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lesserjoke 's review for:
Patternmaster
by Octavia E. Butler
Author Octavia E. Butler's debut novel was later followed by a number of loose prequels, detailing how the world arrived at the future civilization depicted here, with humanity divided into three warring tribes: 'Clayark' mutants infected with an alien pathogen, regular people, and psychics linked in a global hierarchical 'Pattern.' These titles don't form a series in the traditional sense, and indeed, it's a little disappointing to read them in chronological order, reach the conclusion of this volume, and realize how poorly it functions as a capstone to the sweeping story that's come before, spanning lightyears and millennia of history.
Still, this is a fine piece of science-fiction in its own right, presenting one telepath's journey to free himself from the abusive coercion of a stronger foe. Race is not as central a theme as it sometimes is in this writer's work, but there are clear parallels to antebellum slavery in the Patternist society, where subjugated individuals can be traded between households, separated from a spouse, viciously beaten, and pressed into sexual service. The protagonist ultimately learns how to wield his power to unseat one particular tyrant, but the terrible might-makes-right system overall is left unaltered and his own cruelties are excused by circumstance. The narrative thus treads a path that is triumphant on the surface yet altogether bleaker in subtext, as will become common in many of Butler's subsequent works.
My biggest critique of this tale is that I want more from its franchise, especially sequels that explore what happens next and tie in all the diverse threads introduced elsewhere. But as a semi-standalone adventure, this is pretty great.
[Content warning for gun violence, amputation, and biphobia.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
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Still, this is a fine piece of science-fiction in its own right, presenting one telepath's journey to free himself from the abusive coercion of a stronger foe. Race is not as central a theme as it sometimes is in this writer's work, but there are clear parallels to antebellum slavery in the Patternist society, where subjugated individuals can be traded between households, separated from a spouse, viciously beaten, and pressed into sexual service. The protagonist ultimately learns how to wield his power to unseat one particular tyrant, but the terrible might-makes-right system overall is left unaltered and his own cruelties are excused by circumstance. The narrative thus treads a path that is triumphant on the surface yet altogether bleaker in subtext, as will become common in many of Butler's subsequent works.
My biggest critique of this tale is that I want more from its franchise, especially sequels that explore what happens next and tie in all the diverse threads introduced elsewhere. But as a semi-standalone adventure, this is pretty great.
[Content warning for gun violence, amputation, and biphobia.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter