RIP Anne McCaffrey

[Weird Harold]

From Del Rey's Website:

It is with great sadness that Del Rey Books and Random House report the passing of beloved author Anne McCaffrey. Anne McCaffrey was best known for her award-winning and immensely popular Dragonriders of Pern® novels. McCaffrey died at her home in Ireland on November 21st shortly after suffering a stroke. She was 85 years old. She is survived by her two sons and daughter. We will provide more information as we receive it from Anne’s family.

I think I've read everything she wrote, most recently her latest collaboration with her son Todd. She will be missed.

 

[PayDay]

Sad Times.

Agreed.

"The Dolphins of Pern" is easily a top ten favorite for me. A reccomended read for any si-fi fan or for any romantics, even if you don't like dragons or dolphins or spacetravel or timetravel, still worth it.

 

[Handley_Page]

I think I've read everything she wrote, most recently her latest collaboration with her son Todd. She will be missed.

She will indeed. Her passing will leave a hole in the Pernese stories.

I was introduced to her work a decade or two ago with "The Crystal Singer" and I loved the way she told the story. Pern was a revelation; I think I've read most of them, including the ones written with the help of her son Todd.

Rest in Peace, Anne McCaffery; you gave us some wonderful writing.

 

[PennLady]

I am sorry to hear of her passing, but have to confess I could never get into her books. I tried, I swear! I thought it was me! I did love a short story called "The Coelura." Still, I know she was a big name in fantasy and perhaps I'll try again.

 

[beatrice_dreams]

I am sorry to hear of her passing, but have to confess I could never get into her books. I tried, I swear! I thought it was me! I did love a short story called "The Coelura." Still, I know she was a big name in fantasy and perhaps I'll try again.

Agreed - I liked her but could only had a few of her books that I re-read. Dragon Song and Dragon Singer were nice, maybe because the subject matter was a little different than the usual dragon-dynasty-drama.

I miss Diana Wynne Jones who died recently as well. I only have Robin McKinley (mad as a hatter) and possibly Naomi Novik (of the slightly younger crowd) left to rely on for fantasy.

 

[PennLady]

I'm a Neil Gaiman fan myself, so there's lots there. However, I came across this article a few weeks ago on Salon.com. I haven't read any of the authors mentioned, but when I get a chance, I will.

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/09/if_tolkien_were_black/

My son is also right now reading the Dragon Chronicles (of some sort) by Chris d'Lacey. Considering he's not quite eight and keeps asking me for the next one, I'm a little impressed.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Any time I read her Pern novels, I would feel slapped in the face by her sexism and her homobigotry, to coin a phrase -- but she sure could tell a story!

 

[PennLady]

Any time I read her Pern novels, I would feel slapped in the face by her sexism and her homobigotry, to coin a phrase -- but she sure could tell a story!

Ha, now I'll have to go re-read them and look for all the sexism. It's been so long since I read them, and all I really remember is this gut dislike. But I read three or four books, thinking that although it felt like something was missing, perhaps I'd find it upon further reading. I never did, so perhaps it wasn't there to find.

The other thing I remember, although I can't say which book, is a line about how when people colonize planets, the first things they do are find ways to make coffee and alcohol.

 

[Dragonlipz]

I read a couple of her Pern novels but couldn't really get into them....that said, her prose was amazing and structured....readable, but not believable....My kids liked her books (that they found on my shelf)............RIP Anne

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I read some of her work years ago but eventually lost interest. However, one short story "The Thorns of Berevi" was steamy enough that it would have done very well on these pages. Whatever else you can say about her, Ms. McCaffrey's soft-core smut was as good as it gets!

 

[Feotakahari]

I disliked what I read of McCaffrey, but I have to admit, I owe her. When I read the Petaybee series, it angered me so much that I began to conceive a story that directly attacked its premises. But in order to do so, I needed two sides, and in putting thought into the arguments for the side inspired by McCaffrey, I wound up with a story in which nobody was clearly good or evil. I've been trying to do that for years, but in order to do so successfully, I needed a writer who honestly believed in principles I didn't believe in.

(In case anyone cares, the story's called "Dulling the Pain," although this isn't really the place to promote it.)

 

[TE999]

RIP Anne. I thoroughly enjoyed her 'Dragonriders' series mixing the Medieval with the Fantastic. She was a seminal influence on my own series of Prince Karl and Princess Merry Adventures and for that, I thank her.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

Any time I read her Pern novels, I would feel slapped in the face by her sexism and her homobigotry, to coin a phrase -- but she sure could tell a story!

Didn't McCaffrey become famous for busting up the usual sexist female stereotypes in Sci-Fi in "Restoree"?

As for the homobigotry, I remember the tent peg story mentioned on this forum. I don't remember any of that seeping into her books, but it was a long time ago when I read them and I was probably far too naive to spot any of those things anyway.

My younger self enjoyed reading her books, although I moved onto darker pastures when the Pern series started to feel a little same-y.

Brian Jacques (Redwall) died earlier this year as well. It's a sign I'm getting old when all the writers I enjoyed as a child/teen are passing on.

 

[Stella_Omega]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoree

Restoree features "an intelligent, survivor-type woman" as a "once-off jab at the way women were portrayed in science-fiction."[5] While always reading about women cowering in a corner, awaiting rescue by the hero, McCaffrey objected that she would have been in the fighting herself.[6]

Quite a feat for 1967!

However, I've never even heard of it till now-- I'm talking about the Dragonrider books, which were enthusiastically recommended to all young, female geeks by their teachers and librarians.

I say again, though I wish I could construct a plot aswell as she could.

 

[PayDay]

Rubbish I say!

Any time I read her Pern novels, I would feel slapped in the face by her sexism and her homobigotry, to coin a phrase -- but she sure could tell a story!

I dunno man (or woman? wtf would I know), there really is nothing like strong willed and strong minded female characters with subtle weaknesses, they are sexy.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I dunno man (or woman? wtf would I know), there really is nothing like strong willed and strong minded female characters with subtle weaknesses, they are sexy.

AS I recall it was some of the worldbuilding assumptions that kept slapping me. I am sure I felt so affected because her women were so well written.

 

[firesflair]

she will be missed very much.while it's not the sadist thing, one sad thing was, I bought the newest pern book, and it said she was working on another book for 'present day' pern. I really wanted that book (the last present day book is so hard on my heart to reread).

 

[firesflair]

AS I recall it was some of the worldbuilding assumptions that kept slapping me. I am sure I felt so affected because her women were so well written.

there are deffinitity contradictions in her work. like if, in the masterharper's youth, there were female harpers, why in melody's youth is it seen as such a bad thing (that's what 50 years. things don't usually get that bad in 50 years).

or how men gained the power over women. stronger or not, from the base they started on in pern, the power should have been equal, though I could be wrong.

but I still loved the books, no matter what their faults.

 

[Stella_Omega]

she will be missed very much.while it's not the sadist thing, one sad thing was, I bought the newest pern book, and it said she was working on another book for 'present day' pern. I really wanted that book (the last present day book is so hard on my heart to reread).

I think it's coming, Firesflair. Her son has been writing them, for quite a while-- under her supervision up til now, but she said she was very very pleased with his vision.

 

[PayDay]

there are deffinitity contradictions in her work. like if, in the masterharper's youth, there were female harpers, why in melody's youth is it seen as such a bad thing (that's what 50 years. things don't usually get that bad in 50 years).

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

Seriously. Think about comparing now and fifty years ago, then type that again.

 

[firesflair]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

Seriously. Think about comparing now and fifty years ago, then type that again.

I was when I posted that. if we removed the laws that prevent the discrimination from taking place then nothing has changed, everything would go back to being how it was 50 years ago. it's hasn't been long enough for the largest percentage of the population to die off and be replaced with more libral thinking people.

not to say things haven't changed, but mostly legally, because enough people were in power at the time who knew what was happening was wrong, or because enough complaints were made. not because the majority of the people agreed with the change.