Theodore Sturgeon was an odd man. But then, all writers are odd, if not completely loony. Ernest Hemingway ended his life by sucking on a shotgun, and Hunter S. Thompson did the same thing. I intend no disrespect. In fact, I have a great deal of admiration for Sturgeon’s writing ability. He not only wrote great science fiction, he did mystery, nonfiction, and poetry successfully. He just had some quirky characteristics, like Q->. He said this symbol means, “ask the next question.” OK, but why not just ask the next question? Why take a simple idea and create a pictograph to represent it. Maybe it was the times. He did come up with this in the 60’s when the peace sign was popular. And that cross looking thing with the loop at the top, I still don’t know what the hell that one means. I’ve often wondered if Prince got the idea for his “symbol” phase from Theodore Sturgeon. They look kind of similar.
The point is: I’m an American, and you know what they say about us. We only speak one language, and that one not too well. Sturgeon was an American and he should have understood our mutual short coming.
Based on everything I’ve read about Theodore Sturgeon, he had a great sense of humor. So, I’m sure, wherever in the universe he is, he’s looking down with a big grin, giving me the uplifted middle finger symbol.
Gnostic Science Fiction 