His most recent book, Why should I read books if the 99% is shit? had become to his surprise an enormous success. Some Lithuanian publishers that in the past never considered his works started inviting him to lecture to Vilniaus Universitetas students of Literature and to some book presentations in the city.
During these lectures, he was many times asked why he thought that 90% of published books were crap.
In his support, he mentioned Sturgeon's law.
Many of the people he lectured didn't know anything of Sturgeon’s law. So he had to recap it for them. Sturgeon's law is an adage - he used to start - that states that 90% of everything is crap. It was coined by Theodore Sturgeon, an American science fiction author and critic, who was tired of defending his genre from critics who used the worst examples of science fiction as ammunition against him. He realized that most works in other fields were also low-quality, and so science fiction was no different.
He first expressed his law around 1951 at a talk at New York University, and later wrote it in his book review column for Venture magazine in 1957. He also called it Sturgeon’s Revelation, and added some corollaries to explain his point of view.
After repeating this refrain there was always someone who objected that it was a very subjective opinion that 90% of published books are crud.
To these people he objected it's not subjective but it's reality. And whoever thinks it's subjective is because it's part of the 90%. But according to him, 90% was little, but 99% was reality. Whereupon many got up and left.
And obviously, this boutade of his did not please the Lithuanian publishing houses who boycotted him and never invited him again.
During these lectures, he was many times asked why he thought that 90% of published books were crap.
In his support, he mentioned Sturgeon's law.
Many of the people he lectured didn't know anything of Sturgeon’s law. So he had to recap it for them. Sturgeon's law is an adage - he used to start - that states that 90% of everything is crap. It was coined by Theodore Sturgeon, an American science fiction author and critic, who was tired of defending his genre from critics who used the worst examples of science fiction as ammunition against him. He realized that most works in other fields were also low-quality, and so science fiction was no different.
He first expressed his law around 1951 at a talk at New York University, and later wrote it in his book review column for Venture magazine in 1957. He also called it Sturgeon’s Revelation, and added some corollaries to explain his point of view.
After repeating this refrain there was always someone who objected that it was a very subjective opinion that 90% of published books are crud.
To these people he objected it's not subjective but it's reality. And whoever thinks it's subjective is because it's part of the 90%. But according to him, 90% was little, but 99% was reality. Whereupon many got up and left.
And obviously, this boutade of his did not please the Lithuanian publishing houses who boycotted him and never invited him again.
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