This was going to be a lighthearted post...until yesterday. That was when the world found out that sci-fi great Jerry Pournelle died. I read my first Jerry Pournelle book, Footfall, when I was 16. The storyline about the traveling herd coming to conquer Earth after leaving their own war-torn world captivated me. Years later, Inferno came to my attention as I was writing Salvation Day. I remember hoping that I would one day reach the heights Pournelle did with his work.
By all accounts, Pournelle was a gentleman who never let his fame go to his head. Sarah Hoyt, whose blog I've frequented over the past few years, wrote a moving tribute to him last night. She shared his lack of pretension and how he engaged even newbie authors as equals. The world is a lesser place today without him, and our profession has lost a great man. It may be a long time before we see the likes of another Jerry Pournelle.
By all accounts, Pournelle was a gentleman who never let his fame go to his head. Sarah Hoyt, whose blog I've frequented over the past few years, wrote a moving tribute to him last night. She shared his lack of pretension and how he engaged even newbie authors as equals. The world is a lesser place today without him, and our profession has lost a great man. It may be a long time before we see the likes of another Jerry Pournelle.
He used to appear on the TWiT podcasts regularly but hasn’t featured for a couple of years. I wondered if it was due to ill health. A compelling personality.
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