Dragonwriter

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War of the Worlds

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN is a trademark of Anne McCaffrey
Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.

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First e-book edition: August 2013

Dragonwriter : a tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern / edited by Todd McCaffrey, with Leah Wilson.

pages cm

Summary: “Science fiction Grand Master Anne McCaffrey and her work, particularly her Dragonriders of Pern series, are beloved by generations of readers. She was one of the first science fiction writers to appear on the New York Times bestseller list, the first woman to win the Hugo and Nebula Awards, and an inductee to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Her death in November 2011 was met with an outpouring of grief and memories from those whose lives her stories had touched. Edited by her son Todd, Dragonwriter collects McCaffrey's friends, fans, and professional admirers to remember and pay tribute to the pioneering science fiction author, from the way her love of music and horses influenced her work to her redefinition of the SF genre”—Provided by publisher.

eISBN: 978-1-937856-84-7 1. McCaffrey, Anne—Appreciation. 2. McCaffrey, Anne—Influence. 3. Science fiction, American—20th century—History and criticism. 4. Women and literature—United States—History—20th century. I. McCaffrey, Todd, 1956– editor of compilation. II. Wilson, Leah, editor of compilation. III. McCaffrey, Anne, honouree.

PS3563.A255Z75 2013

Copyediting by Brittany Dowdle, Word Cat Editorial Services • Proofreading by Chris Koch and Amy Zarkos • Cover illustration © 2013 by Michael Whelan • Cover design by Heather Butterfield • Text design and composition by E. Strongin, Neuwirth & Associates, Inc. • Printed by Bang Printing

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COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Anne McCaffrey, Believer in Us” © 2013 by David Brin

“Why Are You Reading This Stupid Shirt?” © 2013 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

“Star Power” © 2013 by John Goodwin

“How the Dragonlady Saved My Life” © 2013 by David Gerrold

“Bookends” © 2013 by Robert Neilson

“Lessons from Lessa” © 2013 by Elizabeth Moon

“Flying in New Directions” © 2013 by Robin Roberts

“Modeling the Writer's Life” © 2013 by Lois McMaster Bujold

“All the Weyrs of Pern” © 2013 by Wen Spencer

“The McCaffrey Effect” © 2013 by Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett

“The Ships That Were” © 2013 by Mercedes Lackey

“The Dragonlady's Songs” © 2013 by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

“Religion on Pern?” © 2013 by Richard J. Woods

“Annie and Horses” © 2013 by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

“Picturing Pern” © 2013 by Michael Whelan

“Red Star Rising” © 2013 by Alec Johnson

“Changes Without Notice” © 2013 by Angelina Adams

“The Twithead with the Dragon Tattoo” © 2013 by Charlotte Moore

“The Masterharper Is Gone” © 2013 by Janis Ian

“Universal Mum” © 2013 by Georgeanne Kennedy

Introduction, Afterword, and essay introductions © 2013 by Todd McCaffrey

Introduction

Todd McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey, Believer in Us

David Brin

Why Are You Reading This Stupid Shirt?

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Star Power

John Goodwin

How the Dragonlady Saved My Life

David Gerrold

Bookends

Robert Neilson

Lessons from Lessa

Elizabeth Moon

Flying in New Directions

Robin Roberts

Modeling the Writer's Life

Lois McMaster Bujold

All the Weyrs of Pern

Wen Spencer

The McCaffrey Effect

Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett

The Ships That Were

Mercedes Lackey

The Dragonlady's Songs

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Religion on Pern?

Richard J. Woods

Annie and Horses

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Picturing Pern

Michael Whelan

Red Star Rising

Alec Johnson

Changes Without Notice

Angelina Adams

The Twithead with the Dragon Tattoo

Charlotte Moore

The Masterharper Is Gone

Janis Ian

Universal Mum

Georgeanne Kennedy

Afterword

Todd McCaffrey

Acknowledgments

About the Editor

To all those who have found solace in the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey and Pern

ALL TOO OFTEN
we try to measure a person by cold, hard facts: when they were born, when they died, their marriages, their children, their schooling.

Is that really enough to illuminate a soul? What about when they cried in despair, wept for joy, screamed in exultation—aren't those all memorable moments? When they sang, when they played, when they loved?

What is it, truly, that marks a life and gives it shape?

Those of you who are reading this probably have already met some aspect of Anne McCaffrey. Most likely you know of her as the science fiction author of the famous Dragonriders of Pern® series. Perhaps you first found her with
The Ship Who Sang
or with
To Ride Pegasus
or any of some hundreds of other novels, novellas, novelettes, and short stories.

So you know a part of Anne McCaffrey, and you're reading this because you'd like to know more—perhaps to see her through different eyes: ones that knew her in a different light or from another perspective.

Dragonwriter
presents essays by people who knew Anne McCaffrey from various stages of her career and various points in her life that we hope will illustrate the life and passion of this marvelous person in ways previously not explored.

You'll get a chance to hear recollections from all three of her children—Alec, her eldest; middle child, Todd (me); and the youngest, daughter Georgeanne Kennedy—as well as from people who knew her most of her adult life, people who only met her through her writing, and people who knew her entirely outside of her writing.

It is not really possible to present Anne McCaffrey to you in a clear, concise way. It is simply not possible to show but snippets of the rainbow of her personality, of the array of ages in her life.

By way of background, from a high-level, distant view, it is possible to say that Anne McCaffrey was born on April Fools' Day in 1926 to a stern disciplinarian by the name of George Herbert McCaffrey and his wife, Anne Dorothy (McElroy) McCaffrey. She was the second of what were to be three children and the only daughter. Her father had served as a lieutenant in the First World War, was a reservist between the wars, would go back into service in the Second World War, and would finally die of tuberculosis contracted while working for the UN in Korea.

While growing up, Anne was called “LeAnn” or “LeeAnn” to differentiate her from her mother. In college, she majored in Slavonic languages and literature (including minor excursions into Celtic literature) with a minor in geology. She wanted to be an opera singer and wound up, after graduation, working in a music store where she met Horace Wright Johnson. He wooed her with recordings of
The Beggar's Opera.