The Dreaming Jewels

This novel captured my imagination when I first read it in high school, a time when I felt especially isolated. Not only is it a good outsider story, it’s a good come-uppance story (the evil forces get their come-uppance in the end).

When he’s eight years old, Horty Bluett runs away from his abusive adoptive family and his classmates who torment him. Some carnival people, also outcasts, take him in. Horty doesn’t realize until he’s older that he is an alien, grown by alien organisms from another world, and his special power is the ability to duplicate, or “mimic”, other… show more.

This book was my first introduction to proper fantasy escapism. I read it when I was too young to appreciate it all, but I caught the main thrust: Supernatural happenings in a scary circus. A classic dark fantasy from 1950, it was way ahead of its time. As I grew older I continued to re-read the book. I was able to see outside of the escapism of the young-adult adventure (which was still great), but I was also able to enjoy the more adult themes and darker story implications.