Alien Blood Author:Joan D. Vinge Contains two novels, Psion and Catspaw, by Hugo-award winning and international best-selling author Joan D. Vinge. Psion is is a gritty tale about a street-hardened survivor named Cat, a half-human, half-alien orphan telepath. Cat is caught stealing and sentenced to hard labor in a mining camp. Knowing this means certain death, heÂ’s more than w... more »illing to cooperate when he'’s drafted into an experimental group researching how psionsÂ’ powers work . . . and how they can be controlled. The truth is, Cat's own considerable talents are locked away behind an almost impenetrable mental barrier.. But before he can really awaken his telepathy, he is betrayed.
In Catspaw, Cat is hired by the powerful taMing dynasty to protect its Security Council candidate from assassination. Cat discovers secrets that endanger his own life, uncovering a larger conspiracy that threatens to destroy the remnants of individual freedom in a world controlled by interstellar corporations. Political intrigue, shifting loyalties, and fully realized characters add uncommon depth to this sequel to Psion .
Vinge again displays her talent for weaving a complex web of relationships--personal, political and social. These novels are as fresh and powerful today as they were 20 years ago.« less
A different theme than usual SF in that mental abilities are used in a very different way. People with mental abilities are treated as the lowest class of citizen.