8th+grade+-+Golden+Age+of+SF+-+Theodore+Sturgeon


 * __[[image:theo.JPG align="right"]]Theodore Sturgeon__**

Born on February 26, 1918, Theodore Sturgeon was a successful author for most of his life, passing away on May 8, 1985. His works include //Helix The Cat, Killdozer (1944), Venus Plus X (1960), More Than Human (1953), The Perfect Host (1948)// and many more//.// Most of his work was short science-fiction work and dealt with topics from space travel, to sea exploration, to life after death. Many considered him untalented when he first began to publish things and soon felt mistaken as the media allowed more of his work to be seen in such magazines as //Astounding Science Fiction//, and //Unknown.// He also wrote a few scripts for //Star Trek// episodes, and won many awards for his contributions to science fiction.

In Sturgeon’s short story, //Helix the Cat//, he opens with a short passage in first person, not immediately linking to the story, with the astonishing sentence of //“ There are times when one wonders, about one’s own life and affairs, ‘Who writes this plot?’”// Personally, I find this sentence intriguing, and a desperate attempt to relay the confusion and insecurity people sometimes find in their lives., or that he has realized in his. Theodore Sturgeon is known for the so-called “Sturgeon Law” which states: "Nothing is always absolutely so." And “Ninety percent of Science Fiction is crud, but then, ninety percent of //everything// is crud.” Though this seems cynical and possibly even bitter, he has a point and these words can be very optimistic if looked at in a certain way.

Many people believe that in Sturgeon’s writing, there is a poetic hint. The way he writes is very descriptive, but very swift and fast. There seem to be many metaphors and simple hidden meanings behind his plots and character choices. The sudden and stunning changes in mood and unexpected plot twists keep a reader captured, and Sturgeon’s writing is effective in the development of the minds of the characters, bringing you into their standard thought process. This does more than any physical description could, making you feel like these characters are able to be related to while also understanding their flaws and rationalization of things. Science fiction may have been big in the Golden Age of Science Fiction, but Theodore Sturgeon’s work is still considered classic, and he was said to be very influential to the changing science fiction genre.

((**Sprinkledillusions**))