History Literature / Jumper

''Jumper'' is a 1992 ComingOfAgeStory sci-fi story by Steven Gould about a teenager, David Rice, who finds out he can {{teleport|ation}} and his experiences with the consequences and limitations of his ability. After escaping his abusive drunk of a father, he takes some less than savory measures to reestablish himself in New York City and begins a relationship with Millie while establishing jump points around the globe and a safe house in a desert sinkhole. After a tragedy during a hijacking, he gives focus to his ability by interfering in other attacks in an effort to find a particular terrorist, attracting the attention of the NSA, who is extremely interested in someone who can get from Washington DC to Algeria in the time it takes to watch a movie. Constitutional violations ensue and the NSA gets shut down by the courts after harassing Millie and nearly capturing Davy, while he comes to terms with his father and the terrorist in a heated confrontation with both.

Inspired [[Film/{{Jumper}} a 2008 film]], an the author of the series wrote a companion novel, in the film canon, ''Griffin's Story''.

''Jumper'' is a 1992 ComingOfAgeStory sci-fi story by Steven Gould about a teenager, David Rice, who finds out he can [[TeleportersAndTransporters teleport]] and his experiences with the consequences and limitations of his ability. After escaping his abusive drunk of a father, he takes some less than savory measures to reestablish himself in New York City and begins a relationship with Millie while establishing jump points around the globe and a safe house in a desert sinkhole. After a tragedy during a hijacking, he gives focus to his ability by interfering in other attacks in an effort to find a particular terrorist, attracting the attention of the NSA, who is extremely interested in someone who can get from Washington DC to Algeria in the time it takes to watch a movie. Constitutional violations ensue and the NSA gets shut down by the courts after harassing Millie and nearly capturing Davy, while he comes to terms with his father and the terrorist in a heated confrontation with both.

* AuthorAppeal: At one point in the novel, a former classmate who tried to seduce Davy while drunk later hawks Alanon (Alcoholics Anonymous... for the affected family and friends). Davy is a complete teetotaler, and often [[{{NiceToTheWaiter}} tips generously]] or tries to help out those who are less fortunate. Apparently becomes something of a character ''weakness'' in the sequel, ''Reflex'', but it's still heavily present.

* {{Intangibility}}: It's discovered that whenever Davy jumps he opens a gateway for about a fifth of a second. [[UpToEleven Taken to the next level]] in book 2 when he works out how to "twin" himself, basically opening a Davy-shaped hole between any two locations.

On Jun 6, 2018 an adaptation of the story called ''Series/{{Impulse}}'' was released as a full length series by Website/YouTube Red.

** Davy uses Jumping to travel the world and make moving faster. After the TimeSkip before ''Reflex'' he has an off-the-books job with the US government inserting intelligence agents, and in ''Impulse'' he and Millie perform deliveries to refugees in the Third World.

* RestrainingBolt: Part of an ongoing arc beginning in ''Reflex''; an unnamed NebulousEvilOrganisation implants Davy with a ShockCollar that ''[[AgonyBeam directly stimulates the pain center of his brain]]'' on command or when he Jumps outside safe zones - which doubles as an ExplosiveLeash capable of blowing his head off. [[spoiler:Davy discovers that every member of the [=NEO=] has similar implants - and are [[TwoPlusTortureMakesFive pain-conditioned to believe they requested the implants as proof of loyalty]]. This extends even to the old man initially assumed to be the BigBad - who is killed in the final confrontation of ''Reflex'' [[FoundTheKillerLostTheMurderer without naming his superiors]]. They're still at large in ''Impulse'', breaking out the FemmeFatale who nearly seduced Davy in ''Reflex'', who proceeds to challenge Cent.]]

* {{Teleportation}} Jumper and its sequels are about a man, David Rice (and, in the ensuing decades, his wife Millie and daughter Cent, because apparently teleportation is catching) who can teleport to any location he can remember clearly. He remains unclear on why he can do so, despite unwilling participation in research of his ability, but the initial trigger appears to be an extreme fight or flight experience (in order by person, rape, falling, and avalanche). Other nuances also come into play, such as the preservation of momentum through 'jumps', the RequiredSecondaryPowers that allow them to jump with him anything they can lift (therefore leaving things they 'can't' lift as potential restraints) and the utilization of the hole in space created to pour water, air, sand, and vacuum from one place into another. It also explores the ethical implications to a limited degree, as David and family have a strict no killing policy, but he initially uses his powers to rob a bank and later uses them as a one man infil/exfil team for the government (with, again, tight restrictions).

* WifeBasherBasher: David in the book. Though it's more because his father used to beat him and his mother.

* MissingMom: Davy's mom leaves father and son because of the abuse. Just when the two are starting to reconcile, [[spoiler:she is killed in a terrorist attack]].

* NebulousEvilOrganization: One goes by various names and tries to kidnap and brainwash the Jumpers in the latter three books. They're in competition with the NSA, but unlike the latter, aren't really answerable to the courts because they officially don't exist. Their goals are never revealed, but they want Jumpers who can pull off assassinations for them (and really don't like Davy's pacifism). [[spoiler: They go down like punks once they kidnap Cent.]]
* OlderSidekick: Millie, in the book. Sort of.

* GenreDeconstruction: The first book is a takedown of the {{Superhero}}. An ordinary gifted-but-abused teenager given fantastic powers would not put on a costume and fight crime; he'd steal himself a pile of cash, live a comfortable life, try to get laid, and make a bunch of mistakes that nearly get him tossed in jail. He only later gets into superheroics (first to punish a wife-beater, then to stop airplane hijackings) for personal reasons. Furthermore, when the GovernmentConspiracy tries to capture him, he attacks them as much through the legal system as by being impossible to catch, and they eventually come to a mutual understanding. The series moves away from this in latter books.

* {{Meganekko}}: Millie, whose designer glasses catch Davy's eye in the first film.

* CutLexLuthorACheck: Davy ''starts'' by robbing a bank, but later on gets legitimate work doing jumps for the NSA that pays even better than disappearing money from the bank. He still doesn't miss the opportunity to pocket a bit of bad-guy cash when the opportunity presents itself, though.

* CallingTheOldManOut: After spending the whole novel afraid or resenting his father... Davy Jumps the old man to his mother's grave, [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech tells him why he sucks]] and forces him to finally join AA and sober up.

On Jun 6, 2018 an adaptation of the story called ''Series/{{Impulse}}'' was released as a full length series by YouTube Red.

* StrawFeminist: Subverted. Cent is rather aggressively feminist ([[spoiler: halting conversations to insist on womanned, not manned, as a term for her ventures and insisting that her first interview be with a woman reporter]]), but this never reaches the point of caricature.

''Jumper'' is a 1992 ComingOfAgeStory sci-fi story by Steven Gould about a teenager who finds out he can [[TeleportersAndTransporters teleport]] and his experiences with the consequences of his ability.

The novel has a 2004 sequel called ''Reflex'', where Davy is kidnapped and Millie must track him. People who are carried along on enough jumps and have a moment of stress where they feel like they might die might Oh, she unconsciously learned how to Jump.

Inspired [[Film/{{Jumper}} a 2008 film]] with a companion novel, ''Griffin's Story''.

The 2013 third book in the series, ''Impulse'', details the adventures of their daughter, Cent, who learns to Jump to [[DieOrFly escape an avalanche]].

The 2014 fourth book in the series, ''Exo'', was released in September 2014.

* AuthorAppeal: At one point in the novel, one of the teenagers who tried to seduce Davy while drunk hawks Alanon (Alcoholics Anonymous... for the affected family and friends). Davy is a complete teetotaler, and often [[{{NiceToTheWaiter}} tips generously]] or tries to help out those who are less fortunate. Apparently becomes something of a character ''weakness'' in the sequel, ''Reflex'', but it's still heavily present.

* RestrainingBolt: Part of an ongoing arc beginning in ''Reflex''; an unnamed NebulousEvilOrganisation implants Davy with a ShockCollar that ''[[AgonyBeam directly stimulates the pain center of his brain]]'' on command or when he Jumps outside safe zones - which doubles as an ExplosiveLeash capable of blowing his head off. [[spoiler:Davy discovers that every member of the [=NEO=] have similar implants - and are [[TwoPlusTortureMakesFive pain-conditioned to believe they requested the implants as proof of loyalty]]. This extends even to the old man initially assumed to be the BigBad - who is killed in the final confrontation of ''Reflex'' without naming his superiors. They're still at large in ''Impulse'', breaking out the FemmeFatale who nearly seduced Davy in ''Reflex'', who proceeds to challenge Cent.]]

* RestrainingBolt: Part of an ongoing arc beginning in ''Reflex'' - an unnamed NebulousEvilOrganisation implants Davy with a ShockCollar that ''[[AgonyBeam directly stimulates the pain center of his brain]]'' on command or when he Jumps outside safe zones - which doubles as an ExplosiveLeash capable of blowing his head off. [[spoiler:Davy discovers that every member of the [=NEO=] have similar implants - and are [[TwoPlusTortureMakesFive pain-conditioned to believe they requested the implants as proof of loyalty]]. This extends even to the old man initially assumed to be the BigBad - who is killed in the final confrontation of ''Reflex'' without naming his superiors. They're still at large in ''Impulse'', breaking out the FemmeFatale who nearly seduced Davy in ''Reflex'', who proceeds to challenge Cent.]]

''Jumper'' is a 1992 ComingOfAgeStory sci-fi story by Steven Gould about a teenager who finds out he can [[TeleportersAndTransporters teleport]] and his attempts to find out if he's the LastOfHisKind.

** In the third book, ''Impulse'', [[spoiler: Davey's daughter, Cent, figures out how to ''un-cancel'' this momentum, granting her very temporary boosts of SuperSpeed and SuperStrength.]]

* Jumper and its sequels are about a man, David Rice (and, in the ensuing decades, his wife and daughter, because apparently teleportation is catching) who can teleport to any location he can remember clearly. He remains unclear on why he can do so, despite unwilling participation in research of his ability, but the initial trigger appears to be an extreme fight or flight experience (in order by person, rape, falling, and avalanche). Other nuances also come into play, such as the preservation of momentum through 'jumps', the RequiredSecondaryPowers that allow him to jump with him anything he can lift (therefore leaving things he 'can't' lift as potential restraints) and the utilization of the hole in space created and the displacement of whatever is being jumped into to pour water, air, sand, and vacuum from one place into another. It also explores the ethical implications to a limited degree, as David and family have a strict no killing policy, but he initially uses his powers to rob a bank and later uses them as a one man infil/exfil team for the government (with, again, tight restrictions).

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In Impulse, we learn everything we need to know about Cent before we even meet her based on this note she pastes on her bedroom door.

* StrawFeminist: Subverted. Cent is rather aggressively feminist ([[spoiler: halting conversations to insist on womanned, not manned, as a term for her ventures and insisting that her first interview be with a woman reporter]]), but not to the point of hating men or becoming a caricature.

** In later books, the protagonists are heavily involved in humanitarian work - mildly in in Reflex, where Davy uses places tight constrictions on what jobs he'll do for the NSA and personally intervenes in multiple homeless peoples lives, then with dedication to larger causes after TheConspiracy precludes government work. A short story shows David and Millie intervening in a drought stricken area, and multiple stories have them move supplies, resources, and people to where they're needed.

* CutLexLuthorACheck: Davy ''starts'' by robbing a bank, but later on gets legitimate work doing jumps for the NSA that pays even better than disappearing money from the bank (and with less likelihood of getting caught). He still doesn't miss the opportunity to pocket a bit of bad-guy cash when the opportunity presents itself, though.

* GovernmentConspiracy: In the first book, the NSA acts a lot like this. It's played fairly realistically - the NSA are an ordinary government intelligence agency that want to force David to work for them, and are stepping outside of their constitutional authority to make it happen. Also, going to the courts is in fact a reasonable response to their illegal activities (assuming you have someone on the outside who knows that they've done something).

* IJustWantToBeNormal: Once she's able to jump, Cent puts her foot down and tells her parents that she is going to go to school and be a regular teenager [[IJustWantToHaveFriends with regular friends]]. [[spoiler: The "normal life" part doesn't work out, but she does manage to make some friends. [[BrickJoke She's still waiting on the ice cream, though]].]]

* {{Intangibility}}: It's discovered that whenever Davy jumps he becomes a gateway for a fraction of a second. [[UpToEleven Taken to the next level]] in book 2 when [[spoiler: he works out how to "twin" himself, basically opening a Davy-shaped hole between any two locations.]]

* ShownTheirWork: The author knows quite a bit about the space program, and that knowledge (along with speculation on how teleportation would help) is important to the plot of ''Exo''.

* StrawFeminist: Subverted. Cent is rather aggressively feminist ([[spoiler: naming her space station after Sally Ride and insisting that her first interview be with a woman reporter]]), but not to the point of hating men or becoming a caricature.

* ThouShaltNotKill: Davy is unwilling to kill anyone. Even terrorists, NSA agents, or his dad - though he comes really close with Dad. Millie is the same way. As for Cent? [[spoiler: Nope. When she's captured by the NebulousEvilOrganization and she and Joe are threatened, she almost ''immediately'' uses deadly force to free herself.]]