The Enquiring Hitchhiker Interviews Dr. Jerry Pournelle

The Freehold ^ | August 20, 2012 | Jonathan David Baird

[EveningStar]

We have a special treat for our readers this morning. One of my all time favorite authors Dr, Jerry Pournelle. Having co-authored my third favorite book Lucifer’s Hammer (1 and 2 are both Heinlein works). I was a little nervous to contact him and more nervous to actually ask for an interview. Luckily I got over that and I am very proud to present this interview for our audience here at the Freehold.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Having co-authored my third favorite book Lucifer’s Hammer (1 and 2 are both Heinlein works).

What did Heinlein have to do with Lucifer's Hammer? Pournelle wrote that with Larry Niven.

[sauropod]

read

[freedombird]

My favorites were the Janisaries series that he wrote....still love those books!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

D'oh! I just re-read that sentence at the link and figured out the real meaning. Duh.

[bigbob]

Lol, but I’d have to agree that would rank near the top of my list - it’s the first time I realized that books (and by extension, knowledge, skills, and information) would be the most valuable commodity in a SHTF scenario, not the number of bullets or beans you’ve stockpiled. Those things will eventually run out and you’ll still have to deal with the baddies, whereas they will line up to defend and protect the man who knows how to make fuel or a radio transmitter.

My top books would be Heinlein, absolutely. The only question would be which.

[Phlyer]

My top books would be Heinlein, absolutely. The only question would be which.

Moon is a Harsh Mistress - hands down the best ever.

I is the quintessential demonstration of good science fiction: State a premise (early) and then show us the obvious-after-the-fact implications of that premise. In this case, using the Moon as a dumping ground for convicts is the premise. Everything else follows with outstanding logic - yet I would not have seen those implications in that premise.

And it's well written, too. I normally hate dialect, but he did is so smoothly that it didn't distract from the flow of the story. And it was an inescapable part of the logic as well.

But Jerry Pournelle is one of my all-time favorite writers as well. I like the Falkenburg's Mercenary Legion stories best, but I find myself rereading Pournelle's stories more than any other author. And I still remember his essay on the holographic brain - and discuss it with people when the opportunity arises.

[SuperLuminal]

Not to sound extreme, but I find the statement "...my third favorite book Lucifer’s Hammer... close to sacrilege...{:-)