Most Popular Books by Anne McCaffrey

Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet''s fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Even though Lorana cured the plague that was killing the dragons of Pern, sacrificing her queen dragon in the process, the devastating disease has left too few dragons alive to fight the fall of deadly Thread. As morale at Telgar Weyr plunges in the wake of the widespread loss, and Weyrwoman Fiona and the harper Kindan struggle to keep hope from vanishing, a pregnant Lorana decides she must take drastic steps. Nothing short of manipulating time itself will undo the damage done by the plague. But attempting time travel could have devastating consequences—altering history, and destiny, forever. Now, somehow, Lorana must find a way to accomplish what seems impossible: bending the natural laws of the universe without wreaking havoc on existence itself. To ensure the future of Pern, she’s willing to take the fateful chance—even if it demands yet another, far greater, sacrifice.

Dragonflight: On the planet Pern, deadly \"thread\" falls from the sky and puts all living creatures at risk. The symbiotic relationship of dragon and rider is the planet''s only hope for survival. Dragonflight is the story of Lessa, the last of the noble bloodline of Ruatha Hold. The dragonriders rescue her from servitude while searching for likely candidates to impress the new dragon queen. Lessa is successful at imprinting Ramoth, the new queen, which makes her the leader of the Weyr and the mate of F''lar. As rider of the bronze dragon Mnementh, he is most suitable to lead the on-going struggle against the dreaded thread. Dragonquest: The deadly silver Threads are falling again. The dragonriders take to the air, their magnificent flying dragons destroying the shimmering strands before they reach the ground. F''lar has to find a better way to protect Pern before the Oldtimers dissent, or the fire-lizards stir up trouble, or his brother F''nor launches a suicide mission!

Award-winning fantasy author Anne McCaffrey returns with her bestselling Harper Hall Trilogy, wonder-filled imaginative classics now available in digest format.

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

“Personable characters and superb storytelling make this an excellent choice. . . . Essential for Pern fans of all ages.”—Library Journal (starred review) The son of a miner, Kindan has no expectations for any other life. He loves his lessons with the camp’s harper, but music isn’t part of a miner’s future. He also enjoys helping out with the camp’s watch-wher— a creature distantly related to dragons and uniquely suited to work in dark, cold spaces—but even that important job can’t promise a future above the ground. Then disaster strikes. In one terrible instant, Kindan loses his family and the camp loses its watch-wher. It will take a new friendship and a new responsibility to teach Kindan that even a seemingly impossible dream is never out of reach . . . and that light can be found in the deepest darkness. “A guaranteed pleaser [in] one of SF’s most splendid and longest-lived sagas.”—Booklist “Another delightful entry in the Pern series.”—Publishers Weekly

Award-winning fantasy author Anne McCaffrey returns with her bestselling Harper Hall Trilogy, wonder-filled imaginative classics now available in digest format.

The third volume in a series of adventures in the land of Pern.

When his boy soprano voice begins to change, Piemur is drafted by Masterharper Robinton to help with political work and is sent on missions that lead him into unusual and sometimes dangerous adventures.

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. . . .

Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet''s fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her.

FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • The second novel in the legendary and magical New York Times bestselling series featuring dragons, adventure, romance, and heroism, from Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Anne McCaffrey “Pern was one of the first fantasy worlds I fell into, and I am forever grateful.”—Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House Lessa and her golden queen dragon may have given their world a fighting chance against the deadly Thread by bringing several hundred dragons and their riders forward in time, but this has also caused other problems to arise. The Oldtimers, as they are known, are having a difficult time adjusting to their more modern world, and tensions are rising. Worse, Threadfall is becoming more unpredictable, which makes it harder to combat. Inspired by Lessa’s example, brown dragonrider F’nor hatches a bold plan to cut through these growing tensions by destroying the Thread at its source: the mysterious Red Star. But his quest to go where no man—or dragon—has gone before will risk not only his life, but the heart of a woman who has already lost far more than she can bear. Don’t miss the original trilogy from Anne McCaffrey’s beloved Dragonriders of Pern series: DRAGONFLIGHT • DRAGONQUEST • THE WHITE DRAGON

Persuing her dream to be a Harper of Pern, Menolly studies under the Masterharper learning that more is required than a facility with music and a clever way with words. Sequel to Dragonsong.

Anne McCaffrey draws the reader back in time to an earlier Pern to tell the story of one of Pern’s great and true heroines. An air of pleasant anticipation hung so thickly over the Halls, Holds and Weyrs of Pern that it had affected even the businesslike ways of Moreta, the Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr, where her dragon, Queen Orlith, would soon clutch. Then without warning, a runnerbeast fell ill. Soon myriads of holders, craftsmen, and dragonriders were dying; and the mysterious ailment had spread to all but the most inaccessible holds. Pern was in mortal danger. For, if dragonriders did not rise to char Thread, the parasite would devour any and all organic life it encountered. The future of the planet rested in the hands of Moreta and the other deicated, lelfless Pernese leaders. But of all their problems, the most difficult to overcome was time. . . .

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A richly detailed story on a par with the rest of the Pern canon . . . another successful McCaffrey mother-and-son collaboration.”—Booklist At Natalon’s mining camp, Pellar embarks on a secret mission to discover whether the condemned criminals known as the Shunned are stealing coal. But the gifted tracker discovers that a far more treacherous plot is unfolding. A heartless thief named Tenim has realized there is profit to be made from firestone, the volatile mineral that enables the dragons of Pern to burn the lethal Thread out of the sky. When the last remaining firestone mine explodes, a desperate race begins to find a new deposit of the deadly but essential mineral. Sure enough, Tenim has a murderous plan to turn tragedy to his own advantage. Now Pellar and his new friends—the kind and gentle Halla, a child of the Shunned, and Cristov, the son of a corrupt miner—must stop Tenim. If they fail, it will mean the end for Pern and its dragonriders. “Grittier than the early parts of the series; Todd’s apparently brought a wider, more current worldview to Pern.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune “These fabled dragons still cast a spell.”—Publishers Weekly

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Captivating . . . The McCaffreys are well known for their brilliant characterizations, and they do not disappoint here.”—Booklist In Fort Hold, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs is about to hatch, and Lord Bemin’s beautiful young daughter, Koriana, is determined to Impress one of the delightful creatures. At the hatching, apprentice harper Kindan Impresses a fire-lizard of his own . . . and wins the heart of Koriana. But Lord Bemin mistrusts harpers and will not hear of a match between his daughter and the low-born Kindan. Then fate intervenes in the form of a virulent plague as fast-spreading as it is deadly. Arising suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the contagion decimates hold after hold, paying no heed to distinctions of birth. In this feverish crucible, friendship and love will be tested to the breaking point and beyond. For with Threadfall scant years away, the Dragonriders dare not expose themselves to infection, and it will fall to Kindan and his fellow apprentices to bravely search for a cure and save humanity. “Strong storytelling and compelling drama, along with memorable characters.”—Library Journal

''Pern is where dragon riding was conceived, and fifty years later, Anne McCaffrey''s epic tale remains a masterpiece of adventure, intrigue, and romance!'' Danielle L. Jensen, New York Times bestselling author of A Fate Inked in Blood ''Anne McCaffrey''s Pern novels are truly foundational books. The seeds of every dragonrider story are here, if not of every take on magical bonding. They carried me away as a young reader, and I hope they''ll do so for new readers now.'' Naomi Novik, author of the Temeraire series Lessa and her golden queen dragon may have given their world a fighting chance against the deadly Thread by bringing several hundred dragons and their riders forward in time, but this has also caused other problems to arise. The Oldtimers, as they are known, are having a difficult time adjusting to their more modern world, and tensions are rising. Worse, Threadfall is becoming more unpredictable, which makes it harder to combat. Inspired by Lessa''s example, brown dragonrider F''nor hatches a bold plan to cut through these growing tensions by destroying the Thread at its source- the mysterious Red Star. But his quest to go where no man-or dragon-has gone before will risk not only his life, but the heart of a woman who has already lost far more than she can bear. Don''t miss the original trilogy from Anne McCaffrey''s beloved Dragonriders of Pern series- DRAGONFLIGHT . DRAGONQUEST . THE WHITE DRAGON

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • The third novel in the legendary and magical series featuring dragons, adventure, romance, and heroism, from Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Anne McCaffrey, “one of my favorite authors of all time” (Brandon Sanderson) “Anne McCaffrey’s Pern novels are truly foundational books; it’s hard to imagine the modern-day landscape of fantasy and science fiction without them.”—Naomi Novik, author of the Temeraire series When Lessa chose a dragon over her birthright, the hold she was to have inherited passed to Lord Jaxom instead. But Jaxom then muddied generations of Pern tradition by impulsively Impressing Ruth, the small and singularly unique white dragon, as a child. From that moment on, the debate has raged. Is Jaxom now a dragonrider, or a lord holder? All anyone agrees on is that he cannot be both. But perhaps it is all academic anyway, for no one expects Ruth to survive. But Ruth not only survives, he thrives. With Jaxom on the cusp of adulthood, the thing the pair most desire is to fight Thread side-by-side with the larger dragons. Jaxom knows what his dragon is capable of, and now that he is—mostly—grown, he is determined to buck tradition. Fortunately, a teenage rebellion may be the key to both Pern’s salvation and winning the woman of his dreams. Don’t miss the original trilogy from Anne McCaffrey’s beloved Dragonriders of Pern series: DRAGONFLIGHT • DRAGONQUEST • THE WHITE DRAGON

''The world building opened my eyes to what fantasy could be; the characters introduced me to women in roles of power; and the romances left my young heart aflutter. No series has ever captured my imagination so completely as Pern did.'' Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands Series \\"Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants\\" - THE TIMES ''Anne McCaffrey''s Pern books forever changed how readers looked at dragons-not just fearsome beasts to be slain, but bonded warrior partners...books that shaped a generation and more of fantasy writers.'' Cassandra Clare, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author \\"Read Dragonflight and you''re confronted with McCaffrey the storyteller in her prime...\\" - SFX On a beautiful world called Pern, Lessa is an outcast survivor-her parents murdered, her birthright stolen-a fierce young woman who has never stopped dreaming of revenge. That is, until an ambitious young dragonrider, F''lar, offers her something even greater- the chance to lead Pern at his side by Impressing a golden dragon with whom she will share a telepathic bond more intimate than any human connection. Although there is also her intense relationship with F''lar himself. But Lessa''s fierceness and courage will be put to the test when an ancient scourge returns to the land- a deadly silver spore that falls from the sky, destroying all it touches. Only dragons can fight this Thread, and there are not enough dragons to protect all of Pern. Lessa and her dragon may hold the key to their world''s salvation . . . but executing her daring plan may be costlier than she ever envisioned. Don''t miss the original trilogy from Anne McCaffrey''s beloved Dragonriders of Pern series- DRAGONFLIGHT . DRAGONQUEST . THE WHITE DRAGON

The alien Catteni invaded Earth and enslaved thousands of humans on the planet Botany, where they struggle to survive while colonizing the world for their overseers. Now that they’ve proved Botany is capable of sustaining life, Kris Bjornsen and her fellow settlers have no intention of surrendering the home they’ve created for themselves… Armed with the knowledge that the true enemy behind the Catteni is the Eosi race, Kris has begun a campaign to free Botany’s settlers by raising a rebellion among her people against their parasitic oppressors. Aided by her Catteni lover, Zainal, Kris and the colonists manage to steal warships—and discover dissidents on other Eosi-controlled worlds. If all of the subjugated races join forces, they will have an army large enough to win their freedom and their worlds. The war of liberation has begun.