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A review by deimosremus
Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Wild Seed is my first jump into the works of Octavia Butler, who I’ve been meaning to read for years. Friends of mine recommended that I start with Wild Seed, as though it’s not her first published novel, it is chronologically the first in a series and arguably one where her style really really solidified.
In short, Wild Seed is excellent. I don’t know whether to classify it as science fiction or fantasy, as there aren’t really any obvious elements of the former, though I imagine as the series continues in its chronological timeline, this becomes more and more apparent-- Butler herself has said she considers it more as a sci-fi novel than anything, though it's far from what would fall under hard sci-fi.
Butler’s writing style is lean and efficient, elegant in its simplicity without wasting time on needless detail or getting too involved in worldbuilding... something I immediately liked when I started reading this. The complexity rather comes from the character relationships and the plethora of interwoven themes Butler is exploring, which range from identity politics and gender roles, eugenics, power dynamics, slavery and colonialism, legacy and inheritance, aging, and the survivalist animal instinct inherently found within us all. In other words, a very rich tapestry of ideas driving the novel, and ones that play off of each other in an expert fashion, but done in a style that’s approachable and not so allusive as to confuse the reader unnecessarily. Finding that balance can be difficult (and I have no problem with very allusive genre works personally, unless they're frustratingly "high-brow") but I think Butler did that here rather wonderfully— I’m very much looking forward to reading subsequent installments in the Patternist series, as well as Butler’s other works, as my first impression of her is outstanding.
In short, Wild Seed is excellent. I don’t know whether to classify it as science fiction or fantasy, as there aren’t really any obvious elements of the former, though I imagine as the series continues in its chronological timeline, this becomes more and more apparent-- Butler herself has said she considers it more as a sci-fi novel than anything, though it's far from what would fall under hard sci-fi.
Butler’s writing style is lean and efficient, elegant in its simplicity without wasting time on needless detail or getting too involved in worldbuilding... something I immediately liked when I started reading this. The complexity rather comes from the character relationships and the plethora of interwoven themes Butler is exploring, which range from identity politics and gender roles, eugenics, power dynamics, slavery and colonialism, legacy and inheritance, aging, and the survivalist animal instinct inherently found within us all. In other words, a very rich tapestry of ideas driving the novel, and ones that play off of each other in an expert fashion, but done in a style that’s approachable and not so allusive as to confuse the reader unnecessarily. Finding that balance can be difficult (and I have no problem with very allusive genre works personally, unless they're frustratingly "high-brow") but I think Butler did that here rather wonderfully— I’m very much looking forward to reading subsequent installments in the Patternist series, as well as Butler’s other works, as my first impression of her is outstanding.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault