ddern@bbncca.ARPA (Daniel Dern) (05/13/85)
In Memoriam:
THEODORE STURGEON
1918 - 1985
Theodore Sturgeon, author of novels including MORE THAN HUMAN and THE
DREAMING JEWELS, and stories including "Slow Sculpture", "To Here and
The Easel", "It", "If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry
Your Sister", "Killdozer", "Mr. Costello, Hero", "Microcosmic God",
and "A Saucer of Loneliness", died this past week, after a series of
progressive breathing-related health problems, at the age of 67.
Born Edward Hamilton Waldo of Dutch-French and Canadian-English
heritage, Ted appeared in the science fiction scene with "Ether
Breather" in 1939, followed rapidly by stories such as "A God In A
Garden", "Derm Fool", and the classic "It", in magazines such as
ASTOUNDING and UNKNOWN. Ted soon became a member of editor John
Campbell's "stable" of writers, which also included Robert Heinlein,
L. Sprague de Camp, E.E. Smith, L. Ron Hubbard, and A.E. Van Vogt --
a roster of names who, along with Isaac Asimov, Poul Anderson, C.A.
Kornbluth, and Henry Kuttner.
To list the range of characters, styles, ideas, or plots in
Sturgeon's work is no small task. His stories were about scientists,
bulldozer operators, circus people, fencepost setters. In addition
to science fiction, fantasy and horror, he wrote several novellas
collected under the Western genre, in STURGEON'S WEST, along with a
full novelization, THE KING AND FOUR QUEENS. He wrote the mainstream
SOME OF YOUR BLOOD, and I, LIBERTINE, originally an imaginary book
touted by radio personality Jean Shepherd. He wrote the novel
adaptation for the movie of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, and
several Star Trek episodes including "Shore Leave" and (I believe)
"Amok Time". His fiction appeare in magazines ranging from F&SF OMNI
to HUSTLER, ROLLING STONE, and NATIONAL LAMPOON. He also did
extensive book reviewing, went on tour as writer for ROLLING STONE
with rock groups (Crosby Stills Nash and Young, I think). The only
criticisms I can level against his work is that he didn't write more,
particularly finishing GODBODY and/or the projected sequel to MORE
THAN HUMAN; that more of his existing work wasn't collected; and that
his books were for the most part so damned hard to find.
His major books and collections include:
WITHOUT SORCERY (collection)
THE DREAMING JEWELS (novel, often titled THE SYNTHETIC MAN)
E PLURIBUS UNICORN (collection)
MORE THAN HUMAN (novel, consisting of the novellas "The
Fabulous Idiot", "Baby is Three", and "Morality")
A WAY HOME (collection)
CAVIAR (collection)
A TOUCH OF STRANGE (collection)
THE COSMIC RAPE (expansion of "To Marry Medusa")
ALIENS 4 (collection)
BEYOND (collection)
VENUS PLUS X (novel)
STURGEON IN ORBIT (collection)
STARSHINE (collection)
SOME OF YOUR BLOOD (novel)
THE STARS ARE THE STYX (collection)
THE WORLDS OF THEODORE STURGEON (collection)
STURGEON IS ALIVE AND WELL (collection)
CASE AND THE DREAMER (collection)
STURGEON'S WEST (collection)
In addition to his writing, speaking, teaching, videotapes and other
projects, Ted recorded several "spoken word" records of his work for
Caedmon and Alternate Worlds, wrote with wife Jayne Tanehill Sturgeon
the movie screenplay for MORE THAN HUMAN (not currently under option,
I think). He also taught at many sf writer's workshops, including
Clarion, and had recently put together a series of videotapes on
writing.
The people Ted touched during his life through his writing, his
teaching, and personally, are probably beyond counting. He was
surrounded by exceptional people and exceptional events, often
spending months "on the road" at everywhere from Esalen and Hawaii to
Kansas and Europe. He was an individual of the first water, refusing
to wear a tuxedo to a charity function, and then announcing he would
donate the rental cost to the cause, typing first/final draft copy to
put in the mail minutes before deadline ... there are doubtlessly
hundreds, even thousands, of stories about Ted Sturgeon, ranging from
the humorous to the incredible.
The following is from Samuel Delaney's novella EMPIRE STAR (spoken by
the Lump to Comet Jo, concerning poet Ti Ty Lee):
"You will find, during your reading, Jo, that certain
authors seem to have discovered all the things you have
discovered, done all you've done. There was one
ancient science fiction writer, Theodore Sturgeon, who
would break me up every time I read him. He seemed to
have seen every flash of light on a window, every leaf
shadow on a screen door that I had ever seen; done
everything I had ever done from playing the guitar to
laying over for a couple of weeks on a boat in Arransas
Pass, Texas."
Ted was also plagued by many of the problems which seem endemic to
artists, particularly science fiction writers -- writer's block,
finances, and irregular lifestyles. During the past year, Ted's
health had been declining. Accustomed to perfect health -- not even
so much as a sniffle, Ted was hard hit by a series of problems which
brought him into the hospital, forced him to carry oxygen, and most
recently sent him to Hawaii for healing of his respiratory system.
According to members of his family, he died "with the same style and
dignity that he lived his life." He is survived by family, friends,
and a body of work the likes of which we will not see again.
He was a dear, sweet, amazing man, and I'll miss the hell out of him.
Daniel P. Dern
May 10, 1985
(Note: Some of the above information was cribbed from Sam Moskowitz'
profile on Theodore Sturgeon from AMAZING STORIES, around 1962. And
my bibliographies stop at 1962. So I may be off here and there on
minor details. DPD)
--
Daniel Dern
("Machina Sapiens Pro Avia")
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North Uxbridge, MA 01538wildbill@ucbvax.ARPA (William J. Laubenheimer) (05/15/85)
Anybody else out there think that somebody who knows what he or she is doing
should adapt "And Now the News" for the new Twilight Zone series? Anybody
think CBS would buy it if someone did?
Bill Laubenheimer
----------------------------------------UC-Berkeley Computer Science
...Killjoy went that-a-way---> ucbvax!wildbill