Reading order · 4 books · 1976 to 1984 · Set in various places
Patternist Books in Order
The Patternist books trace the rise of a race of telepaths bred over centuries by Doro, an ancient being who moves from body to body.
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Series facts
- Books
- 4
- Published
- 1976 to 1984
- First book
- Patternmaster
- Latest
- Clay's Ark (1984)
- Setting
- Set in various places
- Order
- Story order differs from publication order
The reading order
Every Patternist book in publication order, with the story order a switch away. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
4 books · Set in various places
- 1Patternmaster1976With TerayIn the far future, the telepathic Patternists rule, and two brothers compete to inherit their father’s power.Buy on Amazon
- 2Mind of My Mind1977With MaryMary, one of Doro’s descendants, becomes the centre of a network linking telepaths, and challenges Doro himself.Buy on Amazon
- 3Wild Seed1980With Doro and AnyanwuIn seventeenth-century Africa, Doro, an ancient spirit who takes over human bodies and breeds people with special gifts, meets Anyanwu, a shape-shifting healer who cannot be killed.Buy on Amazon
- 4Clay's Ark1984An astronaut returns to Earth carrying an alien organism, and it begins to spread.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in story order: Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay’s Ark, then Patternmaster.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Doro | Anyanwu | Teray | Mary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Patternmaster | LLead | |||
| 2 Mind of My Mind | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | |
| 3 Wild Seed | LLead | LLead | ||
| 4 Clay's Ark |
Characters in the Patternist books
4 characters from Octavia E. Butler’s chart, with the number of Patternist books each appears in.