Please help me find the name of a book I read when I was a child

[tattoo_gregg]

I read the book in probably the early to mid eighties (that's 1980's). I don't remember much about it only that it was the book that got me into science fiction. The story starts with a boy who is required to take a luck test. Everyone must take this luck test and the idea is that the government wants to filter out the luckiest individuals. The test is comprised of questions that took the top scientists months to figure out so that there's no way the children could possibly know the answers. This young man scores perfect on this luck test and is forced to go on the run from the government.

That's about all I remember any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Greg

 

[HareBrain]

Starluck by Donald Wismer? (1982)

Various descriptions of the book: (copied from here)

"A perfect score on a Galaxy-wide "luck" test marks young Paul Cartier for
extermination. But even as the Imperial Guard of the evil Emperor takes him
to his execution, he escapes. He wanders into the company of an
interstellar circus, and finds hidden there an undercover organization
dedicated to the freeing of the Three Hundred Suns."

"The kid at the center of the action takes an obligatory luck test that
shows he's as lucky or more lucky than the current emperor, which may mean
he could become emperor himself. So the government wants him, and he goes
through several lucky escapades trying to save his skin. ... There were
these cool shields that people wore that doubled as transporters. That is,
you wore six panels of "gateway" leading into a star, so anything that got
too near you would be transported into a sun."

"After escaping from his execution, Paul joins a secret revolutionary
group which seeks to free the planet from the tyranny and suppression of
the evil Emperor."

 

[Kelaton]

Thanks! I was about to post the exact same question! Been looking for that book for years. Now where can I find a copy? From same state too. Creepy. lol

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks! I was about to post the exact same question! Been looking for that book for years. Now where can I find a copy? From same state too. Creepy. lol

Abebooks.com seem to have plenty on your side of the pond.

 

[northernexposure]

Available for a penny plus shipping from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440981743/?tag=brite-21