Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia
Wild Seed is the first book chronologically in the Patternist series, although it is the fourth published. The story centers around the main characters of Doro and Anyanwu, two immortals living in Africa. Doro is a spirit who can inhabit other people's bodies but kills them recklessly. He is breeding a race of superhumans, along with his son Issac. Anyanwu is a shapeshifting healer and one of the only beings Doro can't sense when she changes into an animal. Doro is compelled and threatened by her power, but she becomes repulsed by his callous murders. If they can work together, they have the true power to change the world. Butler's novel explores eugenics, the ethics of controlled evolution, and the creation of a black superrace through the same means colonists and enslavers used to promote white supremacy. Butler also portrayed a strong black female protagonist when they were nearly nonexistent in American literature.
First Edition Identification and Notes
Doubleday published the first edition of Wild Seed in 1980. It has "Stated First Edition" on the copyright page and Code K23 on page 246. The original cover was designed by John Cayea, an artist for Doubleday best known for his iconic cover of Stephen King's The Stand. The illustration on the first edition of Wild Seed portrays Anyanwu, the novel's female shapeshifter protagonist, transforming from an infant into a young adult.
Other Collectible or Notable Editions
Doubleday published the first edition of Wild Seed in 1980. It has "Stated First Edition" on the copyright page and Code K23 on page 246. The original cover was designed by John Cayea, an artist for Doubleday best known for his iconic cover of Stephen King's The Stand. The illustration on the first edition of Wild Seed portrays Anyanwu, the novel's female shapeshifter protagonist, transforming from an infant into a young adult.
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Available copies

Wild Seed.
by Butler, Octavia E
- Seller
- Raptis Rare Books
- Published
- 1980
- Item Price
-
$3,000.00
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Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1980. First edition of the fourth book in the Patternist series. Octavo, original boards. Boldly signed by Octavia E. Butler on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket illustration by John Cayea. Jacket Typography by Dennis McClellan. An exceptional example. The fourth book in Butler's Patternist series, Wild Seed… Read more
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$3,000.00

Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
- Published
- 1980
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$2,200.00
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Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1980. First Edition. Near Fine/Near Fine. First edition, first printing. Signed by Octavia E. Butler on the title page. Near Fine with light remainder spray to bottom textblock edge, faint toning to pages, faint shelf wear, in a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket. Though this is the fourth published book in… Read more
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$2,200.00

Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
- Seller
- Gavin's Books
- Published
- July 1980
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- ISBN
- 9780385151603
- Item Price
-
$303.75
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Doubleday , July 1980. First Edition. Hardcover. Used - Good/Good. Stated first edition; light edgewear to dust jacket, minor scuffing to covers, name of former owners inscribed on ffep, book block otherwise clean and square, binding good.
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- funyettabooks
- Published
- 1980
- Condition
- Collectible-Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- ISBN
- 9780385151603
- Item Price
-
$250.00
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Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Co Inc, 1980. Clean and tight. Sharp corners. Slight slant. Ex-library copy with a clean pocket on the last page. Withdrawn stamped on the title page and on the inside of the back cover. Library number stamped on the title page. Faint tape marks on the boards. Library… Read more
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$250.00

Wild Seed
by Octavia E Butler
- Seller
- Rare Collections
- Published
- 1980
- Condition
- Very Good+ in Fine dust jacket
- Edition
- First English Edition; First Printing
- Item Price
-
$195.00
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London: Sidgwick & Jackson. Very Good+ in Fine dust jacket. 1980. First English Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. The uncommon 1st UK hardcover. VG+ or better book. Bright clean boards, tight binding and internally clean. Some foxing on the top edge and the slightest of leans. A fine dust jacket, unclipped with no obvious defects. Now in a… Read more
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780739456880
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$130.67
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Hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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Wild Seed (Patternist)
by Octavia E. Butler
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- jonny8books
- Published
- 1988
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- 1st printing
- ISBN
- 9780445205376
- Item Price
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$90.00
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1989 Questar Mass Market Paperback. 1st printing. Pages clean, unmarked & bright. Upper right corner has small ding, else cover wraps glossy. Binding tight, straight & not creased. In tight, unread condition.
Hugo and Nebula Award winning author.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 2001-04-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
- Item Price
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$75.23
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Grand Central Publishing, 2001-04-01. Paperback. New. New.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780446606721
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$68.50
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Mass Market Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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Wild Seed (Patternist)
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780445205376
- Item Price
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$61.80
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Mass Market Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
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- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 2005-08-01
- Condition
- Used: Good
- ISBN
- 9780739456880
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$56.61
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Science Fiction Book Club, 2005-08-01. Hardcover. Used: Good.
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Wild Seed (SFBC 50th Anniversary Collection)
by Octavia E. Butler
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- First Class Used Books
- Published
- 2005
- Condition
- Very Good
- ISBN
- 9780739456880
- Item Price
-
$50.00
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Science Fiction Book Club, 2005. 245 pages. There are no marks or writing in the book. Very light wear to the corners. Light wear top of spine. Spine is tight and there are no loose pages. Dust jacket has very light wear. Cover colors are bright.. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
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$42.77
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Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
- Seller
- Moe's Books
- Published
- 2005
- Condition
- Very good
- ISBN
- 9780739456880
- Item Price
-
$40.00
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SFBC, 2005. Hard cover. Very good/Very good. Jacket is very lightly worn along edges. Circular indentation on jacket back cover and back cover board. Spine is bumped, but binding is tight. Inside is clean and unmarked.
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E
- Seller
- Second Flight Books
- Published
- 2005-01-01
- Condition
- VGood
- ISBN
- 9780739456880
- Item Price
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$37.00
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2005-01-01. VGood.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
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$29.83
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Paperback. New. Brand New.
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
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- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 2001-04-01
- Condition
- Used:Good
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
- Item Price
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$25.49
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Grand Central Publishing, 2001-04-01. Paperback. Used:Good.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- Phillybooks COM LLC
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
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$24.92
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New. .
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- BookCorner COM LLC
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
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$24.92
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New. .
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- BookCorner COM LLC
- Condition
- UsedLikeNew
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
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$24.16
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UsedLikeNew. Remainder mark
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
- Seller
- BooksEntirely
- Published
- 2020-03-17
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
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$23.95
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Grand Central Publishing, 2020-03-17. Paperback. Good.
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
- Seller
- AMMAREAL
- Published
- 2001
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
- Item Price
-
$23.94
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Grand Central Publishing, 2001. Paperback. Good. Slight signs of wear on the cover. Ammareal gives back up to 15% of this book's net price to charity organizations.
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$23.94

Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- A Good Read
- Published
- 2020
- Condition
- New with No dust jacket as issued
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
-
$22.99
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Grand Central Publishing. New with No dust jacket as issued. 2020. Paperback. 1538751488 . A Good Read ships from Toronto and Niagara Falls, NY - customers outside of North America please allow two to three weeks for delivery.; Patternist, 1; 8.0 X 5.1 X 0.8 inches; 320 pages .
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
- Seller
- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 1999-02-01
- Condition
- Used: Good
- ISBN
- 9780446606721
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$22.01
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Aspect, 1999-02-01. Mass Market Paperback. Used: Good.
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Wild Seed (Patternists)
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- Eureka Books
- Published
- 2020
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
-
$21.24
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Grand Central Publishing, 2020. Trade Paperback. A new copy.
In an epic, game-changing, moving and brilliant story of love and hate, two immortals chase each other across continents and centuries, binding their fates together -- and changing the destiny of the human race (Viola Davis). Doro knows no higher authority than himself. An ancient spirit with boundless powers,… Read more
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
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- BooksEntirely
- Published
- 2001-04-01
- Condition
- Good
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- 9780446676977
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$20.95
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Grand Central Publishing, 2001-04-01. Paperback. Good.
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E
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- Magers and Quinn Booksellers
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
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$20.66
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Grand Central Publishing. New. Brand New.
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E.
- Seller
- Revaluation Books
- Published
- 2020
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
-
$19.93
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Grand Central Pub, 2020. Paperback. New. reissue edition. 307 pages. 8.00x5.25x1.00 inches.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
- Seller
- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 2020-03-17
- Condition
- Used:Good
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- 9781538751480
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$18.23
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Grand Central Publishing, 2020-03-17. Paperback. Used:Good.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
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- Ergodebooks
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- 2020-03-17
- Condition
- Used:Good
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- 9781538751480
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$17.05
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Grand Central Publishing, 2020-03-17. Paperback. Used:Good.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
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- Last Word Books
- Published
- 2020-03-17
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
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$16.99
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Grand Central Publishing, 2020-03-17. Paperback. New. Thank you for supporting Last Word Books and independent bookstores. Trade paperback. Brand new. Last Word Books & Press is an independent bookstore and small press located in Olympia, Washington.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
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- Russell Books Ltd
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
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$16.99
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Grand Central Publishing. New. Special order direct from the distributor
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
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- Borderlands Books
- Published
- 3/17/2020
- Condition
- New (Condition varies from Fine to Near Fine. Please inquire as to specific condition)
- Edition
- Later Edition
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
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$16.99
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Grand Central Publishing, 3/17/2020. Later Edition. Trade Paperback (i.e. 5-6 by 8-9 inch softcover). New (Condition varies from Fine to Near Fine. Please inquire as to specific condition)/N/A (volume is softcover). Novel … Read more
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Octavia E. Butler
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- ThriftBooks
- Published
- 1999
- Condition
- Acceptable
- ISBN
- 9780446606721
- Item Price
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$16.30
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Grand Central Publishing, 1999. Mass Market Paperback. Acceptable. Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Wild Seed (Patternist)
by Octavia E. Butler
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- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 1988-12-01
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780445205376
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$15.75
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Grand Central Publishing, 1988-12-01. Mass Market Paperback. Good.
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Wild Seed (Patternists)
by Octavia E. Butler
- Seller
- The Book Store
- Published
- March 2020
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
- Item Price
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$14.44
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Grand Central Publishing, March 2020. Trade Paperback. New. Shipping fee applies to first book, there is no additional shipping fee for addition books from our store. All of our books are in clean, readable condition (unless noted otherwise). Our books generally have a store sticker on the inside cover with our in store pricing. Being used books,… Read more
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Wild Seed (The Patternist Series)
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- The Monster Bookshop
- Published
- 2021-01-21
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781472280992
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$13.67
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Headline, 2021-01-21. Paperback. New. 2.7979 cent in x 19.1854 cent in x 12.5904 cent in.
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E
- Seller
- Massive Bookshop
- Published
- 3/17/20
- Condition
- New
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- 9781538751480
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$13.59
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Grand Central Publishing, 3/17/20. Paperback. New.
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Wild Seed (Patternist)
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- SecondSale
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780445205376
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$13.44
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Popular Library. Used - Good. Item in good condition and has highlighting/writing on text. Used texts may not contain supplemental items such as CDs, info-trac etc...
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E
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- Better World Books
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
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$12.91
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Grand Central Publishing. Used - Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
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Wild Seed (Patternist)
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- SecondSale
- Condition
- Used - Good
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- 9780445205376
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$12.11
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Popular Library. Used - Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc...
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- BooksRun
- Condition
- Good
- Edition
- Reissue
- ISBN
- 9781538751480
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$11.19
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Grand Central Publishing. Reissue. Good. Good. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- Books4Cause Inc.
- Published
- 2001-04-01
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
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$10.96
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Grand Central Publishing, 2001-04-01. Paperback. Good. 0.8000 in x 7.8000 in x 5.0000 in. Cover has some wear. Page edges have some marks.
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Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E.
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- Ambis Enterprises LLC
- Condition
- New
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$10.90
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Grand Central Publishing. New. BRAND NEW, GIFT QUALITY! NOT OVERSTOCKS OR MARKED UP REMAINDERS! DIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER! SHIPS IN STURDY CARDBOARD PACKAGING!
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$10.90

Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Butler, Octavia E
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- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 2020-03-17
- Condition
- Used: Good
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- 9781538751480
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$10.62
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Grand Central Publishing, 2020-03-17. Paperback. Used: Good.
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Wild Seed
by Octavia E. Butler
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- Ergodebooks
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- 2001-04-01
- Condition
- Used: Good
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- 9780446676977
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$7.60
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Grand Central Publishing, 2001-04-01. Paperback. Used: Good.
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E
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- Better World Books
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
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$7.30
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Grand Central Publishing. Used - Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
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$7.30

Wild Seed (Patternist, 1)
by Octavia E. Butler
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- Discover Books
- Condition
- LIKE NEW
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
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$6.82
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Grand Central Publishing. Paperback. LIKE NEW. Like new, very light shelf wear.
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Wild Seed
by Butler, Octavia E
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- More Than Words Inc.
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN
- 9780446676977
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$1.59
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Grand Central Publishing. Used - Very Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
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