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 in peace.
Thank you, Dr. Pournelle, a font of inspiration and enjoyment through my life. From the fiction and your “A Step Farther Out” essays, to your travels through technology with us in Byte and later, TWiT there was always something new and interesting to watch, to read, to absorb, and grow with.
Thank you for the nearly continuous optimism also. Sometimes, given all that’s happening in the world it might be hard to believe that “We still live in an age of marvels, and it’s still true that the only limit to growth is nerve.” But Dr. Pournelle never gave up on that, and neither should we.
Condolences to Dr. Pournelle’s family and friends. I wish I had had the opportunity to meet him.
I am so very sorry to hear of Dr. Pournelle’s death. May I extend my condolences to his family, and especially to his beloved wife. I can only imagine their devastation, and they are in my prayers.
For a very long time I’ve been a reader and admirer of his work. Just recently I re-read Lucifer’s Hammer; it is still as gripping as ever. Many of his other books are on my list for re-reading, and I hope that the book he & Larry Niven were working on can still be finished- though it won’t be as good as it could have been without the hand of that masterful writer.
I regret very much not attending the last Dragoncon, as I would have cherished seeing him in person.
Rest in peace, Dr. Pournelle. You are sadly missed.
Dr. Pournelle’s blog gave me my first exposure to systematic, rational, conservative thought. I will miss his words.
Condolences. I can recall my love of science fiction starting in part from reading his books back at M.I.T. in the early 1970’s. Jerry Pournelle wrote some of the best old-school hard science fiction ever.
I never met him personally, sadly, but he did answer some of my correspondences. He was always intelligent and polite.
You know, I sometimes hear that Dr. Pournelle’s politics were “to the right of Genghis Khan,” but I don’t see it that way. In my view he was an old-school conservative, grounded in political reality, who was opposed to socialist stagnation but did not worship the market as God. I used a quote from him as a chapter header in one of my own books, it’s a favorite of mine (and I think of his, from how many times he used it): “…while laissez faire capitalism appears to be the most productive way to allocate resources, unregulated capitalism inevitably leads to the sale of human flesh in the market place.” So many so-called conservatives today seem to have forgotten this truth…
Terrible loss to us all. Some of my first books I remember reading, from Lucifer’s Hammer to the Janissaries books, to Footfall to “The Mote in God’s Eye”, all the Co-Dominium books, etc etc. So many wonderful ideas and stories and books.
We’ll all miss him more than we know.
Rest in peace O Teacher, scholar and friend I never met in person. Father figure in so many ways as well.
Thank you for all you taught me and be assured, I shall pass it on to my own daughter as well.
Salute to you and your family.
Rest in Peace Dr. Pournelle
Best wishes to Jerry’s family. I always enjoyed his articles in BYTE magazine
My condolences to family, friends and followers. My thanks to Jerry for decades of intelligent, entertaining and enlightening discussion and stories. I will miss him.
I enjoyed working with Jerry at Byte in the early 1990s. He was always a pleasure to speak with and the easiest writer to edit, even among the many fine writers on Byte’s staff. I remember the exhausting, exhilarating frenzy of our whole crew trying mightily to digest an entire industry’s annual achievements in a few break neck days at Comdex, the monster trade show that Byte had the daunting responsibility of deciding the awards for. It was controlled chaos, and we all valued the presence of the Lord of Chaos Manor. Wise, funny, and end endless source of just plain common sense in a crisis. I missed Jerry when Byte was betrayed by it’s corporate owner. He was truly one of a kind that we will never have the privilege to see again.
A friend to me always.
Dr Pournelle has been inspirational. Congratulations for a long life consistently well-lived.
With all my heart and best wishes, I hope Dr. Pournelle is in Heaven having a wonderful time.
As a young boy I began reading Dr. Pournelle and Larry Niven’s works. I think they saved me from terrible things, because they believed perseverance and never giving up, as two of the important things in life.
Sure gonna miss Jerry.
I hope you all have that love that Jerry had to carry you through your grief and sorrow.
Amazing Grace Hymn
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The world shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun refuse to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
His writings-editorializing, ranting, expounding, not to mention the science fiction-have been a part of my life since the Byte days. His “behind the scenes” work in the government will surprise people to this day. He will be missed by many.
We have seen the passing of a Giant. His contributions to Defense and Space were direct and crucial. He wrote great SF and non-fiction. He was witty and always the proper southern gent. I will miss him.
Very sorry to hear of Jerry’s passing today. I will greatly miss his Chaos Manor writings and all the wisdom he shared there with us.
My prayers go out to his family and loved ones on this sad day.
Rest in Peace and thank you.
Condolences to Mr. Pournelle’s family and friends. He is my ‘Scifi Author of the Week’ for my personal study. He has given us much to celebrate in his adventures set in alien worlds. He will be missed.
I read and reread many of his books over and over again…. one of the most sensibly brilliant minds of the last 50 years. He will be sorely missed.
Byte has gone, DrDobbs has gone… now Jerry… computer world has become definetely poorer…
May you rest in peace, Jerry…
My condolences, My father new Jerry from the 60s’ and 70s’..
He was great editor and columnist and good story teller.
His works will keep alive for the ages to come. May he find peace in the hereafter.
Jerry, his wife, and Larry Niven were guests in 1986 of Contemplation in Columbia, MO. I recall he engaged with his fans and was a hit at the panel on High Frontier. He was opinionated but gracious about it and that’s what we wanted.
I’ve read all of his work and enjoyed all of it. He was loved by his fans and will be greatly missed.