Alien Cargo by Theodore Sturgeon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For those of you who have never read Theodore Sturgeon, you're missing out big time. Early SF had its share of stinkers and a few bright authors like Asimov and Heinlein but when it comes right down to it, few writers were admired by other writers quite as much as Sturgeon.

Crisp, totally readable prose dealing with many psychological conditions, alien minds, madness, and above all, hope in difference.

Long before the diversity question became mainstream, Sturgeon was writing about what made people different and special and extraordinary even when the rest of the population misunderstood or threw them away.

I'm absolutely certain that he would be a very popular writer in today's market, not only for his fundamental optimism and in-depth exploration of what makes us tick and what makes us awesome (when no one else seems to see it) but also because it's a near-perfect antidote for the world of crap we live in now.

Most of these came out 80 years ago. You wouldn't think they would be so timely today. But they are.


View all my reviews