Earthsmith by Stephen Marlowe

Smith has arrived from Earth to attend the Interstellar Space School, and from the moment he registers, he is treated as a curiosity, a relic, and an embarrassment. In a galaxy of advanced civilizations, his homeworld seems primitive and obscure, and every detail of his identity is dissected by machines, classmates, and rigid social codes that divide people into Dominants and Receptives. Humiliated but determined, Smith tries to keep his dignity as he navigates alien customs, psychic talents, and a sprawling student body that understands the universe far better than he does. A chance friendship with Geria, a perceptive girl from Bortinot, opens his eyes to the school's strange mix of history, culture, combat, and dream-empathy, while his hostile roommate Jorak of Gyra turns daily life into a test of nerve. As Smith moves from classroom to dining hall to the fighting mat, he discovers that the galaxy's assumptions about strength, status, and civilization may be as flawed as his own. Earthsmith is a sharp, character-driven science fiction tale of prejudice, identity, and the challenge of finding one's place in a vast, unsentimental future. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.