Sources of Inspiration - Dragonriders of Pern

Dragonriders of Pern (Anne McAffrey)

If you ask Anne McAffrey, she writes science fiction not fantasy, so our apologies for including her in this list, but the Dragonriders of Pern series is great inspiration for fantasy gamers. The series is set in the future on a colonised planet, Pern, where through genetic manipulation the colonists create great telepathic dragons to combat a malignant organism, Thread, that periodically falls from the sky. The first set of books (Dragonflight, Dragonquest and The White Dragon) is set long after the planet was colonised - Pern has degenerated into a feudal set of states and the dragon weyrs are in disrepair. A pair of dragonriders, F'lar and Lessa, have to fight to restore the dragons to the sky before Pern is engulfed in Thread. Dragonflight Dragonquest The White Dragon In parallel to these stories is The Harper Hall Trilogy ( Dragonsinger, Dragonsong, Dragondrums) that deals with an apprentice musician, Menolly, and her fire lizards (miniature dragons). Dragonsinger Dragonsong Dragondrums Further stories (The Renegades of Pern, and All the Weyrs of Pern and The Skies of Pern) follow on from these stories as the Dragonriders find out more about the world in which they live and the original colonists. The MasterHarper of Pern is a prequel to Dragonflight, written from the perspective of Robinton, the masterharper who appears in all the other stories. The Renegades of Pern All the Weyrs of Pern The Skies of Pern The Masterharper of Pern Set further back in time in between the colonisation and the time of F'lar and Lessa are several further books: Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, Nerilka's Story, a series of short stories (A Gift of Dragons), and then five books written with Todd McCaffrey (Dragon's Kin, Dragonsblood, Dragon's Fire, Dragon harper and Dragonheart) Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern Nerilka's Story A Gift of Dragons Dragon's Kin Dragonsblood Dragon's Fire Dragon Harper Dragonheart Finally, there are a set of stories set around the time of the colonisation of Pern (Dragonsdawn, The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall, The Dolphins of Pern, Red Star Rising: Second Chronicles of Pern) - these are much more science fiction in flavour, but are good background if you enjoyed the other stories.. Dragonsdawn The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall The Dolphins of Pern Red Star Rising: Second Chronicles of Pern _____________________________ Because we are a participant in the Amazon.co.uk Associates scheme, if you follow the links shown and buy any of the books or movies we suggest, Age of Magic will receive commission on your purchase - it won't cost you any extra, but it will help us to maintain Age of Magic in the future.