Psi Fiction [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psi Fiction [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
crizhII
06-22-07, 05:49 PM I was looking at the Metaconcert thread and it got me to thinking about where I'd first heard that word. First place I remember seeing it was in Julian May's 'Pliocene Exile Saga.'

Sadly under-rated I think, and that got me to wondering what sort of fiction of a psionic flavour the rest of you are reading?

Any favourites, classics or unknown gems that you can recommend for fans of Psionics?

Like I said Julian May's early stuff is amazing, some of MZB's Darkover work is amazing and even a few of Anne McCaffreys works are worth a read. What have you guys read that helped you 'to stop worrying and love the Psionics'?
InkBlot
06-22-07, 06:29 PM Generaly speaking, I don't enjoy psuedo-medieval fantasy literature.

Let's see... there was a series of novels set in ancient China (or some similar fantastical place) about a sea dragon who is cursed and trapped in the form of a human girl. She goes on adventures trying to regain her original form, traveling through many kingdoms of humans, dragons, and demons. The magic in these books was more like psionics than anything else.

A Wrinkle In Time. In this book, three smart British siblings are whisked across the universe by strange beings to go on strange adventures through strange places. There are battles of will and the big scary thing at the end of the book is not unlike the Dreaming Dark, complete with his own creepily utopian planet of mind-controlled people. Also, there's a happy medium.

The Hobbit. The dragon Smaug's attempts to confuse and overwhelm Bilbo's puny hobbit mind.

The Shadow, mysterious character who aides the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man about town. Several years ago, in the orient Cranston, learned a strange and mysterious secret, the power to cloud men's minds so they can not see him.

I'm sure there were others, but honestly my fantasy comes as much from television, videogames, movies, and old stories my father and grandfather told me. Few if any of these featured knights in shining armor and elderly wizards with long white beards and robes. Peter Pan, for instance, only needs to think of happy thoughts to fly - and he just flies! If that's not psionic power than I don't know what is.
AntiDjinn
06-22-07, 07:17 PM Julian May's Pliocene Exile series and Frank Herbert's Dune series appear to be major influences on 3.X D&D psionics. I sometimes also detect elements of Andre Norton as well (she is known for combining elements of fantasy and science fiction in her stories; the Witchworld of her fantasy stories was even revealed to be Wyvern, the psionic planet from some of her sci fi works).
axenome
06-22-07, 08:10 PM "Stop worrying and love the psionics?"

You've seen Dr. Strangelove too many times.

As a companion to A Wrinkle in Time, also try A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. All three continue the same story and it is extremely well written, although you need not read them in sequence and I did not- each can be read as its own stand alone. Still, to read them together is fairly amazing, Madelaine L'Engel (Sp? I no longer own the books, sadly) is a truly fantastic author.
metatheurgist
06-23-07, 02:37 AM If you don't mind horror, Brian Lumley's Necroscope series is all about psionic spies. Also has a refreshing unromantic take on vampires and werewolves; they eat people and revel in violence as opposed to dressing like goths and spending large amounts of time sighing about eternity (not that theres anything wrong with that!).

'The 30' in David Gemmel's Drenai books are closer to psionicists than traditional magicians, but they aren't the main thread of his stories. And David Gemmel is a great author regardless of the topic at hand.
Rageheart
06-23-07, 11:26 PM If you don't mind horror, Brian Lumley's Necroscope series is all about psionic spies.

Yes! Awesome pick.

I also like The Saga of Recluse (http://www.travelinlibrarian.info/recluce/recluce/index.html) by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. for a definate Psionic feel to the "Magic".
Tyroki
06-23-07, 11:35 PM Lots of psionic sorts of things in Anime and Manga ^^
Melayl
06-24-07, 03:47 AM Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar novels.
Thomar_of_Uointer
06-24-07, 02:45 PM Kieth Baker's novels for the Eberron setting do some fun things with psionics. The main character gets mind seeded in the first book of The Dreaming Dark (the only one I've read too).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
crizhII 06-22-07, 05:49 PM	I was looking at the Metaconcert thread and it got me to thinking about where I'd first heard that word. First place I remember seeing it was in Julian May's 'Pliocene Exile Saga.' Sadly under-rated I think, and that got me to wondering what sort of fiction of a psionic flavour the rest of you are reading? Any favourites, classics or unknown gems that you can recommend for fans of Psionics? Like I said Julian May's early stuff is amazing, some of MZB's Darkover work is amazing and even a few of Anne McCaffreys works are worth a read. What have you guys read that helped you 'to stop worrying and love the Psionics'?
InkBlot 06-22-07, 06:29 PM	Generaly speaking, I don't enjoy psuedo-medieval fantasy literature. Let's see... there was a series of novels set in ancient China (or some similar fantastical place) about a sea dragon who is cursed and trapped in the form of a human girl. She goes on adventures trying to regain her original form, traveling through many kingdoms of humans, dragons, and demons. The magic in these books was more like psionics than anything else. A Wrinkle In Time. In this book, three smart British siblings are whisked across the universe by strange beings to go on strange adventures through strange places. There are battles of will and the big scary thing at the end of the book is not unlike the Dreaming Dark, complete with his own creepily utopian planet of mind-controlled people. Also, there's a happy medium. The Hobbit. The dragon Smaug's attempts to confuse and overwhelm Bilbo's puny hobbit mind. The Shadow, mysterious character who aides the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man about town. Several years ago, in the orient Cranston, learned a strange and mysterious secret, the power to cloud men's minds so they can not see him. I'm sure there were others, but honestly my fantasy comes as much from television, videogames, movies, and old stories my father and grandfather told me. Few if any of these featured knights in shining armor and elderly wizards with long white beards and robes. Peter Pan, for instance, only needs to think of happy thoughts to fly - and he just flies! If that's not psionic power than I don't know what is.
AntiDjinn 06-22-07, 07:17 PM	Julian May's Pliocene Exile series and Frank Herbert's Dune series appear to be major influences on 3.X D&D psionics. I sometimes also detect elements of Andre Norton as well (she is known for combining elements of fantasy and science fiction in her stories; the Witchworld of her fantasy stories was even revealed to be Wyvern, the psionic planet from some of her sci fi works).
axenome 06-22-07, 08:10 PM	"Stop worrying and love the psionics?" You've seen Dr. Strangelove too many times. As a companion to A Wrinkle in Time, also try A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. All three continue the same story and it is extremely well written, although you need not read them in sequence and I did not- each can be read as its own stand alone. Still, to read them together is fairly amazing, Madelaine L'Engel (Sp? I no longer own the books, sadly) is a truly fantastic author.
metatheurgist 06-23-07, 02:37 AM	If you don't mind horror, Brian Lumley's Necroscope series is all about psionic spies. Also has a refreshing unromantic take on vampires and werewolves; they eat people and revel in violence as opposed to dressing like goths and spending large amounts of time sighing about eternity (not that theres anything wrong with that!). 'The 30' in David Gemmel's Drenai books are closer to psionicists than traditional magicians, but they aren't the main thread of his stories. And David Gemmel is a great author regardless of the topic at hand.
Rageheart 06-23-07, 11:26 PM	If you don't mind horror, Brian Lumley's Necroscope series is all about psionic spies. Yes! Awesome pick. I also like The Saga of Recluse (http://www.travelinlibrarian.info/recluce/recluce/index.html) by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. for a definate Psionic feel to the "Magic".
Tyroki 06-23-07, 11:35 PM	Lots of psionic sorts of things in Anime and Manga ^^
Melayl 06-24-07, 03:47 AM	Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar novels.
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-24-07, 02:45 PM	Kieth Baker's novels for the Eberron setting do some fun things with psionics. The main character gets mind seeded in the first book of The Dreaming Dark (the only one I've read too).