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Slan by A.E. van Vogt
4.0

I'm a big science fiction fan and had never heard of this book, which is a classic of the genre. I came across it while reading another book, "Physics of the Impossible" (I'll post review in a few days), while reading the chapter on whether telepathy might be possible.

Slan deals with a near future where, among other things, space travel is possible and mankind has begun to tame atomic power. In this future, humanity has evolved into three species: regular humans, Slans (who have some physical improvements and telepathy) and a breed of Slans who have lost their telepathic power.

Humans have embarked on a mission to eradicate all the Slans, fearing them for their telepathic powers. They have been vilified, and most humans are afraid of them, although in reality they are a noble people.

The protagonist of the story is a young boy, one of the few remaining Slans, who embarks on a mission to reconcile with the other two species.

Surprisingly, the story was writtenn in 1940, before atomic power was harnessed, and the writing was prescient in many ways.

Recommended!