Author of Dragonriders Of Pern passes away, aged 85
McCaffrey, though forever associated with telepathic dragons, always claimed The Ship Who Sang was actually the favourite of her own novels.
Born on 1 April 1926 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, McCaffrey published her first short stories in the early ’50s and continued writing until shortly before her death. She emigrated to Ireland in 1970 where she brought up her two younger children after divorcing her husband. She lived out her life in the Emerald Isle, in, according to her website, “a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill (because she had to dig out a hill on her farm to build it)”.
The first Pern story “Weyr Search” was published in 1967 and won the 1968 Hugo Award for best novella. The second, “Dragonrider”, won the 1969 Nebula Award for best novella. McCaffrey was the first woman to win either award. In total she wrote or co-wrote 22 Pern novels and two Pern short story collections.
So long and thanks for all the dragons, Anne. Our thoughts are with your family.
