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...Spoiler alert...

Alternate history where humans have developed psychic powers. A baby is born whose power is that people "forget" about him. Robot nurses feed and change him etc. His parents constantly forget he exists. As an adult, he works for the government and they send him to infiltrate various enemy installations. He is incredibly lonely.

It's a short story. It's written in english. I probably read this in the 1980's.

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  • Hello Bryn, welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy and thank you for your question. I've read at least two stories based on the same idea — someone whom everyone forgets — but none with these exact details (forgotten by his parents, raised by robots). While you're waiting for an answer, have you taken the tour yet? – SQB Jun 10 '17 at 16:09
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    Sounds like that guy Matthew Keller from Larry Niven's A Gift From Earth. That was not an alternate history though, just the future. And it's not a short story, but he features in several chapters of the book. – Mr Lister Jun 10 '17 at 16:47
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    Also sounds like Imp, from Worm. That one is an alternate history, but the other details don't match, and the story isn't exactly short. – Charles_F Jun 10 '17 at 16:57
  • @Charles_F right, see scifi.stackexchange.com/a/78653/4918 for another story-id answer about that serial story. – b_jonas Jun 11 '17 at 20:18
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It sound very similar to a Piers Anthony story called Mute.

The protagonist, Knot, is a double mutant: he has a physical deformity, and the psi power to make others forget him. He's satisfied with his life--until the lovely Finesse walks into his life to recruit him for a dangerous galactic mission. She is aided by two small animal mutants: a telepathic weasel and a clairvoyant crab.

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  • Can you provide a blurb, or snippets that match points from the question? – Edlothiad Jun 11 '17 at 17:31
  • @Edlothiad: I formatted things a bit better, but they had mention of people forgetting him and that he was recruited for a mission. – FuzzyBoots Jun 15 '17 at 19:02

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