cbenson@reed.UUCP (Jeffrey D. Goldader) (05/10/85)
Theodore Sturgeon, a well-known sci-fi author and writer of the Star Trek episodes "Shore Leave" and "Amok Time" has died at a hospital in Eugene, Oregon. The following is an article from the Friday, May 10 edition of the newspaper, "The Oregonian". NOTED SCIENCE FICTION WRITER DIES AT 67 EUGENE (AP)-Theodore Hamilton Sturgeon, a prominent science fiction writer, has died at a Eugene hospital of natural causes. He was 67. "He was one of the great American writers," said Harlan Ellison, a close friend and fellow science fiction writer. "He was one of the most significant writers of the last quarter-century." "He was an influence on most of us science fiction and fantasy writers," said Ray Bradbury, who wrote the introduction to Sturgeon's first book, "Without Sorcery," in 1949. "I studied his writing style. He was right up there. He was an influence and a good one - one of the finest writers in the field and a very gentle and kind human being." Sturgeon was probably known best for his books "More Than Human," "Venus Plus X," "Some of Your Blood" and "The Dreaming Jewels." Sturgeon died Wednesday night at Sacred Heart General Hospital. Dr. Robert Carolan, the attending physician, said Sturgeon died of natural causes, but declined to be more specific. The author was admitted to the hospital Sunday. Jim Frankel, of Sturgeon's publisher, Bluejay Books, said the author had recently been suffering from lung ailments. A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at England Memorial Chapel in Eugene. Sturgeon was born Feb. 26, 1918, on Staten Island, N.Y. He is survived by his wife, Marion Jayne, of Springfield. Damon Knight of Eugene, a science fiction writer, said Sturgeon was one of the genre's first real stylists. "He was an innovator, he was very prominent in his field from the late '30's on," Knight said. "He quickly made himself visible as a stylist. We've had maybe two in the field, Sturgeon and Bradbury. "He was an extremely gifted writer in that sense, highly polished," Knight said. Sturgeon won Hugo and Nebula awards in 1970 for his short story "Slow Sculpture," Frankel said, and the International Fantasy Award for "More Than Human" in 1954. Mike Stamm, graduate secretary of the University of Oregon English Department, said Sturgeon had lived in Springfield occasionally over the past few years, often traveling and teaching elsewhere. "He's like talking about John Wayne in the movies, he has that kind of stature," Stamm said. "He started writing back in the middle '30's. He was one of the writers in the so-called golden age of science fiction." Jeffrey Goldader tektronix!reed!cbenson