Butler's works to date are all related to one another, in spite of their extreme superficial differences. The recurring characters, themes, and other intertextual relationships among Butler's novels become somewhat clearer with the publication of Dreamer, especially in light of Butler's remarks about the overall plan of his fiction. It is clear now, for example, that with each new title Butler is "filling in" a piece of a very large tapestry that stretches in temporal terms from John Shade's origins in the eighteenth century until the setting of Nightshade on Mars three and a half centuries later, or perhaps until Mandrake's ultimate perspective as narrator of Nightshade some 300,000 years in the future, long after the human species has evolved into spirit.

By filling in a piece of the larger puzzle, the publication of Dreamer and the remarks about Butler's overall plan in his fiction clarify the...