wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (06/20/85)
There have been references to Theodore Sturgeon recently, and also a few citations of the famous "Sturgeon's Law". I would like to trace down the actual origin and exact text of this famous principle. This is commonly quoted as "90% of *everything* is crap." However, I have heard that percentage vary from "90%" to "95%" up to "99%". (As a great truth, I lean toward the "99" being the more correct figure. :-) (But here I am more interested in what Sturgeon really said.) Also, the last word has varied from "crap" to "sh*t" (please excuse the usage, but accuracy is more important here than nicety). What is the true wording of this famous phrase? Can anyone cite the actual text where this originated? Or was it of verbal origin, perhaps in a lecture or talk or in a conversation (maybe at a con somewhere?) and entered the SF folklore via reporting and repetition? Thanks for your help! Regards, Will Martin USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (06/22/85)
In article <11311@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes: >There have been references to Theodore Sturgeon recently, and also a few >citations of the famous "Sturgeon's Law". > >What is the true wording of this famous phrase? > >Can anyone cite the actual text where this originated? Or was it of >verbal origin, perhaps in a lecture or talk or in a conversation (maybe >at a con somewhere?) and entered the SF folklore via reporting and >repetition? The way I heard it went something like this: During a conversation at a party (con?) a rather obnoxious critic said to Ted "90% of Science Fiction is crap.". Ted's immediate reply was the now famous "Of course. 90% of _everything_ is crap.". Personally, I like Bradbury's defense better: "A horrible little boy came up to me and said 'You know your in your book _The Martian Chronicles?'. I said 'Yes?'. He said 'You know where you talk about Diemos rising in the east?'. I said 'Yes?' He said 'No.' -- So I hit him." -- -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp TTI Common Sense is what tells you that a ten 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. pound weight falls ten times as fast as a Santa Monica, CA 90405 one pound weight. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) (06/22/85)
The way I heard it, Sturgeon's Law went, "90% of everything is crud." (Crap and shit can sometimes be useful, if only as manure. Crud is by definition useless.) If true, this reprents an intereting case of popular myth cacophemizing a saying. --Lee Gold
jsc@sun.uucp (James Carrington) (06/23/85)
In article <11311@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes: >There have been references to Theodore Sturgeon recently, and also a few >citations of the famous "Sturgeon's Law". I would like to trace down the >actual origin and exact text of this famous principle. I hate to post something I can't substantiate right at the moment, but I believe he said it at a world science fiction convention, while on some panel or another of sf authors. I recall reading an anecdote about it in one of I. Asimov's HUGO winners anthologies. -- James Carrington SUN Microsystems Associate Engineer 2550 Garcia Ave. MS1-40 Workstation Division Mountain View CA 94043 Networking Department 415-960-7438