More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon | Book Review

More Than Human is a science fiction fantasy novel by classic SF author Theodore Sturgeon.
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[@vilstef6988]

More Than Human and The Dreaming Jewels are my two favorite Sturgeon novels.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Great ones

[@deanwirth3627]

I love this book. A hidden masterpiece of science fiction and human psychology and evolution. Alex Nino did an amazing graphic novelization published and printed in serial form in Heavy Metal Magazine in the early 80's.

[@charlesschauberger6700]

I just finished reading this book last night. 1. I liked it, but recognize that I need to reread it. 2. It didn't feel like a book written in 1953. Much more contemporary. 3. I wonder if Octavia Butler had read this book. Some of the superpower vibe seems familiar in some of her books.

[@2ratties]

thank you for sharing this. It is one of my top five novels ever. and theodore sturgeon is a genius. dude wrote the pon farr star trek episode. what?! you heard me. genius

[@eyeroll-encore]

I read MTH a few months ago. I liked it. I've also read Venus Plus X and Some of Your Blood. All three are, to varying degrees, good, but still don't compare to his excellent short stories.

[@FIT2BREAD]

great short fiction writer

[@pehpa]

Great review.

[@philipgarzarelli4102]

Sturgeon intimates that the abilities of the characters are enhanced, evolved, and necessary as a result of their traumatic histories and circumstances. It's a sublime idea, sometimes a little too forced and convenient, just so the plot can unfold. But it's easy to assume this isn't the only time and place abilities will manifest as necessary. Great prose and bold story telling, This is a Top 10 book for me.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thank Philip, great comment

[@mondostrat]

Theodore Sturgeon was recommended to me by a cyborg named Lump (who housed the mind of 'Muels Aranlyde'). Best recommendation, ever.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Hahaha. Clearly the work of a multiplex mind

[@terbospeed]

"Examines the coming together of several damaged, discarded, lonely, gifted, lost individuals" - my dude just called out half the internet. This concept is also reminiscent of a some occult beliefs that see humans as eventually evolving to the point of possessing a "shared social mind". Thanks for the review, was looking up the term "Godbody" and found Sturgeon had a number of other interesting works! (BTW, you have a funny typo in your channels "About" section)

[@FIT2BREAD]

OMG...riddled with typos and spelling errors...really must redo it

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

Great seeing this reviewed on your channel, I really like the way Sturgeon writes, but I was going to reread this soon as I read this when I was a teenager which was a long time ago. I’m intrigued to see how I react to his depiction of the character with Down’s Syndrome. Great review as always Mike.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks G. It was definitely a different reading experience vs when I read it in my 20s

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

@@FIT2BREAD that’s always the interesting thing about rereading books. Next year I’ll be rereading Harlan Ellison. I’m currently rereading Bradbury with a deep dive and will be putting up a video on the first two books next week. That’s fascinating too.

[@dalejones4322]

Great review. I was kind of indifferent on this book as I had never heard of it till you started talking about it. I'm glad I have it because this video makes me want to read it next. Thanks for creating so much enthusiasm for reading.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks Dale

[@SoulsJourney]

Haven't read this yet, so I only watched half of this review. 😁 I'll come back to it after I read it. Sounds fascinating.

[@FIT2BREAD]

thanks SJ

[@Diana-ch8cv]

Great review Michael , I especially liked the parody of edge of glory (it's my favourite lady gaga song lol). who sang the lyrics ? she has a lovely voice 😊 I've got a soft spot for Sturgeon - I still remember the first thing I ever read by him, it was an excellent short story called "Bianca's Hands" which was in a anthology called "Masterpieces of Terror and the Unknown". That story really stuck with me and I've so far read most of his novels (More Than Human, Some of Your Blood, Venus Plus X, and To Marry Medusa, which is also a riff on the idea of a human collective consciousness) and 4 of the 14 volumes in the complete collection of his short stories published by North Atlantic books (not in order though!). For me his strength is in his short stories and the way he writes about the mundane brushing up against the uncanny/weird/horrific, he also has a wicked sense of humor and an immense amount of empathy that comes through in his best work. BTW if you are interested in the gestalt idea I recommend the show "Sense8" on Netflix which is a really interesting exploration of what it would be like to awaken as part of a gestalt or be part of a collective consciousness in the modern world

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks, she's done a few other songs for me as well, especially on the Top 210 video. My regular singer is a freind, Rocky. I also love Sturgeon s short work. Regarding Sense8, it's been recommended to me a few times, I'd def like to give it a shot. Thanks for recommending it

[@mikesnyder1788]

Excellent review, Michael, and I am one English major who is jealous of your ability to synthesize, analyze and write sharp, focused reviews. And yes I am a big fan of "More than human" which I first read in the 1970's and then again during the COVID lockdown. You made a good case for Sturgeon being a top-tier writer and those readers who enjoyed this book might find some real jewels in his numerous short stories and novellas. Love my Sturgeon!!!

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks Mike I really appreciate that. I've been re reading some of his short fiction as well since this more than human re read. Big fan of Sturgeon

[@chrisconnors7418]

Is there a part in the book where one of the characters gets up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and one of the twins asks where's going? He says to use the bathroom, but the twin then removes the urine from his bladder telekinetically and he no longer has to use the bathroom. I've not idea where that is from, but it is one of those small vignettes that stuck in my head for five decades without any context.

[@FIT2BREAD]

You've got me thinking. I recently read something where urine was taken out like that magically and am now questioning myself if that was from More than Human or from something else.

[@ancv65]

Great review! I just finished it, and loved it. Can you recommend me similar books, please? I appreciate your recs.

[@AaronReadABook]

Love More Than Human, it was one of my favourite classic science fiction books when I was younger. I still have never read anything else by Sturgeon.

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks for watching Aaron

[@valeriehazel4858]

I started reading more than human a couple of weeks ago - well when I say reading, I really mean listening as I have it on audio. I flipped it off after a couple of chapters and I’m not sure I’ll go back to it. First, my “Watch out fantasy approaching” alarms started to bleep in the background, and second I’m generally not engaged by speculation about mind control powers. So probably this isn’t a book for me. It did seem to be well written though.

[@FIT2BREAD]

I definitely get that. I think if you read the whole thing, you'd still walk away with that same feeling

[@YourQueerGreatAuntie]

Interesting review, especially as I recently read this after a review from Jonathan! I was curious to read it with a disability justice lens, and was pleasantly surprised. The language is uncompromising, with discomfort woven in to every element. Funnily enough, your "dislike no. 5" actually hits the nail on the head of what gestalt is! Sturgeon's prose is next-level, and he genuinely inhabits imagined other / othered consciousnesses in a non-exploitative way.

[@FIT2BREAD]

I can imagine how dome of the language comes across to a modern audience. I was mindful before hand on what terms I wanted to use and felt it made most sense to stick with what he used in the book...mostly. It was interesting to read this decades removed from the first time I'd read it, as I was more engaged with it being a more mature reader now.

[@YourQueerGreatAuntie]

@@FIT2BREAD It's so interesting to revisit books years later - the new discoveries can be extraordinary

[@FIT2BREAD]

@coleenocasturme definitely. Any re read is an interesting experience, but some of the books I'm re reading this year...foundation..dhalgren...speaker For the dead...with such long gaps between reads, I'm really experiencing them with much different eyes

[@YourQueerGreatAuntie]

@@FIT2BREAD Have to own up to my English lit degree here! Have been a proponent of Reader Response / New Crit theory since I read about them at age 18... So I have a special love for texts (in whatever medium) that are a totally new experience every time you return to them. Dahlgren is definitely going to do that for me - already have 3 new readings within the first chapter of the re-read!!!

[@FIT2BREAD]

@@YourQueerGreatAuntie ha I love it!

[@wesleyrodgers886]

A book i read about 40yrs ago (I'm old). Time perhaps to read again. Have yoy read any Frederic brown?. Re-read Night of the jabberwock recently.

[@FIT2BREAD]

40yrs later, it will probably feel like reading a new book. As for Brown, my favorite is Martians Go Home I talked about it recently in an episode I called, "Laugh Your SF Off."

[@wesleyrodgers886]

@FIT2BREAD glad you liked..go home. And I'll check out your 'laugh' video. 👍

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

As you may have seen in my video recently about Sturgeon, I remain in the juror's room debating his worth, but largely because of his unevenness at novel length. He certainly had peers who were poorer writers stylistically, but for me he loses control of his tone at times, something Bradbury never did in those days. There are, however, some sublime moments in 'More Than Human' that stick in the head, but it is a classic example of a book that comes laden with expectation- well, it did when I was younger, when it was still spoken of in hushed tones...

[@FIT2BREAD]

Thanks for sharing, and I'm eager to get to your Sturgeon video. I'm definitely anticipating. I'm probably an easier audience for Sturgeon as his cadence is just a very comfortable fit. In comparing him to Bradbury I'm in the same camp with you.