Psi/Net
by Billy Dee Williams and Rob MacGregor
Anyone who mistrusts the government doesn’t need to read this book, or the rest of this review. Hey, is anyone still out there?
Apparently, there really was a government experiment called “Project Stargate,” to test for the psychic ability of “remote viewing” and determine whether there was any military application for such a talent. This novel, written by actor Billy Dee Williams ( Star Wars ) and sci-fi writer Rob MacGregor ( Spawn: The Novel ), explores a similar scenario.
The book centers around a participant in a program like “Stargate,” where the psychic ability of the subjects was enhanced by secretly-administered drugs. One of the subjects, Air Force Major Trent Callaway, moves to the desert after the experiment’s end, only to suffer flashbacks years later. He also finds that the group of people involved in the tests has become linked in a vast psychic network (the “psi/net”). Much of the book involves this group’s effort to avoid the evil clutches of the government and “battle for the security of the United States and its people.”
Much of this book appears to follow the same path as similar “government conspiracy in the face of strange psychic abilities” books (like Dean Koontz’ Watchers ), but the most interesting thing is the connection to actual experiments. The authors sent advance copies of the book to remote viewers who were part of Project Stargate, and several of them thought enough of it to endorse the book on the cover. Like Whitley Strieber’s Majestic , this book is loosely based in fact but classified as fiction.
Authors both described psychic experiments they’ve undertaken, so their interest in the subject appears to be genuine. Billy Dee doesn’t claim to be much of a writer – he says he faxed pages to Rob who would do the “real” writing. There may be some interest in a TV series based on the book, which might seem to be Williams’ real motivation for the project. With the popularity of The X-Files and Millennium , it would likely be received well.
If you read the book and don’t like it, it won’t do any good to keep it to yourself – the authors may know what you’re thinking.
