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A Step Farther Out
Vintage paperback
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1979
22 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Pournelle
264 books542 followersDr Jerry Eugene Pournelle was an American science fiction writer, engineer, essayist, and journalist, who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte, and from 1998 until his death maintained his own website and blog.
From the beginning, Pournelle's work centered around strong military themes. Several books describe the fictional mercenary infantry force known as Falkenberg's Legion. There are strong parallels between these stories and the Childe Cycle mercenary stories by Gordon R. Dickson, as well as Heinlein's Starship Troopers, although Pournelle's work takes far fewer technological leaps than either of these.
Pournelle spent years working in the aerospace industry, including at Boeing, on projects including studying heat tolerance for astronauts and their spacesuits. This side of his career also found him working on projections related to military tactics and probabilities. One report in which he had a hand became a basis for the Strategic Defense Initiative, the missile defense system proposed by President Ronald Reagan. A study he edited in 1964 involved projecting Air Force missile technology needs for 1975.
Dr. Pournelle would always tell would-be writers seeking advice that the key to becoming an author was to write — a lot.
“And finish what you write,” he added in a 2003 interview. “Don’t join a writers’ club and sit around having coffee reading pieces of your manuscript to people. Write it. Finish it.”
Pournelle served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1973.
From the beginning, Pournelle's work centered around strong military themes. Several books describe the fictional mercenary infantry force known as Falkenberg's Legion. There are strong parallels between these stories and the Childe Cycle mercenary stories by Gordon R. Dickson, as well as Heinlein's Starship Troopers, although Pournelle's work takes far fewer technological leaps than either of these.
Pournelle spent years working in the aerospace industry, including at Boeing, on projects including studying heat tolerance for astronauts and their spacesuits. This side of his career also found him working on projections related to military tactics and probabilities. One report in which he had a hand became a basis for the Strategic Defense Initiative, the missile defense system proposed by President Ronald Reagan. A study he edited in 1964 involved projecting Air Force missile technology needs for 1975.
Dr. Pournelle would always tell would-be writers seeking advice that the key to becoming an author was to write — a lot.
“And finish what you write,” he added in a 2003 interview. “Don’t join a writers’ club and sit around having coffee reading pieces of your manuscript to people. Write it. Finish it.”
Pournelle served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1973.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 23, 2016
A persuasive defense of space exploration. As NASA's Shuttle program grinds to a halt with no replacement in sight, Jerry Pournelle re-issues his classic collection of essays defending the merits of space exploration, arguing that for human civilization to thrive, and perhaps even to survive in the long term, we must gain access to the vast natural resources available throughout the rest of the solar system, starting with our next-door neighbor, the moon. This will not only raise humanity's overall standard of living, it will also disperse our species beyond Earth's fragile biosphere in the event of natural or man-made worldwide disaster.
One reviewer has complained that some of the information in this book is outdated. Speculating about future scientific and technological advances is always a dicey business. However, Pournelle's track record at predicting the future is better than most; and his core argument remains just as relevant as it was three decades ago: we can't afford NOT to invest in space access infrastructure and technology.
One reviewer has complained that some of the information in this book is outdated. Speculating about future scientific and technological advances is always a dicey business. However, Pournelle's track record at predicting the future is better than most; and his core argument remains just as relevant as it was three decades ago: we can't afford NOT to invest in space access infrastructure and technology.
March 19, 2019
A Step Farther Out is a collection of non-fiction essays that Jerry Pournelle published in a Sci-Fi magazine back in the 70s. The essays were originally about whatever cool science topic that Pournelle wanted to cover, but when collected into a book they were sorted by theme: futuristic utopias, space travel, random weirdness, energy, etc.
Reading old non-fiction, especially non-fiction that's intended to be predictive, is kind of weird. You get to see all these things that people used to be worried about. Many of the essays in this book are arguments against various catastrophes that people worried about 45 years ago. Things like overpopulation, running out of energy, etc. What's funny is that many of the predictions Pournelle argued against said that there would be world-wide collapse before the year 2000. Now we're well past that point, but people are still worried about the same stuff.
Pournelle does worry about ecological collapse and running out of energy, he just thinks it will take longer. He also thinks that we have the opportunity, right now, to invest in R&D to open up an amazing future. If we do the wrong thing (business as usual), then he thinks we end up back in the muscle power world. If we do the right thing (invest in fusion and asteroid mining), then we get the glorious sci-fi utopia future.
Pournelle's rose-colored glasses are more convincing than most. For one thing, almost every chapter is full of Fermi estimates about how much it would cost in investment, time, energy, to do the things he suggests. For another, he continuously hedges by saying "we can have it if we try for it."
You can easily tell the essays written earlier from those written later. Pournelle is more optimistic in the earlier essays. By the later essays, he's watched some of his favorite R&D projects get cancelled by people who literally *want* to return to muscle power. By the end of it, he seems distraught that society as a whole is abandoning the glorious future. He warns us that if we don't invest in R&D now, our grandchildren will curse our names. I find myself agreeing with him.
Reading old non-fiction, especially non-fiction that's intended to be predictive, is kind of weird. You get to see all these things that people used to be worried about. Many of the essays in this book are arguments against various catastrophes that people worried about 45 years ago. Things like overpopulation, running out of energy, etc. What's funny is that many of the predictions Pournelle argued against said that there would be world-wide collapse before the year 2000. Now we're well past that point, but people are still worried about the same stuff.
Pournelle does worry about ecological collapse and running out of energy, he just thinks it will take longer. He also thinks that we have the opportunity, right now, to invest in R&D to open up an amazing future. If we do the wrong thing (business as usual), then he thinks we end up back in the muscle power world. If we do the right thing (invest in fusion and asteroid mining), then we get the glorious sci-fi utopia future.
Pournelle's rose-colored glasses are more convincing than most. For one thing, almost every chapter is full of Fermi estimates about how much it would cost in investment, time, energy, to do the things he suggests. For another, he continuously hedges by saying "we can have it if we try for it."
You can easily tell the essays written earlier from those written later. Pournelle is more optimistic in the earlier essays. By the later essays, he's watched some of his favorite R&D projects get cancelled by people who literally *want* to return to muscle power. By the end of it, he seems distraught that society as a whole is abandoning the glorious future. He warns us that if we don't invest in R&D now, our grandchildren will curse our names. I find myself agreeing with him.
June 25, 2024
This book was listed on the "101 Books Tech Alums Should Read Before They Lay Dying" list that was published in Georgia Tech magazine.
The writing is great. The science and math are good, as far as I can tell (I'm not an expert). A lot of the technical information is outdated (copyright date 1979).
This is a collection of essays/articles about how humanity might live better via development of technology and scientific progress. As the articles progress through the book, I felt the author became less and less optimistic about the future. A bit depressing, but I couldn't point to anything that was obviously unrealistic. Definitely worth reading; lots to think about.
The writing is great. The science and math are good, as far as I can tell (I'm not an expert). A lot of the technical information is outdated (copyright date 1979).
This is a collection of essays/articles about how humanity might live better via development of technology and scientific progress. As the articles progress through the book, I felt the author became less and less optimistic about the future. A bit depressing, but I couldn't point to anything that was obviously unrealistic. Definitely worth reading; lots to think about.
January 19, 2020
Required Reading
Mr Pournelle was a man of many talents and will be sorely missed by his fellow writers, scientists and readers. I have just re-read this book, having first read it long ago, and can’t stress enough how important it is.
This is required reading for all humanity.
E
Mr Pournelle was a man of many talents and will be sorely missed by his fellow writers, scientists and readers. I have just re-read this book, having first read it long ago, and can’t stress enough how important it is.
This is required reading for all humanity.
E
March 28, 2022
It was a bit repetitive - a collection of essays with mostly a common theme - we can survive ecological collapse by going to space, and not have to downscale our way of life. I liked it overall!
July 21, 2014
This is the result of actual proper thinking, the kind you do with numbers (perhaps a slide-rule in those days) about the possibilities for space travel in the Solar System. He presents very real problems, facts which most sci-fi authors simply ignore, and sets a challenge for us to overcome, who want to see people Out There.
April 4, 2011
Probably one of the best collections of non-fiction short stories I have ever read. Pournelle is fantastic at identifying future issue that the world will need to deal with and proposing solutions that could be implemented to mitigate further problems. Unfortunately, we don't listen.
June 7, 2014
Inspirational nonfiction essays about why space exploration is a valuable pursuit for humanity, possibly one of the most valuable things we could be doing. Definitely recommend if you're into effective altruism or science based effectiveness. It's getting a bit dated.
October 9, 2014
This collection of essays, reviews, and rants was another formative read. Part engineering text, part treatise on the philosophy of expansion and wealth, Pournelle made a strong and memorable argument on why it's important to dream and plan for a wealthier future.
June 10, 2011
This gave me a brief hope for the future.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews