Pournelle

Pournelle is a surname. The most prominent bearer is Jerry Pournelle (1933–2017), an American science fiction author, journalist, and computer scientist. He co-authored several notable science fiction works with Larry Niven, including The Mote in God's Eye, a celebrated first-contact novel, and Lucifer's Hammer, a post-apocalyptic tale.

In addition to fiction, Pournelle wrote extensively about technology and computing; he was a long-time columnist for Byte magazine, where his Chaos Manor column documented home computing, hardware, and software. He also contributed essays on technology policy and defense issues, often integrating science fiction perspectives with real-world ideas about space exploration, government, and the role of technology in society.

Within science fiction circles, Pournelle is recognized for blending hard-science speculation with political and strategic themes, and for helping popularize collaborative writing projects with Niven and others. The surname Pournelle may appear in reference to other individuals, but it is most commonly associated with Jerry Pournelle in modern culture.