Mind of My Mind (1977) Signed First Edition Reference

Mind of My Mind is the second published novel in Butler’s Patternist series. Published by Doubleday in 1977, it tells the origin story of the Pattern — the telepathic network that governs the society depicted in Patternmaster. The novel centers on Mary, a young Black woman in contemporary Los Angeles, and Doro, the four-thousand-year-old immortal who has been selectively breeding telepaths for millennia.

The Book

The Doro-Mary conflict establishes Butler’s signature dynamic: the relationship between a powerful, controlling figure and the individual who must either submit, rebel, or find a third way. Mary’s creation of the Pattern — which links all telepaths into a network under her control — represents both liberation and a new form of domination. Butler never offered easy resolutions to these power dynamics.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Doubleday, New York Publication date: 1977 Format: Hardcover in dust jacket

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition, fine/fine: $500–$1,500
• Unsigned first edition: $100–$300

The Patternist novels are increasingly sought as a complete set. Mind of My Mind is the strongest novel in the early series and benefits from the Doro character, who is one of Butler’s most memorable creations.