Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern

by Todd McCaffrey (Editor), David Brin (Contribution by), Lois McMaster Bujold (Contribution by)

Overview

When Anne McCaffrey passed in November 2011, it was not only those closest to her who mourned her death; legions of readers also felt the loss deeply. The pioneering science fiction author behind the Dragonriders of Pern® series crafted intricate stories, enthralling worlds, and strong heroines that profoundly impacted the science fiction community and genre.

In Dragonwriter, Anne's son and Pern writer Todd McCaffrey collects memories and stories about the beloved author, along with insights into her writing and legacy, from those who knew her best. Nebula Award–winner Elizabeth Moon relates the lessons she learned from Pern's Lessa (and from Lessa's creator); Hugo Award–winner David Brin recalls Anne's steadfast belief that the world to come will be better than the one before; legendary SFF artist Michael Whelan shares (and tells stories about) never-before-published Pern sketches from his archives; and more.

Join Anne's co-writers, fellow science fiction authors, family, and friends in remembering her life, and exploring how her mind and pen shaped not only the Weyrs of Pern, but also the literary landscape as we know it.

Contributors include:

Angelina Adams

David Brin

David Gerrold

John Goodwin

Janis Ian

Alec Johnson

Georgeanne Kennedy

Mercedes Lackey

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Lois McMaster Bujold

Elizabeth Moon

Charlotte Moore

Robert Neilson

Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett

Robin Roberts

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Wen Spencer

Michael Whelan

Richard J. Woods

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937856830
Publisher:	BenBella Books
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	985,869
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Todd Johnson McCaffrey wrote his first science-fiction story when he was twelve and has been writing on and off ever since. Including the New York Times bestselling Dragon's Fire, he has written eight books in the Pern universe both solo and in collaboration with his mother, Anne McCaffrey; appeared in many anthologies, most recently with his short story, "Coward," in When the Hero Comes Home (2011), and with "Robin Redbreast" in the forthcoming When the Villain Returns (August 2012), and the mini-anthology Six.

He is currently working on several non-Pern books, including the near future City of Angels and an alternate history steam world where Bonnie Prince Charlie captures London and restores the Stuarts to the thrones of England and Scotland.

Visit his website at http://www.toddmccaffrey.org.

David Brin's 16 novels include Existence, Earth, Startide Rising, and The Postman, which was filmed in 1998. He is recipient of three Hugo Awards and a Nebula. His nonfiction book The Transparent Society won the ALA Freedom of Speech Award.

Editorial Reviews

10/14/2013
Fan fiction is the appropriation and use of characters and plots from popular books, television series, and movies by amateur writers. It’s a genre that’s most often associated with the Fifty Shades trilogy. The spread of fan fiction may be facilitated by the Internet, but as Jamison, a University of Utah literature professor, and the dozens of other contributors show, it is in no way new—nor is it inherently uncreative. After presenting examples of classical, medieval, and Sherlock Holmes–inspired fan fiction, Jamison takes readers on a tour of the field as it developed in the 20th century, focusing on television- and book-based fan fiction of the 1990s and 2000s, a period when technology allowed people across the globe to share their enthusiasms online. Though to some readers, fan fictioneers may look suspiciously like anarchic communitarians at best, or thieves at worst, this book, with a foreword by Lev Grossman, takes a sympathetic and supportive look at the unconventional practice, highlighting both its precedents and the benefits this mixing of ideas can bring. Those already in the know about fan fiction may find little that is new here, but those unfamiliar with the field would do well to read this text. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

Not only was Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011) one of the twentieth century’s best known and most successful science fiction authors with her the Dragonriders of Pern series, she had a huge personal influence on the generations of authors and exceptionally loyal fans who followed in her wake. In this multifaceted biography, the remembrances of writers such as Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Moon, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Brin are read with careful professionalism. In addition, insightful and emotional tributes written and narrated by friends and family, such as singer-songwriter Janis Ian and McCaffrey’s daughter, Georgeanne Kennedy, pull on the heartstrings. McCaffrey led a remarkable life, emigrating to Ireland in 1971, where she raised horses and, of course, poured her knowledge of folklore, classic literature, and opera into her work. Perfect for giving voice to dragons. B.P. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2013 - AudioFile