Anne McCaffrey Biography

Anne McCaffrey – Irish author of science fiction, 1926-2011

As a child, Anne McCaffrey was determined that one day she would be a famous author; the large number of her books that have become best-sellers is a testimony to her success in achieving that goal. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, McCaffrey resides in Ireland in a home she calls Dragonhold. Her science fiction has re­ceived numerous prizes, including the Hugo and Nebu­la awards, and is widely read by adults and adolescents.

Best known are her novels set on Pern, a planet colo­nized by and later isolated from Earth. With genetic engineering, the inhabitants of Pern adapted a beast native to the planet to fight with fire the invasive, spore ­like Thread that jumps from the Red Star to Pern during certain periods of its orbit Each of these massive, sen­tient creatures, called dragons because of their similarity to the mythical Earth creatures, forms at hatching a life­long, telepathic attachment, called Impressing, to one human, who becomes its dragonrider.

Upon this com­plex, but fully developed premise, more than a dozen tales have been founded. Three—Dragonsong (1976), Dragonsinger (1977), and Dragondrums (1979), together known as the “Harper Hall of Pern” series—were writ­ten specifically for young readers. Although the dragons are featured as an integral part of Pernese life, the trilogy focuses more closely on the role of the harper in Pern society.

Anne McCaffrey, who studied voice for nine years and for a time was involved in the theater, brings her love of music to her fiction by exploring its importance to cul­ture, not only as entertainment, but as a way of trans­mitting knowledge and history from generation to gen­eration. In Dragonsong, Menolly, an extremely gifted musician, runs away from her native fishing community because her father believes girls have no right to com­pose or play music in public.

Accidentally, Menolly Impresses nine fire lizards, miniature cousins of the dragons, when she seeks refuge in a cave sheltering the eggs from which they hatch. Unbeknownst to her, the Master Harper of Pern has been seeking her after hear­ing two songs she wrote, and Dragonsinger relates her adjustment to being apprenticed to him at Harper Hall, where she learns about the demands, difficulties, and joys of life as a harper. Dragondrums features the adven­tures of Piemur, a young friend of Menolly’s, as he succeeds Menolly as Master Harper Robinton’s special apprentice and finagles his way into Impressing his own fire lizard.

Because of Anne McCaffrey’s in-depth exploration of char­acter in her works and her smooth integration of the necessary technical information into the backdrop of her stories, some people term her writing “science fan­tasy” rather than “science fiction.” Certainly, her stories have wide appeal among many who eschew the high- technology focus of most science fiction, but McCaffrey never neglects the careful research that backs up the sci­entific aspects of the novels. By creating well-rounded characters who must overcome numerous setbacks and challenge the restrictions of tradition to achieve their goals, McCaffrey develops an atmosphere in which those who are thought to be weak prove themselves strong and in which female characters, in particular, find fulfillment.

In her adult works, Anne McCaffrey has sculpted many other scenarios that push back the boundaries of the known universe and open the reader to new possibili­ties, but her books about the dragons and people of Pern have found an overwhelming number of fans. Dragons hold great appeal for many fantasy lovers; in the series, McCaffrey redefines the beast and therefore adds depth to any understanding of the mythical crea­tures. Her work draws in readers of fantasy and science fiction, as well as those who simply love adventurous stories with strong, determined characters.

A.E.D.

Source: Children’s Books and their Creators, Anita Silvey.

Anne McCaffrey Collector’s Guide

First Editions Identification Guide for Anne McCaffrey’s works.

Anne McCaffrey Books Series in Order

Dragonriders of Pern series

Publication Order of Brain & Brawn Ships Books

• The Ship Who Sang (1969)
• PartnerShip (1992)
• The City Who Fought (1993)
• The Ship Who Won (1993)

Publication Order of Crystal Universe Books

• The Coelura (1983)
• Nimisha’s Ship (1998)

Publication Order of Crystal Singer Trilogy Books

• Crystal Singer (1982)
• Killashandra (1985)
• Crystal Line (1992)

Publication Order of Dinosaur Planet Books

• Dinosaur Planet (1978)
• Dinosaur Planet Survivors (1984)

Publication Order of Planet Pirates Books

• Sassinak (1990)
• The Death of Sleep (1990)
• Generation Warriors (1991)

Publication Order of The Talent Books

• To Ride Pegasus (1973)
• Pegasus in Flight (1990)
• Pegasus in Space (2000)

Publication Order of The Tower and Hive Books

• The Rowan (1990)
• Damia (1991)
• Damia’s Children (1993)
• Lyon’s Pride (1994)
• The Tower and the Hive (1999)

Publication Order of Tales of the Barque Cats Books

• Catalyst (2009)
• Catacombs (2010)

Publication Order of Doona Books

• Decision at Doona (1969)
• Crisis on Doona (1992)
• Treaty at Doona (1994)

Publication Order of Petaybee/Powers Trilogy Books

• Powers That Be (1993)
• Power Lines (1994)
• Power Play (1995)

Publication Order of Twins of Petaybee Books

• Changelings (2005)
• Maelstrom (2006)
• Deluge (2007)

Publication Order of Freedom Books

• Freedom’s Landing (1995)
• Freedom’s Choice (1997)Freedom’s Challenge (1998)
• Freedom’s Ransom (2002)

Publication Order of Acorna Books

• Acorna: Unicorn Girl (1997)
• Acorna’s Quest (1998)
• Acorna’s People (1999)
• Acorna’s World (2000)
• Acorna’s Search (2001)
• Acorna’s Triumph (2004)

Publication Order of Acorna’s Children Books

• First Warning: Acorna’s Children (2005)
• Second Wave: Acorna’s Children (2006)
• Third Watch: Acorna’s Children (2007)

Publication Order of Harper Hall of Pern Books

• Dragonsong (1976)
• Dragonsinger (1977)
• Dragondrums (1979)

Publication Order of Three Women Books

• Ring of Fear (1971)
• The Kilternan Legacy (1975)
• Three Women (1990)

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

• Restoree (1967)
• The Mark of Merlin (1971)
• Stitch in Snow (1984)
• The Year of the Lucy (1986)
• The Lady (1987)
• An Exchange Of Gifts (1995)
• No One Noticed the Cat (1996)
• If Wishes Were Horses (1998)
• Black Horses for the King (1998)

Publication Order of Short Stories Books

• A Time When (1975)
• Duty Calls (1988)
• Rescue Run (1991)

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

• Get Off the Unicorn (1977)
• Future love (1977)
• Habit is an old horse (1984)
• The Girl Who Heard Dragons (1985)
• A Gift of Dragons (2002)

Publication Order of Anthologies

• Alchemy and Academe (1970)
• Space Opera (1996)
• On Dragonwings (2003)