Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Theodore Sturgeon

Quote by Theodore Sturgeon

“Reality isn’t the most pleasant of atmospheres, Lieutenant. But we like to think we’re engineered for it. It’s a pretty fine piece of engineering, the kind an engineer can respect. Drag in an obsession and reality can’t tolerate it. Something has to give; if reality goes, your fine piece of engineering is left with nothing to operate on. Nothing it was designed to operate on. So it operates badly. So kick the obsession out; start functioning the way you were designed to function.”

Quote by Theodore Sturgeon

Work

More Than Human

This novel delves into a future where humanity has evolved beyond its current form, intertwining with advanced technology and artificial intelligence. The story examines the ethical and philosophical implications of this transformation, as individuals push the limits of what it means to be human. more

Author

Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon

Theodore Sturgeon (February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American science fiction writer and short story master, known for his unique narrative style and profound humanistic concerns. Born in Staten Island, New York, as Edward Hamilton Waldo, he later adopted his stepfather's surname. Active from the 1940s to the 1970s, Sturgeon wrote classic stories like 'Microcosmic God' and 'More Than Human,' and coined 'Sturgeon's Law'—'90% of science fiction is crud, but then 90% of everything is crud.' His works explored human nature, emotion, and social margins, deeply influencing later SF. He won Hugo and Nebula Awards and is often called 'the Shakespeare of science fiction.' more

You May Also Like

“This obsession is a curious thing. Sometimes wonder about the merits of devoting so much of myself to a singular climbing objective. Much of the time it beats me down, leaves me hanging my head in despair. But then there are the moments that bring me to life. When excitement wells up inside my chest in a way that doesn’t happen in every day life. Today my fingertips were cracked and bleeding. I made no progress despite great conditions. Now I am on the ground and can hardly contain my excitement to get back on the wall. It’s a crazy rollercoaster and I owe my family and partners a great deal for encouraging me through it all.”

“Much better now. And Sunny—there's no such thing as 'too much' when it comes to us. Too much mutual interest, or awareness, or desire, or too much damn love—there's no such thing." "I love you beyond obsession," I murmur, terrified because it is too much. "I love you to insanity," he replies, utterly solemn. "That's who I am, and that is who we are. I don't have any qualms about admitting it, and I don't have any regrets. Do you?”

“His three boats stove around him, and oars and men both whirling in the eddies; one captain, seizing the line-knife from his broken prow, had dashed at the whale, as an Arkansas duellist at his foe, blindly seeking with a six inch blade to reach the fathom-deep life of the whale. That captain was Ahab. And then it was, that suddenly sweeping his sickle-shaped lower jaw benieath him, Moby Dick had reaped away Ahab's leg.”

“John has a narrow mind. For him, neither the beauty nor the prosperity of the city of Ephesus is worth a second glance. Ephesus was situated at the end of the Silk Road from China and the caravan route from India which used to pass through the Parthian Empire en route to the West. But the prophet is quite unaware that this particular world exists at all. Even culture means absolutely nothing to him; for example, in 18:22 he rejoices that not only song but also the sound of the flute have disappeared. The world which he knows is limited to the seven churches whose Christianity corresponded with his own; and that in but a single province of the Roman Empire, namely Asia. As to the rest, he is only familiar with the mother church in Jerusalem and the sister church in Rome. John is utterly obsessed by Rome. The fact that this particular metropolis had bestowed both law and peace upon no less than one-half of the world never got through to him at all. He is also quite oblivious of the fact that Rome oppresses nations and exploits slaves. He could not care less about national or social considerations. He abominates the "whore on the seven hills" simply because Rome is persecuting Christians. This is precisely what the Apocalypse is all about: innocent suffering.”