Psi Powers...

"The Force will be with you... always." -Ben

This is another classic Sci-Fi plot that has also moved somewhat into fantasy. The types of psionic powers (such as telepathy) have grown enormously over the past few decades, so that the diversity of choices available to authors has kept readers interested. Simply talking about telepathy is no longer enough. What happens to human society when some people have this power? When all people have it? When alien races appear who have it? The possibilities are endless

• Andre Norton
  • The Elvenbane (A halfblooded Human-Elven child has the mind powers of Humans, the magic of Elves, and the ethics of a Dragon)
• Anne McCaffrey
  • "Talent" series (Follows the evolution of the subgroup of Talented human beings- a wide variety of Talents included)
• Charles De Lint
  • The Little Country (The fantasy side of psi powers, called the "will" or "awakening")
• Jane S. Fancher
  • Ring of Lightening (Three brothers compete for a kingdom where ley lines are used instead of electricity)
• Joan D. Vinge
  • Psion (Cat was born with psi powers- anyone can tell from his eyes. And some people hate that.)
  • Catspaw (Cat and his powers are used by a wealthy family, a slum bar, and a religious cult.)
  • DreamFall (Cat finds his people, but they are dying. Can he save them, or will his existance only make things worse?)
• Julie E. Czerneda
  • A Thousand Words for Stranger (The people of the Clan look human, but they have mental powers that set them apart as a seperate race.)
• Katherine Kurtz
  • "Deryni" series (A race of the psi-talented is persecuted in a world based on medieval Europe)
  • "Adept" series (A man connected to the Masons solves mysteries)
• Lois McMaster Bujold
  • Ethan of Athos (Ethan stands on a cusp of history where the last living telepath may perish- or spawn a race of his own kind)
• Mercedes Lackey
  • "Valdemar" series (Magic and Mind-powers are two different things on this world, where Telepaths, Empaths, Healers, Bards, Farseers, and Fetchers use their talents to serve the people- mostly)
• Octavia Butler
  • Wildseed (A woman shapeshifter and a male telepath who destroys every mind he touches engage in a battle of wills stretching across time and continents)
  • Mind of My Mind (Doro, the ultimate force of destruction, has finally created a living child who he hopes will be what he was meant to become- the ruler of all telepaths)
  • Parable of the Sower (Lauren is an empath, able to feel people's pain by seeing it because of her mother's drug habit)
• Peter David
  • Q-Squared (Q has almost unlimited powers, but he cannot stop the rampaging of his out-of-control younger relative)
  • Q-in-Law (Q meets Lwaxanna Troy- and gives her some of his power so he can court her)
  • Martyr (A "New Frontiers" book. A prophet from the past entangles the Excaliber in planetary politics)
• Robert Heinlein
  • Time for the Stars (Twin telepaths are used to communicate between Earth and the faster-than-light ships leaving her)
  • Stranger in a Strange Land (Valentine Michael Smith has the body of a human and the powers of a Martian and no place to call home)
  • Assignment in Eternity (Four stories about the point of being human interwoven with the battles between good and evil, some set against a psi backdrop)
• Sheri S. Tepper
  • Grass (Two races of telepathic aliens battle each other with humans in the middle)
• Ursula K. Le Guin
  • The Lathe of Heaven (The most ordinary man in the world has dreams which can re-shape the universe)

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Last Updated: November 7, 1999

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