sad news in the writing realm: Anne McCaffrey

[hippiechyck]

passed on on Monday

 

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/11/23/anne-mccaffrey-dragonriders-of-pern-author-dies/?mod=google_news_blog

 

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.

 

i admit i was weepy...oh how i LOVE Dragonriders...my 2009 NaNo is a fan fiction based on Pern

[Steve E]

The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern Vol 3, 1986) was the first book of Anne McCaffrey's I had ever read. The relationships between the dragons and the dragonriders stuck with me for a long time.

 

For those of you unfamiliar with Anne McCaffrey's work, check out the Author's Page on Amazon.

 

Ride strong, Anne McCaffrey.

-Thoth

[orrenm]

AM was one of those authors whom I've always intended to read (and we own Dragonriders of Pern, which my wife loves) but somehow never got to it. Nevertheless, I too was sad to hear of her passing.

 

Orren

[PaulCompton]

Although I have never read her work, I always feel that anyone whose work has been honoured by Terry Pratchett with such strong allusion as the Pern stories were must be a great author. Fantasy is simply not really my genre, but maybe it will become so now - I might go and get myself some McCaffrey!