Books Like The Institute

There was a time when powers such as telepathy and telekinesis were thought to be genuine paranormal phenomena. However, these types of powers are regarded as pseudoscience in modern times due to a lack of evidence. Unsurprisingly, though, there are plenty of authors both past and present who still make use of characters with extraordinary mental abilities to create compelling stories. One of these is The Institute by Stephen King, in which a young boy with telekinetic powers is kidnapped and finds himself held prisoner along with other children who have unique abilities. The novel features the familiar Stephen King theme of children triumphing over evil, but there are some harrowing scenes along the way. Readers who enjoy stories about people with the ability to influence their surroundings using only the power of their minds should check out the following books like The Institute.

Firestarter

by Stephen King

The Institute is not the first time Stephen King wrote about clandestine organizations and children with extraordinary powers. His 1980 thriller, Firestarter, is about a father, Andy, and his daughter, Charlie, who are on the run from a government agency called "The Shop." Andy and his future wife volunteered as test subjects for The Shop when they were teens in need of extra cash, which resulted in them unlocking latent psychic talent. However, after they fall in love and have a daughter, Charlie, she develops the power of pyrokinesis. This terrifying power allows her to create fire with her mind, but The Shop will stop at nothing to find her and use her powers for their own ends.

Allison

by Jeff Strand

Allison by Jeff Strand features a woman with the power of telekinesis. Her ability allows her to snap people's bones with her mind, but the only issue is that she doesn't know how to control her power. At age forty-five, Allison has spent all of her life trying to stay as far as possible from other people. However, intense emotions can trigger her telekinetic powers, so Allison prefers a life of solitude. But, unfortunately, by performing a spontaneous good deed, Allison catches the attention of a killer-for-hire and his girlfriend. The two come up with a cruel plan to exploit Allison's abilities, but things do not go as planned when she is forced to defend herself.

The Fury

by John Farris

The Fury is a 1976 thriller by John Farris, which was turned into a 1978 film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Kirk Douglas and Amy Irving. It is the story of "psychic twins" Robin Sandza and Gillian Bellaver. Robin lives with his aunt and uncle, unaware that his father, Peter, is a government assassin and not a businessman. At the same time, Gillian is the daughter of wealthy and influential parents. When one of Peter's superiors finds out about Robin and Gillian's abilities, he is determined to turn them into deadly weapons. After Peter discovers what is happening, he embarks on a desperate mission to save them.

Carrion Comfort

by Dan Simmons

Carrion Comfort is a 1989 novel by Dan Simmons that has drawn praise from the likes of Stephen King, James Rollins, and Guillermo del Toro. The story follows Saul Laski, a man who nearly died in the notorious Chelmno extermination camp but survived due to supernatural intervention. Almost 40 years later, Saul is a psychologist who is famous for his theories about strange and impossible violence. He is drawn into an investigation of seemingly unconnected murders that has the police and FBI stumped. What they don't know is that there is a secret society with the terrifying ability to control the minds of people and force them into acts of unspeakable aggression.

By The Light of The Moon

by Dean Koontz

By The Light of the Moon is a 2002 novel by Dean Koontz starring a gifted young artist named Dylan, his autistic brother, Shep, and a comedian named Jillian. Their lives change forever when they are attacked by an amoral doctor who injects them with a mysterious substance. The doctor then informs them that the substance will either kill them or transform their lives in the most remarkable way. He also tells them they have to go on the run from his enemies, who will hunt them down for the secret circulating through their bodies. With no idea what is coursing through their veins and who they are running from, the three make their escape but begin to manifest new abilities along the way.

Among The Shrouded

by Amalie Jahn

Among the Shrouded is the first novel in the Sevens Prophecy series by Amalie Jahn. It is a dark paranormal series about a group of psychic strangers who come together to save the world. One of the characters, Mia, is a policewoman with the gift of being able to see people's auras. She is shaken when she meets a man named Thomas, who has no aura and shares the exact same birth date with her. To complicate matters, she also encounters the new Police Commissioner, who has the darkest aura that she has ever seen. Then there's Kate, who lives halfway across the world and uses a form of telepathy to provide for her sisters. Kate is looking forward to moving to the United States to secure the financial independence of herself and her sisters. None of them know that there is an ancient prophecy about the birth of seven psychics who will change the world but that they will be opposed by seven psychics fighting for darkness.