Anne McCaffrey

All the Weyrs of Pern

Anne McCaffrey

• 1992 Hugo-Novel nominee
• Score: 6.42

For generations, dragonriders had dedicated their lives to fighting Thread, the dreaded spores that rained from the sky to ravage the land. Now Masterharper Robinton and F’Lar and Lessa, Weyrleader and Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr, have excavated Pern’s original settlement, uncovering a computer that has news for them: they can annihilate Thread forever!

Dragonsdawn

Anne McCaffrey

• 1989 Campbell 3rd
• Score: 6.39

The beautiful planet Pern seemed a paradise to its new colonists—until unimaginable terror turned it into hell. Suddenly deadly sporeswere falling like silver threads from the sky, devouring everything—and everyone—in their path. It began to look as if the colony, cutoff from Earth and lacking the resources to combat the menace, wasdoomed.

Then some of the colonists noticed that the small, dragonlike lizardsthat inhabited their new world were joining the fight against Thread,breathing fire on it and teleporting to safety. If only, they thought,the dragonets…

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern

Anne McCaffrey

• 1984 Hugo-Novel nominee
• Score: 6.34

An air of pleasant anticipation hung so thickly over the Halls, Holds and Weyrs of Pern that it had affected even the businesslike ways of Moreta, the Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr, where her dragon, Queen Orlith, would soon clutch. Then without warning, a runnerbeast fell ill. Soon myriads of holders, craftsmen, and dragonriders were dying; and the mysterious ailment had spread to all but the most inaccessible holds. Pern was in mortal danger. For, if dragonriders did not rise to char Thread, the parasite would devour any and all organic life it encountered. The future…

The White Dragon

Anne McCaffrey

• 1979 Hugo-Novel nominee
• Score: 6.29

Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed betweenthe daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary whitedragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of manytalents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that wouldnever amount to anything.

But Jaxom knew better, knew he could teach his dragon to fly and todestroy the deadly silver Threads that fell from the sky. Disobeying allrules, Jaxom and Ruth trained in secret. Their illicit flights seemedbut a minor disobedience—until they found…

Dragonquest

Anne McCaffrey

• 1972 Hugo-Novel nominee
• Score: 6.22

Another Turn, and the deadly silver Threads began falling again. So thebold dragonriders took to the air once more and their magnificent flyingdragons swirled and swooped, belching flames that destroyed theshimmering strands before they reach the ground.

But F’lar knew he had to find a better way to protect his beloved Pern,and he had to find it before the rebellious Oldtimers could breed anymore dissent…before his brother F’nor would be foolhardy enough tolaunch another suicide mission…and before those dratted fire-lizardscould stir up any more trouble!

Freedom's Ransom

Anne McCaffrey

When Kris Bjornsen and her fellow slaves were dumped on an uninhabited planet by the alien Catteni overlords, they would surely have died-without the help of Zainal, a renegade Catteni exiled by his own people. But they did survive on the planet they named Botany, and in time they drove the Catteni away from Earth and neighboring planets.

Technologically limited but rich in natural resources, Botany must find its place in the newly configured universe. A trip to Earth shows Kris and Zainal how desperately the devastated home planet needs what Botany can give.…