Jerry Pournelle was a master of military science fiction. He is the author of the series of novels about John Christian Falkenberg and his legion of interstellar mercenaries, as well as many other works, including Janissaries, Exiles to Glory, High Justice, King David's Spaceship, and Starswarm. With Larry Niven, he collaborated on a string of best-selling novels, including Lucifer's Hammer, The Mote in God's Eye, Footfall, and the Legacy of Heorot series with Niven and Barnes. He held advanced degrees in psychology, statistics, engineering, and political science, and was actively involved professionally in all these fields.