McCaffrey's first novel in her imaginative Pern series, that is actually science fiction despite the presence of dragons!

This was the first of her Dragon books, I believe. I first read it in the early 1970's & was a favorite for years. It's a great heroic adventure in an interesting & complex world. Well written, as is typical of her work. While I've read a few other of the spin-offs, the original trilogy is my favorite & is plenty for me. ( )

Introducing Lessa, Ruatha Hold and dragons. Pern is an escape place for me and for the'greenie' people escaping Earth, and several centuries along the people are still unmodernised. Here we find out that not all is perfect, but good does overcome in the end. Love it. ( )

Almost everyone knows about Pern, even those who aren’t generally interested in fantasy or science fiction novels. I’m surprised that no one has tried to take this series and make it into a movie. At the very least, a Sci-Fi channel original series or an anime treatment of it is due. I’ve included this as part of the classics because I believe that McCaffrey’s ability to create a world and tell a story with lots of layers of conflict is far above and beyond that of most fantasy and science fiction writers. She doesn’t just rely on the fantasy and tension of the storyline as a crutch, but creates realistic characters who are fighting real battles, whether that be against the threads, other people, or even time itself. She’s also so intricately created the politics of Pern that it seems like a real place. A quick warning, though, there are elements of sexuality and murder throughout the text, so it may skew a little higher in age. I recommend this book to readers 14 .-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com ( )

This is the first book in the Dragons of Pern series, which I read a small part of as a child. Given that they're still being written, its not surprising that I'm pretty out of date on this series. This book is excellent for a few reasons -- the idea is unique and well implemented; its an amazing mix of fantasy with science fiction style justifications for the way things are; and its well written. The underlying premise is that a planet named Pern as a nearly neighbor on an eccentric orbit. When that neighbor comes near to Pern, spores from the other planet try to land on Pern. These spores breed by eating organic life, so they need to be neutralized or life on Pern will cease. There are however a few patches I had to re-read to make full sense of. I really liked this book.

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McCaffrey’s writing in Dragonflight... is easy reading, though doesn’t have the depth of Herbert or Tolkien. Still it is an entertaining tale and there has been no other like it. And it is good enough to attract its own dedicated followers that the Dragonriders of Pern series, of which it the first chapter, has become one of the most beloved stories in speculative fiction, and whose tale is still on-going at this point of time. (more) ( )

This is a very short book, and a very fast read. The story centers on two main characters. Lessa is a young woman who has hidden from the man who has not only murdered her entire family but assumed ownership of her family home. For years, she has dressed as a filthy drudge, the type of servant nobody notices, biding her time and taking revenge in a number of subtle ways. F'lar is a dragonrider, one of the few who still believes that thread will return and fears that Pern is far from prepared for this event.

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Dragons, Heroes and Wizards ( )

As a teenager, I found this book very compelling. I still believe that McCaffrey has created a complicated, interesting, volatile world. With each book, Pern's history and potential grows. That being said, rereading this book many years later, I can't help but cringe at some things in there. To start with, the sexism! And while I found F'Lar and Lessa's relationship exciting and sexy as a younger person, right now it turned me off to read about the almost-like-rape lovemaking, F'Lar almost hitting Lessa, and basically the lopsided relationship they have for most of this book. Let's just say this feels dated. Still, the idea of a whole sort of rural, agrarian society in threat from an enemy they can't hope to fight with their meager technology - that is still exciting! Worth keeping, at least. ( )

First in the Dragonriders of Pern epic fantasy series in which we meet Lessa, a scullery maid at Ruath Hold, secretly a high-born young woman biding her time to seek revenge and overthrow Fax, the overlord of the manor who killed her family ten years previously. That time comes when the Dragonriders go on search and show up at Ruath, looking for weyr-women, highborn women of the blood, who will compete to be imprinted and bound to the new queen dragon of Pern. The old queen and her weyr-woman are dying and the queen egg is due to hatch soon. But finding suitable women to vy for the honor is proving difficult for F’lar and F’nor, Bronze riders assigned to the task. Lessa reveals herself inadvertently by using her power, however, and F’lar ends up dispensing with Fax in the process, and soon Lessa is on her way to Benden Hold to meet the egg of the new queen. I quite enjoyed this book, though there were parts that were kind of—I don’t know, cheesy? LOL Maybe ‘cliched’ is the word I’m looking for, but it WAS written 40 years ago, so I guess books that are written in its image would be the cliched ones! It took awhile for me to get the gist of what was going on, as the terminology for things is somewhat different on Pern and without a visual reference to the words it wasn’t as easy. The reader was ‘okay’ but sometimes it really sounded like he had a bad case of cottonmouth and I could picture him developing bits of that nasty sticky white goo that forms at the edges of people’s lips when they’re talking too much without adequate hydration. You know how that goes—once you see that, it’s hard not to stare at it as you will the person to take a drink or wipe their mouth! Ewwwwwwwww! LOL I will be reading (or maybe, listening) on in the series, at any rate. ( )

The Dragonriders of Pern series is a true sci-fi/fantasy classic and few authors are as superb as Anne McCaffrey. Her depiction of the telepathic relationship between the dragons and their riders is amazingly compelling and her ongoing plot of an agrarian society's discovery and reconciliation of its technological past is outstanding. I haven't so far been as thrilled with her son's books as with hers, but will still continue to read them because this is an outstanding fantasy world. ( )

This is the type of book that would have really appealed to me as a kid. I don't know how I could have missed it. ( )

I absolutely loved this book when I first read it. I reread it a couple of years ago and the luster had diminished somewhat. However, it's still original, well-crafted and a lot of fun to read.

It's somewhat hard to put the Pern books into series as the various story lines such as Dragonriders and Harper Hall intertwine in time. Most folks call this the first of the Dragonrider trilogy, even though there are some stories about the dragon riders set earlier in time. This is followed by Dragonquest and White Dragon. ( )

The first of the Pern series, and to my mind a good, solid fantasy novel. It goes without saying that you have to enjoy the genre to get any pleasure out of this kind of novel and I must state up front that I do, although I often class this kind of book as 'guilty pleasures' as I use them as a way of switching off and losing myself in a great tale! To that end, it has to be said that Anne McCaffrey has created a brilliant world to lose yourself in. In a world where dragons, impressed at a young age by their riders, fly through space in an instant by going 'between' and where Holdlords and Craftmasters rule the common people, a search is on for a female to impress the new queen when she hatches from the single queen egg laid by a dying dragon. This tale is the backdrop for intrigue, action and romance and is very well executed. Anne McCaffrey writes with immediacy and accessibility and creates a vibrant world that left me rushing out to buy the next batch of books. The characters are alive and, as is often not the case in fantasy novels from male authors, there are strong male and female leads. Go on, try it out! You might find yourself addicted.

A haunting story based on an imaginative riff on the standard "Dragons and Castles" theme. Use of time-travel makes for an intriuging plot device. ( )

Dragonflight is an absorbing novel, a real page-turner. Young adult readers will appreciate the never-ending action. The plot is complex; there are overlapping conflicts, and as one conflict is resolved, another takes its place. There are several mysteries to be solved as well, which will attract the thoughtful, analytical reader. The characters have great depth. Their actions are always consistent with the personality McCaffrey has given them. Even in the context of a fantasy world very unlike our own, they behave like people we know. The surprise ending is dramatic and satisfying. ( )

Along with its sequel, Dragonquest, this is the best and most creative of Anne McCaffrey's ever-expanding anthology of books about probably her most-loved fantasy creations, the Dragons of Pern and their riders. ( )

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A sci-fi/fantasy blend with a very interesting concept of a lost colony that has to turn to 'dragons' to save them from a very strange alien invasion. Long before Eragon, McCaffrey's humans 'imprinted' their dragons before they were hatched, and then formed lifelong bonds. Luckily that doesn't involve strange scars or amazing magic, as these dragons are more natural creatures. These are some of the best science fiction books of all time, and very appropriate for readers of all ages. ( )

The was a reread of the beginning of one of my favorite SF/Fantasy series ( )

Excellent SF/fantasy series ( )

This should be a classic of science fiction & fantasy literature! Lessa is a servant who lives in filth, but she holds a secret. She is descended from the rightful rulers of her keep - the family murdered by the present Lord Fax. She will have her revenge - or, that was the plan until F'lar entered her life with the chance to bond with a dragon queen. Ramoth will change her life forver. Anne McCaffrey wove a spell when she introduced us to the Dragonriders of Pern. Now, dozens of books later, Dragonflight still stands as one of the best in the series. This Easton Press edition is quite beautiful, with red leather, inset stain ribbon marker, and gilt edging. ( )

Basic Reason for Starting: It was a birthday present.
Basic Reason for Finishing: I am persevering! In the face of adversity and wishing to throw books against walls and ritually burn them, I have conquered these primal instincts for the sake of friendship, honour, truth -- Sorry, I'll be serious now. I finished this, because it was a birthday present and it's polite to read books people get you as presents, even if you discover you can't stand it.

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The fact that it was a short story which evolved into a novel which evolved into a series does show in inconsistencies between novels in the series and in the somewhat episodic nature of this, the first one. It's still a great read, though. Lessa is a wonderful character, and who wouldn't want to be a dragon rider of Pern? ( )

This book was my introduction to pern. Honestly, it didn't do that good of a job; I doubt I will ever be back. The story wasn't captivating, the characters
were poorly developed, the dragons were developed even less, and the whole thing couldn't decide what sort of atmosphere it wanted to settle on. I'm guessing
the author intended the dragons to be wonderful and loyal companions, but for me they held a near constant air of vaguely creepy mind-controlling symbiosis.
Needless to say, this broke the story for me. If what you're looking for is strong and well done companion characters, I recommend Mercedes Lacky highly
to you; she may not have been first, but she knows what to do with characters and how to develop feeling in the reader. ( )