Sturgeon's law (or Sturgeon's revelation) is an adage stating "ninety percent of everything is crap". It was coined by Theodore Sturgeon, an American science fiction author and critic, and was inspired by his observation that, while science fiction was often derided for its low quality by critics, most work in other fields was low-quality too, and so science fiction was no different.[1]
The cover of the September 1957 issue of Venture Science Fiction, in which Sturgeon first published "90% of everything is crud."
Sturgeon deemed Sturgeon's law to mean "nothing is always absolutely so".[2] This adage previously appeared in his story "The Claustrophile" in a 1956 issue of Galaxy.[3]
The second adage, variously rendered as "ninety percent of everything is crud" or "ninety percent of everything is crap", was known as "Sturgeon's Revelation", formulated as such in his book review column for Venture[4] in 1957. However, almost all modern uses of the term Sturgeon's law refer to the second,[citation needed] including the definition listed in the Oxford English Dictionary.[5]
The first written reference to the adage is in the September 1957 issue of Venture:
And on that hangs Sturgeon’s revelation. It came to him that [science fiction] is indeed ninety-percent crud, but that also – Eureka! – ninety-percent of everything is crud. All things – cars, books, cheeses, hairstyles, people, and pins are, to the expert and discerning eye, crud, except for the acceptable tithe which we each happen to like.[4]
The adage appears again in the March 1958 issue of Venture, where Sturgeon wrote:
It is in this vein that 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 S.F. 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.[10]
In 2013, philosopher Daniel Dennett championed Sturgeon's law as one of his seven tools for critical thinking.[11]
90% of everything is crap. That is true, whether you are talking about physics, chemistry, evolutionary psychology, sociology, medicine – you name it – rock music, country western. 90% of everything is crap.[12]
Its re-introduction to a modern audience received a positive reception, according to Dennett.[13]
^Charles Clay Doyle; Fred R. Shapiro; Wolfgang Mieder, eds. (2012), The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs, Yale University Press, pp. 76–77, ISBN9780300183351
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Sturgeon s law or Sturgeon s revelation is an adage stating ninety percent of everything is crap It was coined by Theodore Sturgeon an American science fiction author and critic and was inspired by his observation that while science fiction was often derided for its low quality by critics most work in other fields was low quality too and so science fiction was no different 1 The cover of the September 1957 issue of Venture Science Fiction in which Sturgeon first published 90 of everything is crud Contents 1 The original Sturgeon s law 2 Discussion 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksThe original Sturgeon s law editSturgeon deemed Sturgeon s law to mean nothing is always absolutely so 2 This adage previously appeared in his story The Claustrophile in a 1956 issue of Galaxy 3 The second adage variously rendered as ninety percent of everything is crud or ninety percent of everything is crap was known as Sturgeon s Revelation formulated as such in his book review column for Venture 4 in 1957 However almost all modern uses of the term Sturgeon s law refer to the second citation needed including the definition listed in the Oxford English Dictionary 5 Discussion editA similar adage appears in Rudyard Kipling s The Light That Failed published in 1890 Four fifths of everybody s work must be bad But the remnant is worth the trouble for its own sake 6 A 1946 essay Confessions of a Book Reviewer by George Orwell asserts about books In much more than nine cases out of ten the only objectively truthful criticism would be This book is worthless 7 According to science fiction author William Tenn Sturgeon first expressed his law circa 1951 at a talk at New York University attended by Tenn 8 The statement was subsequently included in a talk Sturgeon gave at a 1953 Labor Day weekend session of the World Science Fiction Convention in Philadelphia 9 The first written reference to the adage is in the September 1957 issue of Venture And on that hangs Sturgeon s revelation It came to him that science fiction is indeed ninety percent crud but that also Eureka ninety percent of everything is crud All things cars books cheeses hairstyles people and pins are to the expert and discerning eye crud except for the acceptable tithe which we each happen to like 4 The adage appears again in the March 1958 issue of Venture where Sturgeon wrote It is in this vein that 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 S F 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 10 In 2013 philosopher Daniel Dennett championed Sturgeon s law as one of his seven tools for critical thinking 11 90 of everything is crap That is true whether you are talking about physics chemistry evolutionary psychology sociology medicine you name it rock music country western 90 of everything is crap 12 Its re introduction to a modern audience received a positive reception according to Dennett 13 See also editList of eponymous laws Not even wrong Pareto distribution Pareto principleReferences edit Charles Clay Doyle Fred R Shapiro Wolfgang Mieder eds 2012 The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs Yale University Press pp 76 77 ISBN 9780300183351 Sturgeon Theodore July 1957 Mills Robert P ed ON HAND A Book Venture Science Fiction Vol 1 no 4 Fantasy House Inc p 78 The Claustrophile Galaxy August 1956 a b Sturgeon Theodore September 1957 Mills Robert P ed ON HAND Offhand Books Venture Science Fiction Vol 1 no 5 Fantasy House Inc p 49 Retrieved 14 July 2023 Sturgeon s Law Oxford English Dictionary Retrieved 6 January 2019 Kipling Rudyard 1897 The Writings in Prose and Verse of Rudyard Kipling ISBN 9785874724696 Orwell G 1946 Confessions of a Book Reviewer Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Sturgeon s Law Retrieved 15 November 2022 Sturgeon s Law christopher mckitterick com Retrieved 15 January 2023 Sturgeon Theodore 1958 Books On Hand Venture Science Fiction Vol 2 no 2 p 66 Dennett D 21 May 2013 Daniel Dennett presents Seven Tools for Critical Thinking OpenCulture com Dennett D 2013 Seven Tools for Critical Thinking Dennett D 10 June 2013 Daniel Dennett tools for thinking Point of Inquiry Audio recording Event occurs at 39ᵐ External links editTheodore Sturgeon s 1972 interview with David G Hartwell The New York Review of Science Fiction 7 March 1989 8 April 1989 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sturgeon 27s law amp oldid 1219215784, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
