The Dragonriders of Pern

[Menolly]

Randy, how much of this was known when Pern was started with Weyr Search as a novella in 1967? Was Rukbat known as a young hot blue star then?

[fragile granite]

Yes, most of it sure was Menolly, especially the part about Rukbat being a young hot blue star. McCaffrey did some research to make much of the other "science" presented in the Dragonriders of Pern series plausible, but apparently forgot to research Rukbat and the Sagittarius Sector when selecting Pern's location supporting the premise of a star system far away from normal star lanes. Oh well, it's still a worthy piece of science fiction as it stands!

[Menolly]

*agreed*

If it isn't apparent by my user name,
it's pretty much my favorite series.

[fragile granite]

Menolly,

I'd like to engage in a little speculation if I may. My position is such that sometimes esoteric truth can be safely hidden in plain sight (under the guise of science fiction or fantasy) by gifted wordsmiths such as Anne McCaffrey.

Maybe McCaffrey "remembers" something very important. And this she has presented as the premise of the Dragonriders of Pern series. Namely, the idea that members of a technologically & scientifically advanced space fairing race of people left behind a galactic war to live their lives in relative peace with limited science & technology on a backwater world far from the inhabited and strife-torn portions of the galaxy.

Perhaps these "space pilgrims" came to Earth long ago. They found a world of great abundance in which to live in relative peace but with some marked differences from what the settlers "discovered" on Pern.

I'd like to speculate that we are the distant progeny of these ancestral "space pilgrims" who may have come here as much as 500,000 yrs ago. This is why sci-fi and fantasy have such great appeal to so many of us, because on some level, we also "remember" our distant racial past and long to regain our true heritage.

Randy

[Menolly]

Menolly,

I'd like to engage in a little speculation if I may. My position is such that sometimes esoteric truth can be safely hidden in plain sight (under the guise of science fiction or fantasy) by gifted wordsmiths such as Anne McCaffrey.

Maybe McCaffrey "remembers" something very important. And this she has presented as the premise of the Dragonriders of Pern series. Namely, the idea that members of a technologically & scientifically advanced space fairing race of people left behind a galactic war to live their lives in relative peace with limited science & technology on a backwater world far from the inhabited and strife-torn portions of the galaxy.

Perhaps these "space pilgrims" came to Earth long ago. They found a world of great abundance in which to live in relative peace but with some marked differences from what the settlers "discovered" on Pern.

I'd like to speculate that we are the distant progeny of these ancestral "space pilgrims" who may have come here as much as 500,000 yrs ago. This is why sci-fi and fantasy have such great appeal to so many of us, because on some level, we also "remember" our distant racial past and long to regain our true heritage.

Randy

hmm...

Perhaps this is why Todd's contributions seem to lack compared to hers. He may not "remember."

An interesting proposition. Not one I ever attributed to Pern, although other works have prompted such thoughts in me...

[spoonchicken]

I read "The Dragonriders of Pern" back in the early 80's. It was a trilogy-in-one, exactly like the re-issued Covenant Chronicles were. Good stuff.

[Menolly]

*nodding*

I read the first main trilogy the same way, although back in the late '70s, via a Science Fiction Book Club omnibus. Since then, my preferred reading of the entire series is the one that used to be recommended on Anne's site. It mostly follows published instead of chronological order, with The Harper Hall trilogy interspersed between the main three, except for the first three chapters of The White Dragon (I think) read before starting Dragondrums, then reading all of Dragondrums before finishing The White Dragon.

I seem to remember the chart disappeared when the site switched from .org to .net though. Perhaps I'll double check...

Yep, the chart is still gone, but suggested published reading order follows...

Pern Books and Stories in order of Publication (stories in italics)

• • Dragonflight (1968)
  The short stories Weyr Search and Dragonrider are incorporated in this book.
  • Dragonquest (1971)
  • Dragonsong (1976)
  • Dragonsinger 1977)
  The Smallest Dragonboy, in: Get Off The Unicorn (1977) and A Gift of Dragons (2002)
  • The White Dragon (1978)
  The earlier publication A Time When (1975) is incorporated in this book.
  • Dragondrums (1979)
  • Moreta: Dragonlady Of Pern (1983)
  • Nerilka’s Story (1984)
  • Dragonsdawn (1988)
  The Impression, in: The Dragonlover’s Guide To Pern (1989)
  • The Renegades of Pern (1989)
  • All The Weyrs of Pern (1991)
  Rescue Run (1991)
  The Dolphin’s Bell (1993)
  • The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall (1993)
  The earlier publications Rescue Run (1991) and The Dolphin’s Bell (1993) are incorporated in this book.
  • The Dolphins of Pern (1994)
  The Girl Who Heard Dragons, in: The Girl Who Heard Dragons (1996) and A Gift of Dragons (2002)
  • Dragonseye, published as Red Star Rising in the UK (1996)
  • The Masterharper Of Pern (1998)
  Runner Of Pern, in: Legends (anthology ed. by Robert Silverberg) (1999) and A Gift of Dragons (2002)
  • The Skies of Pern (2001)
  Ever the Twain, in A Gift of Dragons (2002)
  • Dragon’s Kin (with Todd McCaffrey) (2003)
  Beyond Between, in: Legends II (anthology edited by Robert Silverberg) (2004)
  • Dragonsblood (by Todd McCaffrey) (2005)
  • Dragon’s Fire (with Todd McCaffrey) (2006)
  • Dragon Harper (by Todd McCaffrey) (2007)
  • Dragonheart (by Todd McCaffrey) (2008)

I started reading Dragonheart in the Barnes and Noble in Manhattan when I went there with Fist and Xar, but have yet to pick it up to read fully...

[Menolly]

I finally read and finished Todd's latest in this series, Dragonheart. I feel he depicted the feel of weyr life and Dragonriders quite well in this one, compared to the Harpers in Dragonharper and the Miners in Dragonsblood.

But, after establishing the reason for the main premise of the book, as well as a mystery, he never resolves either of them!

So, I enjoyed the overall feel of this book over his other attempts, but am generally dissatisfied. My assumption is this particular plot line will continue in at least one more book...

[dlbpharmd]

I gave up on these books after the one with F'lessen as the main character.

[Menolly]

I gave up on these books after the one with F'lessen as the main character.

Yes, I know.
I can't bring myself to do that though.

Rumor had it Anne is working on one more, working title of either After the Fall (is Over) or New Era Pern, but the last I heard is at 85 years old, writing is very intermittent and slow for her. My hope is that she does complete it; I can not imagine Todd closing out the Ninth Pass...

And it appears Todd's next will be titled Dragongirl, which says it will be a sequel to Dragonheart. My guess the girl in question will be Fiona, unless it picks up the same story from Terin's or Xhinna's point of view.

I will continue to read, even if I do continue to be disappointed in Todd's handling. But if he does resolve the two plot points he introduced in Dragonheart which he left hanging, I won't have all that much to complain about regarding these two books. You may want to give them a try, once Dragongirl is published, Don. I'll let you know, if you want...

[Menolly]

*nodding*

I read the first main trilogy the same way, although back in the late '70s, via a Science Fiction Book Club omnibus. Since then, my preferred reading of the entire series is the one that used to be recommended on Anne's site. It mostly follows published instead of chronological order, with The Harper Hall trilogy interspersed between the main three, except for the first three chapters of The White Dragon (I think) read before starting Dragondrums, then reading all of Dragondrums before finishing The White Dragon.

I seem to remember the chart disappeared when the site switched from .org to .net though. Perhaps I'll double check...

I decided to check the wayback machine to see if they had archived the chart I mentioned above on Anne's site before the switchover, and they did! The last few books are missing since the chart is so old, before Todd started writing any of his, but read those in published order, and you're good.

Suggested reading order for Pern a la Anne McCaffrey

[dlbpharmd]

We read to our daughters every night at bedtime. My wife and I take turns with them, and a few months back I read "Dragonflight" to my 11 year old. She is very much a product of this generation; while she loves movies and TV, she hates to read. I was hoping that the story of Leesa and Ramoth would spark her imagination. Alas, she just didn't get into it, and I don't know if I'll read "Dragonquest" to her.

I'm currently reading to her the first Harry Potter, and she's loving that. I guess I'll have to stick with what works.

[Menolly]

I'm currently reading to her the first Harry Potter, and she's loving that. I guess I'll have to stick with what works.

*nod*

HP:SS was what caused Hyperception and me to realize Beorn was reading way above grade level. I was reading a chapter a night to him as a bed time story when he was in kindergarten. Then allergy season hit, and as is typical for me, I lost my voice due to severe coughing for about three weeks. The bedtime reading was put on hold (Hyperception didn't take part, more's the pity), and when we returned Beorn would make comments like, "Oh, this is a good part," or "You're going to really like this!"

I put the book aside and asked him if they were reading the story out loud in school. He dropped his head and said, as if he would be in trouble, "No, mommy. I didn't want to wait for you to be better to finish the story, so I read it without you." At first I just looked at him. I didn't want to accuse him of lying, but as far as we knew, the highest level book he was reading at that stage in kindergarten was My Father's Dragon, which we were assured by his teachers was still pretty impressive.

Instead, I handed him the book and said, "Interesting. Why don't we alternate reading a chapter a night then. You begin." He eagerly took the book and began reading. Oh, phonetically he was no where at the level the book required. He mispronounced words all over the place. But his vocabulary was there and he understood the plot.

By the time first grade started, HP:PoA was released and Beorn had his own copy which he brought to school. He had changed schools between kindergarten and first grade, and this school had an Accelerated Reader program, but they allowed the students to check out books at what was determined to be grade level only. The school called me and told me Beorn was inconsolable one day because they had taken a book from him which he had removed from the school library without permission, claiming it was his. Keep in mind, this was four years before he was diagnosed on the spectrum, so some of his behaviors were still a mystery to us all.

I asked them what book it was, as I knew he had brought his own to school and was surprised he would have finished and taken out another book without permission. As an Aspie, he tended to be rule-bound (though we didn't know it at the time) and to do so was unlike him. When I was told the book, I told them it was his book, and to look at it for library identification. We preferred to not mark books in any way, so had not written his name in it, but the school library copies would have been stamped with the school name at least, if not bar coded or some such.

They called me back and verified it was not their copy, then asked if I would mind if they could test Beorn for a potential higher AR classification. The results of that test then led to gifted testing and onward.

Enjoy sharing HP:SS with your daughter, dlb. They are truly magical books, in unexpected ways.

...so sayeth the unbiased J.K. Rowling Forum mod.

[Menolly]

Anyone else not holding their breath?

Harry Potter, The Hobbit and now … Dragonriders Of Pern? On an endless search to find big-scale fantasy books that lend themselves to global franchises, Warner Bros has optioned the Pern book series from the estate of American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. There is a lot to work with here, with 22 volumes that make it one of the biggest selling sci-fi series ever. The first book was published in 1968, and the focus is on an elite group of warriors who take to the skies on the backs of giant, fire-breathing dragons with telepathic powers. They try to save the exotic planet of Pern from a terrifying airborne menace — a rain of deadly spores that comes with the orbit of the Red Star.

The deal was spearheaded by Warner Bros exec Drew Crevello, who joined the studio only a couple of months ago after writing for two years. He previously had been in production at Fox as a VP, where he worked on the X-Men franchise pics. Warners’ Julia Spiro also is working on the project. The series option deal comes as the studio searches keenly for another big franchise; this one could launch an entire merchandising and licensing product line. Just as important, it could be the fantasy the studio craves after Warner Bros rode Harry Potter into The Hobbit, which winds down later this year as Peter Jackson completes the final installment of the trilogy with The Battle Of The Five Armies, complete with its own fire-breathing dragon Smaug.

Should this happen, it is a shame Anne didn't live to see it. I only hope Warner Bros. remains true to Anne's vision, and Todd lives up to his mother's trust in him.

[Menolly]

A screen writer has been selected...

Warners Bros. optioned the rights to Anne McCaffrey's fantasy series in the summer

Sarah Cornwell

Warner Bros. has hired author-screenwriter Sarah Cornwell to adapt the first installment of Dragonriders of Pern, the 22-volume fantasy book series by Anne McCaffrey.

The first novel, Dragonflight, centers on Lessa, a young girl who is the only one to survive the assassination of her family, which rules a part of the planet Pern. She disguises herself as a lowly servant in the house of the new ruler but when her telepathic abilities prove to be far stronger than she believed, Lessa finds herself on a journey that will restore the ancient tradition of dragon-riding and uncover the secret history of the planet.

The first novel was published in 1968 and McCaffrey became the first woman to win Hugo and Nebula awards.

Warners optioned the book series earlier this year. Drew Crevello and Julia Spiro are overseeing for the studio.

Cornwell’s debut novel, What I Had Before You, was published in January 2014 and was a multi-generational coming-of-age drama. Her screenwriting work has won her a Humanitas Student Drama Fellowship. She is now adapting Demon Camp for Montecito Pictures, and she did a page one rewrite of The Forest for David Goyer and Lava Bear.

Cornwell is repped by CAA and Myman Greenspan.

[Cord Hurn]

All the Weyrs of Pern is probably my favorite book in this series, but I have a lot of love for The White Dragon and The Masterharper of Pern, as well.

[Avatar]

I liked "All the Weyrs" as well. I think it was my first experience of Pern, after a short story...uh...the littlest dragon rider? Something like that.

I think First Flight is probably my favourite though.

--A

[Cord Hurn]

Ah, I didn't know about First Flight! Is that a short story, or a Todd composition?
The first Pern books I read were ironically not about the Dragonriders, but about the Harpers (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums).

[Avatar]

I might have the title wrong...it's chronologically the first book...the arrival of the settlers, the first thread-fall, the discovery of the fire-lizards.

--A

[Menolly]

I might have the title wrong...it's chronologically the first book...the arrival of the settlers, the first thread-fall, the discovery of the fire-lizards.

I think it may be called First Fall outside of the states. Whereas here, we know it as Dragonsdawn.

I actually like the first two of the Harper Hall trilogy the best, followed closely by Masterharper. But I'm pretty sure that's a given...