I am deeply saddened by the announcement received today of the passing of the great SF/Fantasy author, Anne McCaffrey. Her
Dragonriders of Pern series,
The Ship Who Sang, and many other stories were an inspiration to generations of writers.
Anne McCaffrey was an accomplished author and the first woman to win a Hugo Award and Nebula Award. She was 85 years old.
You can read Anne McCaffrey's tributes and biographies at a number of sites:
DRAGONFLIGHT was the first book of Anne McCaffrey's I ever read - discovered it shoved in a box of second hand books my parents bought at a clearing sale. I devoured it in one sitting and was addicted to her writing from there.
ReplyDeletePern, the Catteni, Ballybran, the universe of the Rowan, Helga & the City Who Fought, Sassinak, and so many other wonderful adventures have inspired me as a writer and kept me entertained for many, many years.
But I'll take comfort in knowing the joy of sharing her legacy and passing her books on to another generation of readers.
Thank you, Anne McCaffrey! And in your own words, you're still with us (just like the Dragonriders of Pern).
Gone away, gone ahead...
Beautifully said, Kylie.
ReplyDeleteMy bio starts with "I cut my teeth on Anne McCaffrey..." She probably had more influence on the early writer in me than any other author. What an amazing, imaginative talent--a true storytelling genius.
Anne McCaffrey was my first big inspiration to write, the biggest influence on my early writing. I had the privilege of meeting her once at a scifi convention more than 20 years ago. Very unassuming woman. The Crystal Singer was the first book of hers I read. :(
ReplyDeleteYou were so lucky to have met her, Pippa. Never got the chance.
ReplyDeleteI loved that she named her residence "Dragonhold" - that actually was my impetus for commissioning the stained glass I had done for my front door. I couldn't have a Dragonhold like her but I could have a dragon. :-)
ReplyDeleteHer Pern dragons also inspired the tattoo I recently had done on my forearm. I took pictures of the dragons from Pern books to the tattooist and asked him to take elements from them to do the tattoo.
If you want to see the tattoo I had done, check out this blog post - http://kyliegriffinromance.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-of-dragon.html
That is one amazing tattoo. What a great tribute.
ReplyDeleteI started collecting dragons after reading the Pern books. I have sculptures, clothing, artwork--including an original by the very talented artist and author D L Jackson...but no tattoos. :)
Ramoth was one of my favorite dragon heroes...er, heroines.
http://pern.wikia.com/wiki/Ramoth
My eyes burned with tears after I heard the news. Anne McCaffrey was a pioneer in SF/F and a great visionary. She's left an incredible legacy.
ReplyDeleteI was very sad to learn today of the death of this great writer.
ReplyDelete'Dragonflight; was the very first book of hers I read and I was hooked - although years before, as a young teenager I'd cried over a short story called 'The Ship Who Sang'and it was only when I started reading her dragon stories I realised that the short story had grown into a novel - which was instantly added to my collection.
I love all her books although the dragon books will always be my favourite. I wrote to her many years ago and asked if she had any advice for an aspiring writer. To my delight and surprise I received a handwritten postcard from her, saying 'Write what you would like to read.' Advice I still follow.
The world is a poorer place for her loss, but richer for the wealth of wonderful stories and characters she left behind.
So sorry to hear this! I only recently discovered Pern. :-( Sad news indeed.
ReplyDeleteOne of the earliest authors I ever read. I am saddened by this news. :(
ReplyDeleteEveryone here echoes my feelings. What else is there to say? A sad day for all of us and for SF/F. She was one of the favorite judges for the Writers of the Future contest.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie for this wonderful post.
What a loss.