessness permeating the characters, and an abiding sense of otherness. If you've always wanted to try Butler, but want to do one in an afternoon to see if you like her, this is the one to try. I read this during a 3 hour interval, and found myself never bored nor particularly desirous of a longer stay in this particular world than need be. Butler is the real thing--and this is not a bad introduction to her.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great conclusion to a great series, May 10, 2006

By	M. Moore "Open-Minded Reader" (San Leandro, CA) - See all my reviews

After reading Wild Seed, the first book in the series, I had to read Mind of Mind (Book 2) and finally, The Patternmaster. This book is the 3rd of a series and it makes much more sense if you read the previous two.

In The Patternmaster, Butler finishes the story of the Pattern which began in Mind of My Mind. I would NOT recommend this book if you have not read the previous two. Too many questions are unanswered, it would only be confusing.

I would recommend the first novel, "Wild Seed," followed by the second, "Mind of My Mind." "Clay's Ark" is a side novel, but it explains the origin of the Clayarks and part of the reason Earth is so messed up. If you read them prior to "The Patternmaster," things will be clearer.

To Schwinghammer - The reason it seemed that she didn't tell you where the novel took place was because she'd already done so in the previous books. I think you'll find Wild Seed interesting and entertaining; Mind of My Mind is the set up for The Patternmaster.