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What Members Thought
I was afraid that Butler would never be able to equal the Xenogenesis series for me, but this first book in the Patternmaster (aka Patternist) series thrilled me just as much. The publisher description makes the book sound like a superhero(s) epic but any reader approaching it solely from that perspective is going to be disappointed; hopefully they'll realize that the well is so much deeper than that. I rarely read secondary literature that analyzes a novel, but I'm inspired to here. This is my
...more
I wanted to love this book so much. So much.
I am afraid I am getting into a pattern, this is the second book in a row that disappointed me. Once again the premises seem to carry great potential. In this case, two supernatural beings that encounter one another during a horrific and chaotic time in human history: Africa during the height of kidnappings for slavery, and what follows as they move to the new colonies of North America.
I read a previous book by Octavia Butler, Kindred, which I truly ...more
I am afraid I am getting into a pattern, this is the second book in a row that disappointed me. Once again the premises seem to carry great potential. In this case, two supernatural beings that encounter one another during a horrific and chaotic time in human history: Africa during the height of kidnappings for slavery, and what follows as they move to the new colonies of North America.
I read a previous book by Octavia Butler, Kindred, which I truly ...more
I can't say I enjoyed this story. It's very well written. The story, though, is disturbing. Throughout. It doesn't change.
The focus is on breeding a more powerful human. Not a race but a person. The point of this breeding program is not clear. Why have these uber-humans? To what point and purpose?
Butler does explore the themes of slavery, personal will, submission, life, death and touches on compromise, understanding, bonding.
I really enjoyed the writing. Without it, I would have tossed this b ...more
The focus is on breeding a more powerful human. Not a race but a person. The point of this breeding program is not clear. Why have these uber-humans? To what point and purpose?
Butler does explore the themes of slavery, personal will, submission, life, death and touches on compromise, understanding, bonding.
I really enjoyed the writing. Without it, I would have tossed this b ...more
Aug 25, 2012
Lori
rated it
liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
zy-calibre,
z-reviewed,
zy-own,
science-fiction,
fiction,
roundtable,
pre-2000,
z-read-2021,
series
There are several very deep themes that are touched on, racism, sexism, slavery, what it means to be a human. I thought her treatment was well done, thoughtful without hammering me over the head. The ending is too abrupt.
it took me a while to warm up to this book because i was expecting something along the line of Kindred. This book is more firmly planted in the realm of fantasy/paranormal.
Oct 24, 2011
Viv JM
marked it as to-read
Nov 07, 2017
Zadignose
marked it as not-now
Dec 30, 2024
Laurence Scherz
marked it as to-read
