Mind of My Mind
“I wouldn’t have the freedom to consider a thing like that for about twenty years, no matter what happened. But that was all right. It wasn’t a freedom I wanted.”
-Octavia Butler
A Review:
In the follow-up of Wild Seed, Octavia Butler tells the story of Doro’s life work and dream coming to fruition. It dives into the lives of those created by the architect, taking focus away from Emma and Doro. Octavia Butler does a masterful job following the lives of multiple characters in the book, but she keeps the main focus on Rachel. Her literary elements, like the narration, perfectly match the plot of the book. It adds to the tension between the characters by allowing one to understand their apprehension, pain, and happiness. There are few dull parts of the book as it weaves many of the struggles marginalized communities face when the dialogue is not at the forefront. The story itself can be seen to represent the state and possible future of the Black diaspora. By focusing on the Black diaspora, it continues with Wild Seed; similarly, the theme of nation-building, manipulation, and the true meaning of freedom follows suit. It dives into the nuanced discussion around mental slavery and free will. This book is especially provocative due to the proliferation of phones, social media, and the internet as a whole. Once again, Octavia’s thought transcends generations to address current problems facing our society. This book was one of my favorite reads of 2021 and I am more than excited to read the third book in the Patternist series.