This page is for site visitors to post remembrances and thoughts at the time of Dr. Pournelle’s passing (8 Sep 2017). Your thoughts can be added using the form at the bottom of this page. Comments that are not related to words of encouragement or condolences will be removed.
Dr. Pournelle’s family appreciates those that have taken the time to send condolences and well wishes.
For those that are interested in Dr. Pournelle’s books, please see the e-books page or the Amazon page . Here’s a list of all of Jerry’s books: All The Books.
Jerry’s last post is here. The text of the eulogy given at the memorial is here. Site news is here. – Editor
Rest quietly, please. You’ve given us so much to think about, and enjoy the ride.
i was immensely saddened to read of the passing of Dr Pournelle. He was truly a polymath, I learned a lot from reading his column and his books gave me countless hours of entertainment. My condolences to his family and friends.
God Speed you Jerry. You will be very much missed.
Douglas M. Colbary
Dr. Pournelle thrilled and challenged imagination of science fiction readers everywhere. He was amazing in just about every aspect of his life.
Love his books and the world is a better place because of his writings.
My sincerely condolences to his family, to have live with such a man must have been wonderful and you will feel the loss most.
As I sit in a camper outside my washed out house in Texas due to flooding. Having most of my personal items could fit into a pickup truck. I was greatly distressed to hear of his passing. Jerry sparked a never ending passion for technology, space, and future thought in me. I read everything I could find that he was associated with or he would promote. He enriched my life, my childhood, my mind. A bad recent few weeks is now added with another loss. His passing a light has dimmed, hope is a spark from his flame will ignite anew.
Jerry has had an enormous influence on my life. From his Byte days, to Los Angeles Politics, books by Wade Curtis and books with Niven, Barnes, Possony, and others. Listening to him at LASFS, and many cons. Introducing his readers to playing World of Warcraft sucked me right into Blizzard’s orbit. His views in politics, and technology have had a great impact on many of my friends. Thanks Jerry, for being a part of my life for so many years. I’ll miss you.
All the members of SIGMA wish to express our sorrow for Jerry’s passing, our condolences to Mrs. Pournelle, his sons, and his extended family. And our respect and admiration for his lifetime of achievement and inspiration.
Dr. Pournelle’s passing saddens me. The world is better for his having been here. We are all a little less for his passing.
I had of course read a ton of Jerry Pournelle’s novels and short stories, but the first time I heard him speak was he gave at a Nineties Worldcon (Magicon in Orlando?) “If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we put a man on the moon?”
Still a damn good question.
We have lost a legend. Never met him in person, but feel I knew him well though his works. I will miss him.
I’m certainly sorry to hear about this. I learned a lot from him, especially about the importance of space to national security and economic prosperity.
Let’s all take up his torch and lean on President Trump and Congress to take space seriously! Forget about interfering in other countries; let’s go to space!
Greatly missed. A wonderfully productive mind that made you really think about how technology would affect mankind. Lucifer’s Hammer was the first book of his I ever read and that dog eared book is still a part of my collection.
Chaos Manor and Byte magazine is what got me interested in computers when I was in high school. To this day I remember the high school library mostly from reading his columns there. I later got to enjoy listening to him on This Week In Tech.
Farewell Jerry. Thanks for influence in my career! RIP.
“The Mercenary” and “The Mote in God’s Eye” opened a new way of reading and appreciating science fiction. His death is the passing of an age: he will be missed but his writing will live on.
His were the books I read, then re-read: every word I read had an impact on my life, and I will always treasure that.
I was Jerry’s editor at Byte Magazine for several years. Upon being given the assignment, I was somewhat hesitant because I had heard that he was a force to be reckon with. And indeed, he was. But over the years, I also learned that he was extremely hard-working, crazily intelligent, a great storyteller, and most of all very patient and generous to a young editor and others who wanted to become writers.
After I left Byte, I lost touch with Jerry, but will always be grateful for his kindness and friendship during those years. He was an original, one of a kind. Rest in peace, Jerry. God’s peace to Roberta and family.
So sad. I think it was Vox Day who first put me onto Dr. Pournelle and his Iron Law of Bureaucracy (which I’ve quoted too many times to remember).
The world has lost a great mind. RIP, sir.
And then it’s Monday.
Nine-eleven bells toll.
You, too, my hero.
Fair winds and following seas and…”Bye for now.”
Lucifer’s Hammer, The Mote in God’s Eye, FootFall, Byte magazine. All of these, and more kept me enthralled. I would look forward to Jerry’s articles in Byte, both for the information he presented as well as his humor, sometimes irascible, about the fledgling world of computers. You are, and will be, missed Doctor Pournelle. My condolences to your family and friends.
Dr. Pournelle was extremely gracious and generous with his time when I wrote to him many years ago. I was an irritating high school student then, but he replied with a three page letter, two of which required derivation of some equations (“Let’s start again. Mrs. Pournelle is going to kill me.”). He had no reason to do so, other, perhaps, then to do the right thing in discussion, but it meant the world to a young fan.
He was a titan, and shall be missed.