Bruce Sterling, was one of my
roommates in
college, (the
University of Texas at Austin). The first year we lived in a
dorm, and we were in the same hall but not
sharing a room. We did however share a common interest in
science fiction. We formed a
SF club, many of the guys we knew in our dorm became members as well as a few
girls. I remember a number of the girls as being very good looking.
Lisa Tuttle who I now believe lives and writes in
England was also a member.
In our second year we, the SF club (the name of which eludes me), decided to all move into one apartment complex, the Spanish Village on Enfield road. We lived there for the next two years, occupying four or five apartments of the complex. There was some ebb and flow to our group, generally four to six women and about five to eight men. Bruce and I shared an apartment although not a room.
It was during this time that Bruce started writing, he was getting together with other writers and working with them, critiquing each others stories, and generating new story ideas. They met about once a month, (this workshop was called Turkey City), and included at least two already published writers, among them George R. R. Martin, and Joe Haldeman.
While I don't recall reading any of the stories produced at these workshops, I have a vague recollection of a series of short stories that were called the Hung Like an Elephant stories. I don’t know if they ever saw print and I don’t know who wrote them, but the name of the series sure sticks in my mind.
Though Bruce may argue the point I believe he got his first big break on our first trip to Aggie Con, in College Station. I have no doubt that Bruce did not actually need this break, he was going to be a writer no matter what. But it didn’t hurt.
Harlan Ellison was one of the guests at Aggie Con. When Bruce and Harlan met the sparks flew, mostly on Bruce’s part, I believe Harlan was genuinely interested in helping Bruce, Bruce just did not believe he needed help, he was utterly convinced that he was going to be a writer, it was inevitable, that was his goal and since nothing could stop him, what did he need Harlan for?
I am not certain of this but I believe Harlan offered to publish one of Bruce’s short stories in Dangerous Visions at this time. Dangerous Visions finally came out many years later. I don’t have a copy of Dangerous Visions with me but checking at http://www.catch22.com/SF/ARB/SFS/Sterling,Bruce.php3 does not show any of Bruce’s stories as being in Dangerous Visions.
The one other thing I remember about that trip to Aggie Con is that Harlan had the most incredibly beautiful woman I have ever seen with him.
3/13/2002 Thanks to
Lucy-S writeup
Turkey City Lexicon: A Primer For Science Fiction Workshops, I now recall that Bruce's writers group was called
Turkey City.