1970s (probably) SF novel; Enemy aliens are encountered, but they are actually controlled by parasites, and are not evil in themselves (and humans who eat the enemy aliens can get the parasites)

[Andy]

Back in the early 1980s, my high school library had a fair amount of SF, but there were a few books that I skimmed and never read all the way through. I think all these elements were from the same book:

1) When humans first started traveling through space, they divided up the universe by giving every country the volume that was directly overhead (at a particular time of day, I guess), as if "air space" rights went out to infinity.

2) The hero is alone on his spacecraft and gets the ability to teleport from one place to another, but since he's alone, he's worried that he's just moving around while not aware of it, and not really teleporting.

3) Enemy aliens are encountered, but they are actually controlled by parasites, and are not evil in themselves (and humans who eat the enemy aliens can get the parasites).

I thought this might be a Lloyd Biggle novel, but I can't find one that fits. Any ideas?

[Andy]

Bump

[RNDK]

Wow. That's a difficult one. I read my fair share of SF in the 80's, but this does not ring any bells. Was the book published then or an older one just stocked by the library?

[Andy]

It seemed like it was in a 1960s/1970s style, and had been in the library for a while. The author might have started with a B (so it would have been by the Biggles and Brunner works).

Thanks for bumping the thread, by the way.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

I agree with RNDK--I read a fair few sci-fi books in the 80's--and the 70's--and the 60's (well, the late 60's) and don't recognize this book.

I'll be actively watching this thread and will probably be looking for a copy of the book when it's ID'ed Andy.

[Andy]

Thanks. I read a whole lot of SF myself, which is why not recognizing this is bothering me.

[Andy]

Bump

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Hey Andy--I just had an off the wall thought. Have you considered checking going to the library and having them see about finding you a copy of the library reference book that I've heard called Books in Print and seeing if they can find you one from when you were in school. Maybe work your way back from when you were there. I have never had cause to check one out myself, so I have no idea how the book is set up, but, well, it's a thought, right?

[Andy]

That might work, though it sounds like a lot of winnowing - I'd need Books in Print from 1983 to start, and would have to work back to the 1970s to account for the age of the book at the time I saw it. I'll consider it though. Thanks.

[Andy]

Yep

[RNDK]

Maybe you can try searching by decade and genre.

Example below.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...