Ramatoulie
asked:
Is it better to read the Patternmaster series in chronological order or the order in which they were published?
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Wild Seed,
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Laura
I am in a bookclub and we just read Wild Seed #1, so I am now reading them in chronological order, but I really wish I could go back and read them in the published order. I think it is probably a personal preference, but as I was reading Wild Seed (before I knew anything about the series), I guessed it was a prequel and when I found out it was, I wished I had read it as such.
Tomislav
The author’s legacy site (https://www.octaviabutler.com/frequen...) gives a third option, and I followed that. It is:
Book #1: Wild Seed, chronology #1, published 1980.
Book #2: Mind of My Mind, chronology #2, published 1977.
Book #3: Clay’s Ark, chronology #3, published 1984.
Book #4: Patternmaster, chronology #4, published 1976.
Book #5, out of print: Survivor, chronology #3.5, published 1978.
Book #1: Wild Seed, chronology #1, published 1980.
Book #2: Mind of My Mind, chronology #2, published 1977.
Book #3: Clay’s Ark, chronology #3, published 1984.
Book #4: Patternmaster, chronology #4, published 1976.
Book #5, out of print: Survivor, chronology #3.5, published 1978.
Kiarra
I've only just finished Wild Seed, but if Anyanwu and Doro are in the other books, which I suspect they are, I would definitely recommend Wild Seed first (and therefore chronological order). Not only is it what the author intended, but Wild Seed is a beautifully complex book and knowing what happens with the characters at it's start would, in my opinion, ruin the experience.
Robin
That’s an interesting idea. I’ve only ever read it in the order the author intended. But I’m constantly rereading her work. I must remember next time to read her books (and other works) in the order she wrote them.
Heather
I have also just read them in chronological order and wish I had read them in publication order. On the one hand, reading them in publication order means spoilers, to be sure, but there's also a lot to be said for the "oh, THAT's how!" revelation of a prequel. Also, the books get more thoughtful in publication order, which means some jarring leaps in style and character treatment from one book to the next in chronological order. With publication order, I think it's easier not to need continuity.
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