I just learned that Dr. Jerry Pournelle passed away. He lived a long and fruitful life, but his death is a loss for all fans of science fiction. He inspired me to write SF with his non-fiction articles especially, gathered in books such as “A Step Farther Out.” He gave me a vision of science fiction someday becoming a reality and made me want to imagine that reality for myself. RIP Dr. Pournelle. Ad astra per aspera.