Wild Seed

Unpredictable and provocative, this is a look at the intersection of gender, race, and power across time and continents. Like life, this novel is neither a dystopia nor a utopia as it explores questions of what it means to be human in a world of extraordinary possibilities.

I like Octavia Butler's writing, so maybe i am biased. But it has been 2 weeks since I finished the book and I am still thinking about it. Her books are the kind that make me want to be able to check in on the characters at later points in life. She weaves such an excellent story.

The Wild Seed by one of our greatest science fiction writers Octavia Butler is a classic. Doro is a character that I found to be as complexed and evil as any a reader will encounter. I loved it from beginning to end and you will to. I give it a 5 star rating.

Too bizarre for me. I appreciate the effort to create African-based fantasy/science fiction, but the main characters are sexist stereotypes (dominant male, giving female). Stereotypes are stereotypes in any culture.

I don't read science fiction.

I stumbled on this book randomly.

I can't articulate the genius of this author. This book is extraordinary. Nothing is perfect. But this book comes pretty damn close.

I read this first as a teen, and it left little impression then. Butler has a group of loyalists (she was even mentioned at church yesterday), but this book was repulsive to me. The male character is a serial rapist, killer and child molester, and the heroine allows him to do this over many generations. The book has no redeeming qualities.

He has lived for hundreds of years and has created settlements all over the world. When he goes to check on an African village he set up many years before, he is dismayed but not surprised to see that it has disappeared, its inhabitants either killed or taken for slaves. As he walks away, he picks up a vibration that there is another individual nearby who it would be worthwhile to check out. He changes course and soon finds Anyanwu, an African woman who has, like him, lived lifetimes. He makes himself known to her and soon has taken her for his wife and plans for them to move on to America.

But there is a fundamental difference between the two. Doro is determined to bend others to his will always. He has fathered hundreds of children and uses them as social experiments as he tries to duplicate his own powers. He must constantly kill in order to survive, taking the bodies of those he murders. Anyanwu is a shape-shifter and while she can be cruel if it means survival, her first instinct is always to help those around her and to build a family. These two unite in what will be a contest of wills that lasts for centuries. Who will win? Strength and cruelty or kindness and love?

This is an early novel of Octavia Butler's work. It has an interesting premise and there are three other novels that follow this start in the series. It is a classic battle of good vs evil, yet each of these individuals is forced to work with the other as there is no one else like them in the universe. The reader will be caught up in their struggle as they each attempt to build a world that will survive. This book is recommended for readers of science fiction.

I have heard of Octavia Butler and how amazing her books her, but I’ve never gotten around to picking up a book of hers, so I was super excited when I saw that Andrew owned Wild Seed and he whole-heartedly recommended that I read it.

The two main characters are Doro and Anyanwu. Doro is an immortal; able to take people’s bodies for himself, and in fact needing to from time to time in order to rejuvenate himself. Anyanwu, on the other hand, is an immortal because she is able to understand what is going on in her body at a cellular level and make changes to change or heal herself. When they meet, Doro is used to being a leader and being obeyed, but Anyanwu is used to making her own rules, so they clash heads and start a century-long battle — Anyanwu for freedom and Doro for obedience.

This is an amazing science fiction novel and I’m so happy I was finally able to start this series. Butler does an amazing job in handling the idea of a powerful man playing god with people who have certain abilities and trying to breed abilities that he likes. Certain people are born with powers, like telepathy or telekenesis. Sometimes, it’s very weak and slight, but if they’re matched with others with the same power, it can grow into a powerful ability. While Doro sees them in terms of power and what they’re able to do, they are humanized through Anyanwu’s eyes; in fact, Butler uses Doro and Anyanwu as foils for each other to provide different perspectives on an issue. I like how Butler was able to explore concepts like power structures and how they work within Doro’s community, pairing it with issues like race and having it play along with how power structures work in the “outside” world where black people are made slaves. With Anyanwu being just as powerful as Doro (if not more so), and struggling for freedom, the idea of feminism and female power is also explored through their volatile relationship.

Wild Seed is an engrossing novel, but it’s not fast-paced; instead, taking its time to develop slowly and thoroughly throughout, spanning several centuries in its timeline — I’m excited to be able to read the sequels and see how the foundation she’s set in this first book builds up. While many of the characters aren’t the kindest (especially Doro), I was able to connect with all of them and at least understand where they were coming from and what their motivations were, even if I didn’t think they made the best choices. They have a deep complexity to them that I only imagine will continue in following books; it really helped me connect to the story, especially since this is essentially a story about Anyanwu and Doro’s relationship. Being able to understand both sides of where they’re coming from and root for them in one way or another was key in making this a successful story, and Butler pulled it off.

This novel is unique in how it marries science-fiction ideas with deep, philosophical concepts. I liked it a lot, and this is proof that science fiction can cross over into the literary field and handle difficult, important concepts. I highly recommend it for all science fiction fans and for anyone who is out to read something a little different.

Took a while for me to get into it, but suddenly I was so captivated that I was reading whilst knitting or cooking as I just couldn’t put it down. The character of Anyanwu is complex and addictive, as she is able to achieve so much and yet still has believable and honest failings or weaknesses. She’s an immortal who is hunted down by Doro, who is also immortal, and much, much older than she is. Their powers differ, as well as their beliefs and morals, and this is what drives the novel onwards as the main point of conflict. They are so well matched and yet intrinsically different that they both can’t survive together, nor apart.

What I find most interesting is how they choose to live their lives, and what they do with their gifts. Doro lives his life hunting down those with a variety of gifts (usually either his or Anyanwu’s descendants), or he finds Wild Seeds (such as Anyanwu and the title of the book) who can be new breeding stock in his incested villages. Whereas Anyanwu is only contend when surrounded by family, who are loved and cared for. Doro throws away those who are defects, or who don’t obey his every rule – where Anyanwu takes in those who need her help and is above all else, a healer.

There are a variety of secondary characters throughout that you come to care for, even though they appear and leave so quickly compared to Doro and Anyanwu, because normal human lives are so short compared to theirs. We see the world change and still remain the same (so much war and slavery), and where it leaves us makes you want to pick up the next novel immediately, to see what changes will bring them next, as they’ve gained an almost steady peace together.

First, though not first written, of Butler's "Patternist" tetralogy, which I'm reading through for the first time.

Doro is old. Thousands of years old. But his body isn't; he lives on by possessing one body after another, killing its proper inhabitant in the process. These bodies only last him a few years, then he must move on. One might argue that the proper thing for him to do would be to die, but he can't; when a body dies, he, will he nil he, moves into another.

For most of these years, Doro has been breeding "special" people, people with what we would call psionic abilities, partially because they "taste" better when he "feeds" upon them, but also because he hopes to take over the (bwahhahha) world.

In (I believe) southern Nigeria, in 1690, Doro comes across an Igbo named Anyanwu. While 300 or so years is young compared to him, she's the first person he's met who has the potential to live along with him. She can heal nearly any damage to her body, and change shape at will. Doubtless, she'll be a great addition to his breeding program.

So he lures her to the New World - partly by threatening her children - and marries her to his "son" Isaac, who can move things with his mind.

That's part 1 of three, and I won't summarize beyond that - and, indeed, that summary is so bald as to wipe away the _feel_ of the thing. Doro's "sophistication" and Anyanwu's ignorance of the world beyond her villages combine to create a complexly emotional story in this first part. Their reactions to each other and to what each other can do, and Anyanwu's responses to Doro's demands, are deeply satisfying, and drive not only Part One but the whole book.

Butler's writing is always clear and sharp, as is her eye for character. Both Doro and Anyanwu are drawn as realistically as such characters can be; their acceptance of their difference from the vast majority of people stands in stark contrast with the anguish positive mutants usually face in fiction. (And, while I'm certainly looking very hard at Marvel's X-philes here, the fictional phenomenon of mutant angst is older and broader than that. [Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer, anyone?])

And the book is very much about the relationship between the two, Doro's need to control Anyanwu, Anyanwu's need to be free (which is in conflict with her need to protect her children), how it evolves over one hundred fifty years, and how both of them are changed _by_ it.

On to Volume II, _Mind of My Mind_, and I recommend you not pass this first volume up.

I used to read science fiction by the ton, then I drifted away. I had heard about Olivia Butler, and when her Patternist tetralogy turned up on one of my subscription lists for $1.70, I decided to take a chance. I mean 4 books for $1.70 is quiet a bargain. Well, not only was it a smokin' deal, the books are mind-boggling.

This is the first book in the series and introduces Doro and Anwanyu. He is a being thousands of years old, who extends his life by taking over another's body. She is a 300-year-old healer and shapeshifter. He is trying to breed individuals with psychic powers, and she is attempting to prevent him. This book is their initial struggle for mastery.

I am deep into the second book now, and it just keeps getting better. I'm glad I took a chance on an author new to me.

Anyanwu is an African shapeshifter who has survived for centuries by healing all physical damage and keeping her body young. She thinks there's no other person remotely like herself until she meets Doro, a man millennia past his own natural lifespan but whose consciousness moves on to take over a new host every time his current body dies. The two characters are alternately drawn to and repelled by one another, and I really loved the Magneto / Professor X interplay between them and their drastically different visions of their relationship to the rest of humanity. (Doro has grown to view people as eugenics subjects that he can selectively cross-breed to foster other strange abilities, whereas Anyanwu sees herself primarily as a healer and a matriarch to her extensive family of descendants.)

This first book in Octavia Butler's Patternmaster series is full of her trademark reflections on the fluidities of race, gender, power, and blended families, and it's a fascinating exploration of how the line between enemy and friend starts to blur when you're the only two humans who live on through the centuries.

Wild Seed by Octavia Butler (1980) - I will admit up front that I really like Octavia Butler’s writing and have always enjoyed her books. Her organic science fiction is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I find it a refreshing break from space ships and little green men. Plus, her stories are complex without being incomprehensible, but I find I can slip into her worlds easily and be amazed by them.

Wild Seed was one of the first Butler books I read. I can’t help picking it up and rereading it on occasion just to cleanse my palate from some of the B-movie sci fi I enjoy so much. I just finished it again and am surprised how different it was from what I remembered. It’s an interesting premise. In Africa, an immortal man who lives by taking over other people’s bodies (and then killing them) meets an immortal woman who can change into animals and other people. He wants to use her for breeding stock for his “people,” more breeders with special gifts that he protects and controls unconditionally. She wants him to be her husband, grateful to find a man she doesn’t have to bury.

She leaves her community and her family to travel with the man to America with the special slaves he’s purchased. En route she discovers how cold and calculating her new husband is. He threatens her family (some enslaved on the boat with her) and marries her off to his son, a telekinetic who moves the ship. If she refuses, he’ll kill her family.

In his community of mixed races in America, all with the potential for special abilities, Doro controls who breeds with whom, killing the culls and taking a new body whenever he wants. Anyanwau submits to protect her new children and her husband but lets it be known she thinks Doro is a madman and an abomination. He, being the petty god he is, forces her to mate with strangers. She, however, is a healer as well as a shape-shifter so she does more good than harm when she encounters them. Doro, outraged, prepares to kill her but she slips off to become a dolphin for a few years. All-powerful Doro cannot detect her in her animal form.

When he finally catches up with her, he finds she’s a white man who owns a plantation and has an extended family of freed slaves and white “witches” (people with special abilities).
Threatening her family as always, he sends some of his breeders to the plantation, one which attempts to rape her small daughter and kills her son. She decides the only way to escape Doro and his eternal manipulation is to kill herself.

This is where the story takes and unexpected – and typical Butler – turn. Instead of killing the bastard (when he’s killed, he takes over the nearest body so it might not be possible), Anyanwau tries to save him. He’s lost his humanity and if he wants to continue a relationship with the only other immortal on the planet, he better shape up. Otherwise, she’ll kill herself, and he’ll lose any hope of breeding another immortal.

I really wanted a nice revenge story ending. Through the entire book Doro’s only command to her has been “submit” and she’s done it. She might run and posture but basically in the end she has all the children he requests and does everything he wants. I hoped she’d fight him to the death. But that’s not Butler’s style. It’s too expected. Her character would have had to develop a completely different personality (like Doro’s) to defeat him and that’s just not who Anyanwau is.

Truly excellent writing and incredible tale of slavery and life in Africa, exposing the cultural and geographical differences. I don’t know why I didn’t have her sign a copy when she was still alive.

I don’t put many books on my Reread Eternally shelf, but this is one of them.

Doro is an ancient being who lives by stealing the bodies of others. When he discovers Anyanwu, a shapeshifter with immaculate control, he is determined to integrate her into his wide-ranging breeding program for individuals with strange gifts. Butler's work is one part high-concept sci-fi and one part conversations about power, consent, and intimacy. Wild Seed lacks the distinct concept of her other work, like aliens (Xenogenesis) or vampires (Fledgling); the premise takes longer to establish, and so the book has no immediate hook. Without that readability, the power dynamics are joyless indeed. But as the books develops narrative momentum: what a success. These protagonists are more complex than Butler's norm and the swings between their points of view are intentionally unsettling; their situation is less victim to arbitrary and inviolate rules. The result is a book with a wide scope, encompassing an expansive secondary cast, continents and decades, and race issues, and a keen, unforgiving focus which has more nuance and better success than Butler's other novels. It's not my favorite Butler, but it is probably her best.

This was the first Octavia Butler book I read, and I loved it. Even when I disliked the characters or disagreed with what they were doing, they still felt relatable/ human. I first read this at a time where I felt trapped, so Anyanwu's persistence and ability to make a way out of no way was something I needed to read. Butler explores some very interesting questions about free will and made me think. Although I think the concept of people with "superpowers" is played out, Butler creates new powers I hadn't thought of (mainly with Doro and Anyanwu) and does something different with the concept of mutants/ superhumans. I read this book in a day and have re-read it several times. I thought the ending was a good twist/ resolution.

I typically don't read fiction, SciFi or otherwise, but this was a gift from my niece, and so I obliged. WOW! The essence of the writing goes deeper than a story. Ms. Butler's exploration of love, loyalty, quality of life, motherhood, marriage, religion and what lies beyond that, is gripping. Butler takes you on a journey and challenges the principles of what we believe and think we know. She invites you to compassionately experience life through the eyes of the two main characters, Anyanwu and Doro... through which she gives us a glimpse into a world that not only allows close examination of the concepts of Shamanic shapeshifting (x 10) and Walk-Ins (without possession), but forces us to consider it, the same as they, Anyanwu, Doro and others along their journey must consider it, each in their own way. The complexity of their journey gives insight into the juxtapositions that many of us face in life, in one way or another. Butler ingeniously magnifies our life challenges through the expanse of several times periods, geographical terrain, alien cultures (foreign) and racially tempered climates to help us perhaps see ourselves more abstractly, perhaps to reach more compassionately beyond the limitations of our subjective personal experiences, judgments and interests, via a tale that for most of us is far reaching and otherwise poses no emotional threat. However, if we look closely, we find ourselves questioning how we are all bound in some way by our need to survive, our need for love and purpose, our sense of obligation as parents, as spouses, caretakers and so on, and also how we serve morally and religiously, or not at all and why. If you take this journey, it's a hell of ride! No disappointments here. I am looking forward to exploring her other work and continuing this journey!

Calling Octavia Butler's novel "science fiction" is misleading, because there's very little "science" in it. People who like only science fiction that is based on real, existing scientific knowledge and discovery should probably skip it. To people who care less about the "sicence" than about the story, I highly recommend it.

This book tells the story of how the mutants with superhuman powers that are featured in "Patternmaster" and "Mind of My Mind" were deliberately bred over thousands of years by a nearly 4,000-year-old entity named Doro. Doro, as readers of "Mind of My Mind" know, is a seemingly immortal entity who "lives" in human form by taking over other people's bodies, which kills the new host body's mind and personality but leaves the body intact for Doro's use.

The story begins in the late 1600s, when Doro, who is already nearly 4,000 years old, has gone to visit one of his "seed villages" in Africa, only to find it destroyed and its people gone-- apparently captured by enemy tribes and sold into slavery. Doro has the ability to detect the presence of the kind of people he wants to find and add to his "breeding stock," and on his way to the coast, he detects the presence of such a person-- and senses also that she is something "different" that he hasn't encountered before-- a "wild seed" that developed naturally rather than through his breeding program.

The presence turns out to be Anyanwu, a healer and medicine woman who appears to be an elderly crone. And she *is* elderly, for she's been alive for over three hundred years. Apparently as immortal in her own way as Doro is in his, Anyawu has already buried ten husbands, dozens of children, and scores or hundreds of grandchildren. However, as Doro quickly learns, she can take on any appearance she wants to-- young or old, male or female-- as well as turn herself into an animal. Realizing what a valuable addition she would be to his breeding stock, Doro convinces her to come with him on his journey back to the American Colonies, offering her the intriguing possibility of one day being able to have children she won't have to bury.

Thus beings a long and tumultuous relationship that taxes both Doro and Anyanwu-- he to the point of wanting to kill her, she to the point of wanting to die to escape him. Doro is used to "his" people-- people who obediently do what they're told because they know that defying him will only cause him to take over their bodies. They have sex with whomever he wants them to, regardless of whatever personal relationships they may have; they sire or bear as many children as he wants them to; they live where he tells them to and travel whenever he wants them to for his breeding program. They're used to obeying him unquestioningly because they've grown up knowing him and many of them regard him as a god. Anyanwu's independence and refusal to do certain things infuriate Doro, and ultimately he decides to kill her.

Anyanwu, who has been living independently for centuries and has not taken orders from anyone since she was young, resents having Doro tell her what to do, especially when what he wants her to do-- such as marry his oldest "son," Isaac-- violates her own beliefs about morality or propriety. She is also deeply offended and sometimes outraged by the way Doro treats "his" people, forcing them to have sex with partners they don't like or can't stand, forcing them to bear children they don't want (and often aren't fit to raise), forcing them to go wherever he wants whenever he wants, and killing them if they disobey or are simply no longer useful to him. After being married to Isaac for fifty years, Anyanwu realizes that when Isaac dies, Doro will kill her. She doesn't want to die, and she especially doesn't want to die his way-- by having him take over her body. She must escape him somehow-- but how?

The story of their long relationship-- how Anyanwu escapes, how Doro eventually finds her again-- is an intriguing and imaginative study into the psychological development of two people whose only similarity is that they are seemingly immortal. Despite her longevity, Anyanwu is still fully human-- she cares about people, especially her children and relatives, and being a healer, she sympathizes with other people's difficulties, sorrows, and pain. Doro, who "died" the first time at age thirteen and has been casually using and killing people for thousands of years, Doro has largely lost whatever humanity he ever had. He doesn't care what sorrow, pains, or difficulties he causes "his" people. However, over his long, long life, Doro has grown tired of being always alone, of having the few people he does like and care about die in such a short (to him) time, and has often longed to find someone who won't die on him-- someone who can continue to be a friend, companion, and/or occasional lover over the centuries. Anyanwu is the only such person he has ever found, so can he bring himself to kill her? If Anyanwu decides to escape him permanently the only way she can-- by killing herself-- is there any way he can stop her?

This, like Butler's other books, is one that I keep and read again every few years-- and that's the highest praise I can give a book

"I'm content," she said finally. "If I have to be white some day to survive, I will be white."

I'm finally getting around to reading Octavia Butler and I'm kicking myself for taking this long.

It can be difficult to find unique stories in science fiction. This story draws you in and introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters. We quickly start to understand the world they exist in and all of the places the story could go and it's wonderful.

This book is so well done because of the way it plays with time (some things take pages to happen, some just sentences, some are exceptionally detailed and some happen 'off stage' and yet they all contribute to the story) and how the characters deal with the obstacles in front of them. Full of moral dilemmas and potentially horrifying situations this is the kind of story you have to read to see where to goes.

When I was assigned to read this book for Contemporary Black Women Writers, I got really excited about the idea of reading a science fiction novel written by a black woman. I honestly didn't think about the lack of black people in the Science Fiction genre until my teacher talked about it.

Let me start off in saying that this is not really science fiction, but more speculative fiction. It all takes place on earth and there are no spaceships. However, it's got plenty of strange stuff happening. It's the story of two impossibly powerful immortal beings, a man and a woman, and how they meet and their ideas clash over how to exist on this planet with mortals. One the most interesting things about this is that they both embody their genders completely in who they are, despite the fact that they can both shift forms into other genders, races, and in some cases species. The idea that gender is a chosen outward performance for what is in the heart is extremely fascinating. This also deals with the idea that race is an unshakeable identity. Despite being able to change into any race they wish, both of these characters identify as black.

For most of the book I wanted Anyawu to be away from Doro, and to be her own independent woman. Which, worked for awhile. But the things that allowed her to hide from him also meant she couldn't have a family and be who she really wanted to be. In the end, I understood the inevitability of them being together, as well as the inevitability of his power over her both as a woman and as a person more aligned with a more African way of thinking instead of a cutthroat Western one.

Interesting book.

This felt like one giant drawn out prologue to something more interesting. I've been wanting to read this author for a while and may have built it up in my head too much. I intend to read the next in the series in the hopes there's more storytelling meat in the bones of the plot. So far, I'm left wanting a little more but uncertain what that "more" might be. Good not great. I did keep thinking I didn't feel like this was as spectacular as I kept anticipating but still had to know how it worked itself out.

One of the most interesting and satisfying books I’ve read in a while. Doro is a supernatural creature who has been actively breeding psychically talented humans for hundreds of years when he stumbles across Anyanwu, an African woman who is seemingly immortal and is still discovering new talents, like shape-shifting. Their love-hate relationship spans centuries and continents, as they each try to shepherd generations of their descendants in different ways.

I received a review copy of Octavia Butler's "Wild Seed" from the publishers via Netgalley. The book was originally written in 1980, and is being re-released as an e-book by Open Road Integrated Media.

"Wild Seed" is the first book in the Patternist series, but it was the last one published. It's one of the C. S. Lewis type deals where the books don't go in the order that they were written, and I'm okay with that. Apparently Butler didn't like "Survivor," so it hasn't been reprinted since the 70s.

If you'd like to read the series chronologically, it goes:

Wild Seed
Mind of My Mind
Clay's Ark
Survivor
Patternmaster

"Wild Seed" describes a power struggle between two immortal mutants, Doro and Anyanwu. Doro was born in ancient Egypt, but he is able to switch from one body to another at a whim, killing the person whose form he takes. He is obsessed with trying to find others who could share his longevity, and so he begins a breeding program, gathering up psychically talented individuals in the hopes of creating a race of gifted mutants. This quest takes him to a small village in Africa, where he discovers Anyanwu, a shape-shifting medicine woman who has been alive for three hundred years. Anyanwu is lured by Doro's vision and the hope that she could have children who would not die, and agrees to come with him to the New World, where she begins to realize that she has become his slave.

So, there's the obvious slavery theme. Octavia Butler whacks you over the head with the realization of the emotional and psychological impact of slavery, not just in the moment that it happens, but also the way that it shapes future generations. She's not gentle about it, and it comes with a bit of a shock. She makes sure her readers get it. She's a very special writer because she is able to explore topics like slavery, race, and gender in her stories in such a way that she perfectly captures the dynamics of different relationships, but at the same time she's not preachy about it. Her messages are organically woven into the story, and it's brilliant.

"Wild Seed" is a mix of alternate-history/historical fiction/sci-fi. One of the things that I enjoyed was the way that Anyanwu's powers were described; she has the ability to rearrange the molecules of her body to cure sicknesses or take different forms.

"There were things in your hand that should not have been there," she told him. "Living things too small to see. I have no name for them, but I can feel them and know them when I take them into my body. As soon as I know them, I can kill them within myself. I gave you a little of my body's weapon against them."

And just like that, she gives Anwanyu knowledge of germ theory as she heals an infection in Doro's hand. She can make antibodies. I can't stress enough how cool that is. (Not that we can't make antibodies, but she can do it better.) And with the ability to rearrange herself to take any form, Anyanwu isn't helpless. Yes, she's being psychologically manipulated by Doro, and yes, he could kill her and take her body quite easily, but at the same time she could rearrange her molecules to give herself incredible strength and then crush him. Doro and Anyanwu's relationship is complicated. There's the slavery dynamic, but there's also the fact that both of them have psychic powers and are relatively evenly matched. You know that the two of them have to come to terms with each other because they're the only immortals, even if that takes a couple hundred years for them to work out their differences and make peace with each other.

My favorite scene in the book was on the voyage to America when Anyanwu shape-shifted and swam with dolphins. Despite the serious tone of the book, it has its share of lighthearted and whimsical moments.

Octavia Butler is a powerful writer, and I am planning on reading the rest of the books in this series. I would highly recommend "Wild Seed" to anyone who's interested in sci-fi that explores race and gender themes.

Wild Seed is about as average as they come. The book is not bad, but it really isn't all that good either.

I can't say there was much action in it... not much romance... not really much of anything except two immortals arguing about breeding and killing people.

Of course, the book itself is of secondary concern, You are probably thinking that the most important question is whether I, Moondonkey, would prefer to have the power of Doro or Anyanwu. A choice between living your life in a single body that you can manipulate and heal, or the ability to "jump" from body to body like Doro - but no ability to heal or change. Anyanwu has the advantage in the body department, but Doro has the advantage in the immortality department.

So what is the answer? Neither. Accepting either choice would be a step down for me. Frankly, I suspect that Doro or Anywanu would choose to be Moondonkey if they had the choice.

Excellent. Outstanding. Lots of positive words here. This novel was published FOURTH (whoa!) in this series. This is the greatest prequel ever. In the entire history of prequels. For real. I mean that. Greatest. Ever.

In Wild Seed, may its name be praised, Ms. Butler created (and in some cases, recreated) a world where issues of power, control, class, consent, race, gender, sex, etc., are fluid and complex, and where even the most despicable character (Doro) is wildly sympathetic and knowable. Like most great "villains," Doro has characteristics that though contemptible, are (oddly) likable and frighteningly easy for a reader to excuse and explain.

In much the same way, Anyanwu is a character complexly written, shades of gray, black and white prominently on display.

One of my favorite books. Ms. Butler goes way back in time and invents Doro, a disembodied character who routinely possesses people and uses their bodies like clothes. It's both a curse and a great power, because he can't die and he'll end up in the body of the person closest to him when the body he's in dies. And over time he begins "breeding" people according to his tastes. Usually he just prunes his particular stock, but once in a while he adds "wild seed" to his flock in the form of a rare and talented individual.

Enter Anyanwu, the nigh-immortal shapeshifting medicine woman who can heal people with a kiss. (Okay, it's more complicated and disgusting than that, but hey, it sounds cool.) They kinda make a good team. But she's wild in more than one way. . . .

Really fun, intriguing book about a dark guiding force among humanity . . . and what eventually comes of such "meddling." It's hard science fiction, but like most of her books, Ms. Butler makes it personal, too.

Well written as usual but way too long. The concept was interesting but the story could have been told in a much shorter format. Endless despair, loss and unhappiness eventually gets boring. Not sure what the point was - maybe it becomes clear in the follow-on books.

Normally, I am not a science fiction fan, but the cover seemed really intriguing. I decided to read it and I was not disappointed. This book was so engaging that I just couldn't put it down.
The story was about two immortal beings, Doro and Anyanwu, and began a journey together. Anyanwu was a healer and a matriarch, whereas Doro was a parasitic patriach obsessed with creating the perfect civilization who would worship him. Doro was fascinated by humans and descendants who exhibited supernatural gifts such as hearing the thoughts of others, ability to manipulate elements like wind, or shape shifting etc. Doro decided to breed various children with others in order to create a "perfect species" that would be his perfect weapon and in his total control. Anyanwu, was desires were opposite Doro, in that she only cared about ministering to the descendants she already had. You have to read the book to understand what drove Doro, and also what drove Anyanwu to acquiesce to this sort of selective breeding of descendants. If you decide to read this book, please understand that you are in store for top notch storytelling.

The world building and character building was stellar. I could visualize her words as if I were watching a movie. I could see the love and I could see hate between them. I could see the devotion and I could see the rebellion. This battle of wills was an epic struggle and I enjoyed every minute of it. This is my second book by the late Octavia Butler and I highly recommend this book to all science fiction fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy of this book.

"Wild Seed" is the first in the Patternist series, yet the third to have been published (not including the out-of-print "Survivor," which Butler effectively disowned). As a result, for some readers it will be a prequel of sorts, for others it will serve as the introduction to the series. This dual audience presents the author with a difficult task: half her readers know where the story is going and this book fills in the pasts of already-familiar characters; for the other half (myself included), the characters are strangers and there's an aura of mystery: it's not quite clear where this bizarre story is going.

Butler succeeds for both audiences, probably as well as any sci-fi author can hope to, and along the way she enriches her plot with African legends, racial subtexts, and a love-hate relationship that makes Scarlett and Rhett seem like starry-eyed romantics. Near the end of the seventeenth century (300 years before the next book in the series), Anyanwu, a shape-shifting healer who can transform herself into any human or animal form, serves as guardian for the extended family she has built in Africa over the course of several hundred years. Her tranquility and her people are threatened, however, by the 4,000-year-old Doro, a vampiric entity who survives by displacing his consciousness from one living human body to another, blithely leaving a path of corpses in his wake.

For millennia, Doro has single-mindedly pursued one goal: to crossbreed his human victims in order to create a master species with super-human powers. The problem is that many of his experiments self-destruct during transition, a form of puberty amplified to violent extremes (as if adolescence weren't painful enough). Anyanwu presents Doro with an altogether different problem: a woman who is nearly as powerful as he (and often cleverer), who is reluctant about cooperating with Doro's genetic project, and who challenges his stoic amorality. At times Doro is like an abusive spouse, at other times he resembles the mythic Ogbanje familiar to readers of Achebe's "Things Fall Apart"--an evil spirit that keeps returning in different forms and haunting Anyanwu's family. The unlikely couple's adventures take the two immortals from the slave-catchers of Africa to the slave-owners of America, where they form an uneasy alliance after a series of magical and horrific events.

Among the novel's many cultural and political themes, the most compelling is the ongoing struggle, both racial and sexual, between power and freedom: between Doro's hunger to use his "offspring" as a means to create an empire and Anyanwu's desire to protect her family from American slavery and from Doro's despotism. In a sense, it's an uneven match: to save herself and her family from a Heathcliff-like monster that someday soon "would not feel anything at all that was human," Anyanwu "had given in to him again and again. Habits were hard to break. The habit of living, the habit of fear ... even the habit of love." But eventually Anyanwu realizes that she has control of the most potent weapon of all: the tiny part of Doro that is still human.

A masterful exploration of the consequences of slavery and how it erodes the humanity from both its victims and benefactors even when ideally executed. The characters are complex and believable, and the ease with which one can both admire and hate Doro is breathtaking. This book has a lot to say, but it is never preachy - it allows the character's actions to speak for it. The prose is very smooth and efficient, Butler can say things in one sentence that would take other writers a paragraph to convey. I couldn't find a single thing to dislike about this book, and lots to love. This will spark discussion among readers. In addition to the slavery and victimization aspects, it is rather clear that Doro is basically the Old Testament God. And much of the interaction between the two main characters can be viewed as gender conflicts writ large. The ways the two characters clash - the tactics they use to manipulate, dominate, and win-over the other - are exciting and engrossing.

I picked up this book on no less a recommendation than Orson Scott Card (in his book "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy"). He said the book was compelling and Butler's writing flawless -- and I was not disappointed.
The premise of "Wild Seed" is slightly disturbing, as is most of the book, but the book teaches a good lesson. Doro is a -- being that cannot die; or rather, his body(ies) die(s) often, but his essence doesn't. He is trying to "breed" a more perfect race of humans, who will live longer than average; after so many millennia, he is more than a little cold to the feelings of such "transient" people. But then he meets Anyanwu, a woman who is several thousand years younger but more powerful, in a way, than Doro, with a strong will to survive and great compassion for other people; and she herself is no youngster at 350 years of age. They meet, and Doro tries to control her; but soon he realizes that he can't -- not completely. Yet the two need each other, although they don't realize it at first.
They have an effect on each other. Anyanwu learns real fear; Doro learns a little humility and humanity. And their relationship(s), their actions, are told beautifully and skillfully by Butler.
The themes of immortality have been explored in other books, such as the children's book "Tuck Everlasting." But here we get the feeling that Butler really knows what it would really be like to (have to) live forever. This is what would truly happen to someone who died constantly, yet lived forever. The book ends satisfyingly with respect to the main plot and relationship; the characters' effects on and relationship to the world aren't resolved, but then, that was not the point. By the end of the book, all the sex started to bother me. None is even remotely explicit, but in a book about breeding, what can you expect? It occurs often. Still, for such a delicate topic, Butler handles it with dignity and tact. Overall, a good read, one to get you thinking.

The unaminity that we who have read this book give it five stars is no mistake. If you haven't read this book: read it!

One quibble I do have: others are calling it science fiction, it's not, it's fantasy. That is, the "powers" that the main characters Doro and Anyanwu have are not explained scientifically but are magic.

(And here, many years later I'm responding to myself: who cares? Just read it!!!)

Whether you like science fiction or fantasy or novels with strong African-American protagonists or excellent stories or historical fiction or all of the above: read this book.

Here's my response to the book in 2012.

I decided for my first book of the year that I started in 2012, I'd like to read something that I know I'd like, so I chose one of my favorite books to reread. "She followed him dumbly. He could turn from two murders and speak to her as though nothing had happened. He was clearly annoyed that he had had to kill the young man, but annoyance seemed to be all he felt." (35)

Why does Anyanwu go off with Doro? Yes, he understands her as no one ever has, but he's so vile; but while she seems good, she puts up with him, so she is tainted as well. "She would learn that right and wrong were what he said they were." (92) "Doro looked at people, healthy or ill, and wondered what kind of young they could produce. Anyanwu looked at the sick--especially those with problems she had not seen before--and wondered whether she could defeat their disease." (160) Doro is a destroyer and Anyanwu is a shapeshifter, creator and healer. Yes, they understand each other, because only the other is also immortal, but reading this I also want to reread Mind of My Mind, for when Anyanwu finally decides she -and the world--have had enough of Doro. (But I won't reread Clay's Ark, as much as I love Butler's books. That one, as I remember it, is entirely peopled by people as inhuman and vile as Doro.)

If there ever was a great storyteller, who not only could see her characters, but perceive them and make them just like us, no matter what their terrifying abilities may be...that storyteller is Octavia Butler. Her book 'Wildseed' from the Patternist/Seed to Harvest series is a truly exceptional gem.

Doro, a three thousand, almost four thousand year old Spirit/entity has survived by taking on the bodies of his unwilling victims. Thus killing them. Anyanwu on the other hand is a "fertility demigod" who shape shifts and is also a healer of herself and others. Together, she and Doro mate to produce a race of people with strange behaviors. A generation of visionaries, psychics, and seers with more complex abilities.

Butler's writing is clear and real and you can actually hear the dialog between characters. She places you there. This book is so much more than a sci-fi novel full of characters with abilities(thats what X-Men is for and is a good show by the way), Wildseed shows Octavia's command of skill in language, linguistics, science, race, sex and sexuality, and culture. It is about the human imagination and I can not wait to read Mind of My Mind-Book 2.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable stand-alone novel with well-developed characters and a frightening premise: two immortals with roots in Africa go to America to build communities of people with superhuman powers. The more manipulative of the immortals is named Doro, and his immortality is based on death and destruction (he must possess and kill the bodies of others in order to sustain his deathless life). The other immortal, Anyanwu, is diametrically opposed to this kind of behavior, as her powers are based on an innate understanding of life (she is able to understand and manipulate each of her tissues and bacteria living within her body, and so she is able to halt aging and even shape change). Anyanwu is thus also able to sustain the lives of others since she is so in-tune with biological organisms that she can create cures for those without her special abilities. Thus, she bases her life in raising tribes of moral people around her, who she can help and protect, while Doro raises people as if they are livestock, to feed his hunger for the souls of others. Yet, Doro and Anyanwu do have one irresistible bond: they both know that their loved ones will inevitably die, but they will be doomed to live forever. Wild Seed is therefore essentially a character study of the relationship between these two very strange, yet strangely familiar, characters who hate and love each other at the same time for very good reasons.
This was the first Octavia Butler book I ever read. Now that I have read several of her other novels, I can easily say that this one is my favorite so far, but some of her others come close. If you enjoy this book, read her Lilith's Brood series; it is similarly based on genetics and biology as a background to incredible happenings.
Butler certainly rivals the likes of Orson Scott Card and others in creating believable, sympathetic, flawed characters; highly recommended.

I had only read one story by Octavia Butler prior to this one, but just from that story, I knew I would love her writing. Wild Seed is less science fiction-like than I expected (though when I mentioned that to a scifi fan, she strongly disagreed and called it "biological scifi"), but, given that I don't have any particular interest in hardcore scifi, that was fine for me. I enjoyed the progression of the novel, spanning over hundreds of years, and I enjoyed getting to see the changes faced by Anyanwu and Doro. I also liked learning about the variety of special abilities Anyanwu and Doro's children had, and their various reactions to their abilities. I found it interesting that there was not very much character development outside of these two main characters, but I think that suits the novel because of how fleeting everyone else's lives are--they are not (cannot) be around long enough for us to get to know them.

The ending did bother me a bit because it consists of a fairly sudden, somewhat unprecedented, change, and becomes a little too sappy for my liking. However, on the whole, I very much enjoyed Wild Seed.

I'm 2/3 through the book, and its made my club of the best I've ever read! Even if the rest were just a random jumble of words, it'd still get five stars for what there has been so far.

Read this book if you love good character development, futuristic ideas about longevity, historical fiction, respect for the rich culture of Africa or if your just looking for a nice alternate reality to escape to for a while.

The writing style is almost perfect. Some more details to describe the environment in which scenes happen would be nice. Still, based on strength of ideas alone, this deserves five stars. Congrats octavia; a must-read!

Very few African Americans write science fiction. Fewer still are African American women. Octavia Butler knows how to write great science fiction, but more importantly, she knows how to write and tell a great story. I encourage you to read just the opening paragraph from the "Look Inside" section. After reading the paragraph, I dare you to NOT keep reading!
In that first paragraph, you've got a very mysterious event, subtle foreshadowing, wonderful description, and a pretty good sense of who your main character is. And most importantly, you want to read on.
Doro is an extremely complex character who has been alive for hundreds of years, breeding slaves endowed with special powers. They are obedient only to him. It's simple; if they won't obey, he'll kill them. Doro has the incredible ability to take over the bodies of others (thereby killing the host) even at a distance of many miles. His power is immense. But he meets in Anyanwu a formidable opponent. (Or will she become a trusted friend?) Anyanwu (who has also lived for hundreds of years) is a healer who is able to adapt her body to any living form - mammal, fish, bird, or another human. Anyanwu's main concern is the safety of her children. Doro's main concern is exploiting them as breeding stock. Doro and Anyanwu certainly have different goals, but they each learn some hard lessons throughout the course of the book. So do we.
Butler's characters and landscapes are so well drawn and so real that you really never think about the fact that you're reading science fiction. In fact the term speculative fiction is really a better term for this story; there's very little science in the book, but there is a plethora of examinations of human nature (even if those humans live for hundreds of years).
Wild Seed is a completely absorbing, unforgettable book, made even more so by Butler's fascinating ability as a writer. It's been a long time since I read a book with engaging characters, vivid description, tension, mystery, and emotion. Wild Seed met all my expectations and then some. A powerful novel from one of America's most talented writers.
279 pages

In his book _How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy_, the famous writer Orson Scott Card says about _Wild Seed_ that "nobody handles exposition better than Butler...it's a terrific novel that you ought to read for the sheer pleasure of it." I'm with him--this book is one of my very favorites. Octavia Butler is not nearly as outstanding for being an African-American woman writing speculative fiction as she is for the sheer quality of her writing, especially in this book. It has everything. Sure, in terms of the genre, it has great "hooks": the reader can speculate about the genetic basis for the abilities of the soul-stealing Doro and his "seed"--shapeshifting Anyanwu, telekinetic Isaac, and many others; and the novel has a grand scale, since Doro is two or three thousand years old, and the action starts in Africa and crosses to the young America. But this is far more than your ordinary science fiction novel. It has appeal for a wider audience. Doro, Anyanwu and the other characters have deep, complex personalities--you will care about them deeply, with love and hate and pity. When Butler writes violence, it's like real-life violence: sudden, shocking, sometimes fascinating but usually sickening. Butler's language is beautiful, but it's her plot, characters and imagination that put you in a mindlock. I only rated _Wild Seed_ 9 out of 10 because I know that some people find the ending a bit unsatisfying. Personally, I think it's perfect: the main conflict is between Doro and Anyanwu, so once that gets worked out, the story has to end. If I were to be completely subjective, I'd give it a full 10.
And by the way--yes, it is nice to have a (convincing) black woman playing the lead.

"Wild Seed" is one of a series of superb science fiction novels by Octavia E. Butler. This story begins in 1690, and spans Africa and America. At the heart of "Wild Seed" is the enigmatic relationship between two powerful, and seemingly immortal characters: Doro, a sort of energy being who transfers from one host body to another, killing his hosts in the process; and Anyanwu, a shapeshifter who can assume forms of any species, and of either gender.
"Wild Seed" is both a psychologically perspective character study and a profound meditation on power and desire. Butler's philosophical canvas takes in such controversial issues as slavery, race, reproduction, and gender. In addition to being a superb example of the science fiction novel, "Wild Seed" is a stunning historical novel which expands the boundaries of African-American literature. As such, it would make a compelling companion text to such "canonical" novels as Toni Morrison's "Beloved." Also recommended: any of Butler's other outstanding novels, and her collection "Bloodchild and Other Stories."

I have read this at least 6 times, and on each reading, I see more and marvel at the characterization and construction of this novel.

This is spell-binding sci fi. It has it all: characters, concept, and the sweep of time that create that sense of wonder you find in the best literature. I have re-read this novel three times, and each time I find it better than the last: with hauntingly crisp images, compelling and very human issues, a kind of universality that is almost inevitably missing in genre fiction. The most amazing thing is that the reader can suspend his disbelief and abosrb all this weirdness as if it were occuring. And the characters are almost all black, from specially-bred mutant strains in Africa to fugitives from an evil immortal in America.

The plot revolves around a wise woman mutant, who was born in Africa. She is immortal, a shape shifter who can read genetic information by tasting it, and profoundly moral being. She is approached by Doro, another mutant, who has an agenda into which she might fit. What follows is an epic battle of wills, from the 17C to the 19C, that changes both of them profoundly.

Butler continually grew as a writer, and perhaps was one of the best contemporary novelists in America. Recommended with the greatest enthusiasm.

To say this is a story of two immortal black people who meet in Africa and navigate the culture of American slavery would be both accurate and completely inadequate. O. Butler's novels are all about subtext. I hesitate to summarize this book. It's an examination of the effects of slavery on the black family. That is, once again, inadequate. Suffice it to say, this was a great read and the first story in a series.
This is the second novel, from Octavia Butler, that I've read. She has an ability to explore her themes in a way that I find refreshingly subtle but very powerful. I read her and I'll start to feel a certain way, then I'll wonder why I feel that way. Was that what she was going for? What would I do if I were these characters?

This book was incredible.

I discovered Wild Seed by way of an Orson Scott Card book. He used Wild Seed's opening paragraphs as examples of good speculative fiction writing. Intrigued, I checked the Kindle eBook out of my local library and devoured it.

The conflict between the two main characters, and their relationship with each other, is brilliantly portrayed. By the time the climax occurred, I was emotionally moved. I could feel the character's emotions like only the rarest and greatest media could make me.

I would do any potential reader a great disservice by spoiling any of this book. All I can say is that the new ideas flow fast and free in the first third of the story. The middle third slows down a bit, but it is necessary to set up the oh-so-satisfying conclusion of the last third.

Anyanwu, the woman could take on any form she wanted, woman, man, white, black, loin, dolphin, by just tasting a peice of it's meat. She was a healer of the utmost extremes. As I sat reading the book I couldn't help but wish I too could become this free forming shift changer healer woman. Fantasy, fiction, or imagination, I could care less, I wished that when my times got too hard that I could turn into a horse, a bird, or a fish. when the bills or everyday life seemed to much that I just wanted to scream I could just shift into a rich older woman and not worry about the bills or what ever. I loved this book becasue after all my wishing and hoping I was delighted that at the end of the book Anyanwu had adopted my name as her own. (you have to read the book to find out what my name is)As for the other person Doro I would not want to be him for a anything. His life was to unhuman. Anyanwu still retained all of her human quality even when she had to kill. thank you Ms. Butler for allowing my imagination to soar. Peace

"Wild Seed" is a creative mixture of things that doesn't easily fit into one little genre or category. It's science fiction, Afrofuturism, part horror and part fantasy. It's creative, exotic, taboo, and everything else in between. Most of all, it is good. Octavia Butler is an excellent storyteller who is able to weave a story that involves immortals in various places with families all over the world into a coherent whole that is its own mythology. I am glad to have read this as my first introduction to Octavia Butler!

Here we have an enthralling epic of the supernatural, built around concepts from African mythology. Two immortals, one the quintessential female and the other the quintessential male, are engaged in a centuries-long struggle of love and hatred as they each try to build their own idea of a perfect world among their mortal relations. The goddess figure, Anyanwu, is a stunning character and is Butler's greatest creation - an incredibly complex personage with a highly complicated relationship with her counterpart, the violent and stubborn god figure Doro. Across centuries and continents, from slave-hunting days in Africa to the plantations of the Civil War-era South and beyond, Doro tries ceaselessly to bring Anyanwu's powers under his control in order to perfect his planned race of superbeings, but finds that he has finally met his match. Anyanwu first loves then loathes this immortal counterpart as he tries to use her, but as the only two immortals on Earth, they must be together for eternity. This outstandingly structured tale by Butler is highly recommended for all who wish to expand their horizons. [~doomsdayer520~]

Butler creates a fantasy world in which people, or beings, have special powers--telepathy, telekinesis, transmutation, and healing. These people lead basically unpleasant lives and live in constant fear and abject subservience. There's not a clear purpose for what they do or what their goal might be. Trouble is, nothing much happens in the novel. It's certainly not a page turner. The resolution, if it can be called one, is rushed and not at all satisfying. The characters are not well developed or interesting, the point of view is inconsistent, and the plot is rather dull and plodding. The writing is similar to what a high school student might produce, lacking sophistication and elegance. Butler tells us instead of shows us who her characters are and what is happening. I read the whole book, so I feel I should give it two stars, but I feel as though I wasted my time.

A copy of this digital galley was given to me, free in exchange for my honest opinion.
Where do I start? I have been a huge Butler reader since the first time I read Kindred for a college English Class. She revolutionized my opinion of science fiction much the same way she revolutionized the genre, I have come to expect a world that may take me a while to get acquainted with, but once I have it becomes almost like a second home to my imagination. I expect characters that walk, talk and act as if they are living and breathing real people. And a story that is just a story for those who only want to tangle with the surface, but for those who wishe to go deeper there's layers upon layers to go through. I got exactly what I expected plus more with Wild Seed.
I cannot even begin to imagine what life was like for Doro or Anyanwu, to live so long without end and always believing that you are the only one that carries the weight of supernatural abilities. Doro has accepted his lot by seeking out and creating others that are similar (but nowhere near as powerful) to him. He has little colonies of people that he breeds with each other and with others that he finds in the hopes of making someone that would one day be a companion to him. He has made himself out to be a god to his people and he creates his own rules and ways of living. The only law that his people have is to not disobey Doro. The punishment is death. Anyanwu's choice is to live her life as unnoticable as she can make it. She has accepted that she is the only of her kind and she does what she can to make her area better for it.
Both are abnormally strong and there are times when their differences compliment one another. But, there are also times when their strengths push them into dangerous areas, possibly pushing them to the limits of their self control. Anyanwu goes with Doro, the first and only man who has enough strength and unchallenged power to make her submit, in the hopes of sparing her children the heartache of becoming one of Doro's possessions. I don't want to give too much away, because like most of Butler's work, Wild Seed, is more than a book it is an experience. I was hooked from the beginning, and I allowed myself to trek through the wild and the colonies to see the world that Doro and Anyanwu were imprinted on.
Matters of faith, gender issues, racism, incest and slavery all find their place within these pages. Even the cruelest find sympathy when I thought that I couldn't muster up any for him. Once again, I have found another reason to follow Butler's work. Though I am sad that she is not around to create more worlds and tell more stories, what she has left us with will be read over and over again.
Recommendation: Wild Seed is the first book in the Patternist series, and is a great place to start if unfamiliar with her work. I recommend this if you are looking for amazing science fiction, if you are looking for stories with substance that are captivating.
What's Next? Mind of My Mind
5 Stars *****
Always Shine,
Starr K

This is the first Octavia Butler book I read, recommended by a friend who is a fan of hers. I was not disappointed. Her "speculative fiction" contains ideas which are only a few degrees removed from our current reality. At the rate humanity is evolving, there may come a time in the future when psychic gifts, immortality, supernatural healing abilities and astral travel are innate characteristics, as opposed to legend or the rare, often disputed examples that exist today.
In this story, Doro and Anyanwu, two powerful beings, cross paths. The core story of Wildseed is the developing and deepening relationship between these two beings, and their relationships to lesser evolved, but still powerful, beings like them. Doro "farms" these poweful beings with rare gifts; he engineers them. Anyanwu just is; she is "wildseed," and occasionally out of Doro's control. Although Anyanwu is female and Doro male, their power, sensitivity, passion, and determination transcend; they are portraits of the most powerful, the most full, that a human spirit can be. Seen as metaphors for human spiritual development, Anyanwu and Doro are the fantasies many of us carry in ourselves, the fantasy of ultimate power, a power of Creation that borders on the divine.
Butler's writing is strong, supple and gorgeous. She's the type of writer than can turn a phrase so beautifully, that you'll read it over several times, letting her insight and creativity sink in. Butler's imagination is wide open. Only a mind totally open could dream up characters such as these.
Although I haven't read any other Butler books, I did buy "Earthseed" to read next. Butler's writing is a gift, a magnificent talent that cuts to the heart of the matter.

A character-driven power struggle between a shapechanging woman and an immortal man who transfers from body to body.
Most SF writers would have taken this premise and concluded it with Anyanwu defeating Doro. However, Butler's stories are about living when you aren't master of your own fate. Instead of good triumphing over evil, there is a compromise between two conflicting principles.
As strange as Doro and Anyanwu are, they're both essentially human, and feel the need for human companionship. Anyanwu could live out her life with the chimps or the dolphins, but she chooses to remain in human form and start a family, knowing that Doro will find her eventually.
Doro wants to create a family too, but his immortality is frustrating this, and slowly turning him into a psychopath.
Just how their relationship ultimately settles is the main point of this book, and Butler lays out their interaction with spare, elegant prose.

Wild Seed is not the first novel I've read by Octavia E. Butler, but it is the earliest. And it is a joy and a comfort to discover that she was as probing and engaging a writer back then as she is now. On the surface Wild Seed is about power and control. But beneath the surface, it's about so much more. And like all great science fiction, it sheds a bright light on our world now.

Imagine the only two immortals on the planet locked in an inextricable relationship of hatred and need. In Wild Seed, Butler writes about race and gender and class with a fresh voice, asking: Can there be a marriage among enemies; a peace among opposites? Can the powerless ever be safe from the powerful?

On one level, Wild Seed reads like a travelogue across land and time. It takes place in a simpler and more superstitious time, though we don't see much of the world as it was in the story. Rather we hear about it more, through the eyes and struggles of the culture that no one but they know exists. Or the two founders--the mother and father of the culture (as it were)--Doro and Anyanwu.

Together they try to breed a race of witches and wizards (for lack of better words), to perpetuate their rapidly dwindling kind. But breeding is a tricky science, especially when the two conducting the mission are at odds on its every aspect. For example, one seeks stable progeny to build a family, a community; the other seeks it like a predator, seeking the meat he most needs to feed on.

Anyanwu is a healer, and the only match for Doro, the most frightening kind of all-powerful being--the body-snatching kind. He cannot be killed, and he is the only one of his kind. So he hops from body to body, recklessly mixing and matching people like samples in a petri dish, then consuming them like so much prey. In Anyanwu, Doro sees a once-in-a-lifetime chance (an even bigger deal for an immortal) to build his civilization from Anyanwu's wild seed. And in Doro, Anyanwu sees her captor, her extorter. And truly, obeying Doro is the only way Anyanwu has to stay alive and keep her children safe. But obeying him comes with a price, as his commands are so heartless and repugnant.

Besides depicting a viperous coil of a moral crisis, what also makes Wild Seed such a thrilling read is how rich and complex Butler's characters are. So tightly wound themselves they spring to life off the page One stylistic element I particularly loved, in fact, was how the author shifted back and forth between Doro's point-of-view and Anyanwu's from scene to scene--always keeping the action moving forward, and always keeping both the hero's (or in this case heroine's) and anti-hero's conflicts present.

The hardest thing for an author to write, if you ask me, is the ending. And even though I saw where the story was taking me from somewhat early on, it didn't take one iota of enjoyment away from the experience. I still found myself surprised. And I laid down the novel happy that I read it.

What's good about Butler's writings is that she challenges your imagination, and compels & encourages your mind to react outside the norm. The book is easy to read; but be forewarned, if you want it as a book to read on the train while commuting, it'll be hard to put down (not to mention you'll almost forget where you are).
Immortality, sexual gratification and death, at the hands of one who thinks he owns your very essence, is not to far removed from what some extremists in our world feel is necessary for the existence of their race or nationality. You'll find yourself immediately empathizing with any of the characters.
Butler is on to something, so much so that you want more. And though not many have said it, you get it in Patternmaster (but on an entirely different plane and vision). Buy it! Read it! Pass it on to someone who may not have considered it!

I really don't know where to start with this review. Wild Seed is unlike anything I have ever read before but yet it was still very accessible and easy to read. I would say this book is a combination of urban fantasy, horror, historical fiction and fantasy. Butler addresses slavery, gender roles, racial issues, sexuality, and class issues so subtlety you can miss the commentary if you want to and she does this all through the lens of a fantasy world involving supernatural beings that are seemingly immortal and have various abilities from shape shifting, body snatching, mind reading, and telekinesis. Personally, I don't want to miss the commentary and I enjoy the unique view. I tend to like my urban fantasy and fantasy stories with a slice of heaviness on the side and Octavia Butler seems to be able to deliver that every time.

This is the third book by Octavia Butler that I have read. I have come to expect that in reading her books I will have an escape from reality and a complete immersion into the characters that she writes. She writes characters that seem to breathe and live somewhere off the pages of her books, they are real and three dimensional. But such tangible characters come with a price, there is pain and anguish in her books and as a reader, I felt these emotions. Wild Seed was no exception. The characters witness some painful and sad events. This is not urban fantasy lite.

Wild Seed is a sweeping historical story that begins in Africa with ancient powerful beings. These beings get caught up in the slave trade and arrive in the now United States. These characters seem to have limitless power. One being prefers to use her power morally and compassionately. Another being, no longer sees himself as human and is not governed by any morality. And of course they clash, both romantically and otherwise. The book is surprisingly sexual in parts and raises some really interesting questions. A shapeshifter that can take on any shape -- animal and human -- and gender -- how do you feel about it taking on the opposite gender and engaging in sexual relationships? What about while it is in animal form? The sex scenes are not explicit but they are referenced. Octavia Butler is not shy about putting her toe across the border of most people's comfort zones.

I plan to continue on with the series and am excited that Butler's books are being published in e-book and audio book format.

Wild Seed gripped my attention. Powerfully beautiful, Anyanwu who heals people, the opponent Doro mastering fears and taking lives are intriguing characters who will linger in your mind. I like how the author O. Butler, travels up into a current time. Kept me on edge wanting to know more about "Wild Seed's" newest breeds.

This was the most imaginative book I've read in a while. When I was explaining some parts to my sister, I really began to realize the depth of Ms. Butler's world. It was our world, but these character existed on a level that most people would never encounter. The main character Anyanwu is so strong and wise and yet a bit naive when it comes to Doro. Butler balances these two characters against each other so well that you can sense the chemistry between them as you read. I was very impressed with the story and the writing. I borrowed it from the library and when I finished, I went and bought myself a copy and recommend it to anyone who reads.

Technically book 4 in the Patternist series, it's actually the first in terms of time within the novels. We meet the two major characters, the immortal (male) Doro and the immortal (female) Anayawu. They form a very complex bond, made of love/hate, commonality, and need. They are opposites in many ways, with Doro being more consistently the 'heavy' (by which I mean he is controlling, murderous if need be, and a user. Anayawu is a healer who can change her shape and and is a mother, showing her nurturing tendencies often (but don't be fooled - she can get pretty pissed off herself). It's an intriguing look at emotional and physical slavery, gender roles, and race.

This was my first read by Octavia Butler, but won’t be my last. This book was a little different for me, but I’m glad I read it. I really enjoyed the storyline and how it developed. The character interaction and development was incredible. All I can say is “Doro is a complicated being”. I look forward to reading her other books. I wish she was still around for me to tell her how great it was.

Tasha, Divas of the Serengeti Book Club

Wild Seed is nothing short of outstanding. I've read it several times over the past decade, and find it more compelling each time. Butler deals with issues and ideas that are more complex than most other SF novelists ever attempt, and she pulls it off with brilliant aplomb and flourish. Her whole "Pattern" series is terrific, but Wild Seed stands apart as one of the finest SF novels ever written.
(It is true what another reviewer says, however. The ending does seem a little forced and abrupt. But it satisfies nonetheless.)
I've read everything I could find by Octavia Butler, and I've enjoyed it all immensely.

Dear Editors,

Have you gone mad? The publication history of the Octavia Butler Patternist series is thus as per Wikipedia (and Library of congress records):
"Patternmaster" (1976), "Mind of my Mind" (1977), "Survivor" (1978), "Wild Seed" (1980), "Clay's Ark" (1984)

"Wild Seed" is the 4th in the series!! Not the first! You completely screwed up the series' original reading timeline! Why in the name of Earthseed would you do that? It's like telling us to start watching Star Wars from Episode 1 instead that Episode 4. Madness! And people fall for it, as I was about too!

Kind Regards,

Giovanni

I am not normally a science fiction fan, but this book gripped me from the start and I couldn't put it down. Butler's lean, spare style of writing helps keep the story tightly under control and moving briskly. In addition, her skill at constructing multi-dimensional characters is at it's best in this novel. It isn't easy to make individuals as powerful as Anyanwu and Doro seem like believable people with genuine human emotions, but Butler pulls it off, showing startingly empathy with her characters, especially Anyanwu. The relationship between Doro and Anyanwu is so skillfully done you can't help but think of them as real people. The book is rich with both historical and sci-fi detail and gives the reader an almost overwhelming sense of epic scope while basing the story around a small, intimate cast. Butler is an excellent writer and this is arguably her finest effort -- a good book to start with if you haven't read her before.
--Teri

This book had me literally from page one. The story is about two immortals, a man who is a ghost-like psychic parasite who jumps from one body to the next, killing his host when he leaves, and a woman who is a shape shifter and a healer and can thus continually renew her body. The man, Doro, is breeding human mutants, ironically both for food and to someday create peers who do not die--this suggests his central psychological contradiction (although there's more to it). He finds and enslaves the woman, threatening her with death if she does not comply, as he does with all "his people." She is the POV protagonist, and the book is about their relationship.

This ends up being a brilliant way to explore two different paradigms of power: the masculine model which is creation through vision and domination and the feminine model which is creation through birth and nurturing. We see what happens when the two come together, and ultimately how each accomplishes things in different ways (when you read it think about his colonies versus hers). Be warned: the novel explores some ugly features of historical power dynamics.

That said, there is something insightful and thought-provoking on almost every page, and there are plenty of characters to like and admire.

One of my favorite books of all time. I've read it three times, and the second two times I didn't mean to, I just picked it up while moving and got sucked in all over again!

As usual, Octavia Butler, in WILD SEED, has created memorable characters and plot situations that surpass the imaginations of the most creative authors. Although they are able adversaries, it takes Anyanwu centuries to discover her true power over the seemingly omnipotent Doro. In the meantime, they experience phenomenal adventures, enhanced by a myriad of intriguing sub-characters along their journey toward a mutual awakening. In her recent passing in 2006, this author has left behind a legacy of such awe-inspiring fiction that her memory will never fade.

Like many readers, this book was a recommendation from Uncle Orson Scott Card. Good move!
This is not sci-fi, but fantasy, with some science thrown in. I enjoyed the outroness of the book: female author, female lead, Afro-centric, several centuries ago. It is nice to have my mind stretched in other directions, not just Beowulf or Arthurian legends.
I found this book odd in this sense: the story did not accost me, but I was so interested in the story that I couldn't put it down. I finished it the day I bough it. This is quite a compliment to the authoress!
It is an interesting premise, and I had shades of Joseph Campbell in my mind. The male image is a ghost who passes from body to body, while the female is quite fixed to her mutable body. They change bodies, but one is like a hermit crab, the other is like Clayface from Batman comics.
She makes an interesting choice of images: the female with the changeable body who focuses on her children and family. The man is more ghost than Patrick Swayze, who is a destroyer-killer who possesses people, and is prolific in progeny. These are Butler's archetypes of male and female. It is an interesting position to take on explaining the genders!
There were only three hang-ups. First, Butler got quite ingenious and exquisite with the variations on sex.
The second hangup I had was Anyanwu's moral code or philosophy. she seemed to be quite free and loose with everything, except Doro's killings, and eating milk. Doro's killings, however, are of a slightly different nature than your textbook homicide. He can't help himself. He can intentionally "posses" other people, but the possession happens even if he doesn't want it to happen. It is beyond his control, so he is therefore inculpable. In fact, he is virtuous in that he sometimes tries to sublimate or direct this power of his.
Second, milk. Anyanwu only gets adamant about eating milk products. Although this adds to the outroness of the book, it is a rather odd thing to get so adamant about. She fornicates, is an enabler to Doro, changes into a dolphin and has calfs in this form, etc. But milk is the only hang up. Why?
The last hangup is the prognostication. Anyanwu seems to know everything about current science. She cuts her Fallopian tubes, understands germ theory, understands DNA and cloning, and she even makes penicillin. One or two of these would be fine, but Butler over did it.

This novel first came to my attention via a book by Orson Scott Card on how to write fiction. Mr. Card drew a handful of worthy examples of style from this book, and rightly so. Although the first chapter is by far the best on many levels, the rest of the story is fascinating and gripping. A work of speculative fiction, "Wild Seed" contains elements of history, anthropology, biology and geography combined with the genres of fantasy and science fiction. A century from now this book should be well enshrined as a classic of North American literature.

Butler was the most fearless and inventive writer in speculative fiction. She dives headfirst into a book that does what no one else was doing and examines race, sex, class, etc. through immortal beings conducting a human breeding experiment across continents and hundreds of years. It is deeply disturbing and leads to questions about what IS humanity.

The premise is original which hooks you right from the beginning. This story has many layers of meaning to it and will appeal to just about anyone. I found the character development very similar to Orson Scott Card's in terms of engaging the reader in caring about the characters. Octivia Butler often reminds me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez because of the way she weaves a bit of the supernatural into her stories. In some ways, this story is also like a Greek myth because it reveals the essence of human relationships. "Mind of My Mind" is the follow-up book and you're going to want to read it.

Just weird. Very much too obsessed with sex as breeding, with power excercised for dominance, with people reveling in their powerlessness. The immortal mind controller keeps taking on white bodies to dominate tbe protagonist.

The title character of this book is encountered in the first few books of this series. Thus it was wonderful to read a book that focuses on her and why she is so important to the "plan". A strong but yet realistic woman, readers will be able to empathize and understand if not like the choices that are made. Felt a bit slow at points and more focus onto the main character would make the book enough stronger in my humble opinion.

Octavia Butler is a first rate story teller, whose science fiction is so full of life and passion, one cannot be sure that it is really fiction. Reading her prose is akin to living in the hearts and souls of her travelers. It is imaginative, breathtaking and completely realistic and believable. Ms. Butler knows the human soul and much of its essence.
-- Andrea Nichole Ferebee, Yale Universit

This is a book that I really wanted to like. The premise is interesting and the characters have real depth. I blasted through the book in two days, with most of the reading on the second day, so I have to admit that the book was captivating. I found the ending, however, unsatisfying. The final resolution between the main characters seemed forced and abrupt to me. In spite of my misgivings, I think this book is worth reading because it is well written and I think others would probably enjoy it more than I did, particularly if character driven stories are more to your liking.

Octavia E. Butler is a wonderful writer. This book was very good, and yet I think it too be one of her lesser works. It is one of a number of books involving the character Doro, who has supernatural abilities. This particular book will disappoint readers that only like happy endings. Butler has a great command of our language and combined with a very creative imagination, all of her books are worth reading.

This is the first of three loosely linked books - Mind of My Mind and then Patternmaster, although they can be read in any order (and were not written chronologically). Butler's writing, as usual, draws you into the world and personalities she crafts immediately and doesn't let go until the book is over.
It succeeds on several different levels, aside from being a good read, she uses the story to explore the ramifications of a relationship where one person holds more power than the other, and how the less powerful people cope with this.
Its a book that can be a little disturbing at times, but certainly one that makes you think.

After reading Butler's book, I felt a rush of relief. Finally-something different! Butler's book is marvelous in its orginality. As an African American female, I couldn't help but feel overwhelemed. Though there are many fantasy stories where women are the main characters, there aren't many where they are black. It was as though black females just didn't have a place in fantasy, but after reading Butler's well-written novel, I was greatly thankful to the author. Also, the nature of Anyanwu and Doro is so original along with the complex relationship. Fantasy readers in general will love this because it's so different.

Octavia Butler's Wild Seed, like Faulkner's The Bear, is an underrated view of how human children grow up. It provides adults with a mythical story through which the adults can choose to help or destroy youth who are unaware of the choices they have the power to make as they make the transition through whatever they are challenged by or with due to the circumstances that adults may or may not have control of in their own lives. Mothers and fathers who do the work to know their own issues as the lead character knows herself, can unlock the unlimited potential of their children to survive and make a positive contribution to the pattern. Namaste

I like science fiction. But I have to say that I love Octavia Butler's books. The issues that she covers leaves the reader thinking: "What would I do in this situation?" It's not just entertainment, which she provides so well, it thought-provoking as well. I have read every one of her novels (in print and out-of-print) and her theme of change and flexibility remains constant and reassuring.

I read, and enjoyed, the _Lilith's Brood_ series by Butler. However, I found it rather depressing and oppressive. _Wild Seed_ is refreshing in comparison. She maintains her trademark for startling and unique storylines as well as characters that can often be difficult to like (a trait I admire), but this time we are lead to a comforting level of acceptance as opposed to a bleak one. Butler creates an alien world within our own, with real moral complexities that make this read extremely satisfying. This book ought to be on every thinking persons reading list.

If you want to be humbled by writing talent, buy this book. Octavia Butler manages to be succinct and brilliant. She is a master at exposition--it's so subtle, so interwoven, that you barely realize its there.
I loved the story and gobbled it all up in one sitting on an airplane. Truly impressed.

I am not a fan of Science Fiction but I am a fan of this book. I haven't read a book of any genre lately that can compete with the character development or storyline.
This book, simply put, is... fantastic. The story of Doro and Ayanawu is a story I am sure to read again and again.

The concept was interesting and the characters well drawn. However, the plot and pace weren't well done. It felt like the author was aiming for epic, but missed and ended up wandering instead. Overall, enjoyable but not stellar.

This is my first Octavia Butler read, and from the hearsay I expected greatness, and I feel like this book delivered. It was more si-fi than I thought it would be, and the metaphors used in the book are beautiful. I read the entire book in a weekend, and look forward to reading Mind of my mind, the next boook in the series.

This book is very captivating it keeps your intrest from the beginning to the end. I could really believe some of the super human things to be true.It makes you think more about your family and there origin.

I first fell in love with Kindred over 10 years ago, when it was first printed in hardback. After that I would search the bookstore shelves for any book of her's I could find. After reading over ten of her books, I believe Wildseed is her very best! The one thing I hate; I read Mind of My Mind BEFORE Wildseed. If you haven't read either, read Wildseed THEN Mind of My Mind. The next one in the series is Pattermaster, which I thought was the VERY WORST of all the books of her's I've read.

This book is in a league of its own. The content is so new. I read sci-fi and fantasy all the time and it rarely includes people of other races much less focuses on them. Not only does this book focus on an African woman it is also completely original. I have never read any book that has content that is the same as the content in this book. It is truly extaordinary and due to that book Butler has become one of my favorite authors. Now, if only I could get SURVIVORS by her....

Octavia Butler at her best! You will go through every emotion as you read this novel. The characters are very interesting. The plot will keep you guessing until the end. Butler is one of the best science fiction writers currently creating fiction.

This is probably one of my favorite books of all time! I've re-read it at least 3 times now and everytime that I do, I just get lost in the world that Octavia Butler created. Each time that I get to the end of the book, I feel a sense of loss (how will I find a new book that can so capitivate my imagination????).
I definetely recommend that you read this book - you won't be disappointed.

never have i encountered such a love hate relationship as in this book. the characters jump out of the book. ms. butler has a fantastic imagination that weaves sci-fi and ancient african culture. it is romantic and dangerous. i loved it. i just put the book down and jumped on the net to find out who else felt the same way!!

Part of the reason I love Science fiction entirely as a genre are books like this and its sequel. People who are new to science fiction need to at least own this book. It forms the possibillities of our world into one solid book. Unfortunately Anyanwu is brought up shortly in Mind of my Mind and she seems overly bitter but it is a must as well.

This was the first book I ever read by Octavia Butler - I remember staying up to 6 in the morning to finish it. The story is fantastic and I love that unlike many other science fiction and fantasy authors, she remembers that there is more race in the world.

Octavia Butler is a remarkable writer. With Wild Seed, as all of her literature, she never falls short to deliver an astonishing, riveting, and provocative story that captivates the audience. Her writing allows readers to remove themselves from the comfort of their narcissism with beliefs that the world is black and white. Her characters and situations are believable to the well educated and well cultured individual.

One of the most wonderful literary works of art I've ever read! My first true exposure to science fiction opened modes of thoughts I never believed possible. Octavia is truly a gifted writer, if only more people in the world could be exposed to her deep insight and ability to present the true basis of man and woman. I'm left in awe, hungry for more...

I thought Wild Seed, was a very interesting book. I love the way Ms. Butler visualized the life of immortals Anyanwu and Doro. There were a few misspelled words, and repeated sentences however, it was a great book.

Wild Seed was the first of her books read. After reading WS I was HOOKED. I ran out and bought the Xenogenesis series. The follow ups to WS and the only Parable book they had. I also found Kindred on EBay and bought that one as well.
This was one of the best Sci-Fi books I've ever read. It left me wanting more.

Octavia Butler has a gift for story-telling. Anyone interested in speculative fiction should give "Wild Seed" a read. I promise, you won't put it down. Her characters are engaging, and even provocative. Creative, clever, and well-written, this book will remain in my library until it becomes ragged with use.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I am not really a science fiction fan, however, I had trouble putting Wild Seed down. I stayed up late to keep reading it, and finished it in 2 days (and, yes I was going to work). You don't have to like science fiction, but you have to have an open mind... READ THIS BOOK.

I have read three of Butler's books, the Parable of the Sower, Clay's Ark and Wild Seed. This is my third favorite. Butler is an imaginative and masterful writer. I continue to be impressed by her.

I forced myself through most of the book, about 2/3rds of the way through and just couldn't make myself finish it. Didn't like the premise, story dragged. So we've got a guy who can't be killed, controlling and breeding people, and breeding people and breeding people. I wanted to get to the point where there was a hero or heroine and it just isn't getting there. I give.

Wild Seed is by far my favorite Octavia Butler book. The story telling and character development is excellent. Doro isn't likeable at all, though I tried to understand him. He is cold and ruthless. Anyawunu is his pawn, like the others. This is a very strange love story. I highly recommend this book.

'Wild Seed' seemed interesting from its description and on searching for reviews I found almost entirely praise...

On reading it however I was left uninspired and rather bored and found myself endlessly waiting for it to get to the "good bit". The author seemed to drag out everything with repetitive dialogue which left very little room for any excitement (unless you find incest exciting of course). Far from being a good sci-fi or fantasy book, Wild Seed is more of a dull drama, with the supernatural powers thrown in as a weak anchor to tie the plot together.

One can not deny that Octavia Butler has a gift for writing. But she also seems to have a voyeuristic and rather prudish attitude towards sex, which turned a good premise to a downright laughable novel.
As such, the novel does have a great deal of appeal for fellow voyeurs/prudes. I'm not at all surprised that it's a favourite with teenagers, who's idea of a good time is likely to go, "Oooh. He had sex with her. Then he made her have sex with his son. And then he had sex with her daughter (ad infinitum). This is so gross! And cool!" but are glad to be able to call the book thought-provoking, since they are prudes, who don't want to acknowledge their tendencies to voyeurism.
And the book *does* have elements of thought-provocation, in between the random pairings and pregnancies. But those are what the book's about. The final resolution is all about both, as usual, and doesn't come from anywhere but the author's decision that it's about time to end this, so we'll just say, but not *show* how the protagonists have come to peace with each other