Mind of My Mind
by Octavia Butler

Reviewed by James A. Hoopes

Mental telepathy has been a favorite subject of science fiction writers for a long time. But few have explored this phenomenon as extensively or as clearly as Octavia Butler does in "Mind of My Mind." Butler has developed an intricate and entertaining narrative about a telepathic network in contemporary times.

Some 4,000 years ago, during the time of the Egyptian pharaohs, Doro, the child of Nubian farmers, discovers that he is immortal. By feeding on the life essence of another person, Doro can occupy that person's body. He also discovers that he has latent telepathic powers.

Over the centuries, Doro formulates a plan to create a race of telepaths. He begins with a breeding plan to produce active telepaths, but runs into two problems. The first is an "active" can not tolerate physical proximity to another active without killing each other. The second is that actives can be produced only every other generation.

Finally, after centuries of crossbreeding, Doro produces Mary, the ultimate active telepath. He believes that Mary is the only active capable of establishing a link with another active without either of them killing the other. It seems that as Mary passed through "transition" (a kind of telepathic puberty), a mental pattern linking her with. all the other actives was formed. She discovers immense power. While she is able to read the thoughts of the others, her thoughts can not be read unless she allows them to be.

Doro gives Mary free rein in organizing the other actives and she soon forms a community of actives who call themselves "Patternists." Eventually, they take control of the town government and its people, causing Doro to fear that perhaps Mary has become too powerful. The climax of the book is the struggle between Doro and Mary for control of the Patternist colony.

Butler tells this tale in a very free flowing manner. She has thought out the problems telepathic people may experience and has developed logical ways to solve them.

Butler's characterization of Mary as an assertive Black woman who demonstrates her governing and management skills by organizing the Patternists is particularly thorough. Although Butler does not dwell on race, she does tackle the subject several times. For example, Doro forces Mary to marry a White active. And Doro explains at one point that he has been so many races, that skin color ceases to be important. Could Butler be making a much broader comment about race and racial distinctions?

While not as challenging or as daring as "Dhalgren," "Mind of My Mind" does feature a smooth, easy to read style and a precise plot. It's a great book to curl up with on a rainy Sunday afternoon.