"And there, over in a corner, is Bruce Sterling, blazing a lonely pioneering trail into the future. [...] He's currently about ten years ahead of the curve. "

"And there, over in a corner, is Bruce Sterling, blazing a lonely pioneering trail into the future. [...] He's currently about ten years ahead of the curve. " Some time in the 90s, I saw Sterling at a sci fi convention. He was doing a Q&A session in some small hotel conference room. As he was answering questions, he did so with a sadness that hit me hard with one thought. Up until that time, I'd thought it would be cool to always be the smartest person in the room. But watching him answer questions that obviously sparked no imagination in him, I suddenly thought, "My god, how truly terrible it would be to always be the smartest person in the room." I suddenly felt very sorry for him. Who knows what he was really thinking or how he actually felt, but it was a revelation for me in any case.