Anne McCaffrey

I posted last night on Facebook about how very sad I was to hear that Anne McCaffrey had died. I found her books as a teen, and never stopped reading and rereading them. Not a year goes by that I don't pull out a favorite Anne McCaffrey story and lose myself in the fantastic worlds of her imagination.

I have so many favorite Anne McCaffrey books. I wanted to post about just a few to share my love of her stories - and as a tribute to a storyteller who will be sorely missed. 

I love Dragonsdawn because it's a tale of survivors, and because of course, it shows the birth of the dragons that are at the heart of the Pern series.

The Rowan is a favorite for so many reasons. I'm still fascinated by the idea of telepaths and telekinetics as the engine for space exploration, and I loved the romance that develops across the vast distances of space.

Pegasus in Space is the third book in the Talent series, all of which have pride of place on my bookshelves. It's Peter's journey that compels me, but as with so many of Ms. McCaffrey's books, all the characters feel like friends. (I have a special soft spot for Tirla).

Then there's The Dolphins of Pern, The White Dragon, and so many more wonderful stories that I know I'll continue to treasure and reread in the years to come. 

If you haven't ever read an Anne McCaffrey book, you have such an amazing journey to look forward to. There are so many places you can start, but if you'd like a recommendation I think The Rowan and Dragonsdawn are both good jumping-in points.

For all of you who are fans - what are your favorite Anne McCaffrey books?

I saw this tweet quoted in the Los Angeles Times and thought it was a beautiful way to farewell a great storyteller: "Do you hear? The dragons mourn. The First Queen has passed Between. #AnneMcCaffrey" (@Lynoth).

Thank you Ms. McCaffrey for all the wonder you brought into my life.

In order?

I mentioned the other day that I was rereading Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. The first time I read these books, I read them completely out of order (they stand alone very well), but this time, I'm making an effort to go from start to finish. It's funny how many new things and little "in-jokes" I get now - like when two people look at each and laugh over something without saying a word. I also feel as if I'm picking up more of the undercurrents, finding more layers in the stories.

So, given all that, I can definitely see the attraction of reading a series in the right order, but I have a feeling I'm way too impatient to do that consistently - especially with long-running series' where I might accidentally pick up a book in the middle. Hmm, something to think about. What about you guys? Do you read in order? Out of order? Reasons why?

Comfort Books

From the comments on yesterday's books, it looks like everyone's reading some great books. Since I've been on deadline, I haven't been picking up any new books, but I have been dipping into some comfort reads. I can't just not read! (Gasp!)

At the moment, I'm making my way (back) through Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. I just love that feeling of picking up a book and knowing I'm going to meet old friends. Plus, sometimes, it's nice having a guarantee that the book will be good.

What are some of your comfort reads? Any of you not reread?

Prequels & Dragonsblood - Todd McCaffrey

I'm a big fan of Anne McCaffrey's Pern series and I was particularly interested in reading this book because it's not written by Ms McCaffrey, but her son, Todd McCaffrey. I was part excited at the new directions Todd McCaffrey might take this world, and part scared for that same reason.

I'm happy to say I needn't have worry. I really enjoyed this book. It's set in two time periods - the first generation after Pern has been settled, and then four hundred years later. The issue that connects the two times is a sickness that's begun to affect and kill the dragons that protect Pern from the deadly 'thread' that falls from the sky.

While I liked the stuff set in Pern's future, what really caught me was the past, where we got to meet Wind Blossom, the daughter of Kitty Ping - the woman responsible for developing the dragons. In previous books, Wind Blossom was in the background and I wondered about her. I feel like this book gave me a chance to know her.

Because of its references to things that have been explored in previous books, Dragonsblood probably won't be as interesting for those who haven't been following the series, but if you're looking to pick up a good fantasy series, the Dragons of Pern books are amazing. A big thumbs up from me.

While this book wasn't actually a prequel in the real sense of the word, it did make me think about that topic. Most of the time, I like reading prequels. It lets me color in the past that might've affected the characters I've already fallen in love with. But I tend to back off from reading them when I know that something really bad is going to happen to the characters in the future. It just seems that the knowledge compromises my belief in the the "happy ever after". And I like my HEAs!

What about you? Any thoughts?