I really relish being a child of the 80’s. I love the music, the clothes, the memes and all the various sundry things in between.  In 1982 a well known author named Joan D. Vinge, wife of Verner Vinge published a book called Psion. It tells the tale of a one time homeless, orphaned, half-human, half-alien teenager named Cat. Cat has telepathic abilities that lead him into the dark world of corporate security and out of the hell-like world he grew up in.

I got my hands on the book when I was in middle school at about age 12.  Tasked by my reading teacher with finding a fantasy book in the school library and writing an essay about it, I literally stumbled upon this book.  I have read it and its two sequels more times than I can count.  I am nearly done re-reading them again as I write this.

Psion tells Cat’s origin story.  He lives in a cesspool of hell called Oldcity which is buried literally under another newer city above it.  He has no family and no friends and relies only on his wit and street skills to survive.  I wont go into the whole story here but lets just say Cat is not aware he is a telepath until his first brush with “Corpse’s”  corporate security officers when they attempt to force him into indentured service on an off-world mining camp.

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In Catspaw, released in 1989, the first sequel, Cat is now a grown man and falls deeper into the inner circles of interstellar combines and corporate security espionage.  Cat has lost his Psi-abilities and must use powerful drugs to regain them.  There is a serious reference to a very Matrix style internet world in this book that I think you will find very exciting.  This is a much darker and adult tale than Psion.

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  The final sequel is called Dreamfall and tells a tale of reconciliation regarding Cat and his Hydran (alien) ancestry.  It is easily one of the best stories in the series.

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If you are looking for a bold and different sci-Fi escape you need to pick up this book.  I promise it will be worth your while.