Hi, here's Jo, writing about the phenomenal Anne McCaffrey who died this week. I'm using an image that must belong to someone, but though I've seen in on the web in a few places, it hasn't had an attribution, or not a link to an attribution that worked. It's a lovely picture that shows Anne McCaffrey in her magical context that seems so perfect for the moment.
For those few who don't know, Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011) was a groundbreaking author of science fiction and fantasy, and above all a groundbreaking woman author. SF&F was a male dominated world when she started writing, and most fiction was male protagonist driven, but Anne set out to do it her way, and won both the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award, the first woman to do so. What's more, she did it with relationship books, proving that romance and SF&F can be combined successfully.
Her first hit was The Ship Who Sang, a novella about the relationship between a female space ship and a male pilot (to put it very awkwardly.) A series of stories were put together as a novel in 1969. This is still many readers' favorite.
Her first novel was Restoree (1967), more purely an SF romance, complete with the Ugly Duckling transformation. The heroine is abducted by aliens who use humans as a food source, then rescued by others who don't, and who repair her into a beauty. And there's a tough, warrior hero, of course, and excellent worldbuilding. Great book.
This quote comes from the Wikipedia article about her. '""I was so tired of all the weak women screaming in the corner while their boyfriends were beating off the aliens. I wouldn't have been—I'd've been in there swinging with something or kicking them as hard as I could."'
Don't we all know that feeling! Anne McCaffrey established the strong, female protagonist in SF&F, and also affected popular fiction as a whole. Romance back then had too many heroines wating to be rescued, but she influenced us as well. As Wench Joanna Bourne says, "AMcC was one of the science fiction writers I went to as a child. SF was not particularly friendly to women in the 50s and early 60s. She said,"Girls can too ride dragons," which we all needed to hear."
Yes, Anne McCaffrey is most famous for her Dragonriders of Pern novels. These again started with short fiction as two stories published in 1967 in Analog, an SF magazine, and winning her the Hugo and Nebula. I remember reading Weyr Search in the Magazine back then and being instantly entranced by the "forced marriage story" -- always one of my favourites -- woven into a complex fantasy world with sentient dragons overhung by the terrible threat of "thread."
These stories became a novel, Dragonflight, and if you haven't read it, rush off immediately to do so. It's fabulous, and that's in part because Lessa, the heroine, is the main protagonist in an action/adventure story.
That was only the beginning, and you can read about the triumphs of the next 40+ years in many places, including here. But now, it's over to you. I bet many Wench readers are McCaffrey fans.
Tell us about your favourites, about how you discovered her, and if you first read her in the sixties, how she affected your view of women's roles, women in fiction, women in SF&F.
Or anything else you want to say to celebrate the life of the greatest dragon rider of them all.
Jo
Sorry to hear about her death. I am not a big S.F. fan, but my husband enjoyed her books.
Posted by: Joanna | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 04:15 AM
I think this is the first time that a 'celebrity' has passed and I feel that "I feel like I knew her" sort of sorrow. Anne McCaffrey's work has been a part of my life since I was 12 or so and first picked up Dragonflight. I read all of the Pern books available in my middle school library multiple times, until the librarian commented on it. I used money from my first job to buy my own copies, which I still have on my bookshelf.
I read them a little later, in the 70s, but her strong, determined characters definitely helped to shape my world view. When people ask the "what fictional characters would you like to have to dinner" question, the Masterharper of Pern is usually one of my answers!
I graduated to her other series, continued to read her (and her son's) work and just a couple of years ago, introduced my oldest to the world of Pern and the Rowan series. I felt like I was entrusting him with a treasure when I handed over those worn paperback copies!
Thank you, Anne McCaffrey!
Posted by: Deb Marlowe | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 05:03 AM
I loved Anne McCaffery's books. I read Dragonflight in 10th grade in 1979, and then continued with the dragon series, The Ship Who Sang, and many of her other science fiction books. I loved those dragon books and read and re-read them over the years.
Recently I bought the first trilogy on Audible, and the stories swept me up once again. I was very happy to realize that a favorite at such a young age stood up to the test of time.
Posted by: Susan | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 06:27 AM
RIP, Anne McCaffrey! I started reading her in 1986 or later and later met her at a booksigning in 1990. I have my signed copy of the People of Pern in my lap right now and I connect her with meeting one of my best friends. I read and reread many of her books including Restoree which was a groundbreaker.
Posted by: Robin Greene | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 07:52 AM
I've been a McCaffrey fan since high school as well, starting with DRAGONFLIGHT and going on to read nearly every book she ever wrote (which was a LOT of books!) In addition to the Pern books, I loved RESTOREE (have reread it many, many times, including as recently as this year) the Ship Who Sang books, and the Crystal Singer books. Loved how she wove things like music and sailing into so many of her books. Oh, and when my daughter decided she wanted to pursue singing as a career (while in high school), I handed her the Harper Hall books (set on Pern, aimed at younger readers) and she devoured them--and I suspect they solidified her intent to study music. Maybe I should mention she'll be getting her doctorate in Voice next month. So yeah, I'd say Anne McCaffrey has been a big influence on me as a reader, a writer and a mother.
Posted by: Brenda Hiatt | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 09:31 AM
I first read Anne McCaffrey in the 60's and I loved her books. I have to admit it didn't really register to me that her books were ground breaking, I just knew I loved them. I have quite a few of her books on my shelves, and some still to read, which I'm looking forward to.
Posted by: Barbara Elness | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 09:46 AM
I've always liked adventure stories, and for a while there, I read scifi and fantasy. But, as you said, the women in these stories were all weak, silly nobodies, and I wanted to read about strong women.
My first Anne McCaffrey book was DRAGONFLIGHT. It's one of the few books that, after I finished, I went back to page 1 and reread the entire book. And then I bought every Anne McCaffrey book I could find and waited desperately for the next one to come out. I loved RESTOREE.
I still like adventure stories. Unfortunately, there still aren't all that many with kick-butt female characters. And I like some romance in them. SciFi doesn't work for me any more, and I know some contemporaries have my kind of heroine. But I like historicals, and I wish there were more historical adventure stories with kick-butt heroines.
Posted by: Linda Banche | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Like the others here, I read Anne McCaffrey early--first book was DRAGONFLIGHT--and have loved her forever. She certainly contributed to my lifelong love of sff, though these days I tend to read sff only be female authors, who usually do the relationships better.
For the last several years, I've been on a female sff writer loop, and Anne McC. wa on it,too. Talk about a fangurlll moment! I'M ON A LOOP WITH ANNE MCCAFFREY! (And Ursula le Guiness! And Jane Yolen! And they've all been lovely, down to earth people.)
She truly influenced female genre writers, for which I shall be eternally grateful
And now I need to dig out my copy of RESTOREE...
Posted by: Mary Jo Putney | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 11:58 AM
Dammit.
Posted by: Artemisia | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 12:17 PM
I grew up on those books (read DRAGONFLIGHT when I was 8) and have read multiple copies to tatters. I think it’s time to buy the eBook omnibus and read them again. Anne McCaffrey influenced generations of women and writers. She and her marvelous imagination will be sorely missed.
Posted by: Isobel Carr | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 12:57 PM
About 25 years ago I picked up a book call "The Masterharper of Pern" and was hooked. I went to new and used book stores and bought every book of hers I could find. I was not really into reading before that book. Thank you Anne for filling my heart with so much fantasy.
Posted by: Corena VanRanken | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 02:54 PM
I started reading Anne McCaffrey more years ago than I want to admit. My first read was the Ship Who Sang then The Dragonrider books. All have benn read and reread. Anything by her was an Immediate buy and is on my keeper shelf. I am still searching for replacements for some of her books that I have lost in moving over the years. She will be sorely missed because she was one of a kind.
Posted by: Leslie Lemon | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 07:02 PM
Thank you AMcM for all the great reads! I will miss you.
I can't remember when I was first introduced to Pern but it was probably in the 90s. I read everything I could get by Anne and could not wait for the next book.
I am looking forward to re-reading all the books again. I can't say how often I have re-read the books but at one time I almost had the dialog memorized!
Posted by: Jackie | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 07:41 PM
I bought Restoree in 1968 after attending my first SF convention; Harlan Ellison, the guest at that convention, recommended it. That recommendation says a lot about her writing abilities.
I read the Pern stories as the appeared in Analog and then in the novels. And I have read everything else as soon as I could get my hands on its
She was at the St. Louis World Con in 1969 and was guest of honor at a Lunacon I attended in the early 1980s. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to have a personal discussion with her at either convention.
I will remember her books always (and I regularly reread them).
Posted by: Sue Mccormick | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 09:35 PM
Sherrie here. Years ago I attended a stuffy business luncheon and was seated next to a boring stranger at my table. We made awkward attempts at polite conversation without success until the subject of books came up. The man began rhapsodizing about Anne McCaffrey's The Ship Who Sang, and his enthusiasm was so great that I had to borrow the book from my boss (another McCaffrey fan) and read it! In fact, my boss named her firstborn daughter Lessa, after McCaffrey's heroine of the same name.
Posted by: Sherrie Holmes | Friday, November 25, 2011 at 10:50 PM
I am always amazed when Anne McCaffrey's work is discussed without a mention of The Lady. This is a WONDERFUL book -- and it's not even fantasy or SF. :) (Although I also love all of those, all the series and the standalones, too!)
If you love AMcc's books, Go NOW and get The Lady. :)
Posted by: Sue Stewart | Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 08:21 AM
Anne McCaffrey wrote two of the most wonderful romantic suspense novels -- MARK OF MERLIN, which took place during WWII, and RING OF FEAR, which had S.E.X. when romantic suspense didn't. And it was great! I almost wore those books out (though I still have at least one version). I'd already read RESTOREE and the first Pern book at that point, and at that point she was a goddess to be worshipped. Sort of like Joanna Bourne today (am in the midst of Black Hawk and am in awe)
Posted by: Anne Stuart | Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Jo here. Lots of love for Anne McCaffrey's books. No one here who hasn't read her, which is really interesting. She was such an important writer in popular fiction.
Sue, I hadn't heard of The Lady. I can see how it would appeal particularly to you, as you're a horse person. I'll definitely hunt it down.
Jo
Posted by: Jo Beverley | Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 11:40 AM
The painting of Anne at the top looks very Michael Whelan-ish to me, though I can't find a source for it online nor can I remember where I first saw it.
I first read Anne McCaffrey's stories in the old Astounding Science Fiction magazine. I wondered at the time how such emo stuff got published by John W Campbell.
She also did a dynamite cookbook, funniest one I've ever read.
Posted by: Janice | Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 07:23 PM
I'm another McCaffrey reader, who initially discovered the paperback of Dragonflight on a small paperback spinner in a multipurpose corner store at a village not much bigger than a crossroads while on vacation and remained entranced with all her various worlds and used them as my favorite rereads. In addition to the non-SFF books already mentioned, I loved Kilternan Legacy and Stitch in Snow.
Posted by: Cyranetta | Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 08:17 PM
I started readin Anne with the publication of Dragonflight. I also started reading the Darkover stories not much longer after that. Together they completed what Uhuru had started. I have been a soldier, a mother and a computer scientist. I would never have found the courage for two of those if not for the remarkable women I met and became friends with in the worldof sci fi. I wept deeply upon hearing of Anne's death. It was as if a beloved family memberhad died.
Posted by: Marsha Webb | Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 10:51 PM
It looks like the image is from the cover of her son Todd's biography of Anne.
http://www.tineye.com is your friend for searches like this.
Posted by: romsfuulynn | Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 08:13 AM
I first became aware of Anne McCaffery's books in the early 90's. Her son worked at the same company as I did, and one day he sent out an email that she would be visiting him at the office & would be glad to meet anyone who wanted to stop by their table at lunch. I hadn't known her books, but since I love to read I investigated. I bought 'Dragonflight' and found it most enjoyable and unique to anything I had read in the past. When I stopped by their table I found her to be a very gracious lady. That was the only time I spoke with her, but have since enjoyed more of her stories & was very sad to hear of her passing last week.
Posted by: Diane | Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 12:40 PM
A lesson that life is too short. I wanted to go to Dragoncon three years ago, but let being teased about being totally geeky stop me. It was her last con. I have adored her Pern series for years. They are what got me to stop just reading political thrillers and mysteries in middle school and start reading fantasy and then historical romance. I did drag my daughter out in a dreadful storm to meet Tamora Pierce who I think is the next generation of strong woman protagonist authors. Five years later she still thanks me. I hope that if I every have a chance to meet Word Wenches I don't turn down the chance. I know there is always the conflict between more books and book tours, but somehow seeing in the flesh the person who has made such an impact through their writing, is really significant.
Posted by: Lyn S | Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 05:02 PM
I've been a McCaffrey fan since the early 1970's. Favorites....Restoree, Crystal Singer, The Ship Who Sang, Killshandra, then the Dragonriders books. I have all of these on my keeper bookshelf. I'll miss her voice.
Posted by: Elena | Monday, November 28, 2011 at 01:57 AM
The image of Anne McCaffrey is by the artist Rowena. It is on the jacket of "Dragonholder: The Life and Dreams (So Far) of Anne McCaffrey By Her Son Todd McCaffrey", Del Rey, 1999. Rowena did the second set of paperback covers for the Harper Hall series. I am rather obsessed with the Pern cover art. I have several limited edition Michael Wheelan prints. I also did needlepoint versions of the original Harper Hall paperback cover art. There is no artist credit on the first set of Harper Hall covers.
I began my obsession with Anne McCaffrey books when I was in high school during the 1970's. My favorites were always the Harper Hall series. I got to meet Anne McCaffrey at a con in 1983 while I was a poor college student. I wish I had been less polite and had gotten more of my books signed as that is the only time I got to meet her. My niece is named Kylara, a character in the first two Pern books. Kylara is actually a villain, but my sister liked the name. Anne signed a copy of Moreta for her and hoped she had better luck than the original. My niece is a CalTech alumni and is getting her Phd in Geo-physics from University of Texas in December.
Posted by: Mary Schirmer | Monday, November 28, 2011 at 09:50 AM
Mary, thank for the info on the picture.
And thanks to everyone for the comments. Such a memorable woman and writer,
Jo
Posted by: Jo Beverley | Monday, November 28, 2011 at 10:32 AM
I was never able to get into McCaffrey's sci-fi books (although it has been 15 years since I tried, so maybe it's time I tried again), but I love the early Pern books, the ones that read like fantasy. I love them for the strong heroines, the excellent storytelling and for the pure unadulterated escapism they offer.
Posted by: Bibliophile | Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 03:24 AM
Your article is very special, I learned a lot, I will always look at your article, I covered up your site.
Posted by: Ralph Lauren Outlet | Monday, December 05, 2011 at 05:14 PM