-
Do people really frequently ask questions about Theodore
Sturgeon?
Well, no. This is just a convenient way to organize information.
I do occasionally get asked questions.
- What would you recommend reading by
Sturgeon?
If you're new to Sturgeon, try finding a copy of "More than
Human" in a used bookstore. Also, it is usually easy to
find one of his short story collections in a used bookstore,
these are also good places to start. While "More than Human"
is Sturgeon's most famous work, apart from that novel I suspect
most people like Sturgeon more for his short stories than his
novels. You should be able to find some of the volumes of
the "Collected Short Stories of Theodore Sturgeon" in a (new)
bookstore; this will be a many-volume series, and currently
the first ten volumes have been published. These are more
expensive, though, so if you are new to Sturgeon you may want
to try finding something used. Finally, "Selected Stories" has
just been released, and contains an excellent selection.
- Where can I find his books, especially the
old and obscure ones?
Some of his books are available through
amazon.com
, or could be
found in regular bookstores. This is especially true of
the "Complete Short Stories of Theodore Sturgeon," a thirteen
volume series that has been published.
Older books are harder to find; I have found a
lot of them at used bookstores.
You might want to consider
Pandora's Books
,
bookfinder.com
, the
ABE search engine
,
or
Alibris
:
the last three let you search a large number of used
book dealers, and have even extremely rare books.
Fantastic Literature.com
also has a good selection, and
FetchBook
wanted me to add
their webpage.
At one point ABE had "It"
listed for $4500; "It" was Sturgeon's first solo publication (I
think it was a tiny book with just that one story, and predated
Without Sorcery
by a year).
-
Do any of his stories/books have alternative titles?
Quite a few, but fortunately, not as many as for some authors.
Original Alternative
-------- -----------
Beware the Fury Extrapolation
Brownshoes The Man Who Learned Loving
The Deadly Ratio It Wasn't Syzygy
The Dreaming Jewels The Synthetic Man
Fluffy The Abominable House Guest
Fluke Die Maestro, Die
The Green-Eyed Monster Ghost of a Chance
Last Laugh Special Aptitude
To Marry Medusa The Cosmic Rape
The Music In the Hospital
The Sky Was Full of Ships The Cave of History
Shadow, Shadow on the Wall It Stayed
Synthesis Make Room for Me
A Way Home The Way Home
Who? Bulkhead
"To Marry Medusa/The Cosmic Rape" needs explanation. "To Marry Medusa"
originally appeared as a novella in Galaxy, and was later expanded into
the novel "The Cosmic Rape". When the novel was later republished in the
same volume as "Killdozer!" it appeared as "To Marry Medusa" even though
it was actually the full length novel, not the original novella.
Some of the stories have been dramatised for radio, television or record
and a few were given with alternative titles:
Title Dramatised as
----- -------------
Bright Segment Parcelle Brillante (French)
Godbody Britt Svenglund
The Sky Was Full of Ships Incident at Switchpath
Yesterday Was Monday A Matter of Minutes
-
Did TS collaborate with other writers?
James Beard wrote three stories that Campbell asked Sturgeon
to rewrite before they were published in 'Unknown' - 'The
Bones', 'Hag Seleen' and 'The Jumper'. Many of the stories
in "Sturgeon's West" together with 'The Deadly Innocent'
were written with Don Ward. 'Runesmith' was written with
Harlan Ellison.
On of his finest stories, 'And the News', is based on an idea
Robert Heinlein. Heinlein wrote with a number of story outlines
at a time Sturgeon was in the middle of one of his many slumps;
I don't if any others were the basis of subsequent stories.
The three novelisations ("The King and Four Queens","The Rare Breed", and
"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea") were based upon the original screenplay.
"I, Libertine" was co-written with Jean Shepherd; someone told me
that Sturgeon & Shepard wrote alternate chapters.
In the mid-1970s, Harlan Ellison chaired a semiar on science
fiction writing. With the help of Sturgeon, Thomas M Disch,
Frank Herbert and Robert Silverberg, they formed a sort of
discussion group to invent the world, nature and history of
the planet Medea, around which they each wrote there own story.
Sturgeon's was "Why Dolphin's Don't Bite" [see 'Medea: Harlan's
World' (1985)].
Sturgeon also collaborated with Ellison on the short story
"Runesmith".
I'm sure a number of people would have (depending on your point
of view) assisted or interfered with the two scripts for "Star
Trek". James Blish later adapted them for Bantam. Posthumously,
James Gunn expanded a script idea by Sturgeon in to the novel
"The Joy Machine".
-
Didn't Robert Heinlein provide the plots for some of the stories?
During his Guest of Honor speech at Chincon II in 1963, Sturgeon tells
how in the mid-50s unable to think of a single idea for a new story, he
wrote to his long-time friend Robert Heinlein and received by return an
airmail letter containing 26 story outlines. Only two of these were to
form the basis of published works: 'The Other Man' and 'And Now the
News...' (Sturgeon appears to have confused the latter with 'Fear is a
Business', maybe Heinlein provided the idea for this at some other time).
By way of subtle acknowledgement, Sturgeon names the 'hidden' personality
in 'The Other Man' Anson, and calls the main character in 'And Now the
News...' MacLyle - from pennames used by Heinlein, Anson MacDonald and
Lyle Monroe.
The speech was reprinted in "The Proceedings of Chicon II", edited by
Earl Kemp, Advent 1963; and another version of the anecdote appears as part
of Sturgeon's introduction to 'And Now the News...' his 1980 collection
"The Golden Helix". The actual letter appeared in 'The New York Review
of Science Fiction' (Number 84, August 1995).
-
What awards have he and his stories received?
1947 Argosy Short Story Competition [Bianca's Hands]
1954 IFA - Novel [More Than Human]
1962 World Science Fiction Convention - Guest of Honour
1970 Nebula - Novelette [Slow Sculpture]
1970 Hugo - Short Story [Slow Sculpture]
1975 Inkpot Award [for influence of his story "It"]
1985 World Fantasy - Life Achievement Award
2000 inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
2000
Gaylactic Network Spectrum Award
[World Well Lost]
-
What is Sturgeon's Law?
In his 1972 interview with David G Hartwell (published in
The New York
Review of Science Fiction
#7 and #8, March and April 1989) Sturgeon says:
"Sturgeon's Law originally was 'Nothing is always absolutely so.' The other
thing was known as 'Sturgeon's Revelation'"
The first reference I can find in his
oeuve
appears in the March 1958
issue of Venture Science Fiction, where he wrote:
"I repeat Sturgeon's Revelation, which was wrung out of me
after twenty years of wearying defense of science fiction
against attacks of people who used the worst examples of the
field for ammunition, and whose conclusion was that ninety
percent of sf is crud.
"The Revelation: Ninety percent of everything is crud.
"Corollary 1: The existence of immense quantities of trash in science fiction
is admitted and it 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."
It is this Revelation that has now become known as Sturgeon's Law (I've not
heard the corollaries used before, or since). There is some debate
over the last word, and when/how it was first used. The
most reliable
account comes from James Gunn's
in his item in The New York Review of
Science Fiction #85, September 1995
In contrast, the cover blurb
for the 1968 Pyramid edition of "A Way Home" includes an obviously invented
scene complete with dialogue and facial expressions; well maybe,
but unlikely. A lot of information related to the dating of
this phrase is at
Science Fiction
Citations
which notes some problems verifying the earliest
date this phrase was used.
As a codicil, the author of a Spanish web site refers to
an
old Arab story
I'd not encountered before:
A young Caliph asked the Great Vizier how he could tell if
a poem was good or bad. "Always assume it is bad", he was
told. "You'll only be wrong one time in a hundred".
Mike Weber
also reports: "...it was at Emory University,
many years ago, that I heard Robert Bloch, in response to
something that David Gerrold said, propound Bloch's Corollary
to Sturgeon's Revelation: "And your agent gets the other
ten percent."
-
What's the deal with his strange penname, "Theodore Sturgeon" ?
It's not a penname (this actually is a question someone
asked me). He was born February 26, 1918 with the name Edward
Hamilton Waldo; he had an older brother Peter. His parents
divorced in 1927 and his mother Christine later remarried, to
William Sturgeon, in 1929. Around this time Edward legally
changed his name to Theodore Hamilton Sturgeon, because he
liked the nickname "Ted".
In 1956 he published the book
I, Libertine
, using the
pseudonym Frederick R. Ewing.
He also used the pseudonym "E. Waldo
Hunter" occasionally when two of his stories were being published in
the same issue of Astounding. He wrote "The Player on the Other
Side" as Ellery Queen, and used the name Billy Watson for the story
"The Man Who Told Lies." I don't know what connection he had
with Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, if any.
- Since we're on the topic,
what other biographical information can you tell me?
Ted started life as your typical 98-pound weakling. In school, he
discovered gymnastics and went from weakling to athlete. He planned
to become a circus aerialist, but when he was 15 he had rheumatic
fever which changed his plans; he was no longer healthy enough for
the life of a professional circus athlete.
As far as his writing goes, his first story, "Heavy Insurance,"
was sold in 1938 for five dollars to McClure's Syndicate
for publication in newspapers. He sold many more stories to
McClure's; they are all very short and not science fiction.
The sale of "The God in the Garden" to
Unknown
in 1939
was his first published science fiction story. His novel
More Than Human
won the International Fantasy Award.
"Slow Sculpture" won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. He was
posthumously awarded the Life Achievement Award at the World
Fantasy Awards.
Sturgeon died on May 8, 1985, of pneumonia, in Eugene, Oregon.
- What about his family?
I don't feel this information is
terribly important, but here's what I know; Noel Sturgeon has
confirmed these details.
Ted's only sibling was his older brother
Peter Sturgeon, who was later to gain some prominence for
bringing Mensa to the United States.
The two brothers were extremely competitive, to the point that
gives sibling rivalry a bad name. In almost every way they
went in opposite directions. Peter completed college, and
became a professional writer in the pharmaceutical field,
eventually leaving private industry to work in Europe for the
World Health Organization. Ted drifted from job to job for
years before becoming a writer, and where Peter was strictly
non-fiction technical writing, Ted was in fiction's closest
equivalent to technical material by writing SF.
Until joining WHO, Peter remained close to his origins, living
in Brooklyn, while Ted drifted to the West Coast. Peter
married once, Inez, a woman of Latin origin. They had no
children--on one occasion Peter told a television interviewer who
asked if they had children, "We took care of that before we were
married", which delighted the audience and made the interviewer
change the subject!
Ted served his military experience in the Pacific. Peter
volunteered for paratrooper training, and served in Europe.
One habit they shared was smoking, but Ted chained smoked
cigarets. Peter used a cigaret holder, much like FDR.
They also shared pronounced views on religion--both were vocal
atheists, clearly from their experiences growing up with their
Methodist minister stepfather.
Ted was usually seen dressed like a working class type, while
Peter dressed quite upscale, one could even say a bit
dandified.
(Above information about the two brothers is courtesy of Thomas
Wm. Hamilton, who is a distant relative on their mother's side,
and who knew Peter well.)
In 1940 Ted married Dorothe Fillingame. They had two daughters, Patricia and
Cynthia (in that order); they got divorced in 1945. The biography
on Barnes & Noble.com also mentions a son, Colin, before the two
daughters, although this seems to contradict other information
I had.
In 1949, he married Mary Mair, a singer; they were
divorced in 1951.
He married Marion McGahan, I think in 1951. Their first child
was Robin, Sturgeon's first son. The next two children were
daughters, Tandy in 1954 and Noel in 1956. Timothy was born later.
They never divorced, but remained married until his death.
He later was with
W. Bonnie Golden
(a TV/print news reporter, and photographer).
Several of her articles can be found
on the web.
They had a son, Andros, Sturgeon's seventh
and last child. W. took the last name 'Sturgeon' legally by means
other than marriage.
Still later, he was with Jayne Enelhart. They were still together when
he died. She also took the last name 'Sturgeon' legally by means
other than marriage. She has since remarried.
That's all the information I have right now, and I don't
really plan to worry about finding out much more information.
Most of these people are still alive (I've heard directly
from three of them) and I don't see any need to discuss them.
As the above information was found in public sources, I hope
it isn't violating anybody's privacy.
- Was Sturgeon a full-time writer? What other
jobs did he have?
The fact that you are asking this shows you don't know him well! Of
course, I am writing this FAQ so I am putting the questions in
the reader's mouth. Sturgeon was not a full-time writer, and in
fact suffered from writer's block for many years at a time.
Other jobs he has had included:
- selling refrigerators and
magazines door-to-door (I assume not at the same time) (1930's
perhaps, may have been after the hotel business in early 40's?)
- serving as a seaman in the Merchant Marines (1935 - 38)
- managing a resort hotel in the West Indies (May 1940 - March 1941)
- serving as
Assistant Chief Steward for the Army at Fort Simonds, where
he learned earth moving (1941)
- operating gas stations and tractor lubrication center (1941,
this was for the Army)
- working in Puerto Rico at Ensenada Handa airfield, dry dock, and
ship fitting yard (1942)
- driving a bull dozer in Puerto Rico (1942)
- working as copy editor in an advertising agency (1944)
- literary agent
- copywriting, doing circulation promotion for
Fortune
magazine (1948)
- working on circulation and advertisting promotion for
international editions at Time, Inc. (Time, Inc. prints
Fortune
) (1949)
- acting as story editor for
Tales of Tomorrow
(1950)
- writing book reviews for
Venture
(1957 - 58)
- working as a Feature Editor for
Worlds of If
(1961 - 64)
- writing occasional sf reviews and articles for
National
Review
(1961 - 73)
- writing for various television shows, including writing
three episodes for Star Trek
,
and shows such as "The Invaders" and "Wild, Wild West" (1966 - 75)
- writing book reviews for
Galaxy
(1972 - 74)
- writing a column for the
New York Times Book Review
(1974
- 75)
- began a series of lecture tours in 1977 (I don't know the
subject of his lectures.)
His other talents also included guitar playing, singing,
and cooking. In Lahna Diskin's book (see below), she also
lists political ghost writer, woodworker, garbage collector,
glass-factory employee, and circus roustabout. In the
introduction to one of his novels, it also mentioned Sturgeon
working in a rock quarry in Puerto Rico, and being a truck
driver at some point. Most of the above information was gained
from "Theodore Sturgeon" by Lahna Diskin (Starmont House, 1981).
If anybody has any additional information, please let me know.
- What is the meaning of the Q-symbol?
It means "ask the next question." Sturgeon included it in his signature, and
also had it on a necklace he wore. For more information see
Jacqueline Lichtenberg's
discussion. I've heard that
Sturgeon discussed this in an article in Cavalier Magazine in
1967, and it was adapted from a speech given about 10 years
prior; so he had this philosophy at least as early as 1957, if
this information is correct.
- Where can I learn more?
This information was gleaned from "Theodore Sturgeon" by Lucy
Menger (1981), "Theodore Sturgeon" by Lahna Diskin (1981),
and from the introduction to the volumes of "The Complete
Stories of Theodore Sturgeon" Menger's book is an inexpensive
biography/discussion of Sturgeon's work. I found it in an
overstock/used book store for $1. Another place I found information
was in an
essay by Paul Williams on the web.
Other sources as noted
above in the questions.
You should definitely read
Argyll
, Sturgeon's autobiography.
This focuses almost exclusively on his childhood, and especially his
stormy relationship with his stepfather (whose nickname was Argyll).
I was able to obtain this book through the
Amazon.com
bookstore.
- Where can I get information about the copyrights?
Some people are looking to reproduce Sturgeon's work as a
movie, play, or in some other form. Others may wish to report
a copyright violation. Please see
The
Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust
for the appropriate
contact information.
- Credits
This FAQ has been written by Eric Weeks and Bill
Seabrook. Send Eric or Bill (or both of us!)
email if you have any suggestions or corrections:
weeks(at)physics.emory.edu
or
wmfs(at)wmfs.demon.co.uk [Bill's email might no longer be working --
July 2011]
Noel Sturgeon
corrected several details [July 2011].
Information about Peter Sturgeon as founder of Mensa provided by
Mary Matthews, and further information about Peter Sturgeon was
provided by Thomas Wm. Hamilton. Thanks to those of you who have
asked questions or provided other comments.