Dragonflight (Pern: Dragonriders of Pern, #1)

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Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern #1)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 48,140 ratings · 1,185 reviews

HOW CAN ONE GIRL SAVE AN ENTIRE WORLD?

To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright.

But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon. The bo

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Mass Market Paperback, 303 pages

Published April 12th 1979 by Del Rey Books (first published 1968)

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Jul 24, 2009 Robyn rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: someone you really hate

If you like the "dragonriders of pern" series you've probably have not read good scifi/fantasy or you're an idiot.

I forced myself into reading the first three books because some crazy old lady at work lent it to me and i didn't want to offend her; i admit i was also horribly fascinated at how absurdly stupid these books are.

I really don't know where to start. The misogyny, which i know to a lot of you isn't a big deal being guys and all, is completely retarded. The most "dynamic" couple (quote f...more If you like the "dragonriders of pern" series you've probably have not read good scifi/fantasy or you're an idiot.

I forced myself into reading the first three books because some crazy old lady at work lent it to me and i didn't want to offend her; i admit i was also horribly fascinated at how absurdly stupid these books are.

I really don't know where to start. The misogyny, which i know to a lot of you isn't a big deal being guys and all, is completely retarded. The most "dynamic" couple (quote from a fan of the books) start off with the guy raping the girl and then just constantly raping her into loving him while he's beating her while not raping her. The business with the sex of the dragon you're riding and whether you get molested by some weirdo is retarded; if you're a girl riding a gold or green girl dragon (all other colors are male) you are forced into having sex with some douchebag that rides the mating male dragon, if you're a guy with a female green dragon you're safely escorted into another room while your dragon does its thing. I was really waiting for the point where a guy with a female green gets buttraped midair by some guy with a male brown, but i was (obviously) sorely disappointed. Keep in mind that most people start reading this series when they're like 7 years old.

Other than that, the plot is vague and loops around itself, drama and situations are constantly happening that add absolutely nothing to whatever story anne mcaffery is trying to tell (its hard to figure out). All of the characters that are introduced throughout the book are pointless and one-dimensional especially since they're all kind of the same people except for maybe one character trait and the occasional lame background story.

I do not need action in a book to enjoy it, but the constant poorly-written dialog and poor illustration of the "world of pern" isn't even interesting enough to compensate for the insanely lame and infrequent action. Fans of this book want to think that the author has created a wonderful detailed universe in these books that is just so super-great, but it is by far the worst attempt at the creation of an alternate reality i have read. it's trying to be a book about people on big telepathic time-traveling dragons saving the world, but mostly its a bunch of clueless melodramatic idiots bumbling around in poorly-described surroundings throwing dinners and getting raped and introducing uninteresting plot/dialog/characters.

I guess you could almost say I'm thrilled to find something to hate so much, which is what i found in "dragonriders of pern". Also, I hate anyone who enjoys these books.

(less)

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Scott ^Robin: this is not misinformation. Somewhere in F'lar's dialogue (around the middle of the novel) he says that he is "as good as raping" Lessa. Which...more
May 01, 2013 07:12pm

Astraea Scott wrote: "Somewhere in F'lar's dialogue (around the middle of the novel) he says that he is "as good as raping" Lessa. Which means he's raping her...more
updated May 03, 2013 02:45pm

Jan 24, 2013 Ceridwen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragons, fantasy, grok-this, reviewed, sci-fi, space-the-final-frontier, the-future-is-now

I have known a bunch of people who really like this series, and I finally read it a couple of years ago. There's a lot to like here: a "magic" that isn't really magic, but physics dressed up in a leather bodkin, dragons, plucky girls who swear revenge by all that is holy! I also totally get how much of the rapeyness and bitch-slapping is a function of the time when this was written, and for a lot of people, it slips past unnoticed because they read it so young. Plus, dragons! Wooo!

This is what...more

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Jun 25, 2009 Brad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fantasy, sci-fi

Lately I have been noticing a recurring observation about the quality of first books in various series. There seems to be a growing consensus in reviews that the first book of a series, particularly if it is the first book published by an author, is inherently weak because the author is "learning their craft."

It seems to be both an excuse for what is perceived as poor quality and an excuse for going on in the series despite being underwhelmed by the opener.

I had this in mind as I began reading...more

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May 16, 2007 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-reads

It should be stated that I squandered most of junior high reading Anne McCaffrey's sci-fi/fantasy novels near-exclusively, but this was my first time revisiting her since then. I was surprised to find that the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series actually does have a good story, with interesting characters and an excellent invented world. However, the writing is just abominable, and in spite of being a woman, McCaffrey is frustratingly chauvanistic. The (lack of) copyediting makes me cr...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Libby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009, science-fiction, fantasy-epic-and-series, fantasy-fairytale-and-myth

I truly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to continuing with the series. This work is a well-written, creative adventure novel with the perfect amount of romance. It’s storytelling at its best.

The book is a nice mix of Science Fiction and Fantasy. The setting is the world of Pern. We are told in the Prologue that Pern is a planet settled by Earthlings but now long forgotten. It has apparently reverted back to a feudal type society where most of the citizens live in “holds” which are hist...more I truly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to continuing with the series. This work is a well-written, creative adventure novel with the perfect amount of romance. It’s storytelling at its best.

The book is a nice mix of Science Fiction and Fantasy. The setting is the world of Pern. We are told in the Prologue that Pern is a planet settled by Earthlings but now long forgotten. It has apparently reverted back to a feudal type society where most of the citizens live in “holds” which are historically protected by “Weyrs”. The biggest threat facing Pern is environmental; the Threads fall from a neighboring planet and destroy all organic matter on Pern. For centuries the Dragonmen, residents of the Weyrs, have used their dragons to sear the Threads out of the sky before they can infect Pern. But now, over 400 years have passed without any Threads falling and the people of Pern believe the danger is over and that the Dragonmen have outlived their purpose. Too late, we find out that failing to maintain and believe in tradition has weakened the people of Pern and there are dire consequences when the Threads return.

I’ve seen a lot of criticism here that the book lacks character development and/or that the main romantic relationship is sexist and abusive etc. I do agree that this book is somewhat dated and that how writers represent romantic relationships has certainly altered to reflect the current social norms. However, I think the romantic relationship between F’lar and Lessa, while dated, is not outright abusive. As the setting of the book is feudal, I think the male dominate culture is appropriate. Further, much of this resolves as you see their relationship evolve over the course of the book into a relationship of equals. All that aside, this is a Sci/Fi / Fantasy novel not a dating manual. I find it odd that readers expect to see healthy, politically correct relationships and/or that they expect people to emulate the relationships they read about in books; if that’s true so much for Wuthering Heights. The relationship fits the setting and works for the novel. I think people may read too much into it.

The highlight of this book for me is the amazing relationship between a rider and his/her dragon. Once a dragon Impresses a rider they are forever two parts of one whole. The relationship is unique and moving. It’s a great companion aspect to the fast paced and engaging plot. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a book that is a lighter read while still being a richly told adventure story.(less)

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Feb 09, 2008 Mike rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nobody

Shelves: fantasy, xcharity-2011

What a disappointment. It started out just fine with Lessa, sole survivor of her family wreaking revenge on the evil dude who conquered "Ruatha Hold". The whole dragon/human mind meld thing was okay too. The part that really disgusted me was the whole raping/physical abuse shtick by the supposed hero. My thoughts were, if this was my daughter as the heroine, then the only thing to be done would "bag and tag" that F'lar a**hole cause I would have invented the .45 cal and then blown his head off w...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragons, library-books, pnr-uf, shifters, fantasy

As this book was written in 1968, I'm sure everything that could be said, has been said. I'm just amazed at Anne McCaffrey's skill in crafting such a wonderful book. It feels as fresh as the day it was written.

This is the story of the planet Pern, dragons, dragonryders, and Threads that come from the Red Star every couple of hundred years.

No heavy world building here, just the world as is. As of course, it really must be!

I want a dragon of my own, right now!

Love this book and I'll be reading m...more

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May 20, 2013 Uncommon Sellsword rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, disappointing

2.5 Stars

It wasn't difficult for me to ply myself in nineteen-seventies science fiction fantasy. The retro-singularity enmeshed with a keen sense of aesthetic majesty made for a more resplendent piece, yet I found very seldom to enjoy in Dragonflight. Unfortunately, the strongest aspects of Dragonflight had little sway in progressing the story, as opposed to structuring the setting around it.

I was particularly interested in the feminist appeal Anne McCaffrey would deluge but, surprisingly, ther...more 2.5 Stars

It wasn't difficult for me to ply myself in nineteen-seventies science fiction fantasy. The retro-singularity enmeshed with a keen sense of aesthetic majesty made for a more resplendent piece, yet I found very seldom to enjoy in Dragonflight. Unfortunately, the strongest aspects of Dragonflight had little sway in progressing the story, as opposed to structuring the setting around it.

I was particularly interested in the feminist appeal Anne McCaffrey would deluge but, surprisingly, there was very little feminist integrity to be found in this novella. Her heroine had little character, and was generally unlikable. She had no unique, idiosyncratic traits or irregularities in her personality nor did she have a distinctive attribute. The integrality of her being was the fact that she was a female (a gender which came scarcely to protagonists in novels of this ilk during that certain decade).

Her role in the novella was meant merely to ameliorate an all ready flat story. And if it wasn't for the particular anomalous of her circumstance, I wouldn't think twice about her character. Her heroine, unlike nearly all characters of this genre, isn't adorned in gowns or dresses. However, it's going to take a lot more than a leather clad, dragon mounting, loudmouth wench to really display a true exemplary of her feminist ideals.

It's a shame that this novel started off auspiciously, dealing with courtly intrigues and the economics of their intergalactic society, while also barefaced in her science fiction concepts. Whereas the second half was null; the plethora of slot characters and the ultimate diminishing of the story's pace.

And though it may sound odd, but the Dragonriders Guild was boring. Oftentimes consisting of brutish, monomaniacal men bickering over every scrap of trivial shares and responsibilities. Even with the appearance of a woman no truly interesting initiative was taken, nor did the story turn for the better. It was only earlier in the novel, where erratic noblemen and denizens were shown visibly conflicted with their presence and then, there was a true dynamism in her story.

What really ends up working for her story is the imagery. Science fiction fantasy is a sub genre that has garnered quite a bit of acclaim, its mainstream genesis being The Dying Earth. Its elaborate prose along with an effulgent physicality keep Dragonflight somewhat readable. However, what really shines are the concepts which are too technological to be fantasy, yet too flaky to be science fiction. This would include leaping time intervals and my favourite, the Red Star.

Better than any antagonist Anne McCaffrey could ever have contrived, the Red Star is her crowning piece of brain candy. A rogue planet, whose passing of Pern subjects it to an alien exposure that plagues the entire planet. It is a strange and hostile pestilence, which was able to provide some thrills. And the best part is that there is absolutely no plot device, Deathtraps or moustache twirling villains.

However, this lack of conflict is too detrimental. The second half of the story was a surplus of excursions that were revealed through brief conversations, and long-winded chapters which contained very little importance to the story as a whole. And though some intriguing concepts were explored, the lack of conflict left me completely apathetic.

It's always upsetting to see a novel with tons of potential, squandered with poor storytelling. And in this case, her qualms festered in her characters as well. Her story, for better and worse, lacked a formulaic style that both plagued and enhanced her storytelling. McCaffrey's concept was appealing and better yet, memorable. But the true helm of any novel lies in the characters and story, both of which ended up lacking and were disappointingly sedentary. (less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Ricky Ganci rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, it was better than Eragon. This is a very cool book—a welcome literary repast. Upon reading the introduction, I thought it was going to be hard fantasy-laced science fiction, but then it settled nicely into being a very traditional fantasy setting. Other newer series that I’ve read seem to draw much from the set up of McCaffrey’s Pern, and the Hold system, complete with Craftmasters, seems to indicate more than a little inspiration to Ranger’s Apprentice. The traditional medieval setting s...more

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Mar 18, 2008 Sean rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

The Dragonriders of Pern series really caught my imagination back in my preteen/early-teen years, when I picked up a library copy of The Renegades of Pern that my mom had put down. I next read All the Weyrs of Pern (thrilling at the brilliant cover art by Michael Whelan) and then started from the beginning, whipping through Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon, Moreta, Nerilka's Story and the Harper Hall Trilogy.

I recently had the urge to revisit those carefree years of meaningless scienc...more

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Oct 26, 2007 Steph rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book back in sixth grade and thought it was exciting in the "wow, dragons are so cool; I wish I had one!" sense. I read it again on a whim and found it unintentionally disturbing. It's not just that the writing seemed dry and the characterization wooden. I realize the book was written in the late 60's, but the male-female dynamics still seem uncomfortably dated. The text seems to condone F'lar's treatment of Lessa; he patronizes her, yells at her, shakes her when he's angry, and prac...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Corinne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

Dragonflight takes you through Lessa's journey into the world of dragon riding in Pern. The book lacked character development and I barely connected with the main characters, let along the dozens of bizarre names that would fly by. I read this as an e-book and at the end there was probably 15 pages just explaining terms and who is who (would have been helpful to know earlier...). While those things can be great, as a reader I shouldn't NEED those, the protagonists journey should suffice in intro...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Dane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Memory is a tricky thing. Especially memory from childhood.

Case in point: 'Dragonflight'. I remembered this being a well written, serious science fiction novel with good characters. That's not what I just finished reading.

There are few characters in this book well developed enough to even be thought of as proper characters, and those that are are lacking in depth, and are largely unlikable. Lessa is a self-centered idiot, and F'lar is a misogynistic self-centered idiot. I'm fairly certain they'r...more Memory is a tricky thing. Especially memory from childhood.

Case in point: 'Dragonflight'. I remembered this being a well written, serious science fiction novel with good characters. That's not what I just finished reading.

There are few characters in this book well developed enough to even be thought of as proper characters, and those that are are lacking in depth, and are largely unlikable. Lessa is a self-centered idiot, and F'lar is a misogynistic self-centered idiot. I'm fairly certain they're also supposed to be the 'heroes' of the story. F'lar is also a dragonrider - one of an elitist band of similarly misogynistic self-centered idiots who have contributed absolutely nothing to the civilization of Pern in 400 years, and yet expect the 'common folk' to cater to their every whim just because completely different dragonriders who have been gone for centuries actually were quite useful. Lessa, meanwhile, is nobility, and because of some hereditary specialness on her part, she gets picked to ride the new queen dragon. Apparently this requires someone with a really strong personality, and yet the job description more or less entails just sitting around and waiting for someone to mate with you, because you're too 'important' to do anything even remotely interesting. To Lessa's credit, she doesn't allow herself to be constrained by these expectations, but that's not enough to make me care what happens to her.

So we can't look to the characters to get us through this book. What about the story? Well the story does actually draw you in a bit, and provided you don't actually think about it too much, the world building isn't bad. You've got a fairly unique science fiction premise with dragons thrown in, and it somehow manages to work. Does the society make any logical sense whatsoever if you try to take a serious look at it? Not really. But it holds up well enough for a light read, and if you're reading books about dragons, you're probably not looking for anything too serious anyway. I do take some issue with pacing of the story. I can only assume that McCaffrey was under some kind of tight deadline, because as you read further and further, less and less time seems to get spent on increasingly important plot points. By the end, you sort of feel like you're reading a summary of a book rather than an actual book.

So yay for an interesting world and story idea, nay for characters and the actual execution of the plot. 3 stars seems a bit generous, but this was better enough than books I've given 2 stars to that I feel the need to make the distinction. And there's probably some nostalgia at work there too.(less)

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May 29, 2011 Arielle Rae Aguilar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dragonflight
By Anne McCaffrey

Type of text: Novel

I love books that the main character is a girl! I love it that a GIRL saves the world etc. Its just show the power of us girls can do!! It has a very complicated and detailed plot and I cant stop reading it.

I recommend this book to everyone, especially to people who likes a feisty heroine.

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May 04, 2013 Amanda rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: graphic-novel, sword_and_laser

I read “Dragonflight” because it was the Sword and Laser book for April. I did not know anything about the book when I started reading it. This is a story about: time travel, dragons, revenge and love. Sounds like it could be fun. WRONG! This is one of the worst things I have ever read, and I have a 7 year old nephew.

The basic plot idea could have worked if the writing was not so dreadful. The story is choppy and a bit hard to follow. It is not a complicated story, but just so poorly written. I...more

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Jun 21, 2009 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-fan-group, series-that-i-bailed-on

I read this once, in my early teen years. I wasn't real impressed, but if I can squeeze it into my schedule for June readings, I'll give it another go.

I've decided to skip this one. It doesn't look any more exciting than it wasn't in my early years. Too little time for books that aren't going to interest me. Maybe some other time...

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Dec 14, 2009 Cassy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Stephenie Meyer

Shelves: physical-own, award-hugo, fiction-scifi-fantasy-paranormal, 2009

This book was good. Adequate might be an even better adjective.

In fact, my husband asked if I wanted to go to the bookstore to buy the next book. (He is a very good husband who has continually witnessed me get sucked into fantasy series.) My answer was "huh, it never even crossed my mind to continue the series." One book was enough. I'm glad I read it for a bit of enjoyment and to sample McCaffrey's writing, but I am done.

I liked the use of dragons, but the author didn't offer anything new to...more

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Sep 22, 2008 Amalthea The Unicorn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes (romantic) sci-fi and doesn't mind mistakes

Recommended to Amalthea by: A friend at school

Overall, I do really like the basic story concept of this book and the whole series (hey, I read every one I could find at the library, didn't I?).

BUT

I strongly dislike the inconsistencies in the storylines, grammar/spelling, and editing (e.g., says "he" instead of "she" in some places). I also dislike the complete lack of chronological order between books, though I realize other series (e.g., Redwall, Chronicles of Narnia) work perfectly well this way. I think it's mostly related to the constan...more

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Nov 01, 2008 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Heather by: Kent

Apr 26, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vamps-and-other-mythical-beasts, reviewed, fantasy-sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 25, 2012 Curtiss rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, science-fiction

I first read this when it was serialized in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact magazine way back in 1967; I still have all three issues. Its a story of "revenge served cold" in which the heroine Lessa of Ruatha uses her latent psychic powers to bring about the doom of the man who murdered her entire family when she was just a girl. At a later point in the story we learn how Lessa was warned in time to save herself from also being slaughtered by the renegade Fax.

We also learn that Lessa's world...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Veronica Belmont rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sword-and-laser

I took this review from a 5-star to a 4-star in my rereading. It's Dragonflight still an excellent book? Yes. But perhaps I read now with more of a critical eye than I did almost 20 years ago.

The Chronicles of Pern contain some of the most believable and relatable dragons in fantasy, and they're truly the mold from which other dragons in the genre are cut. However, I find my issues now revolve around the human characters in the story.

Lessa and F'lar, specifically, seem pulled from a YA novel of...more

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May 19, 2008 Kimmay rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mccaffrey-anne, speculative-fiction, fantasy

Felt rather outdated. It annoyed my that the main male character F'lar mistreated Lessa the way he did, I mean shaking her everytime he was ticked at her ? Come on, If Lessa was half of what she was portrayed to be she would have told him to piss off and at least shook him back, I realize that this was written in the 60's but still...
I sincerely hope that McCaffreys writing improved as time went on like everyone says her writing did, but seeing how many 5 star reviews there are here i am wonderi...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Chandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having to estimate this date a I know I read it, but forgot to record. Half a a year into my Author of the Year Challenge, Pern is proving more difficult than I thought. Not so much because the books are hard to read or anything, but it is very hard to keep track and easily figure out which is the next book to read in the series. I started out trying Pern chronological, but that did prove a bit confusing and so since McCaffrey herself suggested reading in publication order, I have switched to th...more

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May 09, 2008 February Four rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was interesting in the beginning, but by the time we got to Lessa's Impression I was thinking about other things I could be doing with my time. I don't mean to be critical of a published author ... no, I do. >_> 1980 words to infodump over the course of scribbling a poem. No wonder the book is 82,000+ words. Please, dear god, let me never commit this sin. And don't even get me started on the sentences. *wincing* Ouch. My ESL students could make sentences that made more sense than that.

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May 10, 2013 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Daniel by: Sword and Laser

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I like to read summaries on Wikipedia before I start reading books, especially if they are the first of a series. So I knew about the setting for Dragonflight before I read it and it seemed really nice. Sci-Fi-ish background story for the planet Pern, dragons, powerful female character. That seemed all very good starting points for a great read.

The execution was really disappointing to me though. From the first part "Weyr Search", which I really liked and found very promising, it all went downwa...more

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May 03, 2013 Robyn Mann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Read the whole review at http://96eustonroad.wordpress.com/201...

THE DEAL: On the planet Pern, the massive dragons and their riders with whom they share a telepathic link were once the heroes and saviours of their people, protecting them from the deadly alien spore called Thread, which devours all organic material in its path. But Thread hasn’t fallen in four hundred years, and the dragons and their riders have fallen into disfavour, scorned as parasitic relics from a bygone era. Lessa is more c...more

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May 01, 2013 Casey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, dragons, time-travel, hugo-award, sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It doesn’t help that whenever I read the word dragon, the theme song to Dragon Tales immediately pops into my head. Dragonflight was published in 1968, and the only other science fiction and/or fantasy book I have read in that same time period is Dune, published in 1965. Truly, I don’t have much to compare it to, time-wise when it was published, and it would be unfair to compare to today’s novel.

I had a difficult time understanding the world of Pern. The backstory is certainly intriguing: humans...more It doesn’t help that whenever I read the word dragon, the theme song to Dragon Tales immediately pops into my head. Dragonflight was published in 1968, and the only other science fiction and/or fantasy book I have read in that same time period is Dune, published in 1965. Truly, I don’t have much to compare it to, time-wise when it was published, and it would be unfair to compare to today’s novel.

I had a difficult time understanding the world of Pern. The backstory is certainly intriguing: humans have migrated from Earth into outerspace and settled Pern. Sometime after the initial settlement, Threads descend from the Red Star, a planet which orbits closely to Pern, and destroys everything. Threads are defined in the glossary as “mycorrhizoid spores from the Red Star, which descend on Pern and burrow into it, devouring all organic material they encounter.”

I assume all the technology was destroyed by the Threads? I would think if humans had developed space travel we would be able to defeat spores, considering the invention of fire was one of the first things we did along the road of evolution. Also, did all humans settle on Pern? If not, where did everyone else go?

There isn’t any real description about these sorts of questions. So-called dragons have been found to fight the Threads and burn them down, but the dragons have to chew on special stones to shoot fire.

The story opens with two dragonmen F’lar and F’nor looking for a Weyrwoman, essentially the dragon queen. They find her, Lessa, who has the ability to control others with her mind (not explained or explored too much) and the rare ability to communicate with all dragons, not just the one that partners with her. On goes the story, and Lessa and F’lar try to figure out how to defeat the Threads that are due to descend on Pern again.

The Threads didn’t seem too scary. Really, I imagined giant spiderwebs coming out of the sky and the dragons shooting it down like a mini-game. No real strategy on the Threads’ part to counterattack or anything. They’re just dropping like silly string apparently.

Lessa and F’lar’s relationship was weird. I take it with a grain salt since of the time period in which it was written. All of the sex is implied, and it definitely makes it seem like rape. I thought it was ridiculous how Lessa “gets shaken” by F’lar all the time when he’s mad. It is somewhat amusing that she is shook all the time because you would think it would be an epithet for a punch or a beatdown, but no, she gets shook. At one point she expresses fear that she will get shook by F’lar by disobeying him. What is even stranger is that she is a defiant, arrogant, determined individual who is always doing things her way. It is contrasted with this sexual domination by F’lar because of the culture of the dragons and whatnot. However, it is all subtle in the story, and I would think most kids would miss the implications, although they may pick up on the relationship as not a normal, modern one. It is like a soap opera fantasy romance.

It took me awhile to get into the story, but there is action and the second half kept me entertained. The time travel deus ex machina was unexpected. It does seem there are limitations to how far back on can travel, but the implications of bringing people to the future wasn’t explored. It was interesting that no one resisted the time travel, they just went along with it. Time travel is a confusing concept and can make your head spin, but McCaffrey never got into the details about it, which is probably for the best because this wasn’t a heavy story that could handle such philosophical dealings.

So, is the solution for any further Thread attack to travel back in time to gather more fighters? Will this be something they are going to use again and again? What about for situations not relating to Threads? Who will regulate it?

The characters are never developed well. F’lar is pretty much a macho man who shakes Lessa and looks at her tenderly when she’s asleep. Lessa yells and stomps to get her way but saves the day because she takes action. She gets a point for that because she really is the opposite of a damsel in distress, she is an out of control damsel. The other characters are not too interesting. The dragons could have gotten more page time. They seem like they are rolling their eyes all the time at all the humans.

I liked the story but in weird wringing my hands hemming and hawing about it. An epic battle is always fun, but we never get there! The story moves rapidly and doesn’t linger too long. And the story is certainly original. The world-building is meager. Dragonflight could have been helped by some more exposition and character insight.
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Apr 13, 2013 Fictionaljuliet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, own, ebook

It took me long enough to get around to reading Anne McCaffrey's work, despite being a self-described scifi/fantasy book lover. It's one of those authors/series that I saw everywhere, so much that it desensitized me to its appeal. Alas, dedicating my time to more reading, I figured I couldn't go wrong with this series. Heck, I even downloaded the e-book version, rather than trudge about thrift stores, second hand shops and even my own inventory to find a used copy.

So, Dragonflight is the first i...more It took me long enough to get around to reading Anne McCaffrey's work, despite being a self-described scifi/fantasy book lover. It's one of those authors/series that I saw everywhere, so much that it desensitized me to its appeal. Alas, dedicating my time to more reading, I figured I couldn't go wrong with this series. Heck, I even downloaded the e-book version, rather than trudge about thrift stores, second hand shops and even my own inventory to find a used copy.

So, Dragonflight is the first in McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, written in 1968. It centers on kick-ass female figure Lessa who eventually gets involved in the dragonriders of Pern to help save the planet's human inhabitants from the threat of the Thread, though most of the book is about the humans saving themselves from each other, since the Thread hasn't struck in about 4 centuries, most people forgot them or dismissed the threat as empty myths.

It's funny to read a book published before I was born, and written before many of the books I read, yet so many elements of the story I've seen in other scifi/fantasy books - the epic threats that are forgotten to the danger of humans; the telepathic links to pet dragons. It makes me want to go back to those other favorite books of mine, and try to figure out who inspired who.

***** M I N O R S P O I L E R S A H E A D *****

The writing had an interesting style to it, reminding me of Ursula K. LeGuin in its epic-ness. The plot is a little too predictable, in that the good guy basically always wins - none of the setback that plague so many contemporary literary characters. It's the antithesis of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones series - instead of all the heroes and good guys dying, all the good guys in McCaffrey's book lives and always win. But the telling is rather dramatic, and kept me reading. Some character details and scenes, while cute, were oddly place (like Lessa's hair, clean for the first time in a decade, falls victim to static cling - cute but the passage went on a bit too long). The characters were well drawn out, and I appreciate how the narrative style changed to suit the character it highlighted. The book was engrossing, and kept me up all night until I finished it, around 4am.

Maybe I've read too many scifi/fantasy stories that were inspired by McCaffrey and her world of Pern that I'm not as enamoured of her dragons as many seem to be (Naomi Novik and Steven Brust got to me first). But I will continue to read this series, at least this trilogy, and will see of the dragons grow on me or not.
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Apr 13, 2013 Joseph Zurat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Joseph by: Sword and Laser

Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi

This is one of those books that I've been meaning to read for the better part of 15 years. It would probably have been better for me to read it then than now. While it has aged fairly gracefully, it is the source of tropes that have been done many MANY times since its original publication. I really like the dragons in this, though, and the two PoV characters are interesting enough that I plan on continuing at least with the first trilogy.

As far as the plot for just this book, it feels like a lot...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The Sword and Laser: Female characters in Pern (Full Spoilers)	113	343	May 04, 2013 09:44pm
The Sword and Laser: On the use of Dragons (minor spoilers)	35	196	May 04, 2013 05:52pm
The Sword and Laser: And .... done. (Spoilers welcome)	59	326	May 04, 2013 05:39pm
The Sword and Laser: S&L Podcast - #126 - More like Dragon-FIGHT!	31	195	May 03, 2013 02:33pm
The Sword and Laser: A Whiteboard Reflection	14	130	Apr 18, 2013 07:46am
The Sword and Laser: S&L Podcast- #124- Whur ma dragons at?	21	237	Apr 17, 2013 12:25pm
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About Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey was born on April 1st, 1926, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 1:30 p.m., in the hour of the Sheep, year of the Fire Tiger, sun sign Aries with Taurus rising and Leo mid-heaven (which seems to suggest an early interest in the stars).

Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent. She had two...more

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“My eyes are green, my hair is silver and I freckly; the rest is subject to change without notice.” — 9 people liked it

“Dragon kind was no less cruel than mankind. The Dragon, at least, acted from bestial need rather than bestial greed.”
~ A thought by Lessa ~” — 8 people liked it

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Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern #1)

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