The Story

So, engineer Jim Culbertson is working on a secret project when he starts having weird accidents—things he’s thinking about just… happen. A ship lifts off without a pilot, and the next thing he knows, a whole lab window shatters from miles away. It turns out Jim is a latent telepath who’s become unrestrained overnight. Suddenly, he can teleport anything his mind can picture, and his ability grows scary fast. He gets dragged into a feud between the higher-gravity Earthborn and the svelte, floating Outworlders who colonized the solar system. His weapon is his mind; his problem is that everybody wants it. There’s some cool science thrown in (this was the ’50s, after all), but the core plot is: one man tries not to rip apart civilization by accident while some very suspicious plots unfold all around him.

Why You Should Read It

Biggest surprise? Jim isn’t just a powerhouse you root for off the bat. He’s relatable: he gets scared, confused, and seriously annoyed by the politics weighing him down. The Cold War shading is clever—it feels real. And I loved the ethical dilemma: if you have the power to absolutely destroy any army, would that guarantee peace? Or just freeze everyone in terror? Smith doesn’t give easy answers. Plus, the worldbuilding between the two human factions has a lived-in grit many similar vintage sci-fi novels miss. It’s short, has punchy action that dumps exposition fairly gracefully, and the women characters (one in particular) actually have believable motives beyond “getting rescued.” Truly refreshing for an older novel.

Final Verdict

Who will love this? You if: 1. You’re getting into mid-century sci-fi and want more than two spaceships shooting at each other. 2. You like one man shaking up a whole planetary system without a swarm of aliens. 3. You enjoy thrills with a side of “what if *I* woke up super-psychic because some experiment went wrong?” A short, satisfying read that belongs in the starter package of classic SF. Find a comfortable chair, but check your window glass before you start.