nobody asked…

Nothing is always absolutely so.

That astoundingly simply notion from Theodore Sturgeon (1918-1985) became known as Sturgeon’s Law. A companion idea is known as Sturgeon’s Revelation:

Ninety percent of everything is crud.

Sometimes misquoted as Ninety percent of everything is crap, Ted developed at least two corollaries that spoke to the state of his profession as a writer of science fiction.

Corollary 1: The existence of immense quantities of trash in science fiction is admitted and is regrettable; but it is no more unnatural than the existence of trash anywhere.

Corollary 2: The best science fiction is as good as the best fiction in any field.

Sturgeon is probably best known for having written several Star Trek episodes including one that never aired which introduced the Federation’s Prime Directive. Wikipedia’s bio of Ted states that “he was listed as a primary influence of the much more famous Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.” Also “…at the height of his popularity in the 1950s he was the most anthologized author alive and much respected by critics.” Sturgeon used a technique called “rhythmic prose, in which his prose text would drop into a standard meter… (having) the effect of creating a subtle shift in mood, usually without alerting the reader to its cause.”

Always a good read for SF fans, others would also enjoy the poetic quality of Sturgeon’s work. At the end of the Wikipdeia write-up is a listing of his tomes and anthologies. Pick up one for some sheer pleasure reading…