DF: To reread...or not to reread...

[Rich]

Thing is, I read McCaffery...but it was a long time ago. I read not only 'Dragonflight,' but also 'Dragonquest' and 'The White Dragon.' I liked it well enough but was never inspired to go further. I have vague recollections of Thread and dragons and awesome Michael Whelan book covers, but nothing that's stuck with me.

So, do I read that first one again and see if I find anything new in it? Or finish some of the other things awaiting me on my massive "to be read" shelf (three shelves, to be accurate)?

[Serendi]

I read much of the first two when they came out, didn't like a lot of stuff in them. Then Dragonsong came out - better. Dragonsinger - LOVED LOVED LOVED it. The White Dragon - Good! Dragondrums - oh well....

So yeah, I'm having a similar debate, especially since some of the things I didn't like then I like even less these days. On the other hand, some things I didn't like then might be right up my alley now.

Decisions, decisions....

[Sbario]

I loved these books as a teen, while the first 2 are a tad bit dry, the books just get better and better! I own and have read them all plus lots of Ann McCaffery's other series. She makes you feel like you LIVE in these worlds. Reading ALL her works is an adventure. Dragonsdawn blew my mind after reading all previous Pern plus some of her other works. Who didn't want to be a dragonrider after reading about Pern? :)

[Michelle]

OMG yes, I want(ed) to be a dragonrider.

I am still on a journey to read the series in chronological order, albeit that journey is on hold. I don't think I'll reread this time around, not until I get to that point in the universe. It's kind of fun to read in chronological order, to see how Pern (d)evolves...

[Valerie]

I loved Dragonflight - and all the other McCaffrey novels - when it first came out. It resonated with me at the time (revealing my age) because it was so relevant to the time, and in a lot of ways resonates still. Lessa's struggles to be accepted, having to let go of everything she'd fought for, were something I understood. The worlds of Pern evolved, as did the characters.

[Valerie]

Also read some of McCaffrey's other books like Restoree, The Ship Who Sang, Crystal Singer, To Ride Pegasus... Unique, imaginative fantasy/Sci-fi.

[Joe Informatico]

I read Dragonflight about a decade ago, and I barely remember it. Before that, the only McCaffrey I read was the short story The Smallest Dragonboy. I do remember Dragonflight being a fairly quick read, so I'm going to reread it.

[Kim]

I'm curious to see if anyone changes their impression if they are rereading it for the first time since they were young. My wife read and loved it as a child but I only read it for the first time earlier this year and didn't like it. I picked up on flaws and issues she didn't notice due to her age. I wonder if a lot of the high ratings are just due to nostalgia and looking at it through rose-coloured glasses.

[RogueHireling]

Reread it if you haven't in a while. I read and love it long ago as a teenager, but found myself really disliking most of it when recently rereading it as an adult.

[Mallory_S]

TFGamer wrote: "Reread it if you haven't in a while. I read and love it long ago as a teenager, but found myself really disliking most of it when recently rereading it as an adult."

I'm in a similar situation and having identical thoughts.

[Gary]

I'm going to reread. It can sometimes be disappointed to reread a book many years after your first reading. Two years ago I reread the first Thomas Covenant "trilogy" and, honestly, I don't know what I saw in those books when they came out.

However, I have read Dragonflight more than once already. AC wasn't James Joyce, but she had a great concept of character and she's somewhere in the pantheon of gods as a worldbuilder.

So, yeah, I'll reread this one. You can't go home again... but I think you can go back to Pern more than a few times.

[Cliff]

I plan to reread it as well. It will be interesting to me whether McCaffrey wrote Dragonflight knowing where she was headed in the long run (to All the Weyrs of Pern) or if she just managed to fit all the puzzle pieces together really well with Dragonsdawn.

[Firstname]

I remember discovering these as a preteen, and they were awesome. Now, they're still pretty awesome. Some of the later books based on minor characters (Nerilka's Story) get a bit precious, but they're worth at least one read just to fill in the gaps of the worldbuilding.

I'm aware of the "son of famous author writes parent's world" hatred, but having recently read one of Todd's Pern books I have to say, I didn't hate it (from me, that's a compliment). The background is so well done that even the ankle-deep plotting doesn't bug me much.

[Mark]

I read it on audiobook the first time so ill try it in print

[Dwayne]

I actually started to read it for the first time a few months back. I was about forty percent through when I just kinda stopped. It's not a bad book by any means, but it just didn't grip me like I thought it would and there were other things I wanted to read more. That it's the book of the month will probably give me incentive to finally finish it though.

[Jim]

I started an epic retread, and started with the companion book, which gives a recipe for klah, which is drunk a whole lot in this series. I sidetracked myself with making a lot of it.

But, yes, you should read it. And drink klah.

[Gary]

Jim wrote: "I started an epic retread, and started with the companion book, which gives a recipe for klah, which is drunk a whole lot in this series. I sidetracked myself with making a lot of it.

But, yes, you should read it. And drink klah."

Don't tease, man. Post the recipe for klah.

[Desiree]

I periodically reread the first Pern books...when I first read them I used to re-read the harpers ones as well, but growing up it's the dragons and their connection to their riders that stuck with me

[Ryan]

The original trilogy is a light read, but entertaining in my opinion. There are things about it I really don't like because the concepts involved are so foreign to the society I live in (the mating habits of dragon riders really caught me off guard as a kid!), but the world of Pern is vibrant and fresh - a lovely break from more traditional high fantasy.

As I recall, The Harper Hall of Pern trilogy that followed was more a Young Adult series, and focused more on the emotional lives of the young characters involved. Some readers find this more or less compelling depending on individual taste, but I remember enjoying them thoroughly.

For those in search of a deeper plot I'd recommend All the Weyrs of Pern which has a bit more laser in proportion to sword, as it were, or Dragonsdawn which is more heavily a sci-fi book, and quite deep.

[Ally]

I devoured this trilogy when I was younger (as well as the books about Menolly and her fire lizards)

They still hold a special place in my heart but when I recently reread, I was stunned at how problematic the relationship dynamics were and how much that went over my head.

So...mixed feelings now about Dragonflight. Because it was one of those big milestones in my reading life but I'm now uncomfortable gushing about it.

(The first two Menolly books still hold up pretty well for me)

[Colleen]

I spent a goodly portion of the 80's reading (buying) every Anne McCaffery book I could get my hands on. An entire three shelves in my living room hold nothing BUT her books. I will enjoy y'all's discussion but I'm currently obsessed with Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series (sense a theme here)!

I prefer reading series in the order the author wrote them. Anne does jump back and forth in the Riders Series.

[AndrewP]

I read this trilogy, plus at least another half dozen, back when I was in college. At the time I thought they were great so I am kind of hesitant to reread them and discover they are not as great as I thought. Good memories of reading the Dragon books that I do not want to spoil :)

[Vincent]

This will also be a "reread" for me as well. Only read the orgiginal trilogy like many here. Just cracking the surface of the story and already the memories are flooding back. I can't believe I'm going back to Pern! :)

[Jim]

The recipe is found here!

http://www.food.com/recipe/klah-67812

[Gary]

Jim wrote: "The recipe is found here!

http://www.food.com/recipe/klah-67812"

Nice. Thanks. I'll try some tomorrow to nurse my hangover, since that the plan for tonight is Klingon blood wine and transgalactic gargleblasters.

[David]

Back when I was a teen, I joined the science Fiction Book club, the trilogy was included as a combined book free with membership. It's been a loooong time since I read it. I have two more books in front of it, but I'm interested and a little apprehensive to go back to Pern.

[Sabrina]

I loved these books when I first read them 20 odd years ago. My reaction now is much more muted - they're certainly entertaining and I'm enjoying reading through the trilogy now. But at the same time I am much more critical now than I was then, and am having issues with both her writing style and some of the content. Picking these up again now it's hard for me to see why I loved these so much and read through everything of Anne McCaffery I could get my hands on. But the books are fun enough and my memories positive enough that I'm glad to now have the trilogy back on my shelves.

[Ronel]

I am 26 and have only now decided to delve into this universe, and love it. I have the audio-books and found them very entertaining. It would be worth it for me to read the book, but not of all of them as I think I'm too old to really enjoy some of the books. But I will definitely consider reading the Dragonriders of Pern.

[Christopher]

It's kind of funny but i actually liked the book better now then i did when i first read it maybe 15 years ago.

[Sarah]

I think I might re-read them, but I don't know if I have enough time.

As a side note, did anyone play any of the MOOs or MUDs (text based RPGs) based on the Pern books? I was a huge player of Harper's Tale back in the day.

[Cayt]

I was going to post and ask if anyone plays Harper's Tale. I did! I was obsessed with it when I was 9th grade or so. I was always a harper but I did like getting firelizards. Fun times!