By Christopher John Farley Anne McCaffrey, author of the “Dragonriders of Pern” series, has died. She was 85 years old.Anne McCaffrey, author of the “Dragonriders of Pern” series, has died.
Her publisher Random House reportedly announced that the author passed away after suffering a stroke.
McCaffrey’s books about a distant planet in which some inhabitants rode telepathic dragons to combat deadly falling alien Threads are considered seminal works of fantasy fiction. The books combined mythic inspiration, sci-fi and adventure.
McCaffrey was born in Cambridge, Mass., and published “Dragonflight,” the first volume in her “Dragonriders of Pern” series, in 1968. “When is a legend a 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’?” she wrote in the introduction to “Dragonflight.” McCaffrey’s 1978 book “The White Dragon” was a breakthrough in the series, and made the New York Times bestseller lists.
While much of fantasy fiction focused on male protagonists, McCaffrey’s works featured both men and women as risk-taking heroes and heroines. Her blend of the sci-fi and fantasy genres was also unique and groundbreaking. McCaffrey was the first woman to win a Hugo Award and the first female to win a Nebula Award; she won both sci-fi/fantasy writing prizes in the late 1960s.
Her books reimagined the ancient mythology of dragons, transforming them from enemies of men into friends, creating a psychological and emotional bond between humans and the fire-breathing creatures, and successfully tapping into a deep-seated fantasy most readers didn’t even know they had–the desire to ride on the back of a dragon and fly across the sky.
In one of her last notes to fans on Oct. 27, 2010, she expressed her hope that she would be able to attend a convention celebrating her works, writing “health permitting, I’ll be at Dragon*con 2011. I apologize that I won’t be able to do nearly as many appearances as I’d like (oh, to be even 20 years younger!) but I can’t think of a convention I’d rather attend in my 85th year!”
On Aug. 18 2011, her son Todd posted a note reading “Mum wants me to relay to you how terribly sorry she is to have to cancel this year’s appearance at Dragon*con. What seemed to be indigestion last week has now turned out to be something more serious – some incident with her heart, the full details of which are still to be determined by tests. Mum very specifically asked me to apologize to those who had hoped to see her there, saying: ‘Sorry that old age came up and bit me on the a**.’”
Her publisher Random House reportedly announced that the author passed away after suffering a stroke.
McCaffrey’s books about a distant planet in which some inhabitants rode telepathic dragons to combat deadly falling alien Threads are considered seminal works of fantasy fiction. The books combined mythic inspiration, sci-fi and adventure.
McCaffrey was born in Cambridge, Mass., and published “Dragonflight,” the first volume in her “Dragonriders of Pern” series, in 1968. “When is a legend a 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’?” she wrote in the introduction to “Dragonflight.” McCaffrey’s 1978 book “The White Dragon” was a breakthrough in the series, and made the New York Times bestseller lists.
While much of fantasy fiction focused on male protagonists, McCaffrey’s works featured both men and women as risk-taking heroes and heroines. Her blend of the sci-fi and fantasy genres was also unique and groundbreaking. McCaffrey was the first woman to win a Hugo Award and the first female to win a Nebula Award; she won both sci-fi/fantasy writing prizes in the late 1960s.
Her books reimagined the ancient mythology of dragons, transforming them from enemies of men into friends, creating a psychological and emotional bond between humans and the fire-breathing creatures, and successfully tapping into a deep-seated fantasy most readers didn’t even know they had–the desire to ride on the back of a dragon and fly across the sky.
In one of her last notes to fans on Oct. 27, 2010, she expressed her hope that she would be able to attend a convention celebrating her works, writing “health permitting, I’ll be at Dragon*con 2011. I apologize that I won’t be able to do nearly as many appearances as I’d like (oh, to be even 20 years younger!) but I can’t think of a convention I’d rather attend in my 85th year!”
On Aug. 18 2011, her son Todd posted a note reading “Mum wants me to relay to you how terribly sorry she is to have to cancel this year’s appearance at Dragon*con. What seemed to be indigestion last week has now turned out to be something more serious – some incident with her heart, the full details of which are still to be determined by tests. Mum very specifically asked me to apologize to those who had hoped to see her there, saying: ‘Sorry that old age came up and bit me on the a**.’”
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