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Бленуващите кристали
Помниш ли котето на килима, Зий? Разказвахме си за него. Килимът е мек, нали помниш, и то забива ноктенца в него и се пррротяга. Ляга отпред, а отзад се надига – и се прозява: йииоуаррг! После отпуска едно рамо и просто се размазва. И ако повдигнеш някоя лапичка с пръст, тя е хлабава като пискюл и тупва обратно – фуп! – върху мекия пухкав килим. А ако продължиш да си го представяш, докато го видиш, цялото, и мястото, където козинката е леко разрошена, и ивичката розово, дето се подава отстрани, понеже котето е твърде отпуснато, за да си затвори съвсем устата – е, тогава просто няма начин да те боли повече.
Ето, точно така…
Осемгодишният Хорти бяга от изтерзаното си детство и попада в пътуващ цирк от чудаци: джуджета, хора с хриле, мъже алигатори… Уроди – както ги наричат нормалните хора, дошли да погледат. Момчето скоро ще разбере, че чудатият цирк може да бъде дом – и че то самото не е нормален човек. А отвъд шатрите и клетките го чака чуждият свят, болката (и радостта) на израстването… Чака го трудният път към тайнствения му род – и човечността.
~ ~ ~
Теодор Стърджън (псевдоним на Едуард Хамилтън Уолдо) е изключително обичан – и навярно най-обичащият – американски разказвач. Негови творби са отличавани с англоезичните фантастични награди „Хюго“ и „Небюла“, а писатели като Рей Бредбъри и Роджър Зелазни открито признават влиянието му върху собственото им творчество. Българските читатели познават Стърджън от романи като „Повече от човешки“ и сборници с разкази. Сега ви предлагаме първа среща с неговия най-ранен роман.
Открийте как да си поискате книгата от Човешката библиотека в отзива на Kalin M. Nenov долу
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Theodore Sturgeon
738 books792 followersTheodore Sturgeon (1918–1985) is considered one of the godfathers of contemporary science fiction and dark fantasy. The author of numerous acclaimed short stories and novels, among them the classics More Than Human, Venus Plus X, and To Marry Medusa, Sturgeon also wrote for television and holds among his credits two episodes of the original 1960s Star Trek series, for which he created the Vulcan mating ritual and the expression "Live long and prosper." He is also credited as the inspiration for Kurt Vonnegut's recurring fictional character Kilgore Trout.
Sturgeon is the recipient of the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the International Fantasy Award. In 2000, he was posthumously honored with a World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.
Sturgeon is the recipient of the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the International Fantasy Award. In 2000, he was posthumously honored with a World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
March 21, 2015
Having read Sturgeon's Some of Your Blood a few years back, I've been on the lookout for more affordable Sturgeon books. Earlier this year, this one was on sale, and adding the narration was only a couple of bucks more, so I jumped on it. Luckily, I was very pleased with my decision.
This story was nothing at all like Some of Your Blood. But with an opening line of: "They caught the kid doing something disgusting out under the bleachers at the high school stadium.", how could anyone not continue with the tale?
This book is difficult to categorize. An horrific, dark science fiction tale, with humor, humanity and social commentary-these words work well to describe this story. It also seemed timeless, never once did I feel that I was listening to something that was written in the 50s.
I liked this book, I liked it a lot. If anyone out there has any other Sturgeon recommendations, please let me know, because I'm impressed with what I've read so far!
This story was nothing at all like Some of Your Blood. But with an opening line of: "They caught the kid doing something disgusting out under the bleachers at the high school stadium.", how could anyone not continue with the tale?
This book is difficult to categorize. An horrific, dark science fiction tale, with humor, humanity and social commentary-these words work well to describe this story. It also seemed timeless, never once did I feel that I was listening to something that was written in the 50s.
I liked this book, I liked it a lot. If anyone out there has any other Sturgeon recommendations, please let me know, because I'm impressed with what I've read so far!
March 25, 2019
I’ll admit right off that one of my reading weaknesses is classic science fiction. Oh, I like the modern stuff, too, don’t get me wrong. But it just seems like there was a certain extra gear of craftsmanship in the older novels and short stories. Bradbury, Aldiss, Carter, Asimov, Moorcock, Blish…..too many giants of the genre to mention wrote tales that staggered my young imagination. My room growing up was full of cheap paperbacks and sci-fi and fantasy magazines like “Analog” and “Galaxy.” My tastes have branched out over the years, but I always enjoy coming back to a good science-fiction or fantasy paperback, literary comfort food for my soul.
I remember picking up a copy of this book sometime in the mid-'80s, in a little section of paperbacks at one of the pawn shops near where I grew up in Texarkana, Texas. That particular printing was under an alternate title, “The Synthetic Man,” and I have fond memories of reading that slim volume in a younger, simpler time for me. I went off to college and left that book behind. Somewhere along the way it got lost or sold or discarded but I have always kept an eye out for another copy so I could enjoy the story once again. As it turns out, there is a little independent used bookstore in Rockport, Texas* where we like to vacation, and this 1977 Dell reprint just happened to jump off of the shelf for me.
Theodore Sturgeon was not a “hard” science-fiction writer. His forte was in creating complex and believable characters and working in a lot of humanistic elements into his stories. The book starts out as eight year-old Horty Bluett is caught doing something…..unusual. Nowadays it would get him quite a few votes on a YouTube channel, but back in the day that sort of thing was not looked upon with such wonder and amusement. Horty lives in a house with his adoptive parents, a scummy couple prone to abuse. When his “father” slams Horty’s hand with a closet door, causing massive damage, Horty runs away to literally join the circus, his only possessions being a few clothes and his mysterious jack-in-the-box toy, “Junky.” Horty is accepted into the sideshow life on the condition that he masquerade as a female dwarf, a deception that he is able to pull off seamlessly. What is the connection between Junky and Horty? What darkness does the carnival hide? What mischief will his adoptive father get up to as time passes? It’s a great start to the book, and the pages turn fast as the action ramps up.
“The Dreaming Jewels” is one of Theodore Sturgeon’s best short novels. If it were released today it would probably be positioned off in the “Young Adult” section of the store, but it was originally released in 1950. Part of what makes this book so strong, though, is its timeless quality. It doesn’t seem dated despite the fact that it was released 67 years ago. There are themes of gender roles and feminism and a soft sexuality at the core of the story that are just as relevant today as they must have been shocking in 1950. I was also impressed with Sturgeon’s depiction of the ”dreaming jewels” themselves. I enjoy science-fiction where the aliens are TRULY “alien,” and that is certainly the case here. Rather than rely on standard tropes, the author gives the “other” species an original and satisfying backstory and makes them believable as a collective, while still leaving something to the reader’s imagination.
Theodore Sturgeon is one of my favorite writers in any genre. His use of language is beautiful and spare, a true wordsmith. He’s not as poetic and flowery as Bradbury, nor is he as dry and succinct as Asimov. I’d like to finish out the review with a few lines from the book.
"He began to sing, and because the truck rumbled so, he had to sing out to be heard; and because he had to sing out, he leaned on the song, giving something of himself to it as a high-steel worker gives part of his weight to the wind."
"And now, at dawn, the carnival itself. The wide, dim street, paved with wood shavings, seemed faintly luminous between the rows of stands and bally-platforms. Here a dark neon tube made ghosts of random light rays from the growing dawn; there one of the rides stretched hungry arms upward in bony silhouette. There were sounds, sleepy, restless, alien sounds; and the place smelled of damp earth, popcorn, perspiration, and sweet, exotic manures."
"Implicit in this was humanity. With it, the base of Survival emerged, a magnificent ethic: the highest command is in terms of the species, the next is survival of group. The lowest of three is survival of self. All good and all evil, all morals, all progress, depend on this order of basic commands. To survive for the self at the price of the group is to jeopardize species. For a group to survive at the price of the species is manifest suicide. Here is the essence of good and of greed, and the wellspring of justice for all of mankind."
That is good stuff, kids. I can’t recommend the classics enough, and you are not going to go wrong with Ted Sturgeon. The man was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame for a reason. Check out those paperback racks, don’t be afraid to get a bit of Scotch tape to keep the covers together. Read, and lose yourself for a bit in a good story………..
* Upon editing this review, I felt compelled to mention that great bookstore in Rockport, Texas no longer exists, it being a victim of hurricane Harvey. There is naught left but a scraped over empty lot lot where to store once stood. It's a sad reminder that nothing in this world is permanent, that change and nature will always win out in the end.
I remember picking up a copy of this book sometime in the mid-'80s, in a little section of paperbacks at one of the pawn shops near where I grew up in Texarkana, Texas. That particular printing was under an alternate title, “The Synthetic Man,” and I have fond memories of reading that slim volume in a younger, simpler time for me. I went off to college and left that book behind. Somewhere along the way it got lost or sold or discarded but I have always kept an eye out for another copy so I could enjoy the story once again. As it turns out, there is a little independent used bookstore in Rockport, Texas* where we like to vacation, and this 1977 Dell reprint just happened to jump off of the shelf for me.
Theodore Sturgeon was not a “hard” science-fiction writer. His forte was in creating complex and believable characters and working in a lot of humanistic elements into his stories. The book starts out as eight year-old Horty Bluett is caught doing something…..unusual. Nowadays it would get him quite a few votes on a YouTube channel, but back in the day that sort of thing was not looked upon with such wonder and amusement. Horty lives in a house with his adoptive parents, a scummy couple prone to abuse. When his “father” slams Horty’s hand with a closet door, causing massive damage, Horty runs away to literally join the circus, his only possessions being a few clothes and his mysterious jack-in-the-box toy, “Junky.” Horty is accepted into the sideshow life on the condition that he masquerade as a female dwarf, a deception that he is able to pull off seamlessly. What is the connection between Junky and Horty? What darkness does the carnival hide? What mischief will his adoptive father get up to as time passes? It’s a great start to the book, and the pages turn fast as the action ramps up.
“The Dreaming Jewels” is one of Theodore Sturgeon’s best short novels. If it were released today it would probably be positioned off in the “Young Adult” section of the store, but it was originally released in 1950. Part of what makes this book so strong, though, is its timeless quality. It doesn’t seem dated despite the fact that it was released 67 years ago. There are themes of gender roles and feminism and a soft sexuality at the core of the story that are just as relevant today as they must have been shocking in 1950. I was also impressed with Sturgeon’s depiction of the ”dreaming jewels” themselves. I enjoy science-fiction where the aliens are TRULY “alien,” and that is certainly the case here. Rather than rely on standard tropes, the author gives the “other” species an original and satisfying backstory and makes them believable as a collective, while still leaving something to the reader’s imagination.
Theodore Sturgeon is one of my favorite writers in any genre. His use of language is beautiful and spare, a true wordsmith. He’s not as poetic and flowery as Bradbury, nor is he as dry and succinct as Asimov. I’d like to finish out the review with a few lines from the book.
"He began to sing, and because the truck rumbled so, he had to sing out to be heard; and because he had to sing out, he leaned on the song, giving something of himself to it as a high-steel worker gives part of his weight to the wind."
"And now, at dawn, the carnival itself. The wide, dim street, paved with wood shavings, seemed faintly luminous between the rows of stands and bally-platforms. Here a dark neon tube made ghosts of random light rays from the growing dawn; there one of the rides stretched hungry arms upward in bony silhouette. There were sounds, sleepy, restless, alien sounds; and the place smelled of damp earth, popcorn, perspiration, and sweet, exotic manures."
"Implicit in this was humanity. With it, the base of Survival emerged, a magnificent ethic: the highest command is in terms of the species, the next is survival of group. The lowest of three is survival of self. All good and all evil, all morals, all progress, depend on this order of basic commands. To survive for the self at the price of the group is to jeopardize species. For a group to survive at the price of the species is manifest suicide. Here is the essence of good and of greed, and the wellspring of justice for all of mankind."
That is good stuff, kids. I can’t recommend the classics enough, and you are not going to go wrong with Ted Sturgeon. The man was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame for a reason. Check out those paperback racks, don’t be afraid to get a bit of Scotch tape to keep the covers together. Read, and lose yourself for a bit in a good story………..
* Upon editing this review, I felt compelled to mention that great bookstore in Rockport, Texas no longer exists, it being a victim of hurricane Harvey. There is naught left but a scraped over empty lot lot where to store once stood. It's a sad reminder that nothing in this world is permanent, that change and nature will always win out in the end.
February 19, 2022
Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/n1oInng5SXw
January 8, 2020
Valutazione: 4.75.
Acquisto effettuato letteralmente a scatola chiusa, d'impulso. Nella piccola sezione fantascientifica della grande Feltrinelli bolognese, poco prima di Natale, m'imbattevo in una visione conturbante: un inconfondibile volumetto Adelphi, quasi sperduto in mezzo agli scaffali, inserito di taglio, ancora chiuso nella plastica, dalla copertina assai curiosa. Pur non potendo leggere la prima pagina (azione che in genere considero fondamentale prima di un acquisto), vengo convinto dalla copertina e dalla quarta e mi aggiudico l'articolo. Tenutolo in serbo per un paio di settimane date le altre letture in sospeso, lo riprendo infine in mano, e rimosso l'imballaggio lo leggo in pochi giorni, con grande meraviglia.
La meraviglia si origina fin dall'incipit (molto diretto e particolare: se lo avessi potuto leggere già in libreria avrei optato per l'acquisto ancor prima), e prosegue per tutto il libro, che si legge davvero bene ed è sorprendentemente attuale trattandosi di un prodotto del 1950. A parte qualche ingenuità nei dialoghi e qualche sviluppo sbrigativo della trama, che pure si perdonano e si accolgono anzi con gusto e col sorriso, l'essenza del libro rimane intatta (se non migliorata, viste le tematiche calde).
Horty ha otto anni e un giorno, dopo l'ennesima sgridata dei suoi genitori adottivi, scappa di casa e si unisce a un carosello di freaks. Ogni altro dettaglio rischierebbe di rovinare la sorpresa. Basti dire che ci sono nani, mutanti e cristalli, e che questi cristalli *sognano*. Nel mio caso questa idea è stata sufficiente per agganciarmi irrimediabilmente, poi magari sono io che mi lascio convincere facilmente...
A mio parere, un delizioso gioiello di fantascienza dove non ci sono alieni né pianeti sconosciuti, ma tutto si svolge nel nostro mondo e in fondo gira intorno al concetto di umanità. Si parla di "normale" e di "diverso", di abuso, di genere, di accettazione, di sacrificio e soprattutto di amore. E poi ci sono i cristalli che sognano!
Acquisto effettuato letteralmente a scatola chiusa, d'impulso. Nella piccola sezione fantascientifica della grande Feltrinelli bolognese, poco prima di Natale, m'imbattevo in una visione conturbante: un inconfondibile volumetto Adelphi, quasi sperduto in mezzo agli scaffali, inserito di taglio, ancora chiuso nella plastica, dalla copertina assai curiosa. Pur non potendo leggere la prima pagina (azione che in genere considero fondamentale prima di un acquisto), vengo convinto dalla copertina e dalla quarta e mi aggiudico l'articolo. Tenutolo in serbo per un paio di settimane date le altre letture in sospeso, lo riprendo infine in mano, e rimosso l'imballaggio lo leggo in pochi giorni, con grande meraviglia.
La meraviglia si origina fin dall'incipit (molto diretto e particolare: se lo avessi potuto leggere già in libreria avrei optato per l'acquisto ancor prima), e prosegue per tutto il libro, che si legge davvero bene ed è sorprendentemente attuale trattandosi di un prodotto del 1950. A parte qualche ingenuità nei dialoghi e qualche sviluppo sbrigativo della trama, che pure si perdonano e si accolgono anzi con gusto e col sorriso, l'essenza del libro rimane intatta (se non migliorata, viste le tematiche calde).
Horty ha otto anni e un giorno, dopo l'ennesima sgridata dei suoi genitori adottivi, scappa di casa e si unisce a un carosello di freaks. Ogni altro dettaglio rischierebbe di rovinare la sorpresa. Basti dire che ci sono nani, mutanti e cristalli, e che questi cristalli *sognano*. Nel mio caso questa idea è stata sufficiente per agganciarmi irrimediabilmente, poi magari sono io che mi lascio convincere facilmente...
A mio parere, un delizioso gioiello di fantascienza dove non ci sono alieni né pianeti sconosciuti, ma tutto si svolge nel nostro mondo e in fondo gira intorno al concetto di umanità. Si parla di "normale" e di "diverso", di abuso, di genere, di accettazione, di sacrificio e soprattutto di amore. E poi ci sono i cristalli che sognano!
December 5, 2013
Last Christmas, I mentioned to my parents that I'd like to read more science fiction. Being the hella-nerds they are, mom and dad pooled their resources and, predictably, went overboard. Christmas morning, I unwrapped a giant cardboard box filled with sci-fi paperbacks. I was overwhelmed, but pleased with my new stockpile. I would reach in and grab a book every now and again by someone I had at least heard of: Heinlein, Bradbury, Clarke, and other typical fair of the genre.
But then I started looking at the ones I didn't recognize. The old out-of-print pulp paperbacks with ripped spines and slowly browning, musky pages.
The Synthetic Man was easily the oldest looking by a long shot. It was short, and the back only had a two sentence description about eating ants. My interest was piqued, so I gave it a go.
Nine times out of ten, picking up a book at random without any knowledge of it will, at best, leave you pleasantly entertained, and at worst, make you want to purge your brain of the 200 or so pages worth of foulness you've just fed it. [Of course, this wasn't completely at random. These were hand-selected by my brilliant, geeky parents. But nevertheless, the feeling applies.] Then, every now and again, you find a gem. A book that has everything, a book where everything falls into place perfectly. A book you start recommending to everyone, no matter how irritated they get with you.
The Synthetic Man was that book for me. It was simply an absolute delight. Without giving too much away, I'll say this: there's a boy who eats ants, but he's not really a boy. There's a circus spreading plagues wherever it goes. And its freakshow? The freaks aren't your run of the mill sideshow attractions. Think Frankenstein meets The X-Men. Sort of.
But then I started looking at the ones I didn't recognize. The old out-of-print pulp paperbacks with ripped spines and slowly browning, musky pages.
The Synthetic Man was easily the oldest looking by a long shot. It was short, and the back only had a two sentence description about eating ants. My interest was piqued, so I gave it a go.
Nine times out of ten, picking up a book at random without any knowledge of it will, at best, leave you pleasantly entertained, and at worst, make you want to purge your brain of the 200 or so pages worth of foulness you've just fed it. [Of course, this wasn't completely at random. These were hand-selected by my brilliant, geeky parents. But nevertheless, the feeling applies.] Then, every now and again, you find a gem. A book that has everything, a book where everything falls into place perfectly. A book you start recommending to everyone, no matter how irritated they get with you.
The Synthetic Man was that book for me. It was simply an absolute delight. Without giving too much away, I'll say this: there's a boy who eats ants, but he's not really a boy. There's a circus spreading plagues wherever it goes. And its freakshow? The freaks aren't your run of the mill sideshow attractions. Think Frankenstein meets The X-Men. Sort of.
August 14, 2024
The Synthetic Man was first published with a better title, The Dreaming Jewels, in the February 1950 issue of Fantastic Adventures magazine, one of the last true pulps. It was the lead story of the issue, and had a nifty cover painted by (the sadly forgotten but good nonetheless) Robert Gibson Jones. Pyramid retitled it The Synthetic Man with their first paperback edition in 1957. It's one of Sturgeon's best-known novels, and quite arguably his best. It was remarkably ahead of its time, addressing mistreatment of children and gender identification and themes of humanity and alienation well before the New Wave hit the field. Parts are now dated, of course, but the carnival backdrop rivals Bradbury, and Stephen King has cited it as an influential work. I have avoided any spoilers, but it has one of the most captivating first paragraphs you'll ever read: "They caught the kid doing something disgusting out under the bleachers at the high-school stadium, and he was sent home from the grammar school across the street. He was eight years old then. He'd been doing it for years."
August 8, 2020
L'umanità è un concetto caro agli anormali, che la vagheggiano melanconicamente, che affermano il loro diritto di farne parte con un anelito aberrante, che non desistono dall'invocarla tendendo le loro braccia rachitiche.
April 26, 2021
I hadn't read any Sturgeon before, although being a science fiction and a Star Trek fan, I know him well. He did, after all, write two of my favorite Star Trek TOS episodes, Amok Time and Shore Leave (that backrub scene lmaooooo).
I'm very impressed with this. Lots of genre fiction writers include events or items that are so anachronistic that in time they end up feeling dated, but not this. He manages to avoid anything that can really pinpoint it in time, except perhaps a travelling carnival, though they do exist today, just under slightly different terms. It fits with the overall theme of the story which is a sort of universal love of creation, of mutual benefit and of co-existing. I'd almost say it's a kind of first contact story, but one-sided. It's a very human story with humans and life in the center and an exploration of how life can come to be created. I loved that inventive way of looking at science.
The characters are wonderful, all outcasts but finding acceptance and beauty among each other and the story made me feel warm and fuzzy. A very positive and life-affirming read which in ways reminded me of Tiptree's Up the Walls of the World.
I'm very impressed with this. Lots of genre fiction writers include events or items that are so anachronistic that in time they end up feeling dated, but not this. He manages to avoid anything that can really pinpoint it in time, except perhaps a travelling carnival, though they do exist today, just under slightly different terms. It fits with the overall theme of the story which is a sort of universal love of creation, of mutual benefit and of co-existing. I'd almost say it's a kind of first contact story, but one-sided. It's a very human story with humans and life in the center and an exploration of how life can come to be created. I loved that inventive way of looking at science.
The characters are wonderful, all outcasts but finding acceptance and beauty among each other and the story made me feel warm and fuzzy. A very positive and life-affirming read which in ways reminded me of Tiptree's Up the Walls of the World.
July 10, 2021
I don’t write reviews.
I have been under the weather and wanted a story that was familiar. I decided to listen to The Dreaming Jewels this time. It was nice and comforting. Not too challenging, very relaxing. The characters are quaint and more than a little charming, although slightly flat at times. (The “bad guy” somehow reminds me of the bad guy from Strawberry Shortcake. Don’t ask me why… I have brain problems).
However, it’s such an expository tale. Everything is told to the reader. I don’t remember it being so the first time I read it, but my god it TELLS. As I know Sturgeon can do better, I dropped my rating by one star. The deus ex machina at the end contributed to that as well.
I enjoy how Sturgeon explores the condition of being human. Like his other novels, these characters try to understand the depth and breadth of their humanity. Does the scientific label of one as true Homo sapiens hold more water than an abundance of joy and love? Can someone form themselves into a human by sheer will? Can we lose the essence of humanity?
I have been under the weather and wanted a story that was familiar. I decided to listen to The Dreaming Jewels this time. It was nice and comforting. Not too challenging, very relaxing. The characters are quaint and more than a little charming, although slightly flat at times. (The “bad guy” somehow reminds me of the bad guy from Strawberry Shortcake. Don’t ask me why… I have brain problems).
However, it’s such an expository tale. Everything is told to the reader. I don’t remember it being so the first time I read it, but my god it TELLS. As I know Sturgeon can do better, I dropped my rating by one star. The deus ex machina at the end contributed to that as well.
I enjoy how Sturgeon explores the condition of being human. Like his other novels, these characters try to understand the depth and breadth of their humanity. Does the scientific label of one as true Homo sapiens hold more water than an abundance of joy and love? Can someone form themselves into a human by sheer will? Can we lose the essence of humanity?
April 16, 2021
After 70 years Sturgeon still is one of the best observers of the misfits of human society. Very little in his books feels dated, he always was way ahead of his time in his mindset.
In The Dreaming Jewels among other themes he has the topic of gender fluidity without making any fuss about it. His characters are individuals down to the core and his precise, non-convoluted writing raises his prose above many SF authors through the decades. Coming back to a piece of Sturgeon is always like taking a deep breath of fresh air for me.
On the side of story "The Dreaming Jewels" certainly isn't his masterpiece. Yet the tale about a boy who is different and runs away from home to join a carnival turns from an coming of age story into a nice SF topic with alien aliens, free of Starships, outer space and the usual components one connects with SF from the 50ies. As always Sturgeon's forte lies on the human, psychological level.
In The Dreaming Jewels among other themes he has the topic of gender fluidity without making any fuss about it. His characters are individuals down to the core and his precise, non-convoluted writing raises his prose above many SF authors through the decades. Coming back to a piece of Sturgeon is always like taking a deep breath of fresh air for me.
On the side of story "The Dreaming Jewels" certainly isn't his masterpiece. Yet the tale about a boy who is different and runs away from home to join a carnival turns from an coming of age story into a nice SF topic with alien aliens, free of Starships, outer space and the usual components one connects with SF from the 50ies. As always Sturgeon's forte lies on the human, psychological level.
April 26, 2011
Theodore Sturgeon only wrote SF because no other genre could possibly have contained the immensity of his ideas. But he wrote unconsciously of the genre and his work tends to be devoid of the usual trappings found in many other SF writers work. That this was originally published in 1951 only serves to intensify my admiration for this man's work, reminding me just how ahead of his time he was.
Sturgeon is an ideas man so one might compare him to the likes of A.E. van Vogt and Philip K. Dick but he combines his powerful imagination with masterful literary skills, something the other two often struggled to do. He also conveys an authorative understanding and depth of knowledge of the subject matter in question. And this book is no exception.
This is a gripping and traumatic story packed full of interesting characters. Once again a contemplation of what it is to be human is the central theme of this book. While not quite attaining the dizzying heights of More Than Human, this is a great story and deserves more recognition than it appears to have.
I can't wait to read some more of this man's work, although I'm not sure where to go next...
Sturgeon is an ideas man so one might compare him to the likes of A.E. van Vogt and Philip K. Dick but he combines his powerful imagination with masterful literary skills, something the other two often struggled to do. He also conveys an authorative understanding and depth of knowledge of the subject matter in question. And this book is no exception.
This is a gripping and traumatic story packed full of interesting characters. Once again a contemplation of what it is to be human is the central theme of this book. While not quite attaining the dizzying heights of More Than Human, this is a great story and deserves more recognition than it appears to have.
I can't wait to read some more of this man's work, although I'm not sure where to go next...
September 10, 2011
The book blurb states this was Sturgeon's first novel and it is an impressive beginning. The only other book of the author's I have read is More Than Human, which was slightly more ambitious but also less enjoyable. I sympathized with the characters in this book far more. The story was simple and sincere but captivating and beautiful as well. The setting reminded me of HBO's Carnivale, that perfect and doomed show I wish to this day had never been cancelled. I am having a difficult time deciding whether I liked the setting or the main character more.
Horty was perfect and I loved him from the very beginning when he was caught doing that very bad thing at school. And by the end of what I think was the first chapter, before Horty sets off, I was shocked and disturbed and fascinated with Sturgeon for forcing me to care so strongly for a character as fast as I did for Horty.
I liked the ending but the last chapter or 2 before the final page felt slightly rocky, which is the only reason why I am not rating 5 stars.
I love how Sturgeon blends science fiction, fantasy, and social commentary. His books are accessible and inventive and so far, highly recommended.
Horty was perfect and I loved him from the very beginning when he was caught doing that very bad thing at school. And by the end of what I think was the first chapter, before Horty sets off, I was shocked and disturbed and fascinated with Sturgeon for forcing me to care so strongly for a character as fast as I did for Horty.
I liked the ending but the last chapter or 2 before the final page felt slightly rocky, which is the only reason why I am not rating 5 stars.
I love how Sturgeon blends science fiction, fantasy, and social commentary. His books are accessible and inventive and so far, highly recommended.
December 17, 2022
This is a SF from the ‘Golden Age’ (1950s), a great example of the period in style and themes. I’ve read several great novels by Theodore Sturgeon, as well as his shorter works, which were also excellent. I read it as a part of the monthly reading for December 2022 at The Evolution of Science Fiction group. The novel was nominated for Retro Hugos for 1950 in 2001.
The story starts as a conflict between a boy and his adoptive parents, reminiscent of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but of course, it should be the other way round chronologically. At the same time it doesn’t initially set a good or bad side, for the very first paragraph is:
They caught the kid doing something disgusting out under the bleachers at the high-school stadium, and he was sent home from the grammar school across the street. He was eight years old then. He’d been doing it for years.
The boy, Horty—Horton, that is—Bluett, is a loner, with only a Punch-like toy named Junky, with a chipped hooked nose which all but met his upturned, pointed chin. Junky was the kind of toy so well-known, so well-worn, that it was not necessary to see it frequently, or touch it often, to know that it was there.. After a short but brutal conflict with his step-father, which left Horty maimed (yes, 50s stories can be brutal), he runs away and joins a wandering circus, where Carnies make his one of their own, temporarily disguising him as a midget Zena’s little cousin, and persuading the circus manager, the Maneater, to take him in. The manager is a former doctor, a misanthrope, and a mad scientist, who once found the existence of titular dreaming jewels and now studies them, a unique life form, possibly of an extraterrestrial origin.
The story has both goods and bads of pulpy 50s style, which at least partially saw SF as juvenile fiction, so most characters aren’t especially deep, they aren’t ambiguous or many-layered, villains are villainous, and heroes are heroic. This is even despite some of the themes raised by the plot were definitely considered adult at the time. At the same time, the pace is adequate without meanderings and infodumps. In terms of gender diversity, the book goes quite well for the times, with several female characters none of which is a princess in distress type. Overall, a nice book, and while not as strong as More Than Human, still quite enjoyable.
The story starts as a conflict between a boy and his adoptive parents, reminiscent of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but of course, it should be the other way round chronologically. At the same time it doesn’t initially set a good or bad side, for the very first paragraph is:
They caught the kid doing something disgusting out under the bleachers at the high-school stadium, and he was sent home from the grammar school across the street. He was eight years old then. He’d been doing it for years.
The boy, Horty—Horton, that is—Bluett, is a loner, with only a Punch-like toy named Junky, with a chipped hooked nose which all but met his upturned, pointed chin. Junky was the kind of toy so well-known, so well-worn, that it was not necessary to see it frequently, or touch it often, to know that it was there.. After a short but brutal conflict with his step-father, which left Horty maimed (yes, 50s stories can be brutal), he runs away and joins a wandering circus, where Carnies make his one of their own, temporarily disguising him as a midget Zena’s little cousin, and persuading the circus manager, the Maneater, to take him in. The manager is a former doctor, a misanthrope, and a mad scientist, who once found the existence of titular dreaming jewels and now studies them, a unique life form, possibly of an extraterrestrial origin.
The story has both goods and bads of pulpy 50s style, which at least partially saw SF as juvenile fiction, so most characters aren’t especially deep, they aren’t ambiguous or many-layered, villains are villainous, and heroes are heroic. This is even despite some of the themes raised by the plot were definitely considered adult at the time. At the same time, the pace is adequate without meanderings and infodumps. In terms of gender diversity, the book goes quite well for the times, with several female characters none of which is a princess in distress type. Overall, a nice book, and while not as strong as More Than Human, still quite enjoyable.
February 1, 2022
Sognare il diverso
"Il cristallo ammiccò passivamente durante tutti gli esami...tutti quelli che osò effettuare. Fece attenzione una volta accortosi che fosse vivo. L'aveva scoperto al microscopio; non era un cristallo, ma un liquido surraffreddato consistente in un'unica cellula con le pareti sfaccettate. Il liquido solidificato all'interno era un colloide con un indice di rifrazione come quello del polestirene."
"Ma i loro sogni vivono nel nostro mondo...nella nostra realtà. I loro sogni non sono pensieri e ombre, immagini e suoni come i nostri, sono sogni fatti di carne e di linfa, di legno, di ossa e di sangue. E a volte non li completano, così io mi trovo un gatto con due zampe, uno scoiattolo senza pelliccia..."
"L'umanità è un concetto caro agli anormali, che la vagheggiano melanconicamente, che affermano il loro diritto di farne parte con un anelito aberrante, che non desistono dall'invocarla tendendo le loro braccia rachitiche."
"La maledizione del genere umano, in tutta la sua storia, è stata la convinzione che quello che già si conosce sia giusto e che tutto quello che se ne discosta sia sbagliato."
Quanto possono influire, sulla resa finale dell'esperienza di lettura, la forza di un'idea e il suo inserimento in un contesto adatto?
L'opera di Sturgeon, notissima tra gli addetti ai lavori nonché supportata da un ricco seguito di proseliti, riesce a concretizzare alla perfezione l'amletico dubbio descritto poc'anzi: una grande idea depotenziata da uno sviluppo non all'altezza.
Le responsabilità maggiori vanno imputate a uno scheletro narrativo poco robusto, costituito in larga parte da coincidenze fortuite; ma anche la confusione a livello della componente fantastica - l'esercizio dei poteri, i loro effetti, le identità dei personaggi - lascia la fastidiosa sensazione che dietro alla stesura della storia ci sia un baro, più che uno scrittore capace di raggiungere la quadra.
Al netto di una disorganicità narrativa piuttosto evidente, l'idea dell'invasione silenziosa e millenaria, capace di imbastire un'impalcatura tra l'umanità organica e quella imperfetta - sogni di carne e sangue a perseguire l'anelito alla perfezione - è così potente da lasciare un solco indelebile nel genere fantascientifico. Il romanzo guadagna punti se osservato sotto il profilo morale: con il contesto freaks si pone enfasi sulla ghettizzazione del diverso; e per estensione il disperato allineamento da parte di chi non può mimetizzarsi nella normalità (impossibile non ravvisare l'influenza di Freaks di Tod Browning nonché l'eredità per Il Popolo dell'Autunno di Ray Bradbury).
Opera imperfetta e probabilmente sopravvalutata, ancorché interessante nella sua atipicità.
"Il cristallo ammiccò passivamente durante tutti gli esami...tutti quelli che osò effettuare. Fece attenzione una volta accortosi che fosse vivo. L'aveva scoperto al microscopio; non era un cristallo, ma un liquido surraffreddato consistente in un'unica cellula con le pareti sfaccettate. Il liquido solidificato all'interno era un colloide con un indice di rifrazione come quello del polestirene."
"Ma i loro sogni vivono nel nostro mondo...nella nostra realtà. I loro sogni non sono pensieri e ombre, immagini e suoni come i nostri, sono sogni fatti di carne e di linfa, di legno, di ossa e di sangue. E a volte non li completano, così io mi trovo un gatto con due zampe, uno scoiattolo senza pelliccia..."
"L'umanità è un concetto caro agli anormali, che la vagheggiano melanconicamente, che affermano il loro diritto di farne parte con un anelito aberrante, che non desistono dall'invocarla tendendo le loro braccia rachitiche."
"La maledizione del genere umano, in tutta la sua storia, è stata la convinzione che quello che già si conosce sia giusto e che tutto quello che se ne discosta sia sbagliato."
Quanto possono influire, sulla resa finale dell'esperienza di lettura, la forza di un'idea e il suo inserimento in un contesto adatto?
L'opera di Sturgeon, notissima tra gli addetti ai lavori nonché supportata da un ricco seguito di proseliti, riesce a concretizzare alla perfezione l'amletico dubbio descritto poc'anzi: una grande idea depotenziata da uno sviluppo non all'altezza.
Le responsabilità maggiori vanno imputate a uno scheletro narrativo poco robusto, costituito in larga parte da coincidenze fortuite; ma anche la confusione a livello della componente fantastica - l'esercizio dei poteri, i loro effetti, le identità dei personaggi - lascia la fastidiosa sensazione che dietro alla stesura della storia ci sia un baro, più che uno scrittore capace di raggiungere la quadra.
Al netto di una disorganicità narrativa piuttosto evidente, l'idea dell'invasione silenziosa e millenaria, capace di imbastire un'impalcatura tra l'umanità organica e quella imperfetta - sogni di carne e sangue a perseguire l'anelito alla perfezione - è così potente da lasciare un solco indelebile nel genere fantascientifico. Il romanzo guadagna punti se osservato sotto il profilo morale: con il contesto freaks si pone enfasi sulla ghettizzazione del diverso; e per estensione il disperato allineamento da parte di chi non può mimetizzarsi nella normalità (impossibile non ravvisare l'influenza di Freaks di Tod Browning nonché l'eredità per Il Popolo dell'Autunno di Ray Bradbury).
Opera imperfetta e probabilmente sopravvalutata, ancorché interessante nella sua atipicità.
January 28, 2014
For the 1950 first novel of Vonnegut's model for Kilgore Trout, I was actually pleasantly surprised by this one. A very human coming-of-age balanced by some dips into bizarre scientific study of abstract life (a little more optimistic about mediating between these worlds than Stanislaw Lem, however). And for a while wholly unpredictable, culminating in a completely startling revenge sequence. Ultimately, the trajectory has to reconform a relatively normal set of guidepoints, though -- the second half becoming much more foreseeable at least in generalities. Still, entertaining and sympathetic, which is already more than I can say about a lot of 50s-era sci-fi. Sturgeon seems to have an empathy for the marginalized I find lacking in some of his contemporaries, and it goes a long way.
February 27, 2015
Theodore Sturgeon to me is a bit of mystery - I have a number of his works and I am slowly working my way through his collected works (an impressive series I must admit) and his short story " Saucer of loneliness" is one of my all time favourite stories - even before the new twilight zone turned it in to an amazing episode - but still his work surprises me.
He is universally accepted as one of the all time great science fiction writers being cited by many authors as being their favourite or an inspiration to them and yet many of his works are hardly what you would call science fiction - this being a case in point. Do not get me wrong the story is fascinating if a little bizarre but still it was not what I was expecting and I think that is the secret to his success.
And as a side note the publisher Victor Gollancz has brought us many amazing books and I know that there is a rich history of titles they can draw on but the fact that in the early 2000s they reprinted a number in their distinctive yellow jacket makes this book all the more appealing to me (shallow I know)
He is universally accepted as one of the all time great science fiction writers being cited by many authors as being their favourite or an inspiration to them and yet many of his works are hardly what you would call science fiction - this being a case in point. Do not get me wrong the story is fascinating if a little bizarre but still it was not what I was expecting and I think that is the secret to his success.
And as a side note the publisher Victor Gollancz has brought us many amazing books and I know that there is a rich history of titles they can draw on but the fact that in the early 2000s they reprinted a number in their distinctive yellow jacket makes this book all the more appealing to me (shallow I know)
September 11, 2018
"The Dreaming Jewels" (aka "The Synthetic Man") consists of a standard Sturgeon theme: Misfits with extraordinary sensitive human traits. He often includes obligatory quasi pseudo-science, but his strength is with his depiction of human emotion and how one who is somehow alienated from society and or his own culture, copes with the so called "norm".
The protagonist – a 'weird' adopted kid, who is not loved in his home, gets sent home from school because he was caught eating ants. The result leads him to running away and join the circus - a classic idea, yes, but because he ate ant? - an that is Sturgeon's genius. He then gets a gig playing the part of a girl midget with another who is really a girl... and so on. That’s the set up. Though the dialogue is, at times, a bit stiff, the overall story is quite good. It is multi-dimensional, both fun and sad, and laced with moments of brilliance.
The protagonist – a 'weird' adopted kid, who is not loved in his home, gets sent home from school because he was caught eating ants. The result leads him to running away and join the circus - a classic idea, yes, but because he ate ant? - an that is Sturgeon's genius. He then gets a gig playing the part of a girl midget with another who is really a girl... and so on. That’s the set up. Though the dialogue is, at times, a bit stiff, the overall story is quite good. It is multi-dimensional, both fun and sad, and laced with moments of brilliance.
November 27, 2017
Bel romanzo, molto poetico, ha come tema la diversità, la solitudine e la ricerca dell'amore, anche in un mondo ostile e cattivo; supera i canoni della Fantascienza per espandersi in una molteplicità di generi.
February 25, 2009
I hadn't thought about this book for ages, until the other day when I read Jessica Treat's fine short story Ants. They both start in pretty much the same way. Coincidence?
May 19, 2022
Although it definitely falls into the science fiction category by the very end (perhaps a little clumsily at its first entry early in the book), 'The Dreaming Jewels' (also called 'The Synthetic Man') might just as easily be regarded as a masterpiece of weird fiction for much of its length.
Science fiction has an unfortunate problem in that, whenever it is published (1950 in this case), its content is likely to become fantasy within a relatively short period of time whereas weird fiction tends to be emotionally timeless even when it is set in Gothic castles or crumbling churchyards.
The setting amongst 'carny' folk is classically weird while its science theme of a world eternally present in ours but oblivious to our human concerns, producing 'monsters' simply by accident, is on the very edge of being Lovecraftian.
It certainly avoids the credibility issues of most pulp scifi. The science may not be plausible but it is not implausible just because we have progressed to something else but only because it is Fortean (Charles gets name-checked towards the end of the book). We are in the weird.
Because the science is Fortean rather than Darwinian, a 'weird' alternative notion of evolution is suggested. Although God is never mentioned, what we might put down to the callousness of God can here be put down to the callousness and disregard for us of the totally alien.
At any one point, key characters may be human or inhuman but of human origin or the creation of non-humans or self-created (there are even shades of Frankenstein as Mary Shelley originally conceived the monster). The book is an undoubted tour de force but its genius is worn lightly.
It has two characters who represent evil, one the cruel, corrupt, exploitative Judge Bluett (of which no spoilers here) and the other being the 'Maneater' who seeks to do evil out of simple hatred for humanity with twists and turns in his presentation that keep the reader guessing.
To say more of these types of evil might result in accusations of offering spoilers but let us say that Sturgeon is clever at separating the alien from the inhuman and recognising that corruption and evil are not the prerogative of any species any more than is the good and the kind.
This is what sets this book apart - its humanity in exploring what it is to be human and inhuman and postulating a situation where the apparently inhuman can be more true to what we believe it is to be human at its best than can be the human at its worst.
Early in the book, Sturgeon gives us a haunting picture of the mistreated child and of the cruelty of the social as well as of the kindness of the individual. He is of that school that sees goodness lying in what we do as individuals and not inherent in the world or society.
He is also arguing for nurture rather than nature as the driver of the good. If the aliens are intrinsically morally neutral what an alien or human becomes derives from circumstances, kindness and cruelty even if there is also intrinsic warped evil also to be found from nature.
Perhaps Sturgeon's nature is indifferent, cruel and evil or filled with potential for the good and the potential for good unfolds as a process whereas evil is just an event repeated remorselessly - as the Maneater repeats his delivery of cruelties around America.
The central location is a travelling carnival - the tool of Maneater but also the home to the aberrations created by the Fortean aliens or by nature. It enables Maneater to perform his obsessive small evils and manipulations but also is a refuge for the good and weak who society rejects.
Part of his art lies in 'humanising' the carny folk who, of course, would be regarded as more alien and monstrous to readers in mid-twentieth century America than in our more enlightened age (or so we would hope). The carny folk add another layer of complexity to the alien-human dynamic.
There is yet further layer of complexity that can easily be missed - the subtle references to erotic transgression expressed through gender bending shape shifting and even what might be considered 'age play' and even a strong implication of the sado-masochistic.
And yet these peculiar aspects of the story are presented so naturally that they cease to be tainted with the 'monstrous' (as they certainly would be in 1950 and in some respects would be today) and become part of a language of love. There is nothing exploitative here in the use of such ideas.
Simple humanity is present but marginal - working away to survive as best it can in a world with hidden dangers of which it can know little and, generally, kind if ignorant, wanting to do its best and terrified when the world of monsters appears unasked-for.
In the end, it is good 'people' that matter. The callous indifference of the universe really does not matter if the good continue to do good and fight corruption and evil. You may not be able to do much about the universe but you can stop and undo wrongs whatever you are.
It is as if Sturgeon is expressing a love-hate relationship with his own species. His skill at giving us a deeply emotional content to a genre novel (a rare accomplishment) is remarkable - we come to feel for characters independent of their status as human or inhuman.
What comes across most is that Sturgeon cares about people and the good without having any illusions about them. There is a happy ending of sorts but only amidst tragic waste. Evil may not triumph but it is a close run thing. And species remain separate in their destinies.
June 20, 2019
Wacky science fiction at its best, but maybe not Sturgeon's best. I'm probably being unfair comparing his other works to the great "More Than Human". "Jewels" stands out on its own. It's nothing phenomenal and it might seem a little less fresh than it appeared at the time it was written in 1950.
The plot should be enough to ensnare you: an 8-year old boy with a jewel-eyed jack-in-the-box named Junky gets his fingers cut off by an evil foster father, so he runs off to a carnival where the midgets turn him into a transgender midget performer to hide him from Maneater, the evil ruler of the carnival. Turns out those jewels are actually fucking aliens!
Good stuff, but not great. Good enough, I guess!
The plot should be enough to ensnare you: an 8-year old boy with a jewel-eyed jack-in-the-box named Junky gets his fingers cut off by an evil foster father, so he runs off to a carnival where the midgets turn him into a transgender midget performer to hide him from Maneater, the evil ruler of the carnival. Turns out those jewels are actually fucking aliens!
Good stuff, but not great. Good enough, I guess!
December 4, 2020
Il piccolo Horty, un orfanello dagli strani comportamenti che viene affidato ad un uomo egoista e violento, è deriso e maltrattato, ma un giorno decide di scappare di casa ed unirsi ad una compagnia itinerante di fenomeni da baraccone, un circo di emarginati e di reietti, come la nana Zena, che mostrerà da subito empatia ed affetto verso il nuovo arrivato, che sarà accolto ed accettato senza alcuna discriminazione. Ma qual è la verità su questi scherzi della natura? Cosa si cela dietro il loro misterioso capo, un medico radiato dal passato ombroso, soprannominato “il Cannibale” per la sua manifesta misantropia? E perché è ossessionato da quei misteriosi cristalli, cui dedica l'esistenza nel loro studio e nella loro ricerca? Ma soprattutto, chi è veramente Horty, e perché è così importante per lui l'inquietante pupazzetto Junky, che lo segue fin dalla nascita con quei suoi occhi luccicanti e ipnotici?
Scritto nel 1950, “Cristalli sognanti” è l'opera principale di Theodore Sturgeon, uno degli esponenti più noti dell'età dell'oro della fantascienza. A dire il vero, questo romanzo breve potrebbe essere di difficile classificazione, data la forte presenza di atmosfere oniriche, elementi fantastici e magici, intrusioni paranormali e fenomeni scientificamente inspiegabili. A tal proposito, viene subito in mente la famosa terza legge di Clarke (sì, proprio lui, l'autore di “2001: Odissea nello spazio”), che afferma che qualunque tecnologia sufficientemente avanzata è indistinguibile dalla magia, e lo stesso Sturgeon sembra essere d'accordo quando ci suggerisce in questa opera che la verità non può essere ricercata solo in ciò che già conosciamo, e a cui sappiamo dare una spiegazione, ma soprattutto in quello che ancora dobbiamo capire.
Al di là delle proprie posizioni, è indubbio, comunque, che “Cristalli sognanti” sia un'opera molto particolare, che fonde con originalità elementi di narrativa weird e creepy, ambientazioni stranianti e sognanti già dal titolo, e che si interroga in modo urgente su tematiche molto importanti e sempre attuali, quali la diversità, l'identità di genere, l'accettazione di sé ed il senso dell'essere umani. Tutti questi interrogativi vengono sollevati in un contesto affascinante, per certi versi avvincente, che continuamente oscilla tra il sogno e la realtà, il plausibile e l'inspiegabile, il conscio e l'inconscio.
Sebbene con il suo procedere la narrazione vada leggermente a scadere su tinte pulp, traccia tipica di una narrativa di consumo, questo romanzo ha lasciato una certa eredità per gli scrittori di fantascienza che hanno avuto e tuttora hanno a cuore alcune importanti cause sociali, come le battaglie femministe e quelle contro il razzismo, il sessismo ed il classismo (il paragone con l'opera di Angela Carter è stato il primo a venire alla mente, anche vista l'ambientazione circense del romanzo di Sturgeon, ma gli esempi, anche contemporanei, sarebbero molteplici).
Un'altra cosa che colpisce in positivo è l'omaggio fatto da Sturgeon ai suoi colleghi contemporanei, con la citazione di alcune opere quasi coeve, come “Cronache marziane” di Ray Bradbury o “1984” di George Orwell, ma anche “La guerra delle salamandre” di Karel Capek, già considerate dall'autore, con notevole lungimiranza, dei classici della letteratura, e che in “Cristalli sognanti” sono decisive per la formazione culturale ed umana del giovane Horty.
Per tutti questi meriti, si può perdonare a Sturgeon la prosa un po' sempliciotta, spesso ingenua, talvolta poco convincente. Il fatto che “Cristalli sognanti” riesca a farci interrogare su tante questioni è, nonostante la mancanza di risposte certe e di sollievo dai dubbi insorti, il vero valore aggiunto dell'opera. Sturgeon è stato anche il famoso enunciatore della legge che porta il suo nome, e che sostiene che il 90% della fantascienza è spazzatura perché, a ben vedere, il 90% di tutto quanto è spazzatura: di sicuro, il suo “Cristalli sognanti” non rientra in questa parte del tutto.
Scritto nel 1950, “Cristalli sognanti” è l'opera principale di Theodore Sturgeon, uno degli esponenti più noti dell'età dell'oro della fantascienza. A dire il vero, questo romanzo breve potrebbe essere di difficile classificazione, data la forte presenza di atmosfere oniriche, elementi fantastici e magici, intrusioni paranormali e fenomeni scientificamente inspiegabili. A tal proposito, viene subito in mente la famosa terza legge di Clarke (sì, proprio lui, l'autore di “2001: Odissea nello spazio”), che afferma che qualunque tecnologia sufficientemente avanzata è indistinguibile dalla magia, e lo stesso Sturgeon sembra essere d'accordo quando ci suggerisce in questa opera che la verità non può essere ricercata solo in ciò che già conosciamo, e a cui sappiamo dare una spiegazione, ma soprattutto in quello che ancora dobbiamo capire.
Al di là delle proprie posizioni, è indubbio, comunque, che “Cristalli sognanti” sia un'opera molto particolare, che fonde con originalità elementi di narrativa weird e creepy, ambientazioni stranianti e sognanti già dal titolo, e che si interroga in modo urgente su tematiche molto importanti e sempre attuali, quali la diversità, l'identità di genere, l'accettazione di sé ed il senso dell'essere umani. Tutti questi interrogativi vengono sollevati in un contesto affascinante, per certi versi avvincente, che continuamente oscilla tra il sogno e la realtà, il plausibile e l'inspiegabile, il conscio e l'inconscio.
Sebbene con il suo procedere la narrazione vada leggermente a scadere su tinte pulp, traccia tipica di una narrativa di consumo, questo romanzo ha lasciato una certa eredità per gli scrittori di fantascienza che hanno avuto e tuttora hanno a cuore alcune importanti cause sociali, come le battaglie femministe e quelle contro il razzismo, il sessismo ed il classismo (il paragone con l'opera di Angela Carter è stato il primo a venire alla mente, anche vista l'ambientazione circense del romanzo di Sturgeon, ma gli esempi, anche contemporanei, sarebbero molteplici).
Un'altra cosa che colpisce in positivo è l'omaggio fatto da Sturgeon ai suoi colleghi contemporanei, con la citazione di alcune opere quasi coeve, come “Cronache marziane” di Ray Bradbury o “1984” di George Orwell, ma anche “La guerra delle salamandre” di Karel Capek, già considerate dall'autore, con notevole lungimiranza, dei classici della letteratura, e che in “Cristalli sognanti” sono decisive per la formazione culturale ed umana del giovane Horty.
Per tutti questi meriti, si può perdonare a Sturgeon la prosa un po' sempliciotta, spesso ingenua, talvolta poco convincente. Il fatto che “Cristalli sognanti” riesca a farci interrogare su tante questioni è, nonostante la mancanza di risposte certe e di sollievo dai dubbi insorti, il vero valore aggiunto dell'opera. Sturgeon è stato anche il famoso enunciatore della legge che porta il suo nome, e che sostiene che il 90% della fantascienza è spazzatura perché, a ben vedere, il 90% di tutto quanto è spazzatura: di sicuro, il suo “Cristalli sognanti” non rientra in questa parte del tutto.
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April 22, 2026Теодор Стърджън е от ония пишещи, посветили писането и (без преувеличение) живота си на човешкото: онова, което ни прави човеци. Без значение къде; кога; какви сме се родили.
На Запад събратята му по перо го наричат „въплътената любов“. Рей Бредбъри, Роджър Зелазни, Харлан Елисън, Джийн Улф, Самюъл Дилейни – те не само черпят вдъхновение от свежестта и силата на прозата му; вдъхновяват ги, като хора, примерите за човечност и проявленията на човечността, които изригват и от най-мрачните истории на Стърджън. (А Стърджън познава мрака в нас не по-зле от спътницата му светлина.)
„Бленуващите кристали“ е първият роман на Стърджън, писан преди повече от шест десетилетия. Дали е недодялан? Дали е остарял?
Своите отговори знам. По-интересни са ми вашите.
Ето как да си поръчате романа от Човешката библиотека
На Запад събратята му по перо го наричат „въплътената любов“. Рей Бредбъри, Роджър Зелазни, Харлан Елисън, Джийн Улф, Самюъл Дилейни – те не само черпят вдъхновение от свежестта и силата на прозата му; вдъхновяват ги, като хора, примерите за човечност и проявленията на човечността, които изригват и от най-мрачните истории на Стърджън. (А Стърджън познава мрака в нас не по-зле от спътницата му светлина.)
„Бленуващите кристали“ е първият роман на Стърджън, писан преди повече от шест десетилетия. Дали е недодялан? Дали е остарял?
Своите отговори знам. По-интересни са ми вашите.
Ето как да си поръчате романа от Човешката библиотека
February 6, 2024
"They caught the kid doing something disgusting out under the bleachers at the high school stadium and he was sent home from the grammar school across the street. He was eight years old then. He’d been doing it for years."
Come with me back to 1971. I know it's a scarily long time ago, and many of you weren't even born, but picture a wee Scots lad, 13 years old, and a science fiction geek in love with Asimov, Clarke, Wells and Wyndham. That's me that is. I'd also read a few of Dennis Wheatley's books by then, and I'd been thrilled by the horror / satanic aspects of the old bigot's work, but his upper-crust characters were so far removed from my Scottish council estate life that I couldn't identify with them at all.
One day that summer I was in the local library looking for something new as I'd burned my way through my aforementioned favorite authors. A name caught my eye - Sturgeon, which I knew was a kind of fish, and thought was a strange name for a person. But it said it was science fiction on the front, so I took it home.
I quickly found out it wasn't really science fiction at all - but I was hooked after the very first paragraph anyway, so that didn't matter any more. The Dreaming Jewels isn't really science fiction. But it's not really fantasy either, or horror. It's what gets called Dark Fantasy these days. I imagine back when it was first published in 1950 they had a bit of trouble classifying it, containing as it does child abuse, sex changes, murder, infidelity and some close to the bone innuendo. It also has magic, carnivals, puppets, scenery chewing bad guys, extraterrestrial lifeforms, acts of selfless heroism, and a lovely twist ending that fits just right.
And there is definite horror along the way, including the aforementioned child abuse, and one of the best descriptions of what it means to be a frightened child I've ever come across. It's all quite Bradburyesque in some ways, but with a harder edge - less misty sentimentality for a bygone era, more down and dirty.
As for the plot - on simple reading, it too is Bradburyesque. An 8-year-old boy named Horton "Horty" Bluett, runs away from his abusive family and takes refuge among the "strange people" in a traveling circus. Carrying only a smashed jack-in-the-box named Junky, Horty is hidden away, and disguised as a girl. The owner of the carnival, Pierre Monetre has discovered intelligent extraterrestrial life in the form of crystal-like jewels and is attempting to use them to get magical powers. As it turns out, Horty is the key to Monetre's plans, and will be the only one powerful enough to stop him.
Now, that reads very pulpy, and in some respects it is, but Sturgeon knew how to put flesh on simple bones. You believe in all the characters in this book, some grotesque, some plain evil, others full of love and hate and despair all at the same time.
That first read opened my eyes to what was possible in genre fiction outside the names I mentioned earlier. It led me almost directly to Bradbury, and to Lovecraft a few months later. A couple of years after that some chap named King came along and changed everything again, but I've never forgotten the impact The Dreaming Jewels had on me.
It stands up well to rereading too. I read it again today before writing this and was drawn in all over again. It's a lovely, lovely book, and I recommend it to all horror fans.
Watch this review read by me on YouTube
Come with me back to 1971. I know it's a scarily long time ago, and many of you weren't even born, but picture a wee Scots lad, 13 years old, and a science fiction geek in love with Asimov, Clarke, Wells and Wyndham. That's me that is. I'd also read a few of Dennis Wheatley's books by then, and I'd been thrilled by the horror / satanic aspects of the old bigot's work, but his upper-crust characters were so far removed from my Scottish council estate life that I couldn't identify with them at all.
One day that summer I was in the local library looking for something new as I'd burned my way through my aforementioned favorite authors. A name caught my eye - Sturgeon, which I knew was a kind of fish, and thought was a strange name for a person. But it said it was science fiction on the front, so I took it home.
I quickly found out it wasn't really science fiction at all - but I was hooked after the very first paragraph anyway, so that didn't matter any more. The Dreaming Jewels isn't really science fiction. But it's not really fantasy either, or horror. It's what gets called Dark Fantasy these days. I imagine back when it was first published in 1950 they had a bit of trouble classifying it, containing as it does child abuse, sex changes, murder, infidelity and some close to the bone innuendo. It also has magic, carnivals, puppets, scenery chewing bad guys, extraterrestrial lifeforms, acts of selfless heroism, and a lovely twist ending that fits just right.
And there is definite horror along the way, including the aforementioned child abuse, and one of the best descriptions of what it means to be a frightened child I've ever come across. It's all quite Bradburyesque in some ways, but with a harder edge - less misty sentimentality for a bygone era, more down and dirty.
As for the plot - on simple reading, it too is Bradburyesque. An 8-year-old boy named Horton "Horty" Bluett, runs away from his abusive family and takes refuge among the "strange people" in a traveling circus. Carrying only a smashed jack-in-the-box named Junky, Horty is hidden away, and disguised as a girl. The owner of the carnival, Pierre Monetre has discovered intelligent extraterrestrial life in the form of crystal-like jewels and is attempting to use them to get magical powers. As it turns out, Horty is the key to Monetre's plans, and will be the only one powerful enough to stop him.
Now, that reads very pulpy, and in some respects it is, but Sturgeon knew how to put flesh on simple bones. You believe in all the characters in this book, some grotesque, some plain evil, others full of love and hate and despair all at the same time.
That first read opened my eyes to what was possible in genre fiction outside the names I mentioned earlier. It led me almost directly to Bradbury, and to Lovecraft a few months later. A couple of years after that some chap named King came along and changed everything again, but I've never forgotten the impact The Dreaming Jewels had on me.
It stands up well to rereading too. I read it again today before writing this and was drawn in all over again. It's a lovely, lovely book, and I recommend it to all horror fans.
Watch this review read by me on YouTube
September 3, 2020
Questo è considerato come uno dei pilastri di una certa epoca della fantascienza, ammetto di non avere le conoscenze giuste in ambito fantascientifico per potergli dare una contestualizzazione temporale, però mi ha deluso un pochino, speravo di apprezzarlo molto di più. Tirando le file è stata una lettura piacevole, il concetto dei cristalli sognanti è veramente interessante ma niente di più. La trama è scorrevole tanto quanto lo è la prosa di Sturgeon (buona traduzione), ma i personaggi non spiccano particolarmente, ci sono troppe ingenuità a livello narrativo secondo me e c'è un finale che mi ha fatto storcere il naso per alcune scelte. Caratteristica dell'autore che potrei apprezzare è l'intenzione di esplorare, attraverso la fantascienza, l'interiorità umana. Per questa ragione potrei anche approfondire con altre letture questo autore.
September 30, 2010
3.5 stars. This is another one that is right in the middle of 3 and 4 stars. This is another well written, emotionally charged story about an 8 year old boy who runs away from his abusive foster parents and joins up with a travelling carnival full of "special" people. From there it is a "coming of age" story as only Sturgeon can tell it full of unique aliens, misfits, mad doctors and dreams of worldwide destruction. Recommended!!
February 27, 2021
A superb book, wildly inventive, full of poetry and respect for the strange people, the little people.
The thriller aspects have not aged well I think but the unique voice of Theodore Sturgeon is incredible.
The thriller aspects have not aged well I think but the unique voice of Theodore Sturgeon is incredible.
October 25, 2014
Siempre me han atraído las historias de personas maginadas, parias, freaks y "monstruos", tanto literarias como cinematográficas. Directores como David Lynch en su genial retrato sobre J. Merrick en 'El hombre elefante'; el universo de Tim Burton, sobre todo en 'Big Fish'; o David Cronenberg y sus pesadillas, han dado importancia a estos seres. Todd Browning, en 'La parada de los monstruos' ('Freaks'), película en B/N de principios del siglo pasado, ya nos los mostró con toda su crudeza, y no eran actores, se dedicó a recoger a cuanto fenómeno de feria encontraba.
'Los cristales soñadores' cuenta la historia de un grupo de fenómenos de feria, patéticos y entrañablas, producto de una inteligencia extraña: cristales que sueñan y duplican hombres, animales y plantas.
La historia es floja, no nos vamos a engañar, tengo la impresión de que podría dar para algo más. Theodore Sturgeon es un escritor de cuentos de ciencia-ficción excepcional y creo que esta historia la alargó en lugar de dejarla como un relato corto. Aun así, para estar escrita en 1950, no está mal del todo.
'Los cristales soñadores' cuenta la historia de un grupo de fenómenos de feria, patéticos y entrañablas, producto de una inteligencia extraña: cristales que sueñan y duplican hombres, animales y plantas.
La historia es floja, no nos vamos a engañar, tengo la impresión de que podría dar para algo más. Theodore Sturgeon es un escritor de cuentos de ciencia-ficción excepcional y creo que esta historia la alargó en lugar de dejarla como un relato corto. Aun así, para estar escrita en 1950, no está mal del todo.
July 22, 2014
reviews.metaphorosis.com
3.5 stars
Horty is injured by his foster father and runs away, joining a carnival. With the help of a friend, he gradually discovers some unusual powers.
I continue to kick myself for not discovering Theodore Sturgeon earlier. This book is not on a topic I'd normally have considered picking up, but I found it well written and engaging throughout. The SF element is technically crucial to the concept, but in fact it's not essential to the story, which is about people and relationships.
Sturgeon lets the story down by throwing in large masses of exposition at the end - needed to explain the mechanism and mysteries of the story, but suggesting that he trapped himself at the end of the story, and didn't feel like rewriting the entire book.
Nonetheless, this is a good and enjoyable book about character and humanity. I recommend it.
June 25, 2016
Много закъсняло ревю, но все пак: http://knigoqdec.blogspot.bg/2016/06/...
„Бленуващите кристали” на Теодор Стърджън, е една доста динамична книга. Това е роман, който се чете на един дъх не само заради по-краткия брой страници (да се има предвид, че форматът и шрифтът са по-различни от стандартния). В книгата се съчетават както фентъзи елементи, така и много общочовешки теми - за взаимоотношенията мeжду хората, за желанията и мечтите и за това как да оцелеем в един свят, в който е трудно да се доверим на отсрещния.
„Бленуващите кристали” на Теодор Стърджън, е една доста динамична книга. Това е роман, който се чете на един дъх не само заради по-краткия брой страници (да се има предвид, че форматът и шрифтът са по-различни от стандартния). В книгата се съчетават както фентъзи елементи, така и много общочовешки теми - за взаимоотношенията мeжду хората, за желанията и мечтите и за това как да оцелеем в един свят, в който е трудно да се доверим на отсрещния.
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