Dragonriders of Pern
Encyclopedia
Dragonriders of Pern is a science fiction
series written primarily by the late American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey
, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey
has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. The series (as of June 2011) comprises 22 novels and several short stories. Most of the short fiction has been collected in two volumes or incorporated in one of the novels, so Dragonriders of Pern is sometimes identified with the 24 books. Two of the novellas included in the first novel, Dragonflight
made McCaffrey the first woman to win a Hugo
or Nebula Award
.
rather than science fiction and what to classify for children, youth, or adults. While the earlier novels in the series have elements also present in fantasy (low levels of technology, fire-breathing dragons, feudal societies), the prologue explains the events take place on a colony world. The first novel was originally serialized in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact (1967), and that magazine did not publish fantasy. The publisher (Del Rey
) lists them as science fiction titles, and McCaffrey herself describes them as science fiction and stresses the scientific rationales behind the world she has created. In more recent novels, the series moves toward more overt science fiction as the colonists rediscover their links to the past and develop much higher levels of technology.
as presented in the novels resembles a pre-industrial society
with lords, holds, harpers (musicians, entertainers, and teachers), and dragons, with the occasional examples of higher technology (like flamethrowers, telegraphi, chemical fertilizers, and powerful microscopes and telescopes).
Pernese people are described as belonging to four basic groups: Weyrfolk (including Dragonriders) who live in the Weyrs, the Holders who live in the Holds (cities, towns and farms), the crafters who live in Crafthalls (or are assigned to work their crafts in certain Holds), and the Holdless who have no permanent home (including traders, displaced Holders, and brigands).
One of the main threats to Pernese civilization in the series is Thread, which is described as a mycorrhizoid
spore that periodically rains down on the planet due to the orbit of the Red Star. The Red Star is set out to be a rogue planet in the Rukbat
system
. The Red Star, characterized as a "Sedna-class inner Oort cloud object", has a 250 Turn (or Pernese year) elliptic orbit
around its sun. Thread can reach the planet Pern
for about 50 Turns while the Red Star is at perihelion. Thread is described in this series as an agent that consumes organic material at a voracious rate, including crops, animals, and any humans in its path.
The Pernese use intelligent firebreathing dragons
and their riders to fight Thread. The riders have a telepathic bond with their dragons, formed by Impression
at the dragon's hatching. Later books deal with the initial colonization of Pern and the creation of the dragons through genetic manipulation. The lengthy (over two millennia) time period covered by the series as a whole allows room for new stories and characters, explored by each new novel released by the authors.
There are 22 Dragonriders of Pern novels and two collections of short stories through June 2011. Anne McCaffrey once requested reading the works in the order they were written. That differs greatly from Pern historical order, for several reasons. The McCaffreys have published stories set in several different periods of Pern's history from initial exploration to more than 2500 years after landing (AL). Multiple stories feature the same events from different viewpoints. Some stories feature travel between times, even across centuries. Todd McCaffrey, writing alone or with his mother, has specialized in an early time period.
Awards
Weyr Search won the inaugural Hugo Award for Best Novella
in 1968 and Dragonrider won the Nebula Award for Best Novella
in 1969. (Both were finalists for both awards.) Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern and All the Weyrs of Pern were among the five annual finalists for the best novel Hugo Award
.
The trilogy was released 1978 in omnibus edition titled The Dragonriders of Pern by Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club.
The Harper Hall trilogy was released 1984 in omnibus edition titled The Harper Hall of Pern by Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club.
Dragonsong was subtitled "Volume One of The Harper Hall Trilogy" on the front cover of the Bantam Spectra edition, March 1986.
have developed the history immediately before and during the Third Pass, about 500 years after landing (AL).
in 1968 and Dragonrider won the Nebula Award for Best Novella
in 1969. (Both were finalists for both awards.) Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern and All the Weyrs of Pern were among the five annual finalists for the best novel Hugo Award
.
s by Eclipse Books
of Forestville, California
. The first two were illustrated by Lela Dowling
and Fred Von Tobel, the third by Lela Dowling and Cynthia Martin
. The story was adapted by Brynne Stevens.
" project began as an idea to include written music in the book of the same name, printed on the inner faces of the cover. By the time the composers had written and auditioned the early drafts at the author's table it was clear that making the songs a reality to their creator's satisfaction was finally possible. The CD project was completed some eighteen months later and released to the approval of the author and most fans of the series.
A second CD pertaining mainly to the work of Pern's other favourite harper, Menolly, was completed in December 2008. Entitled "Sunset's Gold," this features Opland and Freeman with a host of world class musicians from the USA and as far afield as Australia, and comprises twelve tracks of music recorded from 2006 through 2008. The CD includes the ballad, "Four Hundred Turns," written by Anne McCaffrey shortly after she completed "Dragonflight." It was placed in a desk drawer where it lay forgotten for almost forty years until the author rediscovered it just as the CD project was underway. It has never been seen or published before.
Songbooks are also available containing the music from each of these projects.
Information about the music of Pern can be found at : http://www.annemccaffrey.net or http://www.opland-freeman.com/pernmusic/
which produced concept art. Development efforts failed and they eventually sold their rights.
In 1983 Mayfair Games
created a board game
"Dragonriders of Pern" featuring cards with Pern characters and locations. This game is now rare and valuable to Pern collectors.
In 1983, Epyx
released a video game "Dragonriders of Pern" for the Atari 800 and Commodore 64
in which the player could battle Thread and engage in diplomacy on Pern.
In 2001 a video game Dragon Riders: Chronicles of Pern was created by Ubisoft Entertainment for the PC and Dreamcast. This game follows a dragonrider as he Searches for young women to be candidates for Impressing a new gold dragon, and battles the "bad guys" on an adventure across Pern.
A number of online MUD
-style games have been created exploring the Pern universe, most notably PernMUSH
. These are unofficial and tend to centre on role-playing rather than combat.
McCaffrey does allow a more utopian and progressive outlook to win out in the end, though the future of this society could be considered somewhat in doubt. Before the Ninth Pass, however, Pernese society was largely static, and many of its functions and features are open to review as an interesting case of a utopia
trying to survive in conditions where it cannot.
Another repeated theme is the preservation of ideas and the generation of myths. On Pern, knowledge and cultural practices regarding Thread must persist for 200-year Intervals (see below) – a period of time nearly as long as the United States has existed – without the immediate presence of the organism to prompt remembrance. In that time, facts can become legends and societal practices can appear to be meaningless tradition. As McCaffrey herself asks to open the first story "Weyr Search" (see below): "When is a legend legend? Why is a myth a myth? How old and disused must a fact be for it to be relegated to the category: Fairy tale?"
, but shows a certain specific leaning towards utopianism which is worthy of some review to understand the series' context. The social structure on Pern is strictly divided between Hold, Hall, and Weyr, respectively comparable to the medieval triune of Nobility, Guild, and Church. The Pernese themselves consider this structure an ideal organization meant to avoid the violence and excess of their Terran ancestors. One remarkable feature of Pernese society is its stability, having lasted approximately 2,500 years with little change.
The agrarian idealism of Pern, however, is marred by the constant reality of Thread. Fighting Thread requires a considerable concentration of social resources. Suspending disbelief and focusing on the necessary supply of material to the Weyrs to sustain the dragons, and the populations (a Weyr, exceeding two thousand persons, compares to some medieval cities) leads one to conclude that a principal part of the available agricultural and industrial productions of the planet would be devoted to this quasi-war effort during the Pass, and a considerable fraction during the Interval.
Within the Weyrs, there is a highly efficient and well run system. It is run by a Weyrleader and Weyrwoman, and has a very large number of support staff.
A constant repetition of Passes and Intervals leads to the tantalizing prospect that Pernese outlook in general may be cyclical
rather than progressive; this similarity with Egypt
under the Pharaohs would explain the long duration and rigidity of Pernese culture. However, it has thus been speculated by some fans that the end of Thread and rapid technological progress at the end of the Ninth pass would result in severe social disruption. McCaffrey's later novels of Pern tend to explore the growing rift between tradition
alism and modernism
. Social change is portrayed as both desired and despised. The destruction of Thread, a goal sought after by the Dragonriders and the peoples of Pern, forces a radical rethinking of the role of dragons in a post-Thread world.
. However, the latest short story, "Beyond Between," introduced the concept of an afterlife
.
In her introduction to The Girl Who Heard Dragons (1994), Anne McCaffrey described an encounter with a girl who tried to argue that there was no way a successful colony could have been established on Pern without religion. Anne's exact words at this point were, "I told her in very certain tones and terms that Pern was my world, and I could do with it what I wanted. I wanted it not to have religion, considering the crimes committed in the name of one deity or other." Ten years later, in a 2004 interview with Lynne Jamneck for writers-world.com, she described the thoughts that led her to write "Beyond Between." "I also don't have organized religion on Pern. I figured – since there were four holy wars going on at the time of writing – that religion was one problem Pern didn't need. However, if one listens to childhood teachings, God is everywhere so there should be no question in any mind that he is also on Pern. Thus, there is a heaven to which worthy souls go. So, without mentioning any denomination of organized religion, I figured that both Moreta and Leri deserved respite after their trials...and that's where 'Beyond Between' is."
are portrayed as very large creatures; the largest described in the series, the gold queen dragon Ramoth, was described as being about forty-five feet (as large as the largest Tyrannosaurus rex
ever found) or thirteen and one half meters (as large as a jet plane – dragon size is an ongoing debate among fans) in length. She would be the largest flying being, and among the largest predators, ever known. The massive amount of food which must be consumed by several thousand such creatures is staggering, particularly at the height of a Pass, when they fly against Thread at close intervals. The area of grazing land required to support nearly 3,000 dragons each consuming three to four cattle (or herdbeast) a week has been compared to the whole Mississippi basin with a sustainable herd.
The economic strain on an agrarian society by the dragons would thus be nearly unsustainable, and can only grow worse when the requirements of the sedentary and usually luxuriously-sustained Weyrfolk are included. However, Pern has been able to meet this strain during each Pass successfully, though the Ninth Pass saw considerable discontent, and a full record of all passes has not yet been provided.
Anne McCaffrey informed people several years ago that the "meters" measurement is a mistake and the dragons are supposed to be measured in feet; she had erroneously thought meters to be another term for feet, but has since been corrected. Also, while the largest dragons need to eat three to four herdbeasts a week, greens and blues (the smallest dragons) would only need to eat one or two. Considering that about 50% of the dragons are greens, that would make the strain on Pern's resources much easier to handle.
During the second Long Interval (a time when the Red Star failed to pass close enough to the planet to bring the incursion of Thread) before the Ninth Pass, however, unpopularity with the only remaining inhabited Weyr, Benden Weyr
, had grown to such a point that the Holders were willing to risk combat on highly disadvantageous terms to end the tithe
of materials which traditionally supported the Weyrs. This is a further suggestion of the general strain and potential unpopularity of the severe burden inflicted by the Weyrs, a burden that ultimately remains entirely necessary until the end of the Ninth Pass.
The Pernese economy, based upon the Mark, appears to be a command economy
. The Mark is made of wood, a fiat currency
, and has no inherent value; prices across Pern are fixed by a yearly meeting of Traders, Craftmasters, and Lord Holders. The Mark is valued in fractions, rather than decimals. For instance, there are Marks worth one half of a mark, one fourth of a mark, and so on. Barter
ing is also common practice on Pern. According to comments made by Piemur in Dragonsinger
, the relative worth of mark pieces differs based on which crafthall has issued (and thus backs) them and can be a consideration in financial transactions.
Historically, the first clubs started out publishing printed fanzines containing fanfiction and artwork. With the advent of the internet, clubs using online technology such as roleplay via chat or email (PBeM
) became popular. Text-based online virtual reality games, primarily MUSH and MUCK variants such as PernMUSH
, have modeled Pern since the early 1990s. In the mid '90s, stringent rules were placed on the creation of new clubs and the governance of existing clubs, resulting in legal action against some fans. For example, no new fan-created MU* games were allowed while the game rights were licenced to Ubisoft for the development of the Dragon Riders: Chronicles of Pern computer game (released in 2001).
In November 2004, Anne McCaffrey relaxed her fandom rules significantly and allowed Pernese fanfiction to be posted freely throughout the Internet. Soon after, fanfiction sites such as FanFiction.Net
started offering the opportunity to post and read fanfiction based on Anne McCaffrey's works. The relaxing of the rules also resulted in the appearance of message board-based games as another popular club type. Fan sites no longer require approval and are not bound to the formerly strict canon rules, resulting in fan clubs testing out alternatives such as new dragon colors or off-Pern scenarios.
From 2000 until 2005, Anne McCaffrey's website offered a popular discussion forum and chat (The Kitchen Table) for fans to interact with each other and with the author. After its discontinuation in January 2005, several fan-organized discussion forums have taken its place as an outlet for fan activity.
Offline, the largest Pern fan gathering is WeyrFest, held yearly at Dragon*Con since 1992. Over the last few years, Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey were frequent attendees at WeyrFest, offering fans a chance to meet the authors in person.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series written primarily by the late American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey
Todd McCaffrey
Todd J. McCaffrey is an Irish American author of science fiction best known for continuing the Dragonriders of Pern series in collaboration with his mother Anne McCaffrey.-Life:...
has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. The series (as of June 2011) comprises 22 novels and several short stories. Most of the short fiction has been collected in two volumes or incorporated in one of the novels, so Dragonriders of Pern is sometimes identified with the 24 books. Two of the novellas included in the first novel, Dragonflight
Dragonflight
Dragonflight is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It is the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series. Dragonflight was first published by Ballantine Books in July 1968...
made McCaffrey the first woman to win a Hugo
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
or Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
.
Fantasy or Science Fiction?
There is disagreement whether to classify some of the series as fantasyFantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
rather than science fiction and what to classify for children, youth, or adults. While the earlier novels in the series have elements also present in fantasy (low levels of technology, fire-breathing dragons, feudal societies), the prologue explains the events take place on a colony world. The first novel was originally serialized in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact (1967), and that magazine did not publish fantasy. The publisher (Del Rey
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
) lists them as science fiction titles, and McCaffrey herself describes them as science fiction and stresses the scientific rationales behind the world she has created. In more recent novels, the series moves toward more overt science fiction as the colonists rediscover their links to the past and develop much higher levels of technology.
Overview
Life on PernPern
Pern is a fictional planet created by Anne McCaffrey for the Dragonriders of Pern series of fantasy and science fiction books. It is said to be "Rukbat 3", the third planet in orbit around the star Rukbat, counting outward....
as presented in the novels resembles a pre-industrial society
Pre-industrial society
Pre-industrial society refers to specific social attributes and forms of political and cultural organization that were prevalent before the advent of the Industrial Revolution. It is followed by the industrial society....
with lords, holds, harpers (musicians, entertainers, and teachers), and dragons, with the occasional examples of higher technology (like flamethrowers, telegraphi, chemical fertilizers, and powerful microscopes and telescopes).
Pernese people are described as belonging to four basic groups: Weyrfolk (including Dragonriders) who live in the Weyrs, the Holders who live in the Holds (cities, towns and farms), the crafters who live in Crafthalls (or are assigned to work their crafts in certain Holds), and the Holdless who have no permanent home (including traders, displaced Holders, and brigands).
One of the main threats to Pernese civilization in the series is Thread, which is described as a mycorrhizoid
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
spore that periodically rains down on the planet due to the orbit of the Red Star. The Red Star is set out to be a rogue planet in the Rukbat
Alpha Sagittarii
Alpha Sagittarii is a star in the Sagittarius constellation. It has the traditional names 天淵三 , Alrami and Rukbat, derived from the Arabic rukbat al-rāmī = the knee of the archer...
system
Planetary system
A planetary system consists of the various non-stellar objects orbiting a star such as planets, dwarf planets , asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and cosmic dust...
. The Red Star, characterized as a "Sedna-class inner Oort cloud object", has a 250 Turn (or Pernese year) elliptic orbit
Elliptic orbit
In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics an elliptic orbit is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity less than 1; this includes the special case of a circular orbit, with eccentricity equal to zero. In a stricter sense, it is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 . In a...
around its sun. Thread can reach the planet Pern
Pern
Pern is a fictional planet created by Anne McCaffrey for the Dragonriders of Pern series of fantasy and science fiction books. It is said to be "Rukbat 3", the third planet in orbit around the star Rukbat, counting outward....
for about 50 Turns while the Red Star is at perihelion. Thread is described in this series as an agent that consumes organic material at a voracious rate, including crops, animals, and any humans in its path.
The Pernese use intelligent firebreathing dragons
Dragons (Pern)
The Dragons of Pern are a fictional race created by Anne McCaffrey as an integral part of the science fiction world depicted in her Dragonriders of Pern novels....
and their riders to fight Thread. The riders have a telepathic bond with their dragons, formed by Impression
Impression (Dragonriders of Pern)
Impression is a concept from the Dragonriders of Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey. It is a colloquial term used to describe when a human forms a mental bond with one of three creatures native to the planet Pern, on which the stories are all based...
at the dragon's hatching. Later books deal with the initial colonization of Pern and the creation of the dragons through genetic manipulation. The lengthy (over two millennia) time period covered by the series as a whole allows room for new stories and characters, explored by each new novel released by the authors.
Publications by the McCaffreys
- This list is arranged in publication order. For Pern historical order see the chronological List of Pern books.
There are 22 Dragonriders of Pern novels and two collections of short stories through June 2011. Anne McCaffrey once requested reading the works in the order they were written. That differs greatly from Pern historical order, for several reasons. The McCaffreys have published stories set in several different periods of Pern's history from initial exploration to more than 2500 years after landing (AL). Multiple stories feature the same events from different viewpoints. Some stories feature travel between times, even across centuries. Todd McCaffrey, writing alone or with his mother, has specialized in an early time period.
Awards
Weyr Search won the inaugural Hugo Award for Best Novella
Hugo Award for Best Novella
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
in 1968 and Dragonrider won the Nebula Award for Best Novella
Nebula Award for Best Novella
Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novella. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.-Winners and other nominees:-External links:**...
in 1969. (Both were finalists for both awards.) Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern and All the Weyrs of Pern were among the five annual finalists for the best novel Hugo Award
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
.
Original trilogy
These stories take place immediately before and during the Ninth Pass, about 2500 years after landing (AL).- DragonflightDragonflightDragonflight is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It is the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series. Dragonflight was first published by Ballantine Books in July 1968...
1968, by Anne McCaffrey (1968; composed in part of McCaffrey's first two Pern novellas, Weyr Search and Dragonrider, originally published in 1967) - DragonquestDragonquestDragonquest is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It is the sequel to Dragonflight, set seven years later and the second book in the Dragonriders of Pern series...
1970, by Anne McCaffrey. - The White DragonThe White DragonThe White Dragon is a 2004 Hong Kong wuxia comedy film directed by Wilson Yip and starring Cecilia Cheung and Francis Ng.The White Dragon is directed by Wilson Yip, whose best known works to date are Bullets Over Summer, Juliet in Love and SPL: Sha Po Lang...
1978, by Anne McCaffrey (1978; although published prior to Dragondrums, The White Dragon continues the adventures of certain Dragondrums characters; McCaffrey recommends reading Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums before The White Dragon; The White Dragon incorporates McCaffrey's story "A Time When")
The trilogy was released 1978 in omnibus edition titled The Dragonriders of Pern by Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club.
Harper Hall trilogy
These stories take place immediately prior to and concurrently with those depicted in Dragonquest and The White Dragon.- DragonsongDragonsongDragonsong is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Released by Atheneum Books in March 1976, it was the third to appear in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey...
(1976), by Anne McCaffrey - DragonsingerDragonsingerDragonsinger is a young adult fantasy novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Published by Atheneum Books in 1977, it was the fourth to appear in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
(1977), by Anne McCaffrey - DragondrumsDragondrumsDragondrums is a young adult fantasy novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Published by Atheneum Books in 1979, it was the sixth to appear in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
(1979), by Anne McCaffrey
The Harper Hall trilogy was released 1984 in omnibus edition titled The Harper Hall of Pern by Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club.
Dragonsong was subtitled "Volume One of The Harper Hall Trilogy" on the front cover of the Bantam Spectra edition, March 1986.
Other fiction by Anne
- Moreta: Dragonlady of PernMoreta: Dragonlady of PernMoreta: Dragonlady of Pern is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the seventh book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
, by Anne McCaffrey (1983; both this and Nerilka's Story are set at the end of the Sixth Pass, centuries before the events in Dragonflight) - Nerilka's StoryNerilka's StoryNerilka's Story is a fantasy or science fiction novella by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the eighth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey.-Plot summary:...
, by Anne McCaffrey (1986) - DragonsdawnDragonsdawnDragonsdawn is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the ninth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey. It was first published in 1989...
, by Anne McCaffrey (1988; first in chronological order, depicts the colonization of Pern, the First Fall of Thread, the creation of the dragons, and the colonists' move north.) - "The Impression", by Jody Lynn NyeJody Lynn NyeJody Lynn Nye is an American science fiction writer. She has frequently collaborated as a co-author or the author of a sequel....
and Anne McCaffrey (1989; short story original to The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern) - Renegades of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey (1989)
- All the Weyrs of PernAll the Weyrs of PernAll the Weyrs of Pern is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Published in 1991, it was the eleventh book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series.-Plot summary:...
, by Anne McCaffrey (1991) - The Chronicles of Pern: First FallThe Chronicles of Pern: First FallThe Chronicles of Pern: First Fall is a 1993 collection of short fiction by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. All five stories are set on the fictional planet Pern; First Fall is one of two collections in the science fantasy/science fiction series Dragonriders of Pern.-The Collection:The...
, by Anne McCaffrey (1993 collection of five stories, two original; set mostly after Dragonsdawn)- "The Survey: P.E.R.N." (originally published in 1993 as "The P.E.R.N. Survey")
- "The Dolphins' Bell" (originally published in 1993)
- "The Ford of Red Hanrahan" (original to the collection)
- "The Second Weyr" (original to the collection)
- "Rescue Run" (originally published in 1991)
- The Dolphins of PernThe Dolphins of PernThe Dolphins of Pern is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the thirteenth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey ....
, by Anne McCaffrey (1994) - Red Star RisingDragonseyeRed Star Rising or Dragonseye is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the fourteenth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
, by Anne McCaffrey (1996) (titled DragonseyeDragonseyeRed Star Rising or Dragonseye is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the fourteenth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
for U.S. release; set at the beginning of the Second Pass) - The Masterharper of PernThe Masterharper of PernThe Masterharper of Pern is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the fifteenth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
, by Anne McCaffrey (1998; prequel to Dragonflight and the other works of the Ninth Pass) - The Skies of PernThe Skies of PernThe Skies of Pern is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the sixteenth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey.The Skies of Pern was first published in 2001...
, by Anne McCaffrey (2001) - A Gift of DragonsA Gift of DragonsA Gift Of Dragons is a 2002 collection of short fiction by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. All four stories are set on the fictional planet Pern; the book is one of two collections in the fantasy or science fiction series Dragonriders of Pern by Anne and her son Todd McCaffrey.-The...
, by Anne McCaffrey (2002 collection of four stories, one original)- "The Smallest Dragonboy", by Anne McCaffrey (1973; short story previously collected in Get Off the Unicorn)
- "The Girl Who Heard Dragons", by Anne McCaffrey (1986 fine pressFine pressFine press printing and publishing comprises historical and contemporary printers and publishers publishing books and other printed matter of exceptional intrinsic quality and artistic taste, including both commercial and private presses. Their dedication to fine printing distinguishes them from...
book; cover story in The Girl Who Heard DragonsThe Girl Who Heard DragonsThe Girl Who Heard Dragons is a 1994 collection of short fantasy and science fiction by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey.It opens with an essay on her celebrity, or lack thereof, and includes 23 drawings by the cover artist Michael Whelan....
(1994)) - "Runner of Pern", by Anne McCaffrey (1998 novella original to LegendsLegendsLegends are historical narratives, symbolic representations of folk belief.Legends may also refer to:-Music:*Legend , a 1984 album*Legends , a 1998 album...
; set some time before the events of Dragonflight) - "Ever the Twain" (original to the collection; historical setting unclear)
- "Beyond Between" (2003 short story in Legends II: Short Novels By the Masters of Modern FantasyLegends II (book)Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy is a collection of 11 short stories by a number of noteworthy fantasy authors, edited by Robert Silverberg. All the stories were original to the collection, and set in the authors' established fictional worlds...
, Robert SilverbergRobert SilverbergRobert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
, ed.; set after the events of Moreta)
Books by Todd McCaffrey or Anne and Todd
Since 2003, Anne McCaffrey and her middle child Todd McCaffreyTodd McCaffrey
Todd J. McCaffrey is an Irish American author of science fiction best known for continuing the Dragonriders of Pern series in collaboration with his mother Anne McCaffrey.-Life:...
have developed the history immediately before and during the Third Pass, about 500 years after landing (AL).
- Dragon's KinDragon's KinDragon's Kin is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd McCaffrey. Published by Del Rey Books in 2003, it is the eighteenth book in the Dragonriders of Pern series and the first with Todd as co-author.Dragon's Kin may be considered the first...
(2003, Anne and Todd McCaffrey; set prior to the Third Pass) - Dragon's FireDragon's FireDragon's Fire is a fantasy or science fiction novel novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd McCaffrey, Published in 2006, it was the twentieth book in the Dragonriders of Pern series that she initiated in 1967....
(2006, Anne and Todd McCaffrey; set during and after Dragon's Kin) - Dragon HarperDragon HarperDragon Harper is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd McCaffrey, in the Dragonriders of Pern series that she initiated in 1967. Published forty years later, it was the twenty-first in the series.Dragon Harper may be considered the last of a...
(December 2007, Anne and Todd McCaffrey; set after Dragon's Fire ) - DragonsbloodDragonsbloodDragonsblood is a science fiction novel by Todd McCaffrey in the Dragonriders of Pern series that his mother Anne McCaffrey initiated in 1967. Published in 2008, this was the first with Todd as sole author and the nineteenth in the series....
(2005, Todd McCaffrey; set after Dragon's Harper and also 400 years earlier, a few decades after Dragonsdawn) - DragonheartDragonheart (novel)Dragonheart is a fantasy or science fiction novel by Todd McCaffrey in the Dragonriders of Pern series that his mother Anne McCaffrey initiated in 1967. Published by Del Rey Books in 2008, it was the second for Todd as sole author and the twenty-second in the series...
(November 2008, Todd McCaffrey; set during Dragonsblood) - DragongirlDragongirlDragongirl is a fantasy or science fiction novel by Todd McCaffrey in the Dragonriders of Pern series that his mother Anne McCaffrey initiated in 1967...
(July 2010, Todd McCaffrey; sequel to Dragonheart and Dragonsblood) - Dragon's TimeDragon's TimeDragon's Time is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd McCaffrey, the latest in the Dragonriders of Pern series that she initiated in 1967...
(June 2011, Anne and Todd McCaffrey; sequel to Dragongirl)
Books in progress
- Dragonrider (expected spring 2012, by Anne and Todd; sequel to Dragon's Time)
- After the Fall is Over (long in progress; sequel to The Skies of Pern) – set after the Ninth Pass in "New Era Pern", the latest in Pern historical order.
Awards
Weyr Search won the inaugural Hugo Award for Best NovellaHugo Award for Best Novella
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
in 1968 and Dragonrider won the Nebula Award for Best Novella
Nebula Award for Best Novella
Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novella. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.-Winners and other nominees:-External links:**...
in 1969. (Both were finalists for both awards.) Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern and All the Weyrs of Pern were among the five annual finalists for the best novel Hugo Award
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
.
Gamebooks and companion books
- The Atlas of PernThe Atlas of PernThe Atlas of Pern by Karen Wynn Fonstad is an authorized companion book to the science fiction Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey...
(1984) by Karen Wynn FonstadKaren Wynn FonstadKaren Wynn Fonstad, née Wynn was the author of several atlases of fictional worlds.Born Karen Lea Wynn in Oklahoma City to parents James and Estis Wynn, she graduated from Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma, and then earned a B.S. degree in Physical Therapy and an M.A...
. ISBN 0-345-31432-8 ISBN 0-345-31434-4 – authorized "Pernography" including annotated maps; illustrated descriptions of Weyrs, Holds, and Halls; chronologies; and more. - Dragonharper (1987), gamebookGamebookA gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
by Jody Lynn NyeJody Lynn NyeJody Lynn Nye is an American science fiction writer. She has frequently collaborated as a co-author or the author of a sequel.... - Dragonfire (1988), gamebook by Jody Lynn Nye
- People of Pern (1988) by Robin WoodRobin Wood (artist)Robin Wood is an American artist specializing in game art and fantasy. She is best known for her portraits of characters from Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, the Robin Wood Tarot Deck and the cover art for several of Scott Cunningham's books on neo-Paganism.- Biography :Robin Wood...
and Anne McCaffrey. ISBN 0-89865-6354 – portraits and other illustrations - The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern (Ballantine, 1989) by Jody Lynn NyeJody Lynn NyeJody Lynn Nye is an American science fiction writer. She has frequently collaborated as a co-author or the author of a sequel....
with Anne McCaffrey. ISBN 0-345-35424-9. Second edition 1997, ISBN 0-345-41274-5. – Pern geography, society, flora, fauna, etc, including information not in the previously published fiction.
Graphic novel
In 1991 Dragonflight, the first Pern book published, was released as a set of three graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s by Eclipse Books
Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
of Forestville, California
Forestville, California
Forestville is a census-designated place in Sonoma County, California, United States. The town came into existence during the late 1860s and was originally named Forrestville, after one its founders, but the spelling long ago became standardized with one "r". The population was 3,293 at the 2010...
. The first two were illustrated by Lela Dowling
Lela Dowling
Lela Dowling is a graphic artist who draws fantasy and science fictional characters. In collaboration with Steve Gallacci, she drew the comic book series Fusion, a science-fiction action adventure...
and Fred Von Tobel, the third by Lela Dowling and Cynthia Martin
Cynthia Martin
Cynthia Martin is a comic book artist best known for her work on the Marvel Comics Star Wars title during its waning years in the mid-1980s. She was one of the few women working in mainstream American comics during that time....
. The story was adapted by Brynne Stevens.
Music of Pern
There is an 18 track CD of music relating to the important Teaching Ballads and the work of Masterharper Robinton, made in 1998 by Anglo-Alaskan duo Tania Opland and Mike Freeman in collaboration with Anne McCaffrey at her request. "The Masterharper of PernThe Masterharper of Pern
The Masterharper of Pern is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the fifteenth book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
" project began as an idea to include written music in the book of the same name, printed on the inner faces of the cover. By the time the composers had written and auditioned the early drafts at the author's table it was clear that making the songs a reality to their creator's satisfaction was finally possible. The CD project was completed some eighteen months later and released to the approval of the author and most fans of the series.
A second CD pertaining mainly to the work of Pern's other favourite harper, Menolly, was completed in December 2008. Entitled "Sunset's Gold," this features Opland and Freeman with a host of world class musicians from the USA and as far afield as Australia, and comprises twelve tracks of music recorded from 2006 through 2008. The CD includes the ballad, "Four Hundred Turns," written by Anne McCaffrey shortly after she completed "Dragonflight." It was placed in a desk drawer where it lay forgotten for almost forty years until the author rediscovered it just as the CD project was underway. It has never been seen or published before.
Songbooks are also available containing the music from each of these projects.
Information about the music of Pern can be found at : http://www.annemccaffrey.net or http://www.opland-freeman.com/pernmusic/
Television and movies
There have been several efforts to bring Pern to film. The first was by Alliance AtlantisAlliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
which produced concept art. Development efforts failed and they eventually sold their rights.
- In 2002, Warner Brothers Network and writer Ronald D. MooreRonald D. MooreRonald Dowl Moore is an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on Star Trek and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, for which he won a Peabody Award for creative excellence in 2005 and an Emmy Award in 2008.-Early life and...
had completed sets and casting, and were within a few days of filming. Moore had sent the pilot episode to WB for final approval. It was returned with so many changes to the basic structure of Pern – making it more like Buffy: The Vampire Slayer— that it no longer much resembled the world created by Anne McCaffrey. As a fan of the Dragonriders series, Moore refused to continue. Filming was canceled and rights were returned to Anne McCaffrey.
- In May 2006, it was announced that rights to the entire Dragonriders of Pern series were optioned by Oscar-winning production company Copperheart Entertainment. Copperheart announced their intention to bring Pern to the big screen.
- On 2011 April 12, Copperheart announced signing David HayterDavid HayterDavid Hayter is a Canadian-American voice and screen actor and screenwriter. He is best known for providing the English voices of Solid Snake and Big Boss in the Metal Gear video game series, and for writing the screenplay for X-Men and co-writing the screenplay for The Scorpion King and X2...
as screenwriter and Don Murphy as executive producer for a film version of Dragonflight with production expected to begin in 2012.
Games
There have been several games released based on the Pern series.In 1983 Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games is a publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games. They also license German-style board games and publish them in English throughout the world...
created a board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
"Dragonriders of Pern" featuring cards with Pern characters and locations. This game is now rare and valuable to Pern collectors.
In 1983, Epyx
Epyx
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983...
released a video game "Dragonriders of Pern" for the Atari 800 and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
in which the player could battle Thread and engage in diplomacy on Pern.
In 2001 a video game Dragon Riders: Chronicles of Pern was created by Ubisoft Entertainment for the PC and Dreamcast. This game follows a dragonrider as he Searches for young women to be candidates for Impressing a new gold dragon, and battles the "bad guys" on an adventure across Pern.
A number of online MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
-style games have been created exploring the Pern universe, most notably PernMUSH
PernMUSH
PernMUSH is an online role-playing game which is based on Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern...
. These are unofficial and tend to centre on role-playing rather than combat.
General
In the Pern series, McCaffrey attempts to portray a society caught between its attempt to build a utopian dream and a grim and inescapable reality, which from the start forced exceptionally hard choices. The creation of the Dragons such that they were bound to aid humanity was certainly morally questionable – but they were also created to preserve human lives, and no other solution existed. Pragmatism can forgive many things, and this reality is one oft-learned on Pern, where proclaimed utopian traditions fall against the reality of simple day-to-day survival.McCaffrey does allow a more utopian and progressive outlook to win out in the end, though the future of this society could be considered somewhat in doubt. Before the Ninth Pass, however, Pernese society was largely static, and many of its functions and features are open to review as an interesting case of a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
trying to survive in conditions where it cannot.
Another repeated theme is the preservation of ideas and the generation of myths. On Pern, knowledge and cultural practices regarding Thread must persist for 200-year Intervals (see below) – a period of time nearly as long as the United States has existed – without the immediate presence of the organism to prompt remembrance. In that time, facts can become legends and societal practices can appear to be meaningless tradition. As McCaffrey herself asks to open the first story "Weyr Search" (see below): "When is a legend legend? Why is a myth a myth? How old and disused must a fact be for it to be relegated to the category: Fairy tale?"
Social considerations
Pernese society exhibits the usual organizational characteristics of feudalismFeudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
, but shows a certain specific leaning towards utopianism which is worthy of some review to understand the series' context. The social structure on Pern is strictly divided between Hold, Hall, and Weyr, respectively comparable to the medieval triune of Nobility, Guild, and Church. The Pernese themselves consider this structure an ideal organization meant to avoid the violence and excess of their Terran ancestors. One remarkable feature of Pernese society is its stability, having lasted approximately 2,500 years with little change.
The agrarian idealism of Pern, however, is marred by the constant reality of Thread. Fighting Thread requires a considerable concentration of social resources. Suspending disbelief and focusing on the necessary supply of material to the Weyrs to sustain the dragons, and the populations (a Weyr, exceeding two thousand persons, compares to some medieval cities) leads one to conclude that a principal part of the available agricultural and industrial productions of the planet would be devoted to this quasi-war effort during the Pass, and a considerable fraction during the Interval.
Within the Weyrs, there is a highly efficient and well run system. It is run by a Weyrleader and Weyrwoman, and has a very large number of support staff.
A constant repetition of Passes and Intervals leads to the tantalizing prospect that Pernese outlook in general may be cyclical
Social cycle theory
Social cycle theories are among the earliest social theories in sociology. Unlike the theory of social evolutionism, which views the evolution of society and human history as progressing in some new, unique direction, sociological cycle theory argues that events and stages of society and history...
rather than progressive; this similarity with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
under the Pharaohs would explain the long duration and rigidity of Pernese culture. However, it has thus been speculated by some fans that the end of Thread and rapid technological progress at the end of the Ninth pass would result in severe social disruption. McCaffrey's later novels of Pern tend to explore the growing rift between tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
alism and modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
. Social change is portrayed as both desired and despised. The destruction of Thread, a goal sought after by the Dragonriders and the peoples of Pern, forces a radical rethinking of the role of dragons in a post-Thread world.
Religious considerations
Pern created an interesting example in that it is an agrarian society portrayed without organized religionReligion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. However, the latest short story, "Beyond Between," introduced the concept of an afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
.
In her introduction to The Girl Who Heard Dragons (1994), Anne McCaffrey described an encounter with a girl who tried to argue that there was no way a successful colony could have been established on Pern without religion. Anne's exact words at this point were, "I told her in very certain tones and terms that Pern was my world, and I could do with it what I wanted. I wanted it not to have religion, considering the crimes committed in the name of one deity or other." Ten years later, in a 2004 interview with Lynne Jamneck for writers-world.com, she described the thoughts that led her to write "Beyond Between." "I also don't have organized religion on Pern. I figured – since there were four holy wars going on at the time of writing – that religion was one problem Pern didn't need. However, if one listens to childhood teachings, God is everywhere so there should be no question in any mind that he is also on Pern. Thus, there is a heaven to which worthy souls go. So, without mentioning any denomination of organized religion, I figured that both Moreta and Leri deserved respite after their trials...and that's where 'Beyond Between' is."
Economic considerations
The DragonsDragons (Pern)
The Dragons of Pern are a fictional race created by Anne McCaffrey as an integral part of the science fiction world depicted in her Dragonriders of Pern novels....
are portrayed as very large creatures; the largest described in the series, the gold queen dragon Ramoth, was described as being about forty-five feet (as large as the largest Tyrannosaurus rex
Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
ever found) or thirteen and one half meters (as large as a jet plane – dragon size is an ongoing debate among fans) in length. She would be the largest flying being, and among the largest predators, ever known. The massive amount of food which must be consumed by several thousand such creatures is staggering, particularly at the height of a Pass, when they fly against Thread at close intervals. The area of grazing land required to support nearly 3,000 dragons each consuming three to four cattle (or herdbeast) a week has been compared to the whole Mississippi basin with a sustainable herd.
The economic strain on an agrarian society by the dragons would thus be nearly unsustainable, and can only grow worse when the requirements of the sedentary and usually luxuriously-sustained Weyrfolk are included. However, Pern has been able to meet this strain during each Pass successfully, though the Ninth Pass saw considerable discontent, and a full record of all passes has not yet been provided.
Anne McCaffrey informed people several years ago that the "meters" measurement is a mistake and the dragons are supposed to be measured in feet; she had erroneously thought meters to be another term for feet, but has since been corrected. Also, while the largest dragons need to eat three to four herdbeasts a week, greens and blues (the smallest dragons) would only need to eat one or two. Considering that about 50% of the dragons are greens, that would make the strain on Pern's resources much easier to handle.
During the second Long Interval (a time when the Red Star failed to pass close enough to the planet to bring the incursion of Thread) before the Ninth Pass, however, unpopularity with the only remaining inhabited Weyr, Benden Weyr
Benden Weyr
Benden Weyr is the second of eight Weyrs on the planet of Pern in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern fantasy novel series....
, had grown to such a point that the Holders were willing to risk combat on highly disadvantageous terms to end the tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
of materials which traditionally supported the Weyrs. This is a further suggestion of the general strain and potential unpopularity of the severe burden inflicted by the Weyrs, a burden that ultimately remains entirely necessary until the end of the Ninth Pass.
The Pernese economy, based upon the Mark, appears to be a command economy
Planned economy
A planned economy is an economic system in which decisions regarding production and investment are embodied in a plan formulated by a central authority, usually by a government agency...
. The Mark is made of wood, a fiat currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
, and has no inherent value; prices across Pern are fixed by a yearly meeting of Traders, Craftmasters, and Lord Holders. The Mark is valued in fractions, rather than decimals. For instance, there are Marks worth one half of a mark, one fourth of a mark, and so on. Barter
Barter
Barter is a method of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. It is usually bilateral, but may be multilateral, and usually exists parallel to monetary systems in most developed countries, though to a...
ing is also common practice on Pern. According to comments made by Piemur in Dragonsinger
Dragonsinger
Dragonsinger is a young adult fantasy novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Published by Atheneum Books in 1977, it was the fourth to appear in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey....
, the relative worth of mark pieces differs based on which crafthall has issued (and thus backs) them and can be a consideration in financial transactions.
Fandom
Pern fandom consists of a large variety of fan communities. The largest part of fandom is made up by clubs that allow their members to 'play' Pern by creating original characters within the setting of Anne McCaffrey's world. To avoid conflicts with Pern canon and trademarks, each club typically chooses a particular location and timeline as a unique setting different from Anne McCaffrey's established history of Pern. Most commonly, clubs are named for the main Weyr chosen as playing location.Historically, the first clubs started out publishing printed fanzines containing fanfiction and artwork. With the advent of the internet, clubs using online technology such as roleplay via chat or email (PBeM
Play-by-mail game
Play-by-mail games, sometimes known as "Play-by-post", are games, of any type, played through postal mail or e-mail. One example, chess, has been played by mail for centuries . Another example, Diplomacy, has been played by mail since the 1960s, starting with a printed newsletter written by John...
) became popular. Text-based online virtual reality games, primarily MUSH and MUCK variants such as PernMUSH
PernMUSH
PernMUSH is an online role-playing game which is based on Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern...
, have modeled Pern since the early 1990s. In the mid '90s, stringent rules were placed on the creation of new clubs and the governance of existing clubs, resulting in legal action against some fans. For example, no new fan-created MU* games were allowed while the game rights were licenced to Ubisoft for the development of the Dragon Riders: Chronicles of Pern computer game (released in 2001).
In November 2004, Anne McCaffrey relaxed her fandom rules significantly and allowed Pernese fanfiction to be posted freely throughout the Internet. Soon after, fanfiction sites such as FanFiction.Net
FanFiction.Net
FanFiction.Net is an automated fan fiction archive site. It was founded in late 1998 by Los Angeles computer programmer Xing Li, who also runs the site. The first fics to be posted were a few stories about Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
started offering the opportunity to post and read fanfiction based on Anne McCaffrey's works. The relaxing of the rules also resulted in the appearance of message board-based games as another popular club type. Fan sites no longer require approval and are not bound to the formerly strict canon rules, resulting in fan clubs testing out alternatives such as new dragon colors or off-Pern scenarios.
From 2000 until 2005, Anne McCaffrey's website offered a popular discussion forum and chat (The Kitchen Table) for fans to interact with each other and with the author. After its discontinuation in January 2005, several fan-organized discussion forums have taken its place as an outlet for fan activity.
Offline, the largest Pern fan gathering is WeyrFest, held yearly at Dragon*Con since 1992. Over the last few years, Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey were frequent attendees at WeyrFest, offering fans a chance to meet the authors in person.
External links
- Dragonriders of Pern – debate, science fiction or fantasy?
- The Worlds of Anne McCaffrey (official site)
- The Pern Museum and Archives (Hans van der Boom)
- Tania Opland & Mike Freeman – Masterharper of Pern (CD), Pern Songbook, Sunsets Gold (CD)