sturgeon’s Law Brit. /std()nz l/, U.S. /strdnz l/ Forms: 19- Sturgeon’s Law, Sturgeon’s law. [Sturgeon (1918-85, born Edward Hamilton Waldo), U.S. science fiction writer + LAW n.¹] A humorous aphorism which maintains that most of any body of published material, knowledge, etc., or (more generally) of everything is worthless: based on a statement by Sturgeon (see quot. 1958), usually later cited as ‘90 per cent of everything is crap’. Typically used of a specific medium, genre, etc., originally and esp. science fiction, and now freq. also of information to be found on the Internet. The aphorism was apparently first formulated in 1951 or 1952 at a lecture at New York University (letter to the O.E.D. from Fruma Klass, the wife of science fiction writer Phil Klass (‘William Tenn’), 5 Dec. 2001), and popularized at the 1953 WorldCon science fiction convention (see J. Gunn in N.Y. Rev. Sci. Fiction (1995) Sept. 20).

[1958 T. H. STURGEON in Venture Sci. Fiction Mar. 66/2 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 the attacks of people..whose conclusion was that ninety percent of s f is crud. The Revelation: Ninety percent of everything is crud. 1963 J. MERRIL in Proc. Chicon III 35, I think it was probably the final statement which sort of eliminates this discussion but we will go ahead with it anyhow and that was the memorable Sturgeon Law that 90 per cent of everything is crud; including, we regret to say, science fiction.] 1963 T. R. COGSWELL in Proc. Chicon III 38 Judy [Merril] mentioned Sturgeon’s Law; she was kind enough not to bring the new revisions which is that 9/10ths of all science fiction is bad enough to be written by Ted Cogswell. 1968 in T. Sturgeon Way Home (new printing) (preceding title-page), One exception to Sturgeon’s Law. Ted Sturgeon was once approached by a Sorehead who said, ‘Ninety percent of science fiction is crud.’ Sturgeon fixed him (good) with a steely glance, and replied: ‘Yes, ninety percent of everything is crud.’ 1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 29 Aug. B1 What we’re in for in movies and television is a deluge… If I may I’d like to quote (sci-fi writer Theodore) Sturgeon’s Law: ‘90 per cent of everything is crap’. Television seems to bear that out. 1984 Computer Magazines in net.flame (Usenet newsgroup) 3 Feb., Is anyone else disgusted with what is happening to the computer magazines? I realize that Sturgeon’s law is a strong force..but this is getting putrid! 1996 PC World (Nexis) Dec., ‘Ever heard of Sturgeon’s law?’ He shook his head. ‘“Ninety percent of everything is crap.” If that’s true of anything, it’s true of the Web. Ninety percent of everything on it isn’t even worth the time it takes to download’. …yes, just stuff.