Psion

The idea at its heart (psychics all need hella trauma therapy) is pretty interesting, but then it's cluttered up with much too much unrelated plot. Cat is a remarkably passive character, too: I thought he'd finally made a decision of his own in the fight scene at the end, but no, he was actually manipulated into that too. wtf, seriously.

Another very strange decision was to let the question of whether Cat is related to another character just... go unanswered. The only way I can read it is that they both know it's true and really don't want to admit it to themselves? It makes the love triangle something out of a psychoanalytic fever dream. That has to be intentional?! But if it is, why did Vinge let her Freud-in-space crack!fic get so show more sidetracked with all this nonsense about heists?

Villain is a sinister bisexual sociopath and flirts briefly with the hero while monologuing, so far so 1982. Cat is *such* a twink stereotype however (literally a catboy rentboy) that his shock and horror at being desired by a man and massive crush on a lady are both jarring.

Come to think of it, the vibe Cat gives off is quite [book:Vanyel|28759]. "Oh dear, I just keep getting beaten up, but in a sexy vulnerable subby way." Is there a name for this genre when it's published as a mass market paperback and not as hurt/comfort slashfic? (Vanyel comes 7 years later and turned up to 11, so it's not a completely fair comparison.) show less

"She'd gone ahead of me to help me, but it hadn't been personal. It was only a kind of reflex action, like pulling away from a flame; something you did to stop your own pain. I felt strange when I realized that; invisible. I didn't know what to think. So I didn't think about it for long."

Those are the thoughts of Cat: street-punk, orphan, and a telepath who has mentally blocked his earliest memories and his abilities.

I picked up "Catspaw" first--#2 in this trilogy. Halfway through that book, I got "Psion" and sped through it in a few days. I was so hooked, I had to come up with tricks to put the book down, so I could get some work done: promising myself I could read another chapter if I got a certain task done, telling myself the next show more scene would be lame.

Of course, none of the scenes were lame. Joan D. Vinge created an incredible combination of well-rounded characters, reflections on human nature, swift pacing, and complex world-building, all in 300 pages. I particularly liked that Cat is a believable criminal--hardened enough for living on the streets, but still young enough to be affected by the caring--or uncaring--of others. I see a lot of documents on juvenile delinquents, and Vinge's characterization felt very close to the truth.

Vinge also isn't afraid to show Cat as a loser--he makes terrible decisions, and pays for them more than others might, because of who he is. His struggle against the hard world he lives in, and his difficulty in finding his way, made his story utterly compelling. The only reason I'm not re-reading "Psion" immediately is because I'm dying to see how "Catspaw" ends.

Note: the "Special 25th Anniversary Edition" also includes the short story/novella "Psiren," a nice character bridge that takes place between "Psion" and "Catspaw." show less

Pretty clearly a first novel. While Vinge does a pretty decent job with telepaths, their interactions, and the cultural issues between them and non-psi humans, the general world-building is unsatisfying; corporate mercantilism run amok among the stars has been done more thoroughly elsewhere. The plot stumbles its way along to the finish line as if continuity was a chore; perhaps keeping this as a novella might have been better.

Oddly, it's the very imperfect characters that appeal to me. There aren't any easily likeable characters, but no out-and-out execrable souls either; each has a past, a set of bugaboos to deal with, and no one seems to be made of infinite patience or avarice. This can be frustrating to a reader, but it makes the show more characters believable.

This is serviceable, journeyman SF but a pale representative of the struggling-youth, coming-of-age corner of the market. show less

Well-done but fairly standard coming of age. Orphan of the streets Cat is a powerful telepath, but doesn't know it, for reasons eventually mostly explained, and doesn't want it, since those with psionic powers of outcasts. He may live in the dark belly under the city where people with a credit line live, but it's better than being a freak. But circumstances force him to learn to use his powers and eventually help stop a rogue telepath. There are two more adult sequels.

Recommended

Psion tells the story of how Cat, a boy from the slums, learns of his telepathic powers and struggles to make his own way in a world where everyone wants to use him.

I really liked this one. The world has cyberpunk elements, but also a morally complex history. The characters are well-drawn and sympathetic. The ending was not predictable. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!

Joan D. Vinge is a solid sci-fi author, and I read this book before I read the Snow Queen books. This is a really cool book about a half human/alien child who has had a rough life due to his heredity. It is the first of several books, and I recommend them all.

Entertaining. I like the setup, with the telepathic group. The main character takes a bit too long to make decisions on his own, instead of just going with the flow and I found some of the telepathic experiences a bit too vague and taking too long, but other than that I liked it.