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
I never had the opportunity to meet Jerry Pournelle in person, but he had my respect within the first page of Lucifer’s Hammer (the first of his work I’d read). We are truly deminished.
My prayers are with the Pournelle family right now.
Jerry’s writing both entertained me and educated me. I remember walking to the local drug store to buy a copy of Byte magazine where I would read his column and then look at the rest of the magazine. His fiction writing entertained me and made me think as well. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I will miss him.
Condolences to his wife and children.
Always scintillating and good hearted … a precious combination. RIP
Another great writer and thinker has left us. Too few are left. Godspeed Jerry. Your will be missed.
While I knew the day would come eventually (doesn’t it always?), I hoped it would be a long time coming. I’ll still enjoy your books, but will miss your intelligent and insightful commentary. RIP, Jerry.
I am very sad at the passing of a great science fiction author. I have read his work for most of my life. I pass my best wishes to his family.
Reading his “blog,” I often thot Jerry was one of the few sane men left in America. Where are they now? What will we do? RIP Jerry.
We never met, but Jerry Pournelle owned a good bit of space of my bookshelf while growing up. I enjoyed coming here to read his commentary. Even when I was in disagreement, he argued his points well and clearly. I will miss his writing. May he RIP.
While I often disagreed with Jerry, as a thoughtful conservative his opinions were always very interesting and worth paying attention to. I will miss his perspective. I will also miss his science fiction. Rest in peace, Jerry. My condolences to his wife and family.
My Heart felt Condolences to Jerry’s Family. Jerry is in our prayers. Jerry will e sorely missed…
To Frank
I missed you in my earlier list. Thank you for your kind words to Jerry’s readers on tbis list, and our condolences to you and to the family and his manifold coauthors, associates, friends, and fans.
Such dreadful news. My best wishes to his family.
Rest in peace, Jerry. We exchanged some emails though we never met, but your books were those I keep to reread, and your writing here helped to clarify my view of the world.
I first met Jerry and Larry at MIT in the spring of ’78.
When Heinlein Society director Pam Somers recommended him [and Larry] for GoH at Balticon 41 in 2007, I suggested a panel on Heinlein’s predictions. My cousin Chris Stout was my guest and stood with me along the back wall of the SRO room, watching Jerry excoriating the programming community for the badly written panel synopsis and exercising his great ability at jeremiads. Chris wanted to see what the science panel in the next room offered and left for a few minutes.
Later, he confided that he was utterly shocked to have left me at the back of the room and returned only to discover me moderating the panel and harnessing Dr. Pournelle’s vigorous rhetorical energies.
You see, Jerry had asked rhetorically who the blighted idiot was who suggested the panel and I dutifully raised my hand, explaining what the panel description was **supposed** to state, rather than the vagueness printed in the program book, prompting Jerry to invite me to run things, front and center.
A very gracious man.
Who married a very kind and gracious lady. While Jerry and Larry sat at the signing table ahead of the long, long line of fans, I was directly beside them staffing the Heinlein Blood Drive table for Pam, which I couldn’t leave to have my books autographed. Roberta saw this and brought me to Jerry’s attention, permitting me to jump the queue and return to my duties without interruption.
I owe Roberta and their children my condolences. Many people admired his writing: I genuinely liked and admired the person behind the byline.
JJB
I am tremendously saddened by the loss of a great voice. Dr. Pournelle was a rational, reasonable, faith-filled, and humane antidote to much of the irrationality of the surrounding world.
From all the Stotts to all of the Pournelles – our deepest love, sympathy and prayers. Your work inspired us more than you can ever know, and your friendship even more so.
Chris, Nicole, and Roman
When the new Byte came out we all would turn to his Chaos Manner column. Lost touch with him than found his blog and read for years. Jerry was a thoughtful conservative which I really appreciated. Just went to my garage sci fi collection and looked at all the books he wrote. He was a winner in life and I will miss looking for his words on this blog.
Our deepest and sincerest condolences on behalf of all at the International Institute of Space Commerce for Jerry’s family and friends. Dr. Pournelle’s work inspired the creation of our Institute. He will ALWAYS be our Patron. We are at an utter loss for words.
“I do these things so you won’t have to.” Well, now you’ve gone and done something we all have to, but merely because it is a shared experience does little to mitigate the shock. Your column of 9/7 stands below the announcement–so alive, so sentient, and then… The shock is most felt in the epicenter, your family and closest friends, and then moves outward as all shocks do, ultimately reaching us mere readers. Perhaps the measure of a man is the diameter of the shockwave. If so, you are a great, great man, my friend. RIP
I think some Kipling is appropriate at this point, knowing that Dr. P was an afficianado:
When Earth’s last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it—lie down for an æon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew!
And those that were good shall be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets’ hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from—Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!
And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame,
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are!
— L’Envoi (1896)