New Releases by Anne McCaffrey

“When McCaffrey''s beloved dragons roar and their riders soar on the beasts'' mighty backs . . . fans of Pern will likely be enthralled.”—Publishers Weekly For generations, the dragonriders had dedicated their lives to fighting Thread, the dreaded spores that periodically rained from the sky to ravage the land. On the backs of their magnificent telepathic dragons they flew to flame the deadly stuff out of the air before it could reach the planet''s surface. But the greatest dream of the dragonriders was to find a way to eradicate Thread completely, so that never again would their beloved Pern be threatened with destruction. Now, for the first time, it looks as if that dream can come true. For when the people of Pern, led by Masterharper Robinton and F''lar and Lessa, Weyrleader and Weyrwoman of Bendon Weyr, excavate the ancient remains of the planet''s original settlement, they uncover the colonists'' voice-activated artificial intelligence system—which still functions. And the computer has incredible news for them: There is a chance—a good chance—that they can, at long last, annihilate Thread once and for all.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “At last, Robinton has his own book . . . McCaffrey adds another absorbing chapter to dragon lore. . . . Readers will revel in this compelling character study of a fascinating personality.”—Romantic Times In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries—and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again—a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known. It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread—they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself—so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns . . . “The story takes wing . . . when McCaffrey’s beloved dragons roar and their riders soar upon the beasts’ mighty backs. . . . Fans of Pern will likely be enthralled.”—Publishers Weekly

“No dragons, but [Crystal Singer] has all of [Anne] McCaffrey''s gifts for world-building and characterization . . . an excellent book.”—Chicago Sun-Times Her name was Killashandra Ree; and after ten grueling years of musical training she was young, beautiful—and still without prospects. Then she heard of the mysterious Heptite Guild on the planet Ballybran, where the fabled Black Crystal was found. For those qualified, the Guild was said to provide careers, security, and the chance for wealth beyond imagining. The problem was, few people who landed on Ballybran ever left. To Killashandra the risks were acceptable . . .

For more than thirty years, Anne McCaffrey has reigned as one of the premier talents in science fiction and fantasy, flying above the crowd on the glittering wings of such masterworks as The Dragonriders of Pern and Crystal Singer. Now, McCaffrey soars to dizzying unscaled heights in an exciting new world bursting with adventure and romance . . . On Vega III, where the jaded inhabitants pursue lives of malicious intrigue and decadent pleasure, Lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense has always been an anomaly. Disdainful of the frivolity of her fellows, she prefers the exciting and challenging world of her father, Lord Tionel, owner and principal starship designer of the famous Rondymense shipyards. Precociously gifted, Nimisha becomes Lord Tionel''s secret assistant—and, in the aftermath of a shocking tragedy, his chosen successor at the helm of the shipyards. But supplanting her father''s designated body-heir, the callow Lord Vestrin, is a slight that Vestrin and his mother, Lady Vescuya, will not easily forget. Or forgive. Preoccupied with carrying on her father''s ambitious plans for the Mark 5, an experimental long-distance cruiser, Nimisha dangerously disregards Vestrin''s animosity—until a solo test flight of the Mark 5 goes horribly awry, marooning Nimisha light-years from home on a planet as deadly as it is beautiful. Now, Vestrin and Vescuya are given the chance they''ve been waiting for: to reclaim the shipyards . . . by any means necessary. Only Nimisha''s child, Cuiva—a girl every bit as ingenious as her mother—stands in their way. But for how long? For just when her daughter needs her most, Nimisha is unable to help—and in a precarious situation herself. But Nimisha has never given up in her life—and she''s not about to start now . . .

From the Hugo and Nebula award-winning authors comes the Petaybee series, full of gripping fantasy and daring adventure. Strange things are happening on the icy planet of Petaybee: Unauthorized genetically engineered species have been spotted; geologic survey teams sent to locate newly detected mineral deposits are either coming up empty or disappearing altogether. And the locals aren’t talking—especially not to the company bent on exploiting the planet. Disabled combat veteran Yanaba Maddock seems to be the perfect spy for the company. The frailty that was a liability in the military allows her to gain the trust of the Petaybean natives. But miraculously, with Yana’s relocation to the arctic planet comes the return of her health and strength. And the closer she gets to the people of Petaybee, the more determined she is to protect her new home. For something unusual and wonderful is happening on Petaybee. Something worth fighting for, even dying for—but especially, something worth living for. . . .

In this triumphant return to Pern, Anne McCaffrey takes us on an adventure as surprising and unforgettable as any that has come before . . . It is a time of hope and regret, of endings and beginnings. The Red Star, that celestial curse whose eccentric orbit was responsible for Thread, has been shifted to a harmless orbit, and the current Threadfall will be the last. Technological marvels are changing the face of life on Pern. And the dragonriders, led by F''lessan, son of F''lar and Lessa and rider of bronze Golanth, and Tia, rider of green Zaranth, must forge a new place for themselves in a world that may no longer need them. But change is not easy for everyone. There are those who will stop at nothing—not even violence—to keep Pern and its people pure. And now a brand-new danger looms from the skies . . . and threatens a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. Once again, the world looks to the dragons and their riders to solve the crisis and save the world. But now, as the friendship of F''lessan and Tia begins to bloom into something more, unforeseen tragedy strikes: a tragedy destined to forever change the future—not just of the two young lovers, but of every human and dragon on Pern . . .

Romantic suspense.

In a triumphant career spanning more than thirty years, Anne McCaffrey has won the acclaim of critics, the devotion of millions of fans, and awards too numerous to mention. Her bestselling Dragonriders of Pern® series is counted among the masterpieces of modern science fiction, a work whose popularity continues to grow as new generations of readers discover the literary magic only Anne McCaffrey can provide. Now that magic is back, displayed as breathtakingly as ever in the exciting and long-awaited addition to McCaffrey''s classic Pegasus series—and the perfect link to her bestselling Tower and Hive saga . . . PEGASUS IN SPACE For an overpopulated Earth whose resources are strained to the breaking point, there is only one place to look for relief: straight up. With the successful completion of the Padrugoi Space Station, humanity has at last achieved its first large-scale permanent presence in space. Additional bases are feverishly being built on the Moon and on Mars, stepping stones to the greatest adventure in all history: the colonization of alien worlds. Already long-range telescopes have identified a number of habitable planets orbiting the stars of distant galaxies. Now it''s just a question of getting there. But there are those who, for selfish motives of their own, want Padrugoi and the other outposts to fail. People who will stop at nothing to maintain their power or to revenge its loss. Standing in their way are the Talented, men and women gifted with extraordinary mental powers that have made them as feared as they are respected—and utterly indispensable to the colonization effort. There is Peter Reidinger, a teenage paraplegic who happens to be the strongest telekinetic ever, his mind capable of teleporting objects and people thousands of miles in the blink of an eye. Yet all his power cannot repair his damaged spine or allow him to feel the gentle touch of a loved one . . . Rhyssa Owen, the powerful telepath and mother hen to Peter and the rest of her "children"—and a fierce, unrelenting fighter against the prejudice that would deny the Talented the right to lead happy and productive lives . . . and Amariyah, an orphan girl who loves two things in the world above all others: gardening and Peter Reidinger. And woe to anyone who harms either one of them—for the young girl''s talent may prove to be the most amazing of all. Now, as sabotage and attempted murder strike the Station, it''s up to the Talented to save the day. Only who''s going to save the Talented?

A LEGENDARY FAMILY For generations, the descendants of the powerful telepath known as The Rowan have used their talents to benefit humanity. As human civilization reached out to colonize the stars, the family led Earth to ally itself with the peaceful alien Mrdini. Together, the two races have held back the predatory Hivers, who once decimated entire worlds. THE NEW ORDER But there are factions on Earth who resent the power the family has accumulated. Now, with their goals of peace and prosperity so close at hand, The Rowan’s descendants face the looming destruction of all they have suffered to achieve…

In Anne McCaffrey''s New York Times bestselling DRAGONSEYE, join Weyrleaders, Holders, and Craftmasters in the creation of the legendary Star Stones and the teaching ballads of Pern! It''s been two-hundred years since the deadly Thread fell like rain upon Pern, devouring everything in its path. No one alive remembers that first horrific onslaught and no one believes in its return--except for the dragonriders. For two centuries they have been practicing and training, passing down from generation to generation the formidable Threadfighting techniques. Now the ominous signs are appearing: the violent winter storms and volcanic eruptions that are said to herald the approach of the Red Star and its lethal spawn. But one stubborn Lord Holder, Chalkin of Bitra, refuses to believe--and that disbelief could spell disaster. So as the dragonriders desperately train to face a terrifying enemy, they and the other Lord Holders must find a way to deal with Chalkin--before history repeats itself and unleashes its virulence on all of Pern. . . .

Behold Acorna, the Unicorn Girl. Discovered as an infant and adopted by threegruff asteroid miners, she has now grown into a beautiful youngwoman with delicate, ivory fur and silken skin, the tiny hornon her forehead is all but hidden by her silvery locks. Acorna is known as Lukia of the Light bythe grateful children she rescued from brutal slavery in the minesof Kezdet. She is helping them recover, and enjoying life withher guardian "uncles," when she receives a mysteriousand disturbing message: There are yet more children enslavedon Kezdet, overlooked by the Child Labor League--childrensuffering a cruel, almost unimaginable fate. Only Acorna, with her healing powers, canrescue them from the enigmatic figure known as "The Dodger." But to save the children, she must deceive Pal Kendorno, the man she is beginningto love in spite of herself. Inspired by Anne McCaffrey''s and Margaret Ball''s unforgettablenovel Acorna, the soaring adventures in this extraordinaryvolume are written by some of today''s most celebrated fantasyauthors, and illustrated by world-acclaimed artists. Here youwill read about (and see!): Acorna''s heartbreaking search forher home planet Acorna''s fight to stop a deadly plagueon the beautiful and fabled planet, Earth Acorna''s first love affair...witha human Don''t miss the wonder and excitement ofAnne McCaffrey''s most beloved creation, the Unicorn Girl, broughtto life by modern fantasists Mickey Zucker-Reichert, Jody LynnNye, and Roman A. Ranieri. These beautifully illustrated stories willdelight all who believe in the magic of truth, the healing powerof beauty--and the reality of unicorns!

For use in schools and libraries only. Deadly spores threaten the human colony of Pern unless the colonists, with help from geneticist Kitti Ping, can develop fire-breathing dragons to combat the menace.

When the first humans came to settle the planet Pern, they did not come alone: intelligence-enhanced dolphins also crossed the stars, to colonize the oceans of the new planet while their human partners settled the vast continents. But then disaster struck in the form of Thread, deadly silver spores that fell like rain from the sky, devouring everything - and everyone - in their path. And as the human colonists'' dreams of a new, idyllic life shattered into a desperate struggle for survival, the dolphins were forgotten, left to make their own life in the seas of Pern. As time went by, human memory of dolphins was lost to legend, and only the occasional tall tale of "shipfish" rescuing fishermen lost at sea kept the legend alive. But the dolphins never forgot, and from generation to generation they preserved their oral history against the day when humans at last might remember their old friends, and once again the seas would resound with the ringing of the dolphins'' bells from docks and ships... Now, centuries later, the dragonriders of Pern were on the verge of ridding their planet of Thread forever. But T''lion, a young bronze rider, was not old enough to participate in that great venture. Instead, he and his dragon, Gadareth, were relegated to conveying people from place to place - until he and Readis, son of the Lord Holder of Paradise River Hold, made contact with the legendary "shipfish". And as the dragonriders grappled with the ending of an era, T''lion, Readis, and the dolphins faced the start of a new one: reviving the bond between land- and ocean-dwellers and, in the process, resurrecting the dreams of the first colonists of Pern...

As Earthmen on the planet Catteni prepare to return to their home planet, Kris Bjornson faces a dilemma. She would give anything to see Earth, but this would mean abandoning her love, the Catteni renegade, Zainal, who helped her fellow Earthmen survive.

Anne McCaffrey''s dragons are the stuff of which SF/fantasy legends are made. All of her dragon books for many years have been national bestsellers. She is one of the most popular writers ever in fantasy and science fiction. The Girl Who Heard Dragons is a feast for McCaffrey fans and for all readers - a big, satisfying compilation of her fiction never before collected in book form. Best of all, it opens with an original short novel of Pern, "The Girl Who Heard Dragons." In addition, the book contains 24 beautiful black and white drawings by award-winning artist Michael Whelan. Romance, humor, colorful description and affecting characters are Anne McCaffrey''s hallmarks and the fifteen stories herein have these virtues in abundance. No wonder the Chicago Sun-Times described her as a "master of the well-told tale." "The Girl Who Heard Dragons" is the story of Aramina, a teenage girl of Pern who hears dragons - a skill which does not seem likely to help solve her family''s problems. They are "holdless," and must constantly roam the land, trying to hide from bandits. Aramina''s mother fears losing her daughter completely to the life of a dragonrider, but McCaffrey has another fate in mind for her young heroine. The fourteen other stories - all just as good - are: Velvet Fields Euterpe on a Fling Duty Calls A Sleeping Humpty Dumpty Beauty The Mandalay Cure A Flock of Geese The Greatest Love A Quiet One If Madam Likes You... Zulei, Grace, Nimshi and the Damnyankee Cinderella Switch Habit Is an Old Horse Lady-in-Waiting The Bones Do Lie

They inherited their mother''s legendary powers of telepathy. But Damia''s children will need more than psionic Talent to face the enemy''s children--an alien race more insect than human...

Inheriting their family''s paranormal powers that enable them to protect the peaceful people of their world, the children of Damia and Afra Lyon encounter a new enemy in the Hivers, an alien race that is bent on destruction.

New York Times bestselling fantasy author Anne McCaffrey “interweaves an engrossing romance with a coming-of-age story”(Publishers Weekly) in this novel in the Tower and Hive series. Damia is the daughter of Prime Talents The Rowan and Jeff Raven. Her own telepathic and telekinetic abilities manifested at an early age, unimaginable powers even greater than her parents’, challenging to wield much less control. As willful as her mother ever was, Damia defies her family’s attempts to tame and train her—only to bond with Afra Lyon, a Talent who serves The Rowan, and who becomes the object of her affection. When she comes of age, Damia learns that a Prime of her capabilities and temperament has no time for love. Assigned to serve the farthest human colonized world from Earth, Damia leads a lonely existence until she telepathically connects with an alien presence in another galaxy—a potential threat not only to Damia, but to the love Afra wants to share with her...

An indispensable handbook to the wonderful world of Anne McCaffrey and her dragons. Lavishly illustrated, officially sanctioned, THE DRAGONLOVER''S GUIDE TO PERN brings to light the fantastic facts behind the bestselling stories. No Pern pilgrim will want to be without it.

The fate of the galaxy is placed in the hands of Lunzie, who discovers the true nature of a new friend; Fordeliton, who is dying of a mysterious poison; Dupaynil, who is exiled; and Aygar, who tries to prove himself. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

The captivating first novel in the classic science fiction series The Tower and the Hive. An extraordinary woman with unparalleled telepathic abilities is destined to face a lonely life of servitude—until she receives a telepathic plea from across the stars. As a young girl, The Rowan is discovered because her incredible gift: telepathic abilities that are more powerful than anyone has ever seen. As she grows older, she uses her talents to benefit society as a Prime, responsible for communicating and moving ships through space. But a life as a Prime is a lonely one, leaving her longing to find personal connection and meaning. When a distress call from a distant planet reaches her, The Rowan is drawn into a rescue mission that will put her powers to the test—and everything changes when she meets Jeff Raven, another telepath who just might have that crucial spark of connection she’s been searching for.

A Crystal Singer novel—a captivating blend of adventure, intrigue and romance. Killashandra Ree''s life was one of catastrophic changes. She had joined the Heptite Guild to become a crystal singer, get rich, and forget her past. And at first everything went just as she had hoped. In one season on the deadly beautiful world of Ballybran, she had sung Black Crystal, grown wealthy, and met a man who made her sorrows seem unworthy of notice. But then, a year later, a devastating storm turned her claim to useless rock. In short order she was broke, she had crystal sickness so bad she thought she''d die, and the only way she could be true to the man she loved was to leave him. . . .