It's time to soar with Dragonflight!
I've always been curious about Pern. I have a few friends who love PernMUSH (a text-based roleplaying game), but I've been daunted by the amount of fans (and books) in this series. Where to start? At the beginning of course! Let's take a look at the first entry in Anne McCaffrey's epic series, Dragonflight.
IN A SENTENCE: Girl's gotta save the world from destructive aliens - with dragons!
SYNOPSIS: Pern is located on a planet which suffers from invasion - Threads from a neighboring planet attack Pern seeking sustenance every 200-400 turns. Pern's defense lies in its dragons and dragonriders - brave men (and women!) who have Impressed a Dragon and become their companion for life. Unfortunately, the Weyr has fallen into disrepute in recent years. Lessa and F'lar plan to change that, rallying the lords and dragons together to face the threat from the Red Star.
Corresponding Song: "Oh Angel", from the Fatal Fury soundtrack
Why? Because the energy and tone completely match the book. Trust me on this.
THOUGHTS: This. Book. Is. AMAZING!
So, I might be a bit biased because my favorite genre is sci-fi / fantasy, especially classic sci-fi/fantasy (hello Martian Chronicles), but Dragonflight was able to bring back all those feelings I used to get curled up on my Grandma's couch, exploring the realm of fantasy for the first time.
Classic sci-fi/fantasy novels have a special feeling to them - a literary umami that's deeper and more satisfying than pop fiction. Dragonflight feels no need to be anything other than what it is - the epic beginning of Lessa and F'lar's saga. Anne McCaffrey has a way of explaining how Pern works as a world without making your feel like you're reading a textbook, and without unwarranted repetition.
Not only does Dragonflight have a great plot, but the characters themselves are bright, vibrant, and full of emotion. Lessa is a strong female character who still has flaws - she's one of the most human female leads I've read in a while, which allows me to connect to her in a way I could never connect to Katniss or Anita Blake. F'lar, while slightly frustrating, has just enough male arrogance to make him real to life as well. Both characters play off each other (and the rest of the cast) beautifully without being perfect.
Sometimes stepping into an established world such as Pern can be daunting; Millions of people love these books, and Anne McCaffrey was a prolific writer. You might not know where to start, be afraid of sounding stupid if you mess up the pronunciation of someone's name, or be afraid that your interpretation of a character will cause anger in other fans (Edward vs Jacob anyone?). This is not the case with Pern (and many other classic sci-fi/fantasy fandoms such as Wheel of Time and Shannara groups), and here's why: When a story opens itself to include everyone, no one should be afraid to share their love for it. The Pernese community has open arms, even if you don't agree on certain aspects or if you prefer one character over another. Dragons don't put up with bullies, and neither will Pern fans.
CONCLUSION: There's a reason Pern is a classic - it's fantastic! If you've wanted to try out the sci-fi/fantasy genre but don't know where to start, give Dragonflight and Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern a try. I promise, you won't be disappointed.