How many Pern books have you read?

[Grimward]

Couldn't make it thru the first one. Not my thing, I guess.

 

[Parson]

I would say fantasy for the most part, as the books, to start with anyway, are set on one planet, until the people of Pern discover the buried ships in the Southern continent & by uncovering those discover the computer, AIVAS & it's abilities & their history, then the books start to become Sci-Fi. A mix of both I'd say.
Anne did write Sci-Fi too. The Ship Who Sang etc.

I loved the Crystal Singer series. But I did not know that Pern eventually had computers? space ships?!! Another pat answer of the Parson's goes by the boards. I stopped reading with "The White Dragon."

 

[hopewrites]

I left off with the (spoiler death of AVIS and Robertion) All my favorite characters seemed to be going separate ways and settling into "mundane" lives, which got me thinking it was time to head home to earth and do the same. or something like.
PS @ Parson- you left off one book before Avis showed up (He's the AI mentioned above [though I've probably spelled his name wrong] that helps the Pernies discover their past, and a way to achieve their dearest hopes for the future.)

 

[Pyan]

one book before Avis showed up (He's the AI mentioned above [though I've probably spelled his name wrong]

You're close - it's AIVAS: Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System.

Did you know that Pern itself is an acronym, too? It was taken from the title of the first survey of the planet, coded P.E.R.N. - Parallel Earth, Resources Negligible.

The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Sadly, only one Pern book, the singular one I bought second hand years ago-The White Dragon. (I never was able to find any of its predecessors, since I tend not to shop new due to monetary concerns.) But I had come across some others just a couple years back and looked through them and didn't really find them all that interesting, really. I guess it's because of characters I wasn't used to, and also the fact that if The White Dragon had had any real impact on the world, that it was guiding in a shift towards technological science fiction rather than non-technological fantasy; of course, anyone is welcome to tell me otherwise on that issue.


(Yes, I do like my readings to be a little on the primitive side, for the most part. Not to say there aren't great ones that aren't, though.)

 

[Timba]

I loved the Crystal Singer series. But I did not know that Pern eventually had computers? space ships?!! Another pat answer of the Parson's goes by the boards. I stopped reading with "The White Dragon."

Those darn pat answers!

I also loved the Crystal Singer Series, The Ship Who Sang and all the associated books related to that amazing concept and the Rowan series.

 

[Parson]

Those darn pat answers!

I also loved the Crystal Singer Series, The Ship Who Sang and all the associated books related to that amazing concept and the Rowan series.

I liked them too. Although I think I would take the Rowan series before The Ship Who Sang, The City Who Fought, ___ I think I read them all, but I never felt they lifted much above run of the mill S.F.

 

[hopewrites]

Sadly, only one Pern book, the singular one I bought second hand years ago-The White Dragon. (I never was able to find any of its predecessors, since I tend not to shop new due to monetary concerns.) But I had come across some others just a couple years back and looked through them and didn't really find them all that interesting, really. I guess it's because of characters I wasn't used to, and also the fact that if The White Dragon had had any real impact on the world, that it was guiding in a shift towards technological science fiction rather than non-technological fantasy; of course, anyone is welcome to tell me otherwise on that issue.


(Yes, I do like my readings to be a little on the primitive side, for the most part. Not to say there aren't great ones that aren't, though.)

well he brings time travel and it paradoxical consequences to light. so there is that.

(thank you Pyan for correcting my spelling, I was sure I had got it wrong but didnt feel like getting out of my chair and crossing my room to get it right. I remembered that Pern was an acronym, but not for what. As my spelling error clearly showed, acronyms dont stick in my head.)

 

[Tiffany]

Those darn pat answers!

I also loved the Crystal Singer Series, The Ship Who Sang and all the associated books related to that amazing concept and the Rowan series.

I liked those as well. In fact Anne has never written a book I haven't liked & that includes her non Sci-Fi/Fantasy books as well. I have all in paperback & a few as hardbacks.

 

[Pyan]

I'd agree - if it wasn't for The Masterharper of Pern. It just felt so much of a retcon, forcing the presence of Robinton into places that he'd never been mentioned as being present, and putting him in so many pivotal times and situations.

I must say, I do prefer the earlier books - there's a raw power in the ones where Lessa, F'lar and F'nor are the main characters, which seems to dissipate somewhat with the "second-generation" leads of Jaxom, Sharra, Brekke, Piemur et al. But Pern'll always remain one of my favourite places to visit when I want to reread something that's warm and familiar.

 

[suralxiong]

I've only read the first three - fantasy was never my main focus but I enjoy most of annes books.

 

[ghost8772]

I've heard rumors and hearsay, that Anne McCaffrey didn't want to be relegated to fantasy. Pern, (Acronym-Parallel Earth, Resources Negligable) was never really a fantasy novel. it didn't have a high level of technology, but even at Dragonquest there were hints, and legends that pern was colonized, not a world that sprung into existence with humans and dragons co-existing. read the forewords on the books some time. I enjoyed the pern books, mostly, I have read all the books Anne wrote, the ones she wrote with Todd, and a couple he wrote, but really stopped because I didn't like his world of pern.

 

[jastius]

I have read everything she has published. I remember I got in trouble with my babysitter because she thought get of the unicorn was a dirty book, when I was ten or so. she took it to my dad and after that my dad used to steal all my anne mccaffery novels! Worse, my dad would always bend back the covers and dogear the pages ( the horror) when I couldn't stop him, i started to give him bookmarks of all shapes and types for every gift giving holiday to limit the destruction he started !! okay, it wasn't so truly awful as I remember it being as it was annoying to get back finally a book I hadn't completed and it was underlined, with a broken spine and pages falling out...( what else could you expect for 75cents a book? )oh well.

 

[summer013]

I've read them all.. The Masterharper is definitely my favourite.. It's funny how comfortable you become with an author's voice that when Todd McCaffrey started co-writing her series I was incredibly disappointed - somehow his voice lacks the maturity and depth that Anne McCaffrey had.

I hold out hope that he'll improve though!

 

[Harpo]

I read them in sequence during the summer of 2003 - a local secondhand shop had them all cheap so I bought them and read them avidly. I can't remember now when my supply ran out. I highly recommend this method of reading any good series.

 

[Hardlight]

Dragonquest so far. My comment is that it's hard to read. Rather halting language.

 

[Rafellin]

Read everything she released up to the one after The White Dragon (or thereabouts) as they came out. At that point, for me, the series lost it's appeal.

On the shelf I have Dragonflight, Dragonquest, Dragonsinger, Dragonsong, To Ride Pegasus and Pegasus in Flight.

 

[kdf_333]

why everyone. even the ones i disliked by Todd.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

All the ones Anne herself wrote, but lost interest when Todd joined in.
I haven't reread them recently, but my favourites from the Pern series are the prequel (short stories, I think?) and the one in which they finally manage to get up to the spaceship.
I loved the Crystal Singer trilogy and the Freedom series too. Even read a lot of her early, slightly erotic stuff.
Basically, for me Anne McCaffrey could do no wrong and I cried when I heard she'd died.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I think all up to about 1988. The first 7 or so are best.

I think they were perhaps not as good as originals even before Todd. But I think I prefer the couple of Todd ones to the Rowan series, but I'd probably read the rest of the dragon books and Rowan books if I get them SH.