Just Finished Reading The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon

Theodore Sturgeon (1918-85) is widely known in the science fiction community as an excellent author of short stories...I've read a few of them myself and heartily agree.  The Dreaming Jewels, from 1950, was his first published novel and, having just finished reading it, I naturally have a few things to say about it.  The story concerns itself about Horton Bluett, nicknamed Horty, who at the age of eight has to deal as an orphan with a physically abusive, repulsive stepfather.  Soon after that awful "father" causes him to lose three of his fingers after slamming a closet door on them, Horty runs away and meets up with some members of a traveling carnival...they're all part of the special cast in its freak show, before the time that this sort of designation would be considered offensive and demeaning.  Beautiful Zena, called a "midget" (back in 1950 when it was PC-OK to use this term), takes in Horty and disguises him as a girl midget cast member.  But I must backtrack here: she only does so after she discovers his one treasured possession that he has always had: a broken, old jack-in-the-box, named "Junky", with a hideous looking head but with large, glowing jewels representing its eyes.  After she sees it and notices the effect it has on Horty, that changes everything...which is appropriate, considering the role it subsequently plays in the story's explanation and resolution.  One big problem with this carnival: its leader is a misanthropic, bitter-but-brilliant former doctor who lost his medical license after being falsely convicted of malpractice...now he wants his revenge on all of humanity.  And this man has his own secret, involving something he discovered in the forest...

At the beginning of The Dreaming Jewels, the story seemed more of a fantasy involving magic with Horty a special "Harry Potter" type of protagonist: a likable, spunky, and unpretentious little boy, abused by his custodians, who ultimately assumes the role as the indispensable character with special abilities and the implicit assignment of taking on the evil adversary.  Yet Sturgeon, true to his science fiction roots, transforms it all into a plausible tale within that genre and the fantasy and magic recede as the more intriguing explanations reveal themselves.  Reading through The Dreaming Jewels reminded me of a recent movie I've seen, The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman as a young P.T. Barnum and which also gave a sensitive portrayal to the special people in his circus.  And sensitive is one adjective that applies to just about everything Theodore Sturgeon writes, for while his stories are full of innovative and often strange notions, the ultimate humanity of his characters stands out boldly as their most compelling elements.  This debut novel of his is definitely worth looking into...

Some editions of The Dreaming Jewels came out with the alternate title The Synthetic Man...but it's the same story whichever name appears on the book's cover...