The Happy Clown

"The Happy Clown" by Alice Eleanor Jones is set in a perfectly conformed future world, where a young boy named Steven Russell tries to find his place. Steven just doesn't fit in because he is so different, and this makes his parents send him for help. At a clinic they try to fix him, but realize that he is incredibly smart. They use "Steyner" on him which makes him ordinary. He becomes the Happy Clown, a famous TV star. Even though everyone loves him, he feels empty inside, especially after something bad happens to Denise, the woman he cares about. Finally, he decides to quit the acting world and tries to search for a normal life, showing how hard it is to be yourself when the world wants you to be like everyone else, and how much we all need real, honest connections with other people.