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QUESTION 3: Can you think of any ways humans might now already operate in a group of human gestalt by “bleshing”- Where the sum of a group‘s energies is greater than each individual‘s part?

QUESTION 2: Originally, the middle story was published alone and the first and third sections were later added to make this a novel. The second part has a very different dynamic than the other two. Did you find this worked as a whole?

I thought I‘d post a few discussion questions again for our monthly #ClassicLSFBC. I‘m tagging those who expressed previous interest - Anyone want to be added or removed, let me know!

QUESTION 1: The book was originally published in 1953, only eight years after the end of WWII. What is Sturgeon is trying to say about humanity with this title?

This is a weird but intriguing book about a group of oddballs who mentally join into a sort of human 2.0. It's not like anything I've ever read and I really wish it was longer 🧡
#ClassicLSFBC @RamsFan1963 #GhostsOfXmas #WinterGames #Adventathon @BookmarkTavern #DashingDecember @Andrew65 #Rushathon @GHABI4ROSES @DieAReader #AToZ @Texreader #LittenListen @aperfectmjk

This struck enough chords for me to recognise that I probably read it about 40 - 50 years ago at a time when I was reading a lot of SF with similar themes. This time round though, my head being in a different place, I struggled with it and just found it baffling for much of it. It wasn't bad, but I had no particular impulse to pick it up again after doing other things and was forcing myself to finish it just to get it out of the way.

A thought provoking and occasionally disturbing novel about a possible next level evolutionary step for humans.

Six children are born with exceptional abilities, but alone, they are merely oddities. Together, however, they form a complete unit, but what is it that makes us human? Is it our physical ability or is it our ability to move beyond our survival instincts and be empathetic and develop moral codes?

Read for #ClassicLSFBC

129/150 I remember reading this when I was around 19 or 20, and hating it. I thought it was slow and boring. Time definitely changes perspective. This is a wonderful novel about both individuality and belonging, what the next step in evolution might mean, and how we poor H. Saps might be swept away. It starts a little slow, but by the beginning of the middle section, "Baby is Three", the story takes off and is enthralling until the every end.

This book… indescribably wonderful. #ClassicLSFBC

#ClassicLSFBC
I enjoyed More Than Human more than last month's book, The Stars My Destination.
Sturgeon had to use the '50s language available to him, and despite focusing on the more mainstream characters of the gestalt, I thought his underlying message of the strength of diversity, the dignity inherent in all members of society, and the ethical/moral imperative of cooperation rather than individualism were well represented.
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The idiot lived in a black and gray world, punctuated by the white lightning of hunger and the flickering of fear.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

#ClassicLSFBC
Starting this. My 1973 copy is pretty battered, so the image is a nice clean one of the same edition from the internet 😌
I read this in 1978, and recalled some ableist and other derogatory language which was, I guess, unremarkable when written in 1954, but even by the late '70s had me pursing my lips. Sure enough, the second word sets the tone, so fair warning. I'll not mention it again unless it's too distracting.

I was going to let the voting go until the end of Wednesday, but honestly, the winner has already won by a landslide vote. December's read for #ClassicLSFBC will be More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon. Most libraries should have a copy, not sure if it's available on audio, and I've seen several different copies (and covers) online.

This is probably the most literary sci fi I've read recently and while it was very well crafted it's not really my usual thing. There's a lot to unpack about identity and morality as you see the characters grow and come together. Definitely more character than plot based.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

#BookReport
Managed to finish two books this week so I'm feeling pretty good. Both were excellent. Alien shore for the ND rep and Raven and Reindeer for retelling goodness.

#WeeklyForecast
Goal this week is to finish More Than Human and make progress on Mote in God's Eye. If I manage to finish both I'll only have one book left in my BookSpin backlog after.

Starting this today. It‘s such a relief to have all my chunkster commitments behind me and more manageable works left in the end of year challenge crunch.

2020 Read Harder Challenge, book 10 of 24 completed.
Prompt: Read a book that takes place in a rural setting
Title: More Than Human
Written by: Theodore Sturgeon

My mom always says that some books just “go inside her and stay.” This is a book that has gone inside me and stayed. If you like books about found family, this book will be your jam. (Heads up: this was written in the 50s, so there‘s a bit of outdated language re: race and disability.)

Another one of my brothers old-time books

Considered one of the great science-fiction novels of the 1950s.

I'm not even in the middle of chapter one and I'm already anxious to know where this story goes.
As a group of people who are very different from one another, yet not that different at all, who are misunderstood by the people in their worlds, finding one another was life saving.
"If you have ever been lonely and longed for completion, you will be drawn to this book."

One of the coolest book covers I've ever seen and I can't wait to read it. From my mother's collection. #coverporn