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
While I have not touched base with Jerry in decades, about a week ago I thought of him and almost reached out in an email just to say “Hi, How are you?” … now I really regret I did not do that.
I learned Jerry had passed from a blog post by John Mauldin, who quoted him at the start of his post.
I had a software product, a vintage 8-bit C compiler, that Jerry was kind enough to write about in his Chaos Manor column for BYTE. I visited with him at the Manor on several occasions, and one of my fondest memories was being invited to take a swim in the pool and chat. Of course I hadn’t brought swimwear, so Jerry lent me his West Point swimming trunks!
One time Larry Niven swung by while I was visiting, and I was in SF fan heaven.
In my life, I can count on one hand the number of people I’ve met and gotten to get to know who have truly been in the “one of a kind” category, and Jerry’s definitely in that group. This is a man who has enriched the world (and I don’t mean in a monetary sense) and made it smarter. I will miss him.
My condolences to his family. Chaos Manor was a unique island of thought and contemplation in the sea of entropy that is the internet. I’ve been searching for another, similar, site for more than a decade. With no success. We are diminished. Thank you Jerry. Explore the universe to your soul’s content.
A friend to me, a confidante, a brilliant advisor for 44 years, I will miss him enormously.
My condolences to the Pournelle family. I greatly appreciated his work in Byte, the Sci-Fi books, commercial/advanced space technology promoter, and of course his blog. I always appreciated his reasoned arguments, even when I didn’t agree with the outcome. Many years ago he was very kind the couple times I emailed him on minor matters. I shall remember his work fondly.
My prayers for all to the Pournelle family.
I’ve been a fan of Dr. Jerry Pournelle for decades. And I had the honor to meet him, and converse with him in person a few years ago when he came to Boskone. I’m going to miss him, a lot.
I liked Dr. Pournelle as an SF writer, but thought his greatest SF was with Larry Niven. And that was *great* SF. But I loved “Chaos Manor” in Byte. Read it first, every issue. Subscribed to Byte past it’s relevance just to read Jerry. Loved his on-line column for both his observations and the dialog. I would *probably* have supported his run for Emperor. If not, for sure as a Kissinger-type behind the scenes. I never met him, but it seems like I’ve known, and admired, him most of my life.
So sad. Where have all the giants gone? Who will guide us, particularly those of us who are older, through the chaos that is technology. Now he has gone to do something we will all have to do in time.
God be with you, with your family, your friends and co-workers, and all of us who love you and your work!
We’ve lost not only one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, but a man who loved his country, his family, and cared deeply for his friends and fans. We rejoice in what he gave us, and mourn his loss.
As Tash Yar said in her holographic speech at her memorial service,
“Death is that state in which one exists only in the memory of others. Which is why it is not an end. No goodbyes. Just good memories.”
For some reason, I feel Jerry is looking over us, and will always be looking over us and our progress as a species.
Long time follower of Dr. Pournell’s magnificent writing and commentary. I will miss him greatly. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
I can’t add much that hasn’t already been said, except to note Dr. Pournelle’s pioneering work in this medium. As far as I could discover, he was the original blogger–as much as he disliked the term. As a blogger on a smaller, shorter scale, I can only look with admiration and awe at the output of insightful, informative, provocative and addictively readable commentary he was able to sustain here for so long. This wonderful resource needs to be preserved for all to access.
My debt to Dr. P. goes beyond blogging. His “Step Farther Out” columns helped inspire my career choice, and I was fortunate to exchange a few emails with him on the subject of energy. 40 years ago he foresaw an era of energy abundance that’s finally taking shape, with important contributions from technologies that I encountered first in his writings. Science fiction authors have long been treated as futurists, often with little basis, but he was the genuine article.
May he rest in peace and rise in glory. My deepest condolences to his family in their grief.
I was the last editor of Byte and Jerry’s last editor there. As a long-time fan of both his sci-fi and computer writing I was deeply honored at the time to be able to work with him. I feel like I learned a lot from him about many things, which I intend as the greatest honor.
I was a fan of both the science fiction and the computer writing.
A sad day for fans everywhere, condolences to the family.
May he set foot on the Ringworld!
Here in Israel too Jerry was well known as a science fiction writer (Lucifer’s Hammer was translated into Hebrew) and for his Chaos Manor column at BYTE magazine. He will be missed.
Very sad news. My best condolences to the family. I was writing articles for the Byte Italian Ed. but I was fascinated by his pieces on Byte original Ed. 🙂
This blog has been a fabulous insight and resource for me for many years. I will miss it greatly. Jerry, I never meet you except through these pages but I felt I knew you. Thank you for all you gave me and the rest of the internet world, you will be greatly missed.
God rest your soul, Dr. Pournelle. Your blog gave me great comfort over the past ten years. I will miss it very much. Looking forward to thanking you personally on the other side.
I e-mailed a comment on a governmental issue some time ago, and was, well, thrilled to receive a comment from Jerry. I had read and enjoyed his books for many years. Lucifer’s Hammer remains one of my son’s favorites. I’m so sorry for your loss, he was a great writer and a solid, rational thinker. I will miss him.
Strength and comfort to his family, he will not soon be forgotten. Thanks for many years of great entertainment and insights.