Paperback, 306 pages

English language

Published April 1, 2001 by Warner Books.

ISBN:
978-0-446-67697-7
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4 stars (62 reviews)

Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflex or design. He fears no one until he meets Anyanwu. Anyanwu is a shapeshifter who can absorb bullets and heal with a kiss and savage anyone who threatens her. She fears no one until she meets Doro. Together they weave a pattern of destiny (from Africa to the New World) unimaginable to mortals.

13 editions

Review of "Wild Seed"

5 stars

I finished this one a little over two weeks ago. This was the first book I've read by Octavia Butler, and I don't think it will be my last.

Sci-fi and fantasy aren't my usual genre preference (though, now I'm not sure I even have a preference), so I wasn't sure initially how I'd like this book.

The pacing and language of the book was skilled and enjoyable; I really felt like I was sitting down and listening to a story over a fire. The book explores themes of power, control, and freedom, and challenges traditional ideas of morality. Following the relationship of two immortal Africans over a hundred years, the book also speaks to larger social and cultural issues.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn the book was published in 1980. Some books do not age well–usually due to standardized sexism, racism, or homophobia of that writer's era–but I …

Review of 'Wild Seed' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

“Short-lived people, people who could die, did not know what enemies loneliness and boredom could be.”

I read Wild Seed for a book club in December. First of all, can we talk about how amazing the Open Road cover is? Major kudos to whoever designed that, and the other covers in the series. It certainly conveys the perfect atmosphere for this book, which centers a centuries-long power struggle between two immortal beings, Anyanwu and Doro. This is my first Octavia Butler book, and so I had no expectations, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. Immortality is a common SFF trope but the way Butler explores it in this novel leads the reader through a lot of philosophical and moral questions to ponder, which enlivens the experience. There were some weird aspects to this book, but overall I quite liked it.The characters are distinct and compelling—Anyanwu and Doro from …

Review of 'Wild Seed' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

It took me a little bit to get into this one, but I got more invested as it went on.

The plot is a bit odd structurally since it’s really this extended power struggle between Doro and Anyanwu. It’s episodic though there is the overarching trajectory of their relationship changing. I wasn’t totally sold on Anyanwu’s love for Doro, but I could understand it especially toward the end. The pain she feels as people she loves keep dying. Doro is the only companion she has that stays through the years. I appreciate that in some ways Anyanwu has gained power over Doro, but I don’t like that she feels this responsibility to change him or keep him from being as awful as he could be. Kind of gross, but I’m not sure how Octavia wants me to feel about it.

I highlighted mostly different points of dialogue between Doro and …

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Subjects

  • African American women -- Fiction
  • Women healers -- Fiction

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