The Dragonriders of Pern

Dragonflight

McCaffrey's best known series was originally an award-winning short story Weyr Search (collected in The Hugo Winners 1968-1970 edited by Isaac Asimov). In Dragonflight, McCaffrey develops the story, starting with the action that took place in the short and continuing the adventures of Werywoman Lessa.

Dragonquest

The sequel to Dragonflight, Dragonquest sees F'lar dealing with the social upheaval caused by the arrival of the Oldtimers, and by the changes that thread is forcing on his people.

Although the natural successor to this book is The White Dragon, if you are reading this series for the first time, read Dragonsong and Dragonsinger next.

Dragonsong

Menolly is an embarrassment to her fisher family because she 'twiddles' -- she presumes to create tunes of her own. The story begins with the death of the Sea Hold's harper (Petiron). In the Pern series, harpers teach the young, pass information between the holds, keep the history and the language, and remind the people of laws and traditions through their songs.

Unable to face life in the Sea Hold, especially after they deliberately mistreat and injured hand (shades of Johnny Tremaine), Menolly runs away. She adopts, and is adopted by, a fair of fire lizards, the ancient ancestors of the mighty dragons.

Dragonsinger

As Menolly arrives at the harper hall, dragon rider T'gellan tells her she will be settled in a week. This short novel covers that period of time, as Menolly finds her place in the almost exclusively-male harper craft.

One of McCaffrey's shorter novels, Dragonsinger is one of the most satisfying and universal of her stories.

The White Dragon

Taking up the story of Lord Jaxom and the white dragon Ruth a few years after the end of Dragonquest, this story has the Pernese learning more about their ancestors, and the technology of those original colonists. Together Jaxom and Ruth foil the machinations of the Oldtimers, and discover the original landing place and township of their ancestors.

The White Dragon runs concurrently with Dragondrums, and whichever one you read first, you may think that the other would have been a better choice. The White Dragon definitely ends at a later time than Dragondrums.

The timelines in these two books don't quite seem to mesh, so we asked McCaffrey herself what she recommended. Also concurrent with this novel is The Renegades of Pern, although that definitely should to be read last if you have the choice.

The author recommends: Read the first two chapters of this book, then Dragondrums , then finish this book.

Dragondrums

Menolly's friend, the rougish harper apprentice and soprano, Piemur must face the loss of his beautiful voice. While waiting to see if his voice will settle into that of a useful male singer, the master harper (Robinton) decides to use Piemur's natural curiosity and daring in the political work of the harper hall.

Piemur's exploits lead him to stolen fire lizard eggs, and an accidental flight to the great southern continent where he discovers his calling as an explorer.

This story takes place about three years after Dragonsong and Dragonsinger, and concurrent with parts of The White Dragon and The Renegades of Pern.

Now finish The White Dragon. (McCaffrey's recommendation, see above).

The Smallest Dragonboy

Short story. The tale of K'van's impression. Published in Get Off the Unicorn. Also reprinted in A Gift of Dragons listed below.

The author recommends reading this story at this point in the reading order.

Moreta, Dragonlady of Pern

This is a part of Lessa's prehistory. In the first books, McCaffrey refers to the ballad of Moreta's ride. Here is the story of Moreta. It can be read any time after Dragonflight and Dragonquest without interfering too much with the natural evolution of the series.

Nerilka's Story

The novella Nerilka's Story is best read after this novel as it takes place at that time. My copy is a Bantam edition (1987) with Coelura.

Dragonsdawn

From the first landing to the first dragonriders, this is the story of the original colonists and the changes they made, first to adapt to Pern, and then to the threat of thread.

This story follows logically from The Renegades of Pern, being in essence the story told by Aivas. Although the story of the landing, and predating the adventures of Lessa and F'lar, it is best read in this order (see McCaffrey's notes above). The subtitle on the cover of some copies seems to imply that it is the first story.

This begins what McCaffrey referred to as the 'third Pern trilogy'.

An interesting comparison would be to read Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars.

The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall

This is a collection of stories that take place in the time of the original colonists and the earliest generations following them. One of the things McCaffrey does is to mention songs and stories and place names and then double back and write the adventures to which they refer.

The collection includes a dolphineer story.

Although it breaks up the 'third trilogy', this is where McCaffrey recommends that it be read.

Dragon's Eye aka Red Star Rising

It's been two-hundred years since the deadly Thread fell like rain upon Pern, devouring everything in its path. No one alive remembers that first horrific onslaught and no one believes in its return--except for the dragonriders. For two centuries they have been practicing and training, passing down from generation to generation the formidable Threadfighting techniques.

Now the ominous signs are appearing: the violent winter storms and volcanic eruptions that are said to herald the approach of the Red Star and its lethal spawn. But one stubborn Lord Holder, Chalkin of Bitra, refuses to believe--and that disbelief could spell disaster. So as the dragonriders desperately train to face a terrifying enemy, they and the other Lord Holders must find a way to deal with Chalkin--before history repeats itself and unleashes its virulence on all of Pern. . . . (source: Amazon.com)

Again, this breaks up the 'third trilogy', which according to McCaffrey's reading order, resumes below after the short story.

The Girl Who Heard Dragons

Short story. In the anthology of the same name. This story is expanded in The Renegades of Pern.

Also published in A Gift of Dragons listed below.

The Renegades of Pern

This story takes place at the same time as Piemur's adventures in Dragondrums. The Pernese discover the original landing site and computer centre of the colonists, their ancestors. It ends with the artificial intelligence (Aivas) about to begin telling them the beginning of Pern's human history.

This is also the story of Lady Holdless and other renegades whose illegal activities cause havoc. In particular, this novelisation includes the content of the short story The Girl Who Heard Dragons.

Masterharper of Pern

Considering how often McCaffrey returns to her universe for concurrent stories, it is disappointing that revisiting events is her weakness. She tends to write like someone who is retelling a story for the thousandth time, and not enjoying it. An author who does this well, is Joan D. Vinge in her Tiamat series.

This is the early life of Masterharper Robinton. Not only has she revisited earlier material, she has also reinvented it, changing history, for example, a previous hero Petiron, Robinton's father, is now a jealous tyrant. The events were loudly telegraphed, and there is a strong feeling throughout the book that it's all rough ground to be got over as lightly as possible.

The story ends with the tale of Lessa being searched in Dragonflight, which might be nicely cyclic, except that it all seems a terrible and unnecessary reach. It is in part a response to online interaction with fans at the Del Rey web site.

It all goes to prove that you may be declared dead, but it aint over 'til the dragonlady sings...

This is where McCaffrey recommends reading the book, again breaking into the 'third trilogy'. As it is a prequel, it can be read later if desired.

Runner of Pern

Short story published in the collection Legends edited by Robert Silverberg.

Tenna, who follows family tradition by delivering messages and finds her destiny on the tracks that runners have used for centuries.y

Also publishes in A Gift of Dragons listed below.

All the Weyrs of Pern

This novel takes up the story of Pern after Aivas' telling of the adventures of the original colonists. You have to be willing to accept that a community with very basic technology can be quickly brought to understand and accept computers and space travel.

This is the story of the real fight against Thread, of the final pass of thread. Although thread will continue for some years, the dragonriders' actions off planet will prevent any future passes.

A peculiar, often repeated point that McCaffrey makes during this book is that the Pernese do not wish to learn a technology greater than the original colonists, and Aivas agrees to this. I'm confused, if the Aivas was their computer, and the receptacle of all their contemporary knowledge, arts and crafts, technology, history and so on, how could it be more technologically advanced than the humans of its time?

The ending is also somewhat strange, did McCaffrey write herself into a corner with the Aivas story line? Make sure you have a handkerchief with you for the final chapters.

The Dolphins of Pern

The hero of this book (if you discount the dolphins) is Readis, the son of Aramina (The Girl Who Heard Dragons), who we meet in Dragondrums and The Renegades of Pern.

On Pern, the fact that metasynthed dolphins were also intelligent colonists of Pern, brought to work with the humans, had been forgotten. In the early tales they were still called 'Shipfish', and were known to rescue sailors from the sea. Now events are coming to a point where the old dolphineer craft will be revived.

This can also be considered a sequel to the short story The Smallest Dragon Boy, which introduced K'van. That story appears in McCaffrey's collection Get Off the Unicorn listed above.

The Skies of Pern

Published in 2001, this title came after our conversation with Ms McCaffrey.

It is a time of hope and regret, of endings and beginnings. The Red Star, that celestial curse whose eccentric orbit was responsible for Thread, has been shifted to a harmless orbit, and the current Threadfall will be the last. Technological marvels are changing the face of life on Pern. And the dragonriders, led by F'lessan, son of F'lar and Lessa and rider of bronze Golanth, and Tia, rider of green Zaranth, must forge a new place for themselves in a world that may no longer need them.

But change is not easy for everyone. There are those who will stop at nothing-- not even violence--to keep Pern and its people pure. And now a brand-new danger looms from the skies . . . and threatens a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. (source: Amazon.com)

A Gift of Dragons

Short story collection. The Smallest Dragonboy, The Girl Who Heard Dragons, Runner of Pern, and a new story, Ever the Twain.

Dragon's Kin

Although Anne McCaffrey has credit for this book, it is co-written (to an unknown extent) by her son Todd McCaffrey.

Young Kindan has no expectations other than joining his father in the mines of Camp Natalon, a coal mining settlement struggling to turn a profit far from the great Holds where the presence of dragons and their riders means safety and civilization. Mining is fraught with danger. Fortunately, the camp has a watch-wher, a creature distantly related to dragons and uniquely suited to specialized work in the dark, cold mineshafts. Kindan's father is the watch-wher's handler, and his son sometimes helps him out. But even that important job promises no opportunity outside the mine. (source: Amazon.com)

Beyond Between

Short Story published in Legends II New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy edited by Robert Silverberg

Dragolover's Guide to Pern

by Jody Lynn Nye, Anne McCaffrey, Todd Cameron Hamilton, James Clouse