(Post a new comment)

	cmdr_zoom 2011-11-22 10:56 pm UTC (link)
	The Ships will mourn for her, and their Brawns too. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	dark_puck 2011-11-22 10:59 pm UTC (link)
	The Ships, the Catteni, the Linyaari... so many worlds she created. :( (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	freezer 2011-11-22 11:19 pm UTC (link)
	The Talents, the Crystal Singers, the people of Peyteebee... (Reply to this)(Parent)

	annathepiper 2011-11-22 11:02 pm UTC (link)
	I was seeing this explode across my social networks just now, yes. :( Tzornth and Valreth and Trollith and Yfandeth, from PernMUSH and from the offline Telgar Weyr fan group, the main dragons I roleplayed or wrote for, are keening. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	cmdr_zoom 2011-11-23 01:05 am UTC (link)
	It was PernMUSH that got me to finally read the series (for research). Starting, chronologically of course, with Dragonsdawn and its more sci-fi narrative before diving into the fantasy romances of the first-written books. I was Mastertailor of Benden for a while, if memory serves - but that was years ago. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	tez 2011-11-23 01:11 am UTC (link)
	I never really could get a handle on PernMUSH. I think it was just too big. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	annathepiper 2011-11-23 03:26 am UTC (link)
	I've got several side characters I wrote about as Crafters in the offline group I was in. Man, now I feel like I need to go re-read a bunch of her books! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	brennalarose 2011-11-23 04:29 pm UTC (link)
	I wasn't on PernMUSH, but I did write for a sanctioned FanZine when I was 13. I'd like to think Derra's green (who never got named sadly) is keening, and that my two PCs are getting smashed in her honor. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	anarchicq 2011-11-22 11:42 pm UTC (link)
	I loved Menolly. I loved that she was a strange red-head, like me. I grew up loving dragons and the fact she had so many fire lizards was just awesome to me. ...I kinda shipped Menolly/Mirrim before I knew what shipping was. In middle school I did a project on Dragonflight. I got a good grade. I never got good grades. (Reply to this)

	anatalya 2011-11-22 11:49 pm UTC (link)
	This has actually brought tears to my eyes. (Reply to this)

	seraangelus 2011-11-23 01:02 am UTC (link)
	:( Her Dragonriders of Pern books were a part of my childhood, as were the Talent and Crystal Singer series. A sad day. (Reply to this)

	tez 2011-11-23 01:06 am UTC (link)
	Holy crap. Pern was my first fandom, my first online RP experience, my first...fuck, almost everything fan-related. I was so proud of my lil' dragons. Hell, one of those dragons gave me the LJ handle I've been using for ten years. Says something, right there. RIP. (Reply to this)

	pyratejenni 2011-11-23 01:14 am UTC (link)
	Goddamn it. Pern was my second fandom. I learned how to plot in it, made some great friends through the various clubs, and heard some funny stories about AM from the BNFs of the day. (Reply to this)

staroverthebay
2011-11-23 01:25 am UTC (link)

problematic or not, I always thought her writing was interesting and unique. And the Dragonriders of Pern formed an early part of my youth as an author. She inspired me even if when I went back and reread some of the books I didn't like some of the elements, and I got bored with the later books.

I loved, loved, LOVED the character of Robinton, the Master Harper. He inspired a character in my original fics, a character I've always liked. I don't know what it is about him that I liked best, but I just remember that I always loved him. I even have a CD of the Pern songs that was done with Mrs McCaffrey's blessing, and the music is amazing. I should go dig it out of a box here when my parents get home from Arizona.

This makes me very sad, even if I haven't read a new book of hers since "Masterharper of Pern" when I was still in high school. However, she did live a good long and full life, and I am grateful that she did touch my life even if only marginally. Her books were an interesting blend of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, a combination I really haven't seen since.

Farewell, Madam Dragonlady. Thank you for helping me develop my writing talent back when I was a strapling teenager.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	brennalarose 2011-11-23 04:31 pm UTC (link)
	You have that CD? I lost mine YEARS ago! Bought it under the table at Pennsic when I was 14! I loved the shit out of that one! Don't suppose I could prevail upon you to send me the mp3s? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

staroverthebay
2011-11-24 08:41 am UTC (link)

I'll have to find it again in a sea of boxes, and my parents don't get back from Arizona until the middle of next week, so it'll be at least a week or more before I can get around to finding it, but sure. If you don't mind a bit of a wait while I find out where the hell everything went (moving sucks! And some of these things have been in boxes for almost a year now since my parents moved 0_0;;) I can try and rip the CD.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	brennalarose 2011-11-29 03:55 pm UTC (link)
	I went to a con this weekend and priced the copies they had. Between $18 I don't have and being patient, I can totally wait for you. And, believe me, I understand the "What Box Is It In" game. I've lived in this house for 3 years and I still have boxes that need unpacking. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

staroverthebay
2012-03-24 09:21 pm UTC (link)

I'm terribly sorry for such a long delay but with work going nuclear on me (almost lost my job in February) and this What Box Is It In game being juggled between two houses, took me until today to find the CD.

I did find it and am in the process of ripping the tracks and converting them to MP3

I'll post in Fandom Lounge to get your attention for this. But I wanted to post here too just in case you have it tracked.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	brennalarose 2012-03-25 07:41 pm UTC (link)
	It's okay! Thank you a million times! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	rowanberries 2011-11-23 02:07 am UTC (link)
	Oh my god. Pern was my first involvement in online fandom. It had it's problems, but what a fascinating world she created. And some of her short stories were just gorgeous. Anyone else read that one about IVF before IVF was a thing? That one made me smile. RIP, Anne. I think I'm going to drink gin and cry now. (Reply to this)(Thread)

platedlizard
2011-11-27 08:50 am UTC (link)

Anyone else read that one about IVF before IVF was a thing?

Yeah, I remember that one! The husband's sister was the surrogate, and the mother of the wife(?) wanted them convicted for incest because she didn't believe something like that was possible. But in Court the babies (it was twins) unmistakably resembled their grandmother, so the case was thrown out. I guess Anne didn't predict genetic testing.

It's been years since I read that one. Hah.

"A Horse of a Different Sea" was equally interesting for introducing the idea of mpreg to me, hehe.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

come_love_sleep
2011-11-23 03:18 am UTC (link)

Twenty years ago I used to hide under the bed with my mother's copy of a hardback compendium of the Harper Hall books, and read it over and over. I had this childish notion that if I was reading those books I would be safe.

Then I got a bit older, started falling in love with other girls, read about the whole Tent Peg Theory and stopped reading Anne McCaffrey. I had friends online talk about how rude she was in person. I lost most of the respect I'd ever had for her.

But.
When I was reading her books, I was safe. In a very, very dark childhood, if I had my hand on one of those books, nothing bad ever happened.

I hope it was as close to painless as is possible in this world, lady. I don't believe in an afterlife, but you made my here-life better, and for that I find I'm only thankful.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	singe 2011-11-23 01:47 pm UTC (link)
	I'm another one who could identify too well with Menolly and was enthralled and comforted by her Great Escape to the Harper Hall. RIP, Anne, and thank you. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

brennalarose
2011-11-23 04:35 pm UTC (link)

Menolly was my safety net, too. Singing was my escape and, even when I thought my choirmaster was a roaring dick, I knew that his class was my one last bit of shelter before I had to go home. And when I fell daffy in love with dolphins, Mom sent me off to my father's one summer with "The Dolphins of Pern". Surprise, surprise, there was Menolly, all grown up.

I think I'll be blowing most of my con money this year on her books. Seems like you never know what you have until its gone.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	singe 2011-11-24 02:43 am UTC (link)
	Mice ate my Pern novels. I need to buy them again, too! (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	platedlizard 2011-11-27 08:53 am UTC (link)
	Cockatiels ate mine. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	singe 2011-11-27 03:09 pm UTC (link)
	Maybe I should try one. Apparently they're tasty! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	iczer6 2011-11-26 11:57 pm UTC (link)
	RIP Mrs McCaffrey. (Reply to this)

platedlizard
2011-11-27 08:59 am UTC (link)

The Harper Hall trilogy were the first real, non-picture books I read. Truely. It took me about two weeks to finish the first one in third grade. My very first fan fic was written in 4th grade, F'lar finds a radio in the depths of Benden Weyr and contacts Earth with it. After that I was never without a book on me, and when I traveled somewhere I usually took at least three or four. I didn't much like her later books (especially the Pern books after All The Weyrs... the series should have ended right there IMO), but I will never ever forget Menolly or Ruth or any of the other characters from the earlier series. Anne, Andre Norton, and Mercedes Lackey pretty much defined my childhood. Now two of the three are gone. I miss them :(

(Reply to this)