Book #36 of 2018:

Mind of My Mind by Octavia E. Butler (Patternist #2)

Octavia Butler wrote the Patternist books all out of chronological order (5-2-4-1-3), but I’m reading them as they take place. This book, the second by either measure, shows the creation of the Patternist network of telepaths that gives the series its name and will presumably be of central importance for the remaining novels.

The writing is a bit clunky, though, and it feels like far more of a prequel than Wild Seed (first in chronology but fourth to be written), which tells a captivating central story in its own right despite its status as a series prologue. In contrast, the action in this book seems to consist of pieces being moved into place by authorial fiat to set up the sequels rather than anything arising organically from coherent character choices.

The plot also revolves heavily around mind control, a pet theme of Butler’s that she never seems to interrogate as deeply as I would like. For an author who so ably depicts the horrors of slavery in books like Kindred and Parable of the Talents, she’s rather blasé about telepaths brainwashing people into obedience against their explicit consent. That’s true of Fledgling and the Xenogenesis / Lilith’s Brood trilogy, and it applies again here. As ever, it’s an uncomfortable reading experience to be asked to cheer on a protagonist taking mind slaves.

I’m hoping this book is an aberration for the larger Patternist series, which I do intend to keep reading. But it’s a very strong letdown after Wild Seed.

★★☆☆☆

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