Rating: 
Summary: Simply perfect
Review: "Mind of My Mind" is the story of Mary, a psychic approaching her "transition" at which point she will find out what abilities she really has. She was bred for the purpose by a body-changing being named Doro.
While this may sound like just another sci-fi book, it's not. All the characters are well-drawn, and within the first 100 pages you have eleven developed characters. Almost everyone acts in a realistic fashion, even given the bizarre circumstances. At times I even found myself asking why this book hadn't been made into a movie yet. I could pick out certain high-profile actors who would have been perfect for the parts, and by simply copying the book word-for-word they would have produced an Oscar winner. Virtually every line of dialogue rings of human emotion that would satisfy any critic, while also giving the masses something enjoyable.
The second half of the book is a bit less drama and more science fiction than the first, but events are taking place that change the rules applying to the psychics, so the rules have to be redrawn for the reader. The story remains great.
The only problem I have is the POV changes. The story is told from numerous POVs in 3rd person, but in a scene about Mary it is told from first person. I found this a little distracting, but it's still a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: An unsentimental view of human society
Review: After thousands of years, the immortal Doro's breeding program has finally produced a young female telepath who becomes the cornerstone of a psionic network, a new kind of society called the Pattern. However, Doro and Mary can't see eye to eye, and conflict slowly comes to a head...Butler sees human nature as paradoxical: people need communities and families to be healthy and sane, but humanity is inherently hierarchical and compelled to compete for power. Human society fosters both love and violence. Butler is pretty honest about the uglier aspects of the Pattern, a society where mind-control is a regular practice, and non-telepathic "mutes" are well-tended slaves. However, when you compare it to life without the Pattern, thousands of people living in hopeless schizophrenia from uncontrolled telepathy, you can understand their decisions. As in most of Butler's fiction, it's about how people live in imperfect situations. Ask yourself what you would do in their place.... The book is a bit talky in places. The strength of the book is the characterization and dialogue, and Butler's perspective is unique and thought-provoking. Spoilers
My only real complaint about this book is Anyanwu/Emma's role in the story. "Wild Seed" ends with her winning the war of wills with Doro, retaining her personal autonomy. I thought she would jump at the chance to renegotiate the terms of the society Doro created, but instead she just has a few cameos and sides with Doro to the end. It undermines the strength and integrity of her character as established in "Wild Seed".
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book, worth the read!
Review: Also try Lilith's Brood by Ocatvia Butler.
Rating:
Summary: Unexplicable Talent
Review: Butler has done it again: created a thought-provoking novel that involves reality and the not-too-distant future. Even though I read out of the series, I still understood the plot and its occurrences. Butler picked Mary to be a special child of Doro to dominate her own type of people (Patternists). Even though telepathy is not apart of everyone's conscious life, Butler explains and demonstrates it easily to the reader. If the reader is not use to science fiction novels and stories, Ms. Butler will easily slide her/him into the world that makes one ask herself/himself, "What if...?" Very seldom (if at all) was this work hard to read. Again, Butler has written a commendable work of science fiction that makes one think and appreciate her creativity.
Rating:
Summary: Unexplicable Talent
Review: Butler has done it again: created a thought-provoking novel that involves reality and the not-too-distant future. Even though I read out of the series, I still understood the plot and its occurrences. Butler picked Mary to be a special child of Doro to dominate her own type of people (Patternists). Even though telepathy is not apart of everyone's conscious life, Butler explains and demonstrates it easily to the reader. If the reader is not use to science fiction novels and stories, Ms. Butler will easily slide her/him into the world that makes one ask herself/himself, "What if...?" Very seldom (if at all) was this work hard to read. Again, Butler has written a commendable work of science fiction that makes one think and appreciate her creativity.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: Doro is immortal, whenever he gets hungry or is killed he eats another persons mind and moves into their body. Telepaths taste better and he has bred them over the years as a hobby and to provide a source of tasty meals. Now though he has produced a new kind of telepath, Mary, who seems to be a little too much like Doro. Mary links a group of telepaths together in a pattern with her in the centre. A struggle takes place between Mary and Doro for Doros wild telepaths who Mary wants to save, and have join the pattern, and who Doro would usually eat. Who will win, 4000 year old Doro, less than 20 year old Mary? Will Doro eat Mary? READ THE BOOK!!! This is the second in the Patternmaster series which include Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark, and Patternmaster. this one is my favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book, worth the read!
Review: Excellent followup to Wild Seed, which was great. I recommend all of Butler's books, especially Kindred. Look her up and read her books, many of which are in a series. She is a science fiction writer for all people, who has a lovely personality.
Rating:
Summary: Another five stars
Review: Excellent followup to Wild Seed, which was great. I recommend all of Butler's books, especially Kindred. Look her up and read her books, many of which are in a series. She is a science fiction writer for all people, who has a lovely personality.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Having fallen for the works of Nancy Kress, I now am a servant of two masters; Octavia Butler writes with insight, passion, and grit. Just like her other works, here she creates a world you can feel and smell...there's a realness to it and to her characters. I think a character like Doro must be very difficult to craft. Doro might be thought of as the villan of this story, since his presence creates a good deal of conflict, but at the same time there were points where oddly I could almost identify with him...how exactly would one behave if they were a being like Doro; immortal and inhuman, living in a world of human beings and not really ever understanding why or how. Over the decades, would the desire to steer humanity, to create a legacy and others to identify with become inevetable? Likewise, as the prodigal daughter, would Mary's growth into something beyond the scope of Doro's plans also be inevetable? Heck, I don't know; but watching this story unfold was one of the more interesting ways I've spent a day (it's a pretty short book). If you haven't read Butler before, make this your introduction; it's short, and packs a nice punch that will leave you hungry for more of her work!
Rating:
Summary: Great Read One of my fav. O.Butler books
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. They way she introduced each character was like starting a new book. They each seem unrelated but all have a strong power that connects them. I highly reccomend this book.
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