"A Coming of Age" is set in a futuristic world where children exhibit powers of telekenesis from the age of 5 until they reach puberty. In an attempt to deal with the resulting chaos, the world has come up with a system where children are taken from their parents at five and put into special "hives" where they are raised by older children and adult staff. Children are not permitted to read or acheive any academic goals because adults believe this will make them safer until they reach adulthood. Lisa, the protagonist, is a twelve year old child approaching the "transition" from a life with telekenesis to her teen years in school and then the adult world. Fearing the change, she enlists an older, already "transitioned" friend to teach her to read so she can be ahead on her studies. But when the authorities find out about her lessons, Lisa's friend disappears and she is forbidden to see him again. Worried about her friend, she tries to find him and falls in with a con-man, claiming to be a prophet, who uses children and their powers for his own benefit. But the "prophet" Omega is more interested in finding Collin, a five year old kidnap victim, than in helping Lisa find her friend. Why? Because little Collin is the subject of another man's experiment, one that could turn their whole world on its head.
Timothy Zahn (born Chicago, Illinois) is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is known for three Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, called the Thrawn Trilogy, which takes place after Return of the Jedi. He also wrote the young adult Dragonback series and the popular Conquerors' Trilogy.
