Literary source for anti-psionics prejudice?

[thrash]

I've been digging into the source literature that inspired Traveller (see, inter alia, Deciphering the Text Foundations of Traveller). I've found some interesting insights, which I'm still digesting.

One thing I haven't found, however, is an antecedent for Traveller's public prejudice against psionics. Some works (e.g., Andre Norton's) have criminals with psionic abilities. It also seems to be widely accepted in these sources that a crime is a crime, whether it is committed by a psychic or by mundane means. The idea that the mere use of psionics is objectionable and may result in lobotomy or death has not appeared in anything I've read so far.

Is this original to Marc Miller and company? It makes sense from a game balance perspective: it's a fairly simple way to keep the game from revolving around developing and using psionic abilities (unless that's what you want to do).

If not, what are the literary sources or inspirations for this feature? Remember, the source would have had to be available prior to 1977, since the section on "public prejudice" appears in the first edition (and, indeed, pre-dates the OTU).

[Celjabba]

Slan (AE van Voght), perhaps .
Cat the Psion (Vinge) is slightly more recent.
X-men, sort of.
Some of Campbell era pulp short stories , I would bet, but no title come to mind immediately .
Carrie (King) was published and filmed right before that time. May have contributed.

[Pomphis]

It´s not psi, but Heinlein´s Methusalah´s Children covers prejudice against longlived humans. It wouldn´t be that big a stretch to assume similar problems for psis.

[Anthony]

Zenna Henderson is a plausible source, though there's not a huge amount of evidence for that influencing Traveller. I think I first ran into the concept in Escape to Witch Mountain (novel 1968), but Key was likely influenced by Henderson.

[thrash]

I read Alexander Key's books growing up, but I've never run across Zenna Henderson before. Either one sounds plausible, especially as GDW's staff was more your age (as I recall it) than mine.

On a side note, I wonder if Zhodani commandos were influenced by Andrew J. Offutt's Galactic Rejects (1973).

[malloyd]

I do think Slan is probably the root of the theme in science fiction, and it's been a handy trope to allow you to address themes of racism or religious bigotry without actually quite saying so ever since. Though it's not as if prejudice against witches has no antecedents elsewhere. The attitude of the characters in Foundation toward mutants might play a role too.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by thrash

I've been digging into the source literature that inspired Traveller (see, inter alia, Deciphering the Text Foundations of Traveller). I've found some interesting insights, which I'm still digesting.

One thing I haven't found, however, is an antecedent for Traveller's public prejudice against psionics. Some works (e.g., Andre Norton's) have criminals with psionic abilities. It also seems to be widely accepted in these sources that a crime is a crime, whether it is committed by a psychic or by mundane means. The idea that the mere use of psionics is objectionable and may result in lobotomy or death has not appeared in anything I've read so far.

Is this original to Marc Miller and company? It makes sense from a game balance perspective: it's a fairly simple way to keep the game from revolving around developing and using psionic abilities (unless that's what you want to do).

If not, what are the literary sources or inspirations for this feature? Remember, the source would have had to be available prior to 1977, since the section on "public prejudice" appears in the first edition (and, indeed, pre-dates the OTU).

For the matter of that do you have examples of a psiocracy that would seem oppressive to anyone not immersed in it? Actually yes, the Tripods trilogy. Though that included an attempted genocide of humans, and so was oppressive by any standard. Zho are not saints and few non-Zho would want to live under their system but they have never gone to such a point.

In any case Traveller had an elegant arrangement wherein psi were an oligarchy in one empire and a persecuted minority in a rival one.

[thrash]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Anne McCaffrey's "To Ride Pegasus" ...

That is possible, although the rest of the series wasn't published until the 1990's. The Center may have served as a model for the Psionic Institutes as well.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

There's some possibility of influence from Witches of Karres though the psi "Klaatha magic" is very high powered there. Also, Schmitz' Telzey Amberdon series.

These appear to also be possible, although I'm not familiar with them. Thanks for the pointer.

Another possibility would be Niven's Known Space series. It at least has psis and has to have had some influence on Traveller.

There was some occaisional psi in the Van Rijn/Flandry universe of Poul Anderson and that's influence on Traveller would be difficult to deny.

On the other hand, these -- while explicitly cited as inspirational for Traveller -- don't have the overt public prejudice aspect to psionics that I'm trying to source.

Originally Posted by robkelk

Would this have literary sources, cinematic sources, or both?

The cited sources are strongly literary. The only exceptions are Star Wars and Star Trek, which I think we can agree are only peripheral influences at best.

Originally Posted by jason taylor

In any case Traveller had an elegant arrangement wherein psi were an oligarchy in one empire and a persecuted minority in a rival one.

Mostly irrelevant to the current discussion, as these features came much later in Traveller's development. Both the Psionic Institutes and public prejudice against psionics were there from the beginning.

[thrash]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

This is the same as the premise of STAR WARS (1977), where everyone contributes to the Force, Jedi are underground, and Vader is busy Force-choking rivals.

On the other hand, ObiWan Kenobi is a hero. Regardless, Marc Miller has said that Star Wars came out too late to really influence the original design of Traveller. At best, Star Wars and Traveller drew from the same source material in similar ways.

Originally Posted by MrTim

Didn't Marc Miller say somewhere that the limitations on psi were entirely for game balance purposes?

I would love to see a cite to this.

Originally Posted by thrash

The cited sources are strongly literary. The only exceptions are Star Wars and Star Trek, which I think we can agree are only peripheral influences at best.

I have to modify this: in his White Dwarf #23 interview, Marc Miller said, "Movies and television particularly affected me."

[MrTim]

Originally Posted by thrash

I would love to see a cite to this.

Believe me, I wish I had one. I vaguely remember seeing something to that effect in the run-up to T5, but I don't even remember if it was in a new article or something archival.