Wild Seed: The Patternist Series, Book 1

‘Wild Seed’ is the first book in the famous ‘Patternist’ series (though it was not written first). It is also the first book by Butler that I’ve read but will definitely not be the last: this was a book that kept me reading far too late into the night because I just could not put it down.The book starts off in 1690, in Africa, and ends in 1840s in the United States. It follows the immortal man/spirit Doro – born in Africa in the days of ancient Egypt, and Anyanwu, an African woman with astonishing powers that set her apart from everyone around her. Doro brings Anyanwu to America, and she becomes part of his “people”: an extensive group of individuals who are ruled by, and selectively bred by Doro to enhance their various special abilities.With that as its starting point, ‘Wild Seed’ becomes a haunting, rich, and compelling story of Anyanwu’s struggle to survive in the new world under Doro’s rule, exploring themes like good and evil, slavery and oppression, race and eugenics, family and friendship, love and the essence of life itself: what makes life worth living? what is a good life? what is worth living for? what is worth dying for?Butler’s cast of characters add to the richness of the book: they are all complex and conflicted, and even characters that pass by only briefly in the story are so well-written that they stay with you afterwards. And Anyanwu is one of the most interesting and likable literary characters I’ve encountered. She is a good, but flawed, person, fighting tooth and nail to stay true to herself and her own convictions, and to keep her freedom and self-determination – even under excruciatingly difficult circumstances.‘Wild Seed’ is compelling, unique science fiction, and it’s a book that lingers in the mind long after you finish reading it.

Anyanwu and Doro are two immortal beings. Doro is more of a spirit than a man. He lives through millennial by possessing other’s bodies, killing the original owners in the process. Anyanwu is a shape shifter who can constantly rejuvenate her body so that she stays young forever. Doro kills, Anyanwu heals. They are as opposite as they can be, and yet each is the only immortal the other knows. Wild Seed begins with the two coming into contact for the first time, when Doro happens upon the African village where Anyanwu’s living in the late 1600s and shows the relationship between them up until the late 1800s.Wild Seed is easy to read, but there’s a lot going on underneath the surface. There’s so many different topics at play here – race, slavery, gender, sexuality. Basically, if it’s a topic relating to power structures, Wild Seed deals with it. It doesn’t deal much with LGBTQ themes, but I’m still listing it under the tag since Anyanwu has a wife at one point (happens between chapters) and could probably be considered bisexual.Wild Seed deals with the difficulties of being immortal and the inherent loneliness of watching everyone you know die. This is the focal point of the relationship between Anyanwu and Doro. Anyanwu may not be able to condone what Doro does, but he’s the only person who will remain constant as the families she builds for herself die around her.I hate Doro, but I think you’re supposed to hate him. He’s spent his extraordinary long life on a eugenics project, creating a race of people with special powers. He’s controlling and manipulative and thinks nothing of killing others. He wants people to be under his control, to respect and obey him in all things. But Anyanwu cannot respect him, and she does not always obey him. She’s wild seed – a talented person born outside his breeding programs.I’m really not sure what to think about the relationship between Anyanwu and Doro. I really hope the ending wasn’t supposed to be an instance of the woman “changing” her man with her feminine influences, but I’m not sure. Anyanwu was also so passive. I really wanted to see her stand up to Doro and to oppose the things he did that she hated. But it feels more like she accepts powerlessness.A large part of why I have these feelings is that I don’t think Wild Seed had a real conclusion. The book just sort of ends. There problems with Doro’s actions haven’t been dealt with. Maybe it’s because this is a first book in a series? I’d want to keep reading to find out what happens to Anyanwu, but I’ve heard she’s not the protagonist of the next one.Do I recommend Wild Seed? Definitely. I can see why it’s considered a science fiction classic, one that I think I’d need to reread to appreciate more fully.

Just somebody’s nightmare (Butler's). Largely about rape, incest, murder, promiscuity, etc. I had to read this for a grad course on Afrofuturism. I am a scifi fan & have read lots of it that is spectacular. I am also not a prude. This is my 2nd Butler book, after reading Kindred last year. I see no improvement in either the plot or writing between the two books. I had hoped Butler's writing would have improved over time. Both books are about women’s empathic and sexual exploitation and thrive on the prevailing sexual tensions. There's a tad of race-relation exploration in Wild Seed, but nothing really of note. Neither book is enjoyable—just salacious and anxiety-propelled. Not insightful, beautiful, inspiring, or really worth pondering. The emperor has no clothes.

One of the best books I’ve read in a while. Butler’s use of originality is enough to pull you into the story immediately and once you are in, you won’t want to put it down. Doro, our main male character somehow entices both hatred as well as extreme awe and curiosity from the reader. Anyanwu, our protagonist, is an instant intrigue who was surprisingly relatable despite her non human abilities. The same level of intrigue goes for nearly every other character in this novel. This is a book I easily found myself falling in love with and wondering how it was possible that I had never heard of it before now! It’s unique and EXCITING, an incredibly detailed and wonderful adventure story that surprises at every turn. Keep an open mind and strap in tight!

I only ran into this writer within the past year. I'm sorry I didn't do so earlier, because I'd recommend everything of hers I've read so far (this series and the Seed series, or whatever it's called).The series is about a person who accidently finds out he is immortal, not in the normal sense, but in the fact he can displace himself into another body. Over time he finds other 'mutants' with other powers that he ends up trying to breed over centuries of time.

This book was a masterpiece to me. A friend recommended it saying it was one of the most unforgettable pieces of writing. I read it and have to agree. The pace and relationships as well as the setting work so well. This book was written way before its time. The writer although Black American captures the african essence, customs and attitudes in such an accurate way. Octavia Butler was talented and way before her time.

Yes, this was a wonderful book. It grabbed my attention from the start to the end, never allowing me to go. I had to force myself to leave the book enough to eat dinner!I have loved the characters. Anjanwu is just awesome, and Doro, even if he's not exactly the most sympathetic character ever (oh well, he's actually NOT synpathetic, at all) is wonderfully portrayed. I loved even him in the end, and I won't say anything more about the final of this wonderful book, because you *must* buy it and read it up to the end. But the character I loved the best was Isaacs. A wonderful, three-dimensional character.I thank so much Orson Scott Card, who suggested this book in his "How to write science fiction and fantasy" (a book I suggest any aspiring writer to read). Otherwise I would never have bought it, and it would be a shame.

I bought this book from a recommendation in Orson Scott Card’s book ‘How to write Science Fiction and Fantasy’, along with another called Arslan. I read Arslan first, and it was so bad that I wondered whether it was worth reading Wild Seed. I decided to read it just for its technical merits, as the concept didn’t interest me.I’m glad I did, as this book kept me engrossed from start to finish. The author takes the central idea, that some people are born with special abilities, and explores it in many different ways. So it remains fascinating all the way through. The story was compelling as well, as the two main characters tried to outwit each other, with frequent verbal confrontations.I’m not into the fantasy genre, because I often feel cheated by the way conflicts are resolved, where the hero overcomes the enemy simply by summoning up enough strength. But I never felt cheated by the progression of this story.I’m only learning about how to write, so I can’t judge the technical merits, and I quickly forgot that I was reading it to learn. But as a reader I can say that this book has the following qualities: It keeps the tension going throughout. The writing is clear and straightforward, so that it’s the story, not the writer’s technical brilliance, which is on show. Unlike the other book recommended by Card, this is a great example to learn from.

I loved this book with my entire soul.

Very sought after book, hard to get hold of , so I was impressed to find.I love the autors work.