Telepathy/reading minds/hearing thoughts

merper · Jul 19, 2007

Can anyone recommend any sci-fi or fantasy novels that provide a good picture of a society that's telepathic? Not just a I-can-talk-without-my-mouth-opening thing, but a situation where even your thoughts aren't really secure from the people around you or the people you know. I'm not looking for a top down Big Brother type system either, but more egalitarian, where even the government can be watched back(wouldn't that be great now

)

Thanks.

DarthIggy · Jul 20, 2007

Check out the Wayfarer's Redemption series by Sara Douglass.
The telepathy in it doesn't really come to the forefront until the second and third novels and really doesn't play a huge roll. Not everyone has the ability.

Here is the link to the author's site:
http://www.saradouglass.com/atrilogy.html

Roger J Carlson · Jul 20, 2007

merper said:
Can anyone recommend any sci-fi or fantasy novels that provide a good picture of a society that's telepathic? Not just a I-can-talk-without-my-mouth-opening thing, but a situation where even your thoughts aren't really secure from the people around you or the people you know. I'm not looking for a top down Big Brother type system either, but more egalitarian, where even the government can be watched back(wouldn't that be great now )

Thanks.

It's an old one, but one of the best: The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester.

Interesting side note: In the Babylon 5 TV series, the main Psi-cop villian (played by Walter Konig) was also named Alfred Bester in tribute to the author.

Sassee · Jul 20, 2007

There are some dragon novels that have something like you describe... one in particular, but I can't remember the title for the life of me. I just know the dragons had to guard their thoughts, and they had to be careful about how they "projected" their inner voice at each other lest someone pick up on it by accident (or on purpose).

ChaosTitan · Jul 20, 2007

Take a look at Peter David's Imzadi. Yes, it's a Trek tie-in, but it has several chapters set on Betazed, a planet of telepaths.

It's also a damned good story.

merper · Jul 20, 2007

Sweet, will check some of these out. Incidentally, are there any other names that mind reading goes by? I've always thought of the terms telepathy and mind reading as active processes. Is there a different term for passively hearing thoughts like a sense you can't really turn off?

The Grift · Jul 20, 2007

I second Demolished Man by Bester.

The Mutant Chronicles are about telepaths and telekinetics. I don't remember if they were any good.

I think telepathy as something that is difficult to turn off is enough of a convention that if you mention it once your readers will be on the same page as you.

JimmyB27 · Jul 20, 2007

Robin Hobb's Farseer series has a magic called 'The Skill' which allows telepathic contact. Not quite as you describe - not everyone is able to read thoughts - but Fitz (MC) does find himself needing to guard against other Skill users during the course of the trilogy.

You might also want to have a look at this - http://limyaael.livejournal.com/361455.html#cutid1

Histry Nerd · Jul 20, 2007

Asimov's Foundation novels have quite a bit of telepathy in them, especially the second and third books. The Foundation's creator set up a second foundation in secret, whose purpose was to study the mind.

I don't remember whether the skills they developed were as intrusive as you have in mind, though.

One of the books, as I recall, also deals with an empath so powerful he can convert entire planets without firing a shot.

You might find something useful in there.

HN

merper · Jul 20, 2007

Haha. Loved that livejournal rant Jimmy. Thanks very much for that. The only thing I came close to doing was #1, but never capitalized. The discussion had some useful points too.

I think I'll go try to find this Demolished Man right now, since I've been hearing so much about it.

Ab_Normal · Jul 20, 2007

I (heartily) recommend the Saga of the Pliocene Exile and Galactic Milieu Series books by Julian May.

I also second the recommendations of Alfred Bester's works.

Norma

Tasmin21 · Jul 20, 2007

You may also want to look at Anne McCaffrey's Tower & Hive series. (the first book is The Rowan) Deals with strong telepaths/telekinetics, and often times touches on what happens with the power when it's not controlled (as in a child with the power, who hasn't learned all the consequences of not shielding/restraining oneself)

benbradley · Jul 20, 2007

The Grift said:
I second Demolished Man by Bester.

I ~~third~~ fourth it, even though the whole society is NOT telepathic, just a significant/substantial portion of it. The MC is NOT a telepath, but IS planning a murder, which is of course quite tricky in that society.

merper · Jul 20, 2007

Bloody library didn't have it. Guess I'll have to check once I'm back at school. From what I hear, the robber breaks in by running over a jingle in his head, so the thought police didn't hear him? How exactly would you carry out a robbery then? Muscle memory?

benbradley · Jul 20, 2007

I suppose I can tell more of the story, but it's been a while since I read it and may not even be remembering the story correctly (but I do remember the jingle and the context, it was a theme song to a math TV show, designed to be "catchy"). I should re-read it.

There's a copy on paperbackswap.com, you could sign up (presuming you have books you wouldn't mind mailing to those who request them) and order it, or buy used on Amazon.com, there's a hardcover for $0.54 (plus something like $3.99 shipping).

Julie Worth · Jul 20, 2007

The Grift said:
I think telepathy as something that is difficult to turn off is enough of a convention that if you mention it once your readers will be on the same page as you.

I agree. As a child, I was constantly hearing other people's thoughts. It was a total annoyance. I would even tell them what they were going to say before they said it, not that it would stop them.

ChaosTitan · Jul 20, 2007

I'd also suggest two of my novels, which deal with telepaths, telekinetics, and Psionics in general.

Sadly, they are only available via my PC.

JBI · Jul 20, 2007

The Chrysalids by Windham.

Evaine · Jul 21, 2007

The People by Zenna Henderson has something similar. They're really linked short stories, but there's one I remember about a little girl just starting school, and she can't turn off her ability to read minds - so she picks up the caretaker's hangover, and another kid's skinned knee, and so on, and basically can't cope with the sensory overload.

The Grift · Jul 21, 2007

merper said:
Bloody library didn't have it. Guess I'll have to check once I'm back at school.

Most libraries will either order the book they don't have or get it shipped in from another branch. Sometimes they'll ship it right to you. Just ask!

Libraries: the writer/reader's best friend. And for some reason I never use them.

merper · Jul 21, 2007

No time to order or ask. I ship out to university in week. It's not terribly urgent, not like I was planning to start querying next week.

The Grift · Jul 21, 2007

Roger that. Best of luck at University!

Roger J Carlson · Jul 21, 2007

benbradley said:
I suppose I can tell more of the story, but it's been a while since I read it and may not even be remembering the story correctly (but I do remember the jingle and the context, it was a theme song to a math TV show, designed to be "catchy"). I should re-read it.

There's a copy on paperbackswap.com, you could sign up (presuming you have books you wouldn't mind mailing to those who request them) and order it, or buy used on Amazon.com, there's a hardcover for $0.54 (plus something like $3.99 shipping).

You know, I remember the jingle too. It really IS catchy. Now I've got to re-read it. Thank goodness it's right there on the shelf. 95¢ paperback from Signet.

ETA: Gads! This was written before I was born!

Ordinary_Guy · Jul 26, 2007

Man, I've got 2 stories on the brain but I read 'em a decade ago (or so). Maybe they'll seem familiar to some of you and you can dredge up the name.

One was an epic SF story about two clashing (more or less) human cultures. One side was very organized, highly martial. The other side was a bit more organic – and psychic. Of course, there was a forbidden romantic fascination between the sides respective leaders. Can't remember the title for the life of me, but it was a great story.

The other bit was a short story. Not a whole developed look at a society and culture, but an excellent treatment of what was essentially an undercover psy-cop that went it and sacrificed an upper level shell mind to a group of unsavory folk. Really wish I could find it...

Anthony Ravenscroft · Jul 26, 2007

Dying Inside is one of the few books to set beside the Alfie Bester.

There's lotsa stuff by Octavia Butler.

Telepathy/reading minds/hearing thoughts

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