Where are they now: science fiction with weird psychic phenomena

[mrissa]

So I just finished reading a Peter Dickinson novel that had psychics in it. And it reminded me once again: where did all the science fiction novels with psychics go? I’m not sure I miss them. There are still some places you can find things like telekinetics-mostly superpower-tinged stories like Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith’s Stranger.

Comments

[sraun]

I admit I don't see a lot of it any more, but Lee & Miller's Liaden Universe is going strong and keeping it going there. But that's a universe that dates back to the late 80's.

[elsmi]

I wouldn't really classify the Liaden stuff as being in the same category as the psi books listed above, either. It's very much a story-logic-based fantasy magic system, with all kinds of quirky amorphous powers that sometimes overlap the stuff that shows up in psi novels. But you definitely don't have anyone as a matter of course scanning others' thoughts, or people chatting over mental links.

[rezendi]

I've wondered this myself. Armchair theory: we now fantasize about personal magic powers as mediated either by technology (Clarke's Law style) or community (joining the ranks of vampires, werewolves, etc., urban fantasy style.) Psi powers are yesterday's pre-networked zeitgeist.

[mrissa]

Oh great, now I'm going to go off and think about Psychic Twitter.

[swan_tower]

That's a premise for a horror novel if I ever saw one. O_O

[arkuat]

Octavia Butler's early novels about telepaths, for instance.

John W Campbell

[eileenlufkin]

John W Campbell believed in psychic powers and would pay for science fiction stories that included them.

Re: John W Campbell

[arkuat]

JWC has a lot to answer for, really.

Re: John W Campbell

[dancinghorse]

I dunno, my grandmother was in one of those studies. She was...different.

[shana]

I believe that Jim Baen wouldn't buy anything with psi. (The Liaden books were a special case; the psychic stuff was subtle and they had an established fan base.)

Jacey Bedford's new book, Empire of Dust, is called a "psi-tech" novel. I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

[rosefox]

Here, have some near-future SF with psychics:

http://www.boneseasonbooks.com/

I see a LOT of psychic powers in romance and a surprising amount in mystery. Don't remember the last time I saw them in SF without some sort of nanoexplanation, though.

[anef]

Hmm - I read the first one and classified it firmly as fantasy. Its antecedents seem to be pretty clearly Twilight, and a couple of other fantasy blockbusters that I can't bring to mind at the moment. "The Host" on the other hand (Stephenie Meyer) I would call SF, and it reminded me very much of early Anne McCaffrey.