Anne McCaffrey.
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The American-born McCaffrey died at her home, a rambling manor nestled in County Wicklow, Ireland that she'd designed herself and christened, appropriately enough, Dragonhold. She'd lived in Ireland since 1970.
Fans and fellow novelists flooded the internet with remembrances, singling her out as a pioneer for her perseverance establishing herself in the male-dominated field of speculative fiction in the 1960s, and as someone whose appeal stretched across genre boundaries.
It might seem unlikely for someone associated so closely with dragons—habitués as they are of stock fantasy and mythology lore— to have gained an avid following among fans of, for example, hard science fiction as well. But McCaffrey was deeply appreciated for her storytelling ability across genre bounds, acknowledging or ignoring the constraining conventions of categories like fantasy, science fiction, fairy tails, and myth as it suited her. Like the opera in which she trained when she was young, she made sure her stories are both epic in scale and grounded in hard experience and intense, personal connections.
"As a young girl, I was an opinionated, asocial, extroverted, impossible egregious brat whose primary friends were books!" she wrote on her website. "The early lessons I learned, generally the hard way, in standing up for myself and my egocentricities, being proud of being 'different,' doing my own thing, gave me the strength of purpose to continue doing so later in life. You learn how not to conform, how to avoid labels. But it isn't easy! It's lonely until you realize that you have inner resources that those of the herd mentality cannot enjoy. That's where the mind learns the freedom to think science-fictiony things."
Even within her stories, she played with boundaries and expectations, subverting rules about received legends, male heroes, and human-monster conflict. "When is a legend a legend? she wrote in the introduction to Dragonflight, the 1968 story that initiated the long Dragonriders of Pern series. "Why is a myth a myth? How old and disused must a fact be for it to be relegated to the category 'Fairy-tale'?" It was her 1978 book The White Dragon that turned out to to be a breakthrough in style and audience size, putting her on the New York Times bestseller lists for the first time.
In recalling McCaffrey's genius for engaging the imaginations of her readers, many reports pointed to her own-self-assessment as told the science fiction magazine Locus in a 2004 interview. "I have always used emotion as a writing tool," McCaffrey said. "That goes back to me being on the stage. The thing is, emotion—if it's visibly felt by the writer—will go through all the processes it takes to publish a story and still hit the reader right in the gut. But you have to really mean it."
Even her dragons are rooted in the real world, if by way of extrapolation from the horses she loved and bred as a hobby. "You can get closer to a dragon than you can to a horse," McCaffrey said in an interview with National Public Radio in 2007. "Horses are smart within their own boundaries, but dragons are very smart."
McCaffrey won a Hugo Award in 1968 for her novella Weyr Search and a Nebula Award for the novella Dragonriders, both of which were integrated into the Dragonriders series. She was the first woman to achieve this dual honor. She later became a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 2005 and was inducted in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2006.
McCaffrey, to the surprise of some, has not only written about matters that are not-Pern, but her other works include stories cherished as much by their fans as the Pern novels are by theirs—notably The Ship Who Sang, which was said to be among the author's own personal favorites. Other works include PartnerShip with Margaret Ball, and The City Who Fought with S. M. Stirling.
This past spring, it was announced that Copperheart Entertainment was mounting a feature film version of the first story in the two-dozen-volume Dragonrider series, Dragonflight (1968). Screenwriter David Hayter (Watchmen, X2) is working on the adaptation toward a 2013 release.
The last several books have been written in collaboration with her son Todd, either together or by Todd alone. The 24th Dragonrider book, Sky Dragons, is slated for next year.
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Comments
an awesome writer who will be missed greatly.
Anne Mccaffery will surely be missed. I still reread the entire series every year or so. i have the original books I bought over 30 years ago when I started reading them.
She has gone between, but in our hearts she will always alive. Thank you Anne for all you have given us!
I have loved her books for a very long time. I have collected most of the Dragonriders of Pern series in hardback over the years. She will be truely missed in the world.. I will always cherish the lithographs she sent me with her autograph and dragons on it. R.I.P. Anne. Love you.
I am a voracious reader of all genres. But Ms. McCafrey has a special place in my heart. I started with “Dragonsong” in junior high school and never stopped, through all the Pern books as well as the Crystal Singer stories and even the more recently, the Freedom and Acorna series. 30 yrs later I am still hooked on all of her work. And her son, Todd, carries on the Pern legacy in a beautiful way. Rest in peace, Ms. Anne. You were and always will be my all-time favorite author.
Ms. McCafrey caught my imagination with the first dragon book written. Since then, I’ve traveled to Pern many times, rejoycing and crying over the fates of dragons, dragonriders, and the Masterharper of Pern. Though now gone between and with those the brought to our attention, she will be missed and her life will be celebrated each time one of her books is read and loved by new readers to her, as well as those of us rereading them for the twenty-fifth time. Her son, Todd, is carrying on in bringing news of Pern and the events of that world. Our hearts are with you.
I am distraught! Anne McCaffery was my favorite female author and my second favorite author overall, right behind Robert Heinlein! I can’t count the number of times I have read and reread her stories, having been transported to the worlds of Pern, Ireta, Ballybran and others. Ms. McCaffery was a treasure to the literary world and will be sorely missed. May she rest in peace.
My condolences to Todd McCaffery and to her fans and admirers. We all grieve together.
Loved Anne McCaffrey’s books from my teen years. One of the first books I ever read of hers was Ring of Fear and then I found Mark of Merlin. I loved her science fiction books, (Restoree was a favorite) and one of my all-time favorites was The Lady. Oddly enough, as wildly popular as the Dragonrider books became, they never appealed to me. Ms. McCaffrey was a great author and will be missed by her fans worldwide.
As I logged on this morning and saw the news of Anne’s passing my heart shattered. Her books touched my life in a way that few works have. Her characters became my friends, as a young child I had little contact with peers having been raised by elderly grandparents. I lead a lonely life. Until I stumbled across her books in the tiny local library.
I remember tearing though Dragonflight and immediately looking for the next book. Every year at christmas my list was dominated by her books, which I still have. Many are dogearred and battered. However I still treasure them and still almost 40 years later revisit Pern from time to time.
Anne you maybe gone but you will never be forgotten, you have touched the lives, hearts and imaginations of so many. I wish to express my condolences and sympathies for your family as well to my other fellow readers. Anne still lives on in her works and the hearts of her family, friends, and her fans.
Godspeed Anne Mccaffrey, go with our love.
Anne will be sorely missed. I have enjoyed her books for many years. She is one of my most favored authors. May she rest in peace.
Like Drew said, when I spied the news that Anne had passed, my heart shattered also! No one in my house really understands why i am so distraught. None of them are avid readers like myself, unused to building worlds out of words that are so real, I feel like I will wake up one morning and be there. Normally I feel sorry for their loss . . . however, today they are spared from the intense sorrow of a hero lost . . . . but i know you will only be inbetween a moment and that i will see you on the other side. THANK YOU Anne McCaffrey for the worlds you created that lonely children related to.
My heart and prayers go out to her family and friends!
The Pern Series was the first sci-fi series I read when I was a kid. In fact it was first “grown up” series that I read. My mother introduced me to it, wanting to share with me the joy she had when she was young. Thank you so much Anne for being such an awesome person and and a fantastic writer, allowing us to create so many memories and shape our imaginations.
I had just started rereading the series for the 3rd time in my life. She will be sincerely missed. I was hoping that the motion picture could have been finished awhile back so that she could have walked the red carpet at its premier. A wonderful woman who reached out and touched so many of us with her words on print. Fly With your Dragons in Between Anne!!!!
Dragonflight was released the year I was born. I named my daughter Shandra in honour of Killashandra Ree. Anne McCaffrey is one of my “Big Three” authors whom I feel have greatly contributed to making me the human being that I am. I am so very saddened that she has gone Between…However, I hope that she would be pleased that her work has so greatly impacted both my, and my 19 year old daughter’s, belief system. Many thanks to the Dragon lady!
Anne gave me freedom to believe in the unbelievable! Dragons, Unicorns and Crystal Singers…I love them all. And I have loved
Anne’s spirit for decades!!!
Thank you for such a moving legacy, Anne!!!!!!!
She will be missed… I have read everything she has written… many more than once. She could take you any place, time or other worldly with the wonderful books she produced.
Her legacy of stories will be around for ever, future lovers of dragons and space stories will love her as much as the generations that grew up reading her.
My thoughts and prayers go to her family….
Susan
Thank you so much for the years of enjoyment, Ms. McCaffrey. May your journey now find you in worlds as fascinating as those you brought us into.
Am so sad. Our precious Dragon Author, your will be missed. I always got so excited when a new book came out. Ms. McCaffrey, peace for you from all your dragon lovers.
She was my favorite writer and she will be greatly missed by anyone who has read anything she has written. She brought her books to life and its about time that they are going to bring it out on the big screen. Rest in peace Anne
I am so sorry to hear this news! The stories Ms McCaffrey wrote are inspirational, fabulous, and filled with characters I consider “best friends”! An author with the skill to make me fall into the tale and live it with each character (good and bad) and care… so very much… about each… Menolly, Sebell, MasterHarper Robinton, Jaxom, Lessa, F’Lar, F’Nor, F’Lessan, Manora (love her dearly), Moreta, Sharra, Petiron, Piemur – well, I could name all of them and still be unable to convey the wonder, the excitement, of each new adventure.
RIP Anne. Our hearts are with your family during this difficult time. You have been my favorite author for many years and I just recently convinced my husband to read the Dragonriders of Pern. Needless to say, he was hooked! We own every book and also now every one available for Kindle…..we pre-order every chance we get because we can’t wait for the next book! You may be gone from this world, but you will certainly live on through your memorable characters. Nobody could transform the reader the way you did in the world of Pern and we thank you for the many wonderful years you gave us. Oh how we yearned to be dragonriders!!! Now it is your turn to mount your gold and travel between (nobody deserved a gold more than you, dear lady)…… Fly Well!
Anne gave many a small heart wings, be they dragon’s wings or antigrav. It is an era that passes with her. We can only hope the next one will live up to her expectations. She certainly did better than most to wake the minds of many a thinking soul.
RIP Dear Lady, Thank you for inviting me to visit Pern and ride your magnificent dragons. I never tire of my vacations there.
I can still remember the first time I read The Ship Who Sang, and that was a long, long time ago. It is still my favorite of all of her books! I will miss her writing voice.
Hopefully she found a dragon to ride into Heaven!
RIP Anne! The world will miss your stories!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anne McCaffrey holds a special place in my heart. She is, was, and always will be my favorite author. It started with a white dragon about 35 years ago and from there I could not get enough. I have all the dragon rider books and the petabee twins books, christal singer books, I have some of the co-author books. I have never been able to find enough of her books. Some I have not been able to find at all. I loved reading about her home, and her thoughts. I will greatly miss her.
Tod, please continue to carry on in her foot steps. your dragon rider books, though different, are still very good and equally enjoyable.
RIP. I first read the Dragonriders of Pern some 30+ years ago and many other of her books since then.
Her rich original writing struck a chord in my imagination.
She will be missed.
I grew up with her books. My dad, who has also passed, shared them with me and it created something for us to bond over. She was an amazing writer and I will definitely be encouraging my children to read her books. She opened worlds to me.
RIP Dear and Wonderful Lady, but know that you shall be greatly missed by all of your fans. I think I have read everything that you ever published, including the cookbook that you published a couple of dagon weyr recipes in, I am a true fan who feels like she has lost a best friend. As your books were, an still are my best friends many a night. I know that you were grooming Todd to take your place, an I think you did a great job, as he writes very similar, but know one writes like you could…The Ship that Could Sing…I felt Like I was on that ship …an Lady Lessa my heroine who saved the weyrs by flying back to the past…ohhh you made your worlds come alive …an I thank you dearly for that…(whipes a tear)…I send my deepest sympathy to the McCaffrey family. Please know that she was greatlyl loved the world over and shall be greatly missed. Truely ANNE McCAFFREY IS THE GREATEST SCIENCE FICTION WRITER EVER!!
I’m so glad that I was able to see her at DragonCon 3 years ago. I have loved her books for 30 years and own most of them (she was too prolific for me to own all of them), but I have Pern, Brainships, the Rowan and Crystal Singers. She was truly an amazing author. Anne may have gone Between, but her memory will live own in her books and her fans.
I spent many hours transported to other places thanks to Ms. McCaffrey. She built worlds and personalilties to be remembered always. Condolences to her family, her fans will miss her greatly.
I loved this woman and her work. I often felt that Spielberg should have purchased her Pern series to make into movies. Had he done so, I believe they would have been more popular than Potter. An interesting humand and great author has gone between. xo Anne
Sorry, never got into McCaffrey’s books, which I wouldn’t consider “science fiction”, as they always seemed more like an annoying attempt at “feminist politics” and fantasy writing, just gussied up to look like sci-fi. Throw in a few elves, and it’s basically warmed over Tolkien.
Ms. McCaffrey opened my world with wonderful fantasy. I can still envision myself as a Dragon Rider. May you soar with the wind and stars.
She will be sorely missed! One of the best fantasy writers ever!
Miss McCaffery was the reason i started to like reading and i can’t get enough of the pern series.
She was and always will be the greatest influence on me and my reading. she will be greatly and lovingly
missed.
She has been a favorite author for so long, a good portion of my library is Anne McCaffrey. She will be missed so very much.
She hooked me with Dragonriders of Pern and I have been a fan ever since.
Condolences to her talented son, Todd.
So sorry to hear that she has passed. I,ve loved her books and still derive much pleasure from rereading them. R>I>P
I’ve tried to read all of Anne’s books, often reading them over and over again through the years. Besides the Pern series, my favourite is the Rowan. Her imagination was amazing, as well as her insights into humanity. I’ll miss her writing, thankfully we have lots of books to go over. To her family Thanks for sharing your mother with us.
I am just soooooo saddened at our loss. Anne Mccaffrey was such an awesome writer! i’ll never forget when i read “The Chrystal Singer.” my mother who always read, gave me the book because she thought i might enjoy it. it impacted me as a person. She will always be one of my favoerite authors.
As with Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover stories and characters, Anne McCaffrey’s Pern world will be sorely missed. Her belief that touching people’s emotions was primary came though in all her work. I have yet to find a current author who has achieved the depths of honesty and goodness she achieved with her stories and characters. If there is a heaven, I can see Anne and Marion still hard at work with the craft they loved.