#patternist series

[buckmink]

One thing I think about constantly with Octavia E Butler’s work is the recurring theme of resentment of being dependent in a symbiotic relationship especially when it’s unexpectedly thrust on one party (the origin of the pattern and the accidental ensnarement of the original 5 telepaths who eventually become more stable with Mary during her transition in Mind of my Mind) or that party has limited choice in the matter (Lilith and the other humans with the Oankali who are able to extend their lifespan and cure grievous injuries and illnesses but as a result of the union she and the other humans are biologically unable to leave their alien mates for too long). Like, yes, they get numerous benefits and their quality of life is greatly improved but there’s a limit to the amount of freedom that party has as a result of the relationship and yet they cannot escape it.

[rahel-embr]

my reaction when reading how Rayal calls his sister that he married “sister wife”

[howstrangethemusicsoundstome]

After learning about Elon Musk's latest child, I've decided that he is the white version of Doro from Octavia Butler's Patternist series. Trying to spread his genes far and wide while being minimally involved in the lives of some of his children (actively hostile to some), God complex...it's uncanny.

[clarafordahwin]

Having a hard time articulating this. But I think one of the reasons I love Octavia Butler's work so much is that, as much as her work is about systems of power, she first empowers her protagonists before she disempowers them. She let's the reader be freed from seeing most realistic depictions of abuse, and then sets up a fantastical form of power to explore the themes in. This makes her books simultaneously disturbing and empowering.

Thinking specifically about Wild Seed and Dawn. Lilith has protection from physical and sexual assault. Cool! Now to deal with an alien race that has a complex plan to coerce humans into breeding with them. Anyanwu is powerful enough that no mortal man can harm her. Cool! Now here is an immortal man that can track her wherever she is.

[dykerory]

the thing about the patternist series is that doro is like. i'm going to treat human beings as cattle and breeding stock for millenia so i can create a race of human beings and i will do all of this with the barest hints of conscience or empathy. and then he creates mary who's like oh like this? and creates a functioning patternist society in like two years and doro is like shit shit shit FUCK UM-

[roseprlnce]

“She came back, sat down again, and handed him a rock. “Break it,” she said tonelessly.

It was a rock, not hardened mud, and though he might have broken it with another rock or metal tool, he could make no impression on it with his hands. He returned it to her whole.

And she crushed it in one hand.

He had to have this woman.”

- Wild Seed, Octavia E. Butler

[buckmink]

Technically 3 times if you count Iosif in Fledging since his name is the Russian form of “Joseph”

[buckmink]

Luisa was basically like “Why don’t you turn into a fish (dolphin) and maybe you’ll calm down!” lol