Why Theodore Sturgeon’s 90% rule matters more in the age of AI

Sturgeon’s Law, often summarized as “90% of everything is crap,” was Theodore Sturgeon’s rhetorical response to critics who dismissed science fiction by highlighting its weakest examples. His broader point was that every creative field contains mediocre work, while its value lies in the strongest 10%. In today’s AI-driven publishing environment, the principle takes on new relevance as content becomes easier to produce and distribute. The challenge, therefore, is increasingly about finding worthwhile work rather than avoiding everything.