Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern is one of my favorite world-building series. I think as a girl growing up in the 50's and 60's, I was the perfect target for the Dragonrider books. Having been told I could not pursue either of my dream careers (astronaut or [large-animal] veterinarian) simply because I was a girl really crushed me. Along comes Lessa, destined to become the greatest dragon rider of all Pern. I was caught up and transported to this strange world where a girl beat the odds. And on dragons, too. (Yup, not a very subtle substitution for horses.) So I was enthralled.

Now, some 30 or 40 years later, I am determined to conquer my generally-unused iPod nano by loading an audiobook from the library. And so, because I am more interested in the PROCESS of downloading, rather than caring WHAT I download, I begin my search with a parameter limitation to "books that are available", and I begin to browse in sci-fi and fantasy (as is my wont), and one of the first books up is "All the Weyrs of Pern" (as in starts with "A"). Pern. Happily, after much swearing and downloading of recalcitrant software, All the Weyrs of Pern is on my Nano. And what a good time I had. I love the fustiness of the society and its stilted language and customs, the silliness of descriptive prose that serves no purpose but to keep reminding you that you aren't on Earth anymore -- how many times can you be enticed by a "flagon of steaming-hot klah"...without laughing?? Descriptions of all the holds, weyrs, and halls (generally speaking, the structure of Pern society) - and the master craftsmen etc etc etc... are ridiculous and florid and detailed and wonderful (makes Steig Larssen seem like Hemingway in comparison). The victorian/almost dickensian mores and customs are so silly yet provide a real grounding in another civilization that echoes our own, but not.

So, I've decided that I may re-visit the several series that have grabbed me and allowed me to escape into another existence - Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, McCaffrey's Pern, Novik's Temeraire, the wonderful Jo Walton's Sulien books, Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries, and Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies No. 1 Detective books. And maybe work in some others along the way...happy reading!!