We've lost Anne McCaffrey.
I never had the opportunity or the privilege to meet Anne in person, but she influenced me enormously as an author. I've been reading her novels almost all my adult life, and I've never stopped; this week I'm working on The White Dragon. Over the years I have read editions of Crystal Singer, Restoree and Powers That Be so many times that they fell apart and I had to go get new copies. I also have at least one copy of every book she's ever written. Probably two or three; I have shelves of lending copies.
At the beginning of my career Anne read the manuscript that would become my first published novel, StarDoc. She wrote a beautiful letter with her thoughts about it, and provided a lovely quote for the cover. That's the sort of kindness and generosity that you can only hope to pay forward, because you can never pay it back.
As for me, I'm going to get an early start on Thanksgiving and say thank you, Anne. Thank you for all the amazing novels you wrote, for your kindness to me and so many other writers, and for bringing so much wonder and delight to the world. Your time here was not wasted. And I pray with all my heart that you have a safe journey to the next place, and there dwell in beauty and peace.
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I had given up on reading until my sister gave me Anne McCaffrey's Pern and Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover. Without them, I might never have learned reading could be fun, and they were my introduction, along with C.S. Lewis to the world of speculative fiction. Thank you for opening my eyes and those of many others to wondrous tales.
ReplyDeleteHer books were first given to me by my father. I've kept them in a special place on my shelves for nearly 20 years. Readers who loved the dragon lady will feel her loss tremendously.
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to her for sharing her gift with the world, may she rest in peace.
A beautiful tribute to Ms. McCaffrey! She'll always be the dragon master for me. Though like you, I've worn through copies of the Crystal Singer series and Powers That Be series as well as the Pern series. She will definitely be missed.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to hear this. I did a google search for more information; didn't realize she had lived to 85 years young. You always think of your favorite authors as ageless! ;p One comment on a news site said "She built worlds that you could get lost in while reading". How true.
ReplyDeleteI believe Restoree was the first book of hers I ever read. The Dragon books kept me happily lost in other worlds through most of the 80s.
— Bonz
Oh no. No no no.
ReplyDeleteIt will not be heaven without books, and I look forward to the masterpieces created by authors I adore when they no longer have the pain of bookbirth.
I cried. The White Dragon got me through so many bad moments in my life. Crystal Singer introduced me to a whole new world of kickass women.
ReplyDeleteOh that is so sad. I didn't know her either, but I met my husband online, in an online text-based, real time RPG game named VirtuaPern. It was before MMOs came to be, in the late 1990s. We both loved her Pern series and that's how we ended up discovering the game, joining the community and meeting each other, when my husband helped in showing me the ropes. I guess her son will continue the series, though I have to admit I only read one of those and I couldn't continue reading the series. The "voice" had changed completely.
ReplyDeleteRIP Anne, you will never be forgotten.
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteHer Dragonriders of Pern trilogy was my introduction to Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I remember reading them at my dad's house. They were part of my step-mom's book collection and seemed like the only thing interesting to me at the time. I was 11 years old in 1985, but I can still remember reading them for the first time. My step-mom still has that same copy of the books (an all-in-one edition) although the book cover has been "lovingly" chewed on by Great Danes in the past. I bought her another copy a few years ago, but she still hangs on to the original. I have borrowed it I don't know how many times and the copy of that book has traveled around the world with me when I was in the Navy. Anne's books have given me much joy over the years and lifted my spirits when I needed it. Rest in peace Anne. I know I will miss your stories.
Tami
Jacksonville
So sorry to hear about the loss of Anne McCaffrey.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was new to SF/F, I read THE CRYSTAL SINGER & RESTOREE and fell in love with them and always enjoyed her books. Her work will always live on.
Anne will be greatly missed.
ReplyDeleteI cried a few tears when I heard.
ReplyDelete