Project Hi-Psi

"Project Hi-Psi" by Frank Riley is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story centers on Dr. Lucifer Brill, a parapsychologist who uncovers alarming evidence of widespread kidnappings of individuals with psi abilities across the United States. As Brill delves deeper into the mystery, he finds himself embroiled in a larger conflict involving extraterrestrial beings who have abducted psi talents for sinister purposes. At the start of the narrative, Dr. Brill visits the FBI to report on the alarming number of disappearances, believing they may be linked to an experiment conducted by aliens on the planet Melus. Initially met with disbelief, his findings set off a chain reaction that leads to his own kidnapping alongside Nina Poteil, a woman he had previously tested, ultimately finding them forced into a new life on Melus. The opening portion establishes the tension between ground-level bureaucratic skepticism and the profound implications of Brill's discoveries, setting the stage for a confrontation between science, personal responsibility, and the ethical dilemmas of using psi abilities in an alien society. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Frank Riley (1915–1996) was the pseudonym of Frank Ryhlick, an American science fiction author best known for co-writing the novel They'd Rather Be Right, which won a Hugo Award for Best Novel during 1955. He was a syndicated travel columnist and editor for the Los Angeles Times, and editor of the Los Angeles Magazine. He also wrote advertisements for See's Candies, screenplays, short fiction such as the "Father Anton Dymek" mysteries and was a host of a radio program in the Los Angeles area.