Psionic Genre Reading?

Taellosse · 05-31-2009, 12:02 AM

I'm toying with the idea of starting up a psionics game, now that I've got Psionic Powers, but one of my potential players is not very familiar with the genre. I've got plenty of books I could loan him, but it'd be weeks or months before he could read enough of them to get familiar with the tropes. I've explained some of the basic concepts behind the idea, but I think a worked example would give him a better feel for it all. Does anyone know of some setting material (preferably free and online) I could point him towards that would serve?

~~Peter Knutsen~~ · 05-31-2009, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taellosse

I'm toying with the idea of starting up a psionics game, now that I've got Psionic Powers, but one of my potential players is not very familiar with the genre. I've got plenty of books I could loan him, but it'd be weeks or months before he could read enough of them to get familiar with the tropes. I've explained some of the basic concepts behind the idea, but I think a worked example would give him a better feel for it all. Does anyone know of some setting material (preferably free and online) I could point him towards that would serve?

Not free, but well worth the purchase: Julian May's "Pliocene Exile" novel series. It is the finest science fantasy I've ever read. It also handles the concept of psionics very well, with lots of casual every-day convenience usage, in between the absolutely epic confrontrations.

It probably gets on my top 5 best novels ever list; or if it doesn't, it'll be pretty damn close.

It is included in the bibliography for both the old GURPS Psionics (with a most well-deserved asterisk) and GURPS Celtic Myth, IIRC. There was also an article about it in the old online Pyramid, as a "Gameable Fiction" article.

The only complaint I have is with the physical edition I own: The font has a very slight tendency to blur.

You might be able to get it from the library, or if your potential player doesn't have English as his first language, it may be available in translation. I read it first in Danish translation, and I'd be surprised if it hasn't been translated into a bunch of other languages too. It's that good, and quite popular.

~~Figleaf23~~ · 05-31-2009, 08:01 AM

I was going to recommend Julian May's stuff too. The Prequel/Sequel series to the Pliocene Exile is good for psionics stuff too -- I think the series is called "Magnificat". (No, it's not about psychic uplifted felines.)

The Benj · 06-01-2009, 03:30 AM

Aw, and here was me thinking this thread would be about a psionic ability to let you know what genre you're in. :(

I guess it really depends what you mean by "the psionics genre". If you mean "gritty hidden wars between the gifted" then Necroscope fits pretty well.
It isn't bad - okay, well, yes it IS bad, but it's fun - as a source for psychic stories of that nature.

Alternatively, sit him down to watch some of the PsiCorps episodes of Babylon 5; those are pretty cool.

As for free stuff online, I'm drawing a blank, I'm afraid. I'd recommend my campaign's website, but it's not really set up for people who aren't players to have much of an idea what's going on. Plus, it's not pure psi (it's a hidden supers game with several other origins).

05-31-2009, 12:02 AM	#1
Taellosse Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: MA, USA	Psionic Genre Reading? I'm toying with the idea of starting up a psionics game, now that I've got Psionic Powers, but one of my potential players is not very familiar with the genre. I've got plenty of books I could loan him, but it'd be weeks or months before he could read enough of them to get familiar with the tropes. I've explained some of the basic concepts behind the idea, but I think a worked example would give him a better feel for it all. Does anyone know of some setting material (preferably free and online) I could point him towards that would serve? __________________ -Taellosse Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining. -Jeff Raskin

05-31-2009, 08:01 AM	#3
~~Figleaf23~~ Banned Join Date: Apr 2008	Re: Psionic Genre Reading? I was going to recommend Julian May's stuff too. The Prequel/Sequel series to the Pliocene Exile is good for psionics stuff too -- I think the series is called "Magnificat". (No, it's not about psychic uplifted felines.)

06-01-2009, 03:30 AM	#4
The Benj MIB Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Platform Zero, Sydney, Australia	Re: Psionic Genre Reading? Aw, and here was me thinking this thread would be about a psionic ability to let you know what genre you're in. :( I guess it really depends what you mean by "the psionics genre". If you mean "gritty hidden wars between the gifted" then Necroscope fits pretty well. It isn't bad - okay, well, yes it IS bad, but it's fun - as a source for psychic stories of that nature. Alternatively, sit him down to watch some of the PsiCorps episodes of Babylon 5; those are pretty cool. As for free stuff online, I'm drawing a blank, I'm afraid. I'd recommend my campaign's website, but it's not really set up for people who aren't players to have much of an idea what's going on. Plus, it's not pure psi (it's a hidden supers game with several other origins).