Imagine that if you touched someone, they would lose the use of one of their senses - sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste - or even become paralysed or uncoordinated. Pretty freaky - and depending on what sense or ability was deprived, this could have severe implications for intimate relations too.
Such is the lot of the Deprivers, the pariahs of Altman's sci-fi exploration of a world where some people are Deps amongst the majority rule of Normals.
Interesting themes of 'us and them' conflict, with characters on both sides of the Dep/Normal division who are clearly to be cheered for and those who are to be despised, hint at the allegory to common human prejudice - except this time the people really are different, and can really mess up your day by shaking your hand. Gloves all around.
Impressive too is the biological explanation how this might all work - by not thinking too hard about it, it's not implausible.
But, the book barrels along and is very engaging, until the ending... which disappointed. No spoilers here, but again it seems like the author got bored, or ran into a deadline.
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