Clay's Ark

Huh, in some ways this book is a rewrite of Mind of My Mind. Slightly different sci-fi connection between people. And this story and the characters are better executed. But at its core it's a form of intentional society between people who have been enhanced with extra powers, exploring what that might look like.

And similar themes. Particularly the idea of being coerced into liking things (by alien microbes this time, not telepathy). This gets really uncomfortable when it's sexuality, all through this book are girls and women being compelled to have sex with men they don't want to but liking it anyway because of some external influence. Just awful! This is a recurring trope with Butler (see also Imago) and I can't tell if it's a feminist criticism, a personal fantasy, or maybe some of both.