- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Sphere; New edition edition (24 April 1980)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0722121008
- ISBN-13: 978-0722121009
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,474,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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First Sentence
"Well." He narrowed his eyes a little and sort of peered at me. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
"Well." He narrowed his eyes a little and sort of peered at me. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Will humans ever split into separate species? If so, what will be the cause and how will it happen? Octavia Butler addresses these questions in this fine novel. I was about to say that it was one of her best, but then her books usually divide themselves for me into the excellent and the truly outstanding, and there are more of the latter than the former. The quality of her fiction is better than any scifi writer I have ever read.
Her characters, even inhuman mutants, are entirely believable as they embark on the strangest of journeys into the unknown. And it is so well imagined as to be completely believable. Usually, I have to fight to stop thinking, "OK this is someone just thinking this up." Butler puts you into these fantastic worlds. So the heroine of this novel enters into a struggle with Doro, the vampiric mind-entity that has bred humans with purpose for thousands of years. As the culmination of his efforts - a theme in sci fi from Frankenstein but since then never so freshly done as Butler has - she will either grow beyond him or be destroyed.
Butler understands power so well, not so much from the point of view of those accustomed to wielding it as from those who must submit or die trying to escape it. Outstanding. It is a pity that the British don't know about this American author.
Her characters, even inhuman mutants, are entirely believable as they embark on the strangest of journeys into the unknown. And it is so well imagined as to be completely believable. Usually, I have to fight to stop thinking, "OK this is someone just thinking this up." Butler puts you into these fantastic worlds. So the heroine of this novel enters into a struggle with Doro, the vampiric mind-entity that has bred humans with purpose for thousands of years. As the culmination of his efforts - a theme in sci fi from Frankenstein but since then never so freshly done as Butler has - she will either grow beyond him or be destroyed.
Butler understands power so well, not so much from the point of view of those accustomed to wielding it as from those who must submit or die trying to escape it. Outstanding. It is a pity that the British don't know about this American author.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
37 reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
divide of human speciation
17 April 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Will humans ever split into separate species? If so, what will be the cause and how will it happen? Octavia Butler addresses these questions in this fine novel. I was about to say that it was one of her best, but then her books usually divide themselves for me into the excellent and the truly outstanding, and there are more of the latter than the former. The quality of her fiction is better than any scifi writer I have ever read.
Her characters, even inhuman mutants, are entirely believable as they embark on the strangest of journeys into the unknown. And it is so well imagined as to be completely believable. Usually, I have to fight to stop thinking, "OK this is someone just thinking this up." Butler puts you into these fantastic worlds. So the heroine of this novel enters into a struggle with Doro, the vampiric mind-entity that has bred humans with purpose for thousands of years. As the culmination of his efforts - a theme in sci fi from Frankenstein but since then never so freshly done as Butler has - she will either grow beyond him or be destroyed.
Butler understands power so well, not so much from the point of view of those accustomed to wielding it as from those who must submit or die trying to escape it. Outstanding.
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
My Favorite Book, I've read it at least 5 times!!
13 Feb 1999
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book is great, I have read all of Octavia Butler's stories, and I think this one is my favorite. In this story, which can be considered the second in the series after Wild Seed, all of Doro's tampering finally comes to a head with his daughter Mary. Mary has the unique talent of being able to tie many telepaths together in a pattern. I think that this is one of the best written books I have read. Butler is really able to take you right to the spot, which is difficult to do, especially with science-fiction. Even if you haven't read Wild Seed, this book can easily stand on it's own, but I also recommend reading Wild Seed and the books that come after Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark and Patternmaster.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Great Book
21 Feb 1999
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Doro is immortal, whenever he gets hungry or is killed he eats another persons mind and moves into their body. Telepaths taste better and he has bred them over the years as a hobby and to provide a source of tasty meals.
Now though he has produced a new kind of telepath, Mary, who seems to be a little too much like Doro. Mary links a group of telepaths together in a pattern with her in the centre.
A struggle takes place between Mary and Doro for Doros wild telepaths who Mary wants to save, and have join the pattern, and who Doro would usually eat.
Who will win, 4000 year old Doro, less than 20 year old Mary? Will Doro eat Mary? READ THE BOOK!!!
This is the second in the Patternmaster series which include Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark, and Patternmaster. this one is my favorite.
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