SF Influences on Psionic Scenarios

[alex_greene]

I've always been fascinated by psionics in SF. I loved how the Psion career in Traveller described the Psions' goals as "focusing on Psionic development at the expense of more conventional careers."

And recently. whilst browsing the Baen Free Library, I came across electronic format eBooks written by the late James H Schmitz, one of my favourite authors to cover the idea of the career-minded Psion character.

Telzey Amberdon's Psion character is, like Phillip Lynx in Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth series of books, a psionicaly-gifted child prodigy growing up more or less alone, kept apart from the rest of humanity by immense psionic potential.

But like typical citizens of Schmitz's Hub and Foster's Commonwealth, the characters aren't out there trying to save the Universe - at least, not at first. They're out shopping for supplies, or taking a break from college, or flying a cargo run around a typhoon, or enjoying recreational target practice down at a commercial shooting range.

Just going about their business. And they're all Travellers.

I commend James H Schmitz's Telzey Amberdon and Hub, and also Phillip Lynx / Pip and the Humanx Commonwealth, to the house.

Anyone else got similar inspirations on the topic of Psions to share?

 

[rust]

Psionics are very rare in our settings and campaigns, but now and then
a player insists on playing a psion character, and I do allow rare cases
of empathy and telepathy in my setting.

"Required" (highly recommended) reading for the players of psion cha-
racters in our campaign is Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg, because
- in my opinion - it gives a very good impression what it really would be
like to be a telepath:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_Inside

 

[iainjcoleman]

Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man is an absolute must-read.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

All good suggestions.

I also recommend the obvious, Babylon 5.

While not strictly about psions, it does give a realistic (IMHO) of how society would react to telepathy.

And lets face it, Telepathy is the ONE psion ability that people are really afraid of. Telekinesis? No big deal, makes construction easier, but reading my mind? THAT is what people are afraid of.

 

[GypsyComet]

Teleportation and Jaunting: read "The Stars My Destination" by Alfred Bester.

Computer Empathy: "Coils" by Saberhagen and Zelazny

Telekinesis: "Journeys of McGill Feighan" (three books: Caverns, Reefs, and Lava) by Kevin O'Donnell Jr.

 

[Maedhros]

C.S. Friedman's "In Conquest Born" gives a good look at how psions integrated into a military society might look like...

 

[kristof65]

I'll second the recommendation for In Conquest Born. There is a sequel book, too, but I can't remember the title of it.

Don't forget Dune for an example of how Psions who are valuable might stick together and form a guild.

And lets face it, Telepathy is the ONE psion ability that people are really afraid of. Telekinesis? No big deal, makes construction easier, but reading my mind? THAT is what people are afraid of.

Agreed. But other Psionic abilities may be frowned upon as well.

Teleportation will be viewed with suspicion because of the places it "allows' one to access - look at the movie Jumper for an example.

Pyrokinesis will also be some what feared - Firestarter, anyone?

Another good reference for how people might be battling to "control" those with "supernatural" abilities is the TV Show Heroes

 

[AndrewW]

There's the various Talent books by Anne McCaffrey.

The Saga of Pliocene Exile by Julian May.

 

[GypsyComet]

Note that some of these are more useful for the "place in society" cues than the use of the powers themselves. This is due to the fairly low power level (most editions of) Traveller ascribes to psionics. Having seen the effects of having one high power character in a group of mundanes, I have no problems with Traveller's approach.

 

[Jeff Hopper]

Larry Niven's "Gil the ARM" stories and "A Gift From Earth" from his known space series. Both deal with psionics nicely.

I'd also recommend "The Theory and Practice of Teleportation" by Niven as well for a good paper on how teleportation affects a society.

 

[kristof65]

Note that some of these are more useful for the "place in society" cues than the use of the powers themselves.

I thought that's what the thread was about...place in society references.

Probably because I find the ramifications more interesting than the use.

 

[GypsyComet]

Note that some of these are more useful for the "place in society" cues than the use of the powers themselves.

I thought that's what the thread was about...place in society references.

The OP asked for inspirations re psionics :roll: . Some of the examples given in later posts are basically superhuman, especially compared to what Traveller psions are capable of.

 

[kristof65]

I should have put a smiley face in there...