Patternmaster Notes

Fourth Patternist novel chronologically, first written

Characters

• Teray – Son of the current Patternmaster (one of possibly a hundred or more). Main character of the novel. Eventually he ends up as Patternmaster (thanks to his ability to kill Clayark mutants more efficiently), despite claiming throughout that he does not wish to become involved with politics.
• Iray – Teray’s betrothed. Eventually, she abandons him for a position within Lord Coransee.
• Lord Coranesee – Another of the Pattermaster’s son and the chief candidate to replace the Patternmaster who is dying of the Clayark plague.

Themes

• Slavery
• Progress

Plot

Set in a future in which the world has become divided into the territory of Clayark mutants and the Pattern (a feudal society of telepaths who rule over non-telepathic humans as lords rule of serfs). Teray leaves school and is indentured in the house of Lord Coransee thanks to some sneaky politicking by Coransee.

Eventually, Teray escapes with Amber (a free healer (and a lesbian, which is an important plot point)) to get to the Patternmaster and plead the case against Coransee (who has begun eliminating rivals for the position of Patternmaster before the current leader is dead (which is forbidden (all the children of the Patternmaster usually fight for the position when the current leader is dead)). Eventually, there’s a showdown between Coransee and Teray, which ends with Teray killing Coransee and becoming Patternmaster (obviously).

Thoughts

Despite the rather obvious plot, this book is really quite surprising. Following the Clayark plague (we learn in later novels), human civilization has crumbled and the few uninfected who are not part of the Pattern are enslaved as brainwashed tools of the Patternist telepaths.

Additionally, both sides in the conflict (Clayark and Patternist) have regressed to a semi-feudal state (riding on horses, possessing only primitive flintlock rifles). Further, the human world as we know it has become a myth (the Patternists scoff at the idea that mundane humans could have built anything like a sky scraper). Very interesting and provocative book: amongst Butler’s best.