A review by junejunejulyjuly
Patternmaster by Octavia E. Butler

3.0

I read this last in Butler’s Patternist series, however, it was the first book in the series she wrote which made this seem a bit disjointed for me. The impressive thing is that Butler wrote this whole series backwards essentially! Reading this last, I could see the threads of the other books in the series, particularly Mind of My Mind and Clay’s Ark which I feel this book most closely resembles.
Taking it as its own microcosm, it’s not as well written as I’ve come to expect from her work (it’s her first book). The story is pretty far out without the framing of the other books in the series. It establishes some dynamics that become common in her (future) writings - the power exchange relationship between men and women and particularly how that juxtaposes to ownership - the structures of power within the social system or community she is exploring - the sexual dynamics and subversion & complexities of those dynamics & relationships - how one may traverse these systems as a survivor.
Not my favorite of the books by her I’ve read so far but an integral read to her canon nonetheless.