Portrait of a Woman: Anne McCaffrey

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Rest In Pern Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey 1926-2011

I have come back home to the saddest news. The wonderful Anne McCaffrey, author of some of the most imaginative pieces of speculative fiction written to this day, has passed away. Not only was Anne McCaffrey one of the most gifted fantasy and science fiction story-teller but she was also a true pioneer for women writer in the genre (she was the first woman to win a Hugo and a Nebula award) and an advocate for strong women characters.

Every single one of Anne McCaffrey books is set in an original and frighteningly convincing universe, filled with powerful ideas and dreamy characters. She created some of the most beloved species (I am still desperate to find a fire lizard) but has also brought us the most interesting human and not-so-human characters who taught us to be ourselves and to show compassion to others. There truly isn't any writer just like her and I will carry her unforgettable stories with me.

Thank you Anne for all the fascinating and inspiring books you brought us and I hope you are finding yourself surrounded with 'Dinis and fire lizards where you are now. You will be deeply missed.

Anne McCaffrey wrote those following words about the loss of Petiron and the lyrics couldn't be more fitting today:

“The tears I feel today I'll wait to shed tomorrow. Though I'll not sleep this night Nor find surcease from sorrow. My eyes must keep their sight: I dare not be tear-blinded. I must be free to talk Not choked with grief, clear-minded. My mouth cannot betray The anguish that I know. Yes, I'll keep my tears til later: But my grief will never go.”

Anne McCaffrey, Dragonsinger (Song for Petiron)

Me after discovering the Pern novels

The Rowan - Anne McCaffrey

I am reviewing The Rowan as part of the Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge 2011 which I am hosting here.

If you would like more information on the Challenge, check out my post here.

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Summary from Amazon:
The Talents were the elite of the Nine Star League. Their gifts were many and varied, ranging from the gently telepathic, to the rare and extremely valued Primes. On the Primes rested the entire economic wealth and communications systems of the civilised worlds. But Primes were scarce — only very rarely was a new one born. And now, on the planet Altair, in a small mining colony on the western mountain range, a new Prime existed, a three-year-old girl — trapped in a giant mud slide that had wiped out the rest of the Rowan mining community. Every Altarian who was even mildly talented could ‘hear’ the child crying for help, but no one knew where she was buried. Every resource on the planet was centred into finding ‘The Rowan’ — the new Prime, the first ever to be born on Altair, an exceptionally unique Prime, more talented, more powerful, more agoraphobic, more lonely, than any other Prime yet known in the Nine Star league.

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I have to admit that when I first read the blurb I thought it would be a very complicated sci fi story and that I wouldn't love it as much as Anne McCaffrey's dragon books. Well... I was WRONG! This is one of the best book (and series) I have read in a long time. It ranks close to Harry Potter, if not higher. And I stand by what I just said.

Anne McCaffrey wrote two series in the Talents universe which involves Earth functioning thanks to the Talents of telepathic or telekinetic persons in an interstellar society. Those Talents are used to communicate and teleport spaceships through space. The Rowan is the first novel of the Tower and Hive series which counts five books in chronological order, each narrated by a different person. The novels can work as standalones but you might want to read them in the order! I have finished reading the third one and I am hooked!

This series is original, inventive, thoroughly fascinating and wonderfully written. I started reading it and thought how much it made sense that humans would have found a way to colonise other planets and that - of course - Talents exist and would take a bigger role in our society in the future. At school and University you look at history through a different timeline and try to isolate trends and maybe signs in previous generations of what would ultimately happen, and I find the Tower and Hive series to be something like a possible future for us when you think about it. (I am not making any sense, am I? Sorry!)

Aside from the fact that the plot is cleverly construed and presented in a very clear way, the story in itself is fabulous! So you enjoy a great story and at the same time it makes you think about several themes = win win :)

The Rowan is the name of the main character, a little girl on the planet Altair who loses her family in a terrible accident. Her entire village is destroyed but somehow, the child survives and is in such a panic that she broadcasts her screams both physically and mentally to a degree that everyone on the planet can hear her. She is seen as one of the most promising Talents in the Universe and is trained by Siglen, the Prime of Altair. The Rowan is also raised by Lusena who will be a mother figure for her even though The Rowan feels very much alone and not well accepted by her peers.
The book tells the story of The Rowan from infancy to her adult years so I can't delve too much into the plot without spoiling some of the story but let me tell you that there are EXCITING moments as well as some truly ROMANTIC moments (which, I have to admit, were so adorable that a lot of swoon ensued).
The Rowan is a fantastic character and it is really interesting to see her mature through the book. She is very strong but has her soft spots. I also *adore* Afra and Jeff Raven is fabulous (you'll see what I mean when you read it!).

One aspect of this book I loved was how technical the whole space transport system is. I mean, it isn't fascinating in itself but the story is so well plotted that all the technical bits and pieces are taken into account and I love how even the station assistants have an important role in the system. It also shows how dependent each planet/system is with others and how things work more smoothly with cooperation. The book really brings forward the humanity of some characters and ideas like equality and solidarity which can be applied to international relations today.

Each new Anne McCaffrey book I pick up looks weird and something I might not like at first but it takes me a few pages to immerse myself in a new adventure that is thrilling to read and fascinating to think about. The descriptions are so vivid that I can't help thinking Anne McCaffrey has the talent to see the future and she is merely reporting what will exist! I am also amazed at how contemporary some of the themes and issues presented in the book are. The stories are very visionary and I can't wait to get my hands on all the others! As per usual, I can't recommend reading Anne McCaffrey enough!

Dragondrums - Anne McCaffrey

I am reviewing Dragondrums as part of the Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge which I am hosting here!

If you would like more information on the Challenge, check out my post here.

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Each Pern novel can be read as a stand alone, but Dragondrums is the third book in the Harper Hall trilogy so if you want to read the books in the order, head over here and check out my review of the first book of the trilogy, Dragonsong. And head over here instead to read my review of Dragonsinger, the second book in the trilogy.

The story starts at the end of Dragonsinger where Menolly is made a Journeyman. Piemur prepares himself for a big event where he will be the lead singer until his voice breaks and he realises that his one and only ability which made him special has now disappeared.

But Piemur is very far from having just this one ability and Master Robinton knows how precious Piemur is. That is why Piemur is seemingly hired as a drums apprentice when in fact he is asked to becoming the Master Harper's ears and eyes wherever he goes.

I was at first quite disappointed to see that I wouldn't be in Menolly's head anymore. I really loved Piemur but I was so used to see things through Menolly's eyes that I thought I wouldn't be able to like the book. But then Piemur started being Piemur and I couldn't remember why I could have been worried in the first place.

Piemur has always been very cunning and at times manipulative to get what he wants and seeing his reasoning behind his cunning schemes was fantastic. He is a sweetheart and you can't stop laughing at his wild schemes! I think he is one of my favourite characters ever!

It is so heart-breaking when his voice transforms, I could really feel for him, especially with the weight of everyone else's reaction, but thankfully - and quite frankly, in a typical Piemur fashion - he springs out of it and finds something else to do. He has such a great spirit that he sees the positive aspect of things.

I really don't want to spoil the story by telling you what sorts of mischief he conjures up in this book, but I can promise that you won't be disappointed. I thought that my favourite books would be the first ones because they are told by Menolly and because they focus on those gorgeous little things named fire lizards but Dragondrums is such a special story of someone trying to find himself. It is such a wonderful story that I cried at the end because it made me so happy. (I am not even kidding and I understand I am losing all my street cred by confessing this.)

I know these books were published years ago and no one particularly cares to discover Anne McCaffrey's books today when they can read modern stories and such but those stories really hold something others don't and I really can't wait to read all of Anne Mccaffrey's other books (thank God there are so many!). So you need to read those books too!

This trilogy is one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read. It transports me to a beautifully vivid world and makes me travel alongside amazing characters. Plus now I know that I want a fire lizard as a pet so that's that.

Anne McCaffrey Challenge - Link Up

Hi all,

Here is the link up for your Anne McCaffrey reviews.

For more information about the Challenge and how to sign up, head over here! And if you want to read the review from the first quarter, head over here!

When you sign to the linky below, please put your name, the name of your blog and the title of the book in parenthesis:

Ex: Caroline @ Portrait Of A Woman (Dragonsong)

Enjoy the books!

Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey

I am reviewing Dragonsinger as part of the Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge which I am hosting here.

If you would like more information on the Challenge, check out my post here.

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Each Pern novel can be read as a stand alone, but Dragonsinger is the second book in the Harper Hall trilogy so if you want to read the books in the order, head over here and check out my review of the first book of the trilogy, Dragonsong.

Dragonsinger starts where Dragonsong ends with Menolly finally accepted in Harper Hall, the school for harpers, with her nine fire lizards. After spending a lifetime in the remote Sea Hold with her family, she has, in a couple of weeks, Impressed nine fire lizards, met the incredible Lessa, seen a dragon hatching and rode on one.

When she starts her classes, Menolly has a hard time adjusting to people being nice to her and to people acknowledging her talent. She has alose issues finding friends among the girls because she is the only girl Apprentice (the other girls are just students and mainly think about which son of lord they would want to marry and pretty dresses). This book shows more and more of Menolly's personality and how she only lives for her music (and her fire lizards!) and how she has issues relating to other people and especially girls. Dragonsinger follows the main theme present in Dragonsong about gender inequality.

It's also the first time that Menolly meets strong near-parental figures in Masterharper Robinton and Silvina. They both are patient with her and don't try to restrain her from who she is and what she likes. Obviously, since Menolly has been used to a more strict education, she appears as a very sweet and modest girl, constantly afraid of doing the wrong thing.

I really loved the character of Piemur! He is a very cheeky young boy who befriends Menolly from the beginning and helps her get on with the life in Harper Hall. If there is anything silently whispered in the Hall, you'll be sure that Piemur has heard about it and already started spreading it. He also knows how to bargain and knows how to get what he wants which contrasts with his very young age and size.

Menolly meets several teachers who will refine her talent, and their classes seen through Menolly's eyes are fascinating to read. I really think that people who enjoy music should read this book just as much as people who love dragons and fantasy. We really get into the fire lizards singing along to Menolly and I can't imagine how impressive and beautiful it must be.

There are several new characters appearing in this book and I really loved their different personalities and the relations they have to each other.

With Anne McCaffrey, you start reading a book and you end up walking in Pern with your very own Impressed fire lizard on the shoulder and a (yet undiscovered) ability to sing. I love the power of her imagination, the quality of her writing and the importance of the themes she develops behind her stories.

Thanks to Transworld for the copy of the book!

Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey

I am reviewing Dragonsong as part of the Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge which I am hosting here.

If you would like more information on the Challenge, check out my post here.

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I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved reading the Harper Hall trilogy. It has been a pure moment of wonder and pleasure and I am definitely an addict by now (had just finished reading Dragonsong in a sitting that I started Dragonsinger!).

Dragonsong starts with a very descriptive foreword explaining the creation of Pern, the dragons and the existence of Threads (deadly things falling from the Red Star) but as soon as the book starts, Anne McCaffrey's brilliant story-telling gets you hooked to the page.

We follow Menolly living in a remote Sea Hold ruled by her father. Menolly has a very strong passion for music and she has been helping the Hold's Harper Petiron during the last years of his life to teach the children the ballads and instruments. Harpers are very important on Pern, not only do they teach children about the story of the planet, but they also spread news and entertain people in the various places of Pern. Menolly has such a strong passion for music that she regularly invents new tunes and songs. Unfortunately for her, being a Harper is reserved to men only and Menolly's strict father forbids her to play and especially to invent new tunes.

She soon finds life in the Hold unbearable as she gets beaten by her father if he hears her play a tune of her own invention. One day where she finds herself outside of the Hold during Threads, she finds refuge in a cave on the beach where she befriends some fire lizards (very small animals looking like dragons) who don't seem to mind her music as much as people in the Hold.

Menolly is an amazing character to follow, and I thought her fight to live her music was fascinating to read. One of the biggest themes in the book is the fact that women can't be harpers and how they are only allowed to do a few things. The Hold being very small and remote, the mentalities are very set and Menolly's love for music clashes with the very strict way of living. She is prepared to do all it takes to live her passion. The trilogy is an amazing example of woman empowerement.

The music, in this book and in the others of the Harper Hall trilogy, is the second main character of this book. I found that Menolly's talent and her need to play music is brilliantly portrayed and all along the novel I found myself wanting to hum those tunes alongside her. We'll see more in the second book of the trilogy, Dragonsinger, the importance of harpers in Pern.

The fantasy world is so brilliantly built and vividly described that I could picture each scenes in my head. I really love dragons and most particularly the small fire lizards (I want one!). The relation Menolly has with them is simply adorable!

Menolly lives in a Sea Hold where the community survives on fishing and the description of the every day life in the Hold is very detailed and you can nearly feel the salty wind on your face while reading Anne McCaffrey's words. The hardship of living in such a remote setting explains the personalities and organisation of the people living there and how they contrast with Menolly's.

Anne McCaffrey is one of the best fantasy writers of all time and the Harper Hall trilogy, starting with Dragonsong, is a beautiful story of the fight of a musically-gifted girl to play and sing even if it means leaving her family and home. If you are a fan of fantasy, dragons and/or music, this book is definitely for you. Even though the book has been published for the first time in the 1970s, the story hasn't aged one year and readers from all ages will love to discover Menolly and her fire lizards' story.

Thanks to Transworld for providing me a copy of this wonderful book!

Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge 2011!

Hi all!

As I hinted a few weeks back, I will be hosting in 2011 the Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge.

I am organising this challenge for readers to discover (and re-discover) the wonderful talent of Anne McCaffrey. She has written more than a 100 books and novellas in both science fiction and fantasy genres. She is the first woman to have won the Hugo Award (in 1968) and in 2006 she was inducted in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Anne McCaffrey is absolutely amazing and she has written fantastic novels on various subjects (Dragons? check. Unicorn girl? check. People with extrasensory powers? check. Dinosaurs? check. Pirates? check. Aliens? check. And plenty more!).

The Challenge:

The Challenge won't be anything too complicated: you set yourself a goal at the beginning of the year (may it be 2 or 25) and you achieve it whenever you want during 2011. You can obviously change your goal during the year, so if you set yourself 3 books and realise you can't survive another day without reading a fourth Anne McCaffrey book, just amend your initial goal!

If you have no idea who Anne McCaffrey is and don't know where to start, you can trust my fantastic taste *beams* and follow my lead in my schedule below!

Update: I had a few emails about it and I confirm: you can set yourself a goal of one book and complete your challenge during the year, that is entirely fine!

Everyone can participate in the challenge, so if you don't have a blog you can publish your opinion of the book on websites like Goodreads or Amazon and send me the link!

As any challenge, this challenge will have prizes and cool events (says me - and I might be prejudiced in the matter) so stay tuned!

I have focused on Anne McCaffrey Young Adult-y books but you can read her adult novels as part of the challenge!

MY PROGRAMME:

(all links to Goodreads)

I am aiming to read the following books - you can join me for a quarter or the entire year but it's definitely not mandatory!

First Quarter: Harper Hall Trilogy

The Harper Hall trilogy has been listed as one of the best young adult fantasy novels of all time (link here) and centres around harpers (traditional singers) and people bonding with their personal dragons in the fantasy planet of Pern. (Fantasy series)

January: Dragonsong (read my review here)

February: Dragonsinger (read my review here)

March: Dragondrums (read my review here)

Bonus read: Dragonharper (written with Todd McCaffrey)

Second Quarter: The Tower and Hive series

The Tower and Hive series, written with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, is set in the Pegasus universe, a technologically advanced society in which telepathy, psychokynesis and other psychic Talents are used. It is a love story through space! (Science Fiction series)

April: The Rowan

May: Damia

June: Damia's Children

Bonus Read: Lyon's Pride

Third Quarter: The Dragonriders of Pern (the original trilogy)

Those three following books represent the original trilogy of the Dragonriders of Pern. If you wonder why I put this trilogy after the Harper Hall trilogy, it is simply because The White Dragon needs to be read after Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums. You may read the books in the order you prefer! (Fantasy series)

July: Dragonflight

August: Dragonquest

September: The White Dragon

Bonus Read: Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern

Fourth Quarter: Your choice!

I still haven't decided which book to read for the fourth quarter (I may be reading Anne McCaffrey's stand alone novels like Restoree instead of a series) and you will have read at this point enough books to know what you will prefer! I'll post my choices in September if you still don't know what to choose!

You don't need to decide now either, I'd rather you decide in October if you prefer reading her science fiction novels or more of her Dragon books or if you would like to try her Acorna the Unicorn Girl series!

Visit Anne McCaffrey's wikipedia page for a complete bibliography (link here)!

To participate:

Post an article on your blog about the Challenge, linking to this article setting your goal and maybe the books you would like to read.
You may add my pretty logo to your blog
Send me a link (email here) or comment on this post giving me a link to your article, I will add the link to my Challenge page.
As you review the books, update your sign up post with links to your reviews. (If you are a non blogger, send me an email or comment on this post and I shall add you).
I have added a linky post for you to put the link of your reviews
And most importantly enjoy the books!!

If you have any questions or doubts, don't hesitate to contact me, I will be happy to answer any question or/and help you with anything I can! I really hope you will enjoy discovering the worlds created by Anne McCaffrey!

You can visit Anne McCaffrey's blog (link here) for more info and news about her!

For my logo I used an artwork from The Pern Museum and Archive (link here), don't hesitate to take a look at their gorgeous website!

Participants: