I know you don't think it's Zelazny, but his "Lord of Light" might fit
parts of your description (Hindu gods, dreams).
Other possibilities:
SHIVA IN STEEL A BERSERKER SAGA
In one sector of the portion of the Galaxy occupied by Earth-descended
humans, one Berserker computer (the enemy "admiral" of that sector;
code-named Shiva, for the Hindu god of destruction) has suddenly and
mysteriously developed a murderously efficient strategy, and can imbue
its subordinate commanders with fiendishly capable tactical skill;
Shiva is racking up victory after victory over human forces.
(Description in http://www.fredsaberhagen.com/FredsLatest.html; first
chapetr here http://www.fredsaberhagen.com/ch_shiva.htm ).
Silverberg, Robert. Tom O'Bedlam. New York: Donald I. Fine, Inc.
(1985); pg. 149.
Dick, Philip K. "Not By Its Cover " in The Golden Man. New York:
Berkley (1980; c. 1964); pg. 110.
Blish, James. A Case of Conscience. New York: Ballantine (1979; c.
1958)
Silverberg, Robert. Dying Inside. New York: Ballantine (1976; c. 1972)
- " Dying Inside is the story of David Selig, a man who has been
able to read other people's thoughts all his life and is now losing
that power. It's set in the 1970s in New York City, when David is a
forty-ish, unsuccessful, introspective, Jewish man who gets by ghost
writing English papers for students at Columbia University for $3.50 a
typed page. There are frequent flashbacks to events earlier in David's
life.
David's telepathic powers, rather than bringing him closer to
others, have estranged him from his family and his lovers. David
started life as an only child, and his unusual powers -- which he
didn't admit to others -- set him apart. When he was ten, his parents
adopted a baby girl so he'd have a sibling. David never got along well
with his little sister Judith. Judith learned that David could read
her mind, and it made her uncomfortable around him. David's
relationship with live in girlfriend Toni fell apart after he read her
mind when she tripped on LSD, and he took his own bad drug trip
vicariously. He pushed girlfriend Kitty, who strangely he couldn't
read at all, to try to develop extrasensory skills, and his efforts
annoyed her and ruined their relationship.
David met only one other person who had the telepathic power,
Tom Nyquist. Unlike David, Tom uses his powers for his own advantage,
without apologies and without guilt. Tom makes money selling stock
tips he picks up on Wall Street. David uses his power like a voyeur,
spying hidden facts, and penetrating deeply into people's minds.
Now that David's powers are fading, he will have to learn to
relate to others as other humans do."
(http://members.aol.com/siure/silverberg2.htm)
Silverberg, Robert. The Stochastic Man. New York: Harper & Row (1975);
- "Lew Nichols is in the business of stochastic prediction. A mixture
of sophisticated analysis and inspired guesswork, it is the nearest
man can get to predicting the future. And Nichols is very good at it.
So good that he is soon indispensable to Paul Quinn, the ambitious and
charismatic mayor of New York whose sights are firmly set on the
presidency. But there is nothing paranormal about stochastic
prediction: Nichols can't actually see the future. However, Martin
Carvajal apparently can and he offers to help Nichols do so too. It's
an offer Nichols can't resist, even though he can clearly see the
devastating impact that knowing in advance every act of his life has
on Carvajal. For Carvajal has even seen his own death." (See
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/books/n0/n3509.htm) |
