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 was glad to know him, and enjoyed his tales on many a Thursday night at the LASFS. My best wishes to the Pournelle family.
My deepest condolences to his family and friends. He was a good man. I consider myself fortunate to have known his acquaintance.
May God bless Jerry P and all those who had the joy of being close to him. His stories, his insights, his gifts that he shared so willingly. He will be deeply missed by many he never knew.
I knew Alex (and Larry’s friend Wendy) at UCSD, and have been reading Jerry’s science fiction and computer writing since the 70’s. He will be greatly missed. One of the SF greats!
Such a nice man and always a pleasure to listen to.
He will be sorely missed, my condolences
Jerry Pournelle’s writing (in both Byte and his science fiction work) played a formative role in my life and in stimulated my career as a scientist. I wish I had the opportunity to thank him. My condolences to his family.
RIP Jerry Pournelle.
I first met you in the Chaos Manor column in Byte Magazine. Since then I’ve enjoyed a number of your books and your occasional appearances on TWIT.
May his soul Rest In Peace; He will be fondly remembered by those who read his columns and novels;
Growing up in the 80s, I used to read his article in BYTE magazine.
RIP
My condolences to his family and friends. We were all enrichened by knowing, reading, and hearing him, and are impoverished by his passing. Requiem in pace.
It was always a pleasure listening to Jerry, such a nice person will be sorely missed.
My condolences
Thank you Jerry for everything you did. Loved reading your Chaos Manor articles in BYTE magazine, and your attendances on This Week In Tech (TWIT).
“He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again.”
Chaos Manor and your science fiction were a great part of my youth and I thank you for all your work.
My husband and I attended the Ask Us Anything panel at DragonCon Monday where Mr. Pournelle was a guest panelist. (My husband even wrangled his way out of being part of another panel himself so he could attend it.) It was a wonderful 1 1/2 hours and will be a cherished memory for both of us. Our deepest affection and sympathy to his family. Best blessings.
Thank you Dr Pournelle, for countless interesting comments and reviews that brightened many a jaded IT professionals’ day and thank you also for those wonderful books.
I particularly admire the way he engaged with so many different people through his website including many contrarian views.
Rest in Peace Sir.
As a young geek at school in the early 80’s, his article in BYTE magazine was received like a virtual christmas and was extremely well written and entertaining. What kept me buying BYTE upto the last ever printed edition.
RIP Jerry
I am so sad right now. Jerry was one of the science fiction greats who made the effort to welcome me, a nervous new member, into SFWA. As a fan of his, I was shocked and blown away when he volunteered that he’d read one of my books and liked it, and this is still the high point of my writing career. He always had time for emails, and he was a voice of reason within the SFWA forum. A month ago, someone made an untoward comment in the forum, one that was unwarranted. I offered to set the record straight, but Jerry said no, he does not virtue signal. That was the kind of man he was.
Last Friday night, we had a great discussion into the wee hours of the morning, covering his service in Korea (which was pretty intense), Iraq, writing, politics, writers he’s known over his lifetime, and life in general. I was in no way a close friend, but I am feeling a deep sense of loss right now.
RIP, Dr. Pournelle.
Jerry will be missed by all of us, but most of all by Roberta and the Children.
I felt that I knew Jerry through his Novels, his stories in Analog nee Austounding and his Chaos Manor Byte Column. I first met him and Roberta face to face at a Los Angeles Opera League function and many more times there and at Wagner Society meetings.
All of Mankind owe him a debt of gratitude for his contributions furthering the exploration of space.
A fitting tribute would be naming the first Moon Colony after him. RIP
My life is so much richer from having read his works. It’s because of him that I own a copy of Sun Tzu; it was in seeking his work that I became aware of Baen Books. Before I committed to eBooks, the top shelf of my library was devoted to Pournelle and Niven. It was always overflowing, and taking over the second shelf.
Sorry to hear this. I have very much enjoyed his writing, both solo, and with Larry Niven. There was a synergy there that will be sorely missed.