(Like “A Time When,” the extract from The White Dragon, this was first published in a limited edition hardback, this time by the ironically-named publisher Cheap Street in 1986.) Aramina and her family are on the run from the vicious ex-noblewoman Thella. Thella is searching for them because Aramina can hear dragons, which would be … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: “The Girl Who Heard Dragons”
Tag: Books
Pern Appreciation Month: Nerilka’s Story
Nerilka is one of the daughters of Lord Tolocamp of Fort Weyr. During the events of Moreta: Dragonlady Of Pern, Tolocamp dishonoured himself by leaving his family to die of plague at Ruatha while he returned to Fort to make sure that measures were taken to protect his hold. On his arrival back at Fort, … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: Nerilka’s Story
Pern Appreciation Month: Moreta: Dragonlady Of Pern
Moreta is a name that has already been dropped several times in this series. We know that she was a famous dragonlady from the past, and in Dragonsinger: Harper Of Pern, we are treated to an impromptu performance of the opera/ballad based around her life and death. We also know that she dies at the … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: Moreta: Dragonlady Of Pern
Pern Appreciation Month: Dragondrums
This was published in 1979 and is set roughly three years after the events of Dragonsinger: Harper Of Pern and about four years before The White Dragon. Piemur wakes up one morning in the Harperhall, helps Menolly feed her fire lizards, has breakfast, then goes off to rehearse a new musical piece that has been … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: Dragondrums
Pern Appreciation Month: The White Dragon
(The first part of this book was published as a chapbook entitled “A Time When” in 1975. I’ve managed to procure some copies of early versions of the novels and stories in this series for when it was relevant, but due to my parents not being named Rockefeller I was unable to obtain this.) This … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: The White Dragon
Pern Appreciation Month: Dragonsinger, Harper Of Pern
When we left Menolly at the end of Dragonsong, she was overjoyed to discover that she was going to live at the Harperhall. After a lifetime of abuse because of her musical talent, she was finally going to be recognised and accepted for her skills. Dragonsinger: Harper Of Pern begins with Menolly arriving at the … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: Dragonsinger, Harper Of Pern
Pern Appreciation Month: Dragonsong
I mentioned previously that “The Smallest Dragonboy” was picked up as a short story idea because Anne McCaffrey was working through a story about a girl called Menolly. After K’van’s adventure was published, she went back to her notes and fleshed out the basic idea some more. And in 1976, Dragonsong was published as a … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: Dragonsong
Pern Appreciation Month: “The Smallest Dragonboy”
In 1973, Anne McCaffrey should have had the world at her feet: she had released several short stories and novels into the world, won some awards that no other woman had won before her, and had the beginnings of a bestselling series in Dragonflight and Dragonquest. However, she had recently divorced her husband and emigrated … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: “The Smallest Dragonboy”
Pern Appreciation Month: Dragonflight
Dragonflight first appeared as two short stories: “Weyr Search” and “Dragonrider”. These were originally published in Analog magazine in October 1967 and in the December – January 1967-68 issues. Together they make up parts 1, 3 and 4 of Dragonflight. Part 2 of the novel (named “Dragonflight” in the book) was submitted to John W. … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: Dragonflight
Pern Appreciation Month: Introduction
Anne Inez McCaffrey was born on April 1, 1926. She was the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards for Science Fiction and was one of the first SF writers to appear on the New York Times bestseller list. She was also a trained opera singer and music and the performing arts … Continue reading Pern Appreciation Month: Introduction
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 26: Thief Of Time
Susan Sto Helit, daughter of Mort and Ysabell, granddaughter of Death, has taken up a teaching position, discovering that she is rather good at it, too. She has achieved some degree of normality, and even her ability to manipulate reality has become something that she utilises with much less of the disdain and doubt that … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 26: Thief Of Time
A Novel Ian Likes: Joyland by Stephen King
Devin Jones has taken a summer job at an amusement park hoping to get over the girl who broke his heart. As the summer progresses, though, he becomes embroiled in an old mystery concerning the murder of a local girl and the culprit who was never found… When I was younger I was a huge … Continue reading A Novel Ian Likes: Joyland by Stephen King
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 12: Witches Abroad
When we last left the Witches, all the way back in Wyrd Sisters, things seemed to have settled down a little bit in the mountainous kingdom of Lancre. There was a new king who seemed prepared to give witches the respect they deserved, the coven of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick appeared to … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 12: Witches Abroad
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 5: Sourcery
It’s tempting to call Sourcery a return to the “roots” of Discworld after a couple of books away from them but, really, using the rest of the series for some perspective, they hadn’t actually gone too far from them. We get Rincewind and his lethal luggage back, as well as the return of the faculty … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 5: Sourcery
A Novel Ian Likes: The Sunne In Splendour by Sharon Penman
Richard idolises his brother, Edward. When Edward becomes king, though, he worries that he won’t have any time left to be notice his little brother anymore. However, Richard hasn’t counted on growing up and becoming one of Edward’s most dependable and trustworthy advisors. So much so, that when Edward suddenly dies and leaves behind a … Continue reading A Novel Ian Likes: The Sunne In Splendour by Sharon Penman