Quotes from Anne McCaffrey

This week’s quotes, tweeted from September 27 through today, are all (except the last) from Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series.

“The best solution is not always easy to accept.” Dragonquest. Brekke, arguing that the grubs, not an expedition to the Red Star, are the proper solution to Pern’s problems with Thread.

“Honor was always accompanied by responsibility.” Dragonsong. Menolly’s thought as she stands on the windy deck after singing Petiron to his rest.

“Maybes seldom are.” Dragonsong. A saying of Menolly’s mother, recalled as Menolly is running for her life from Thread.

“There are other things in life than fish.” Dragonsong. N’Ton, when he finds that Yanus is not even searching for Menolly.

“Size is irrelevant.” Dragonsong. After Menolly’s first encounter with the small, but intense, Lessa.

“Conscientious effort on your part will determine the rate of progress.” Dragonsinger. Oldive, the Master Healer, instructing Menolly on how to get back the use of her hand.

“It’s never easy, saying good-bye.” Bowling, Homecoming. Lai to Marna, as they are leaving her home planet, Riya.

Pern

The first time I read a Pern story I was in high school, and I generally grabbed my father’s Analog and read it cover to cover before he even had a chance to see it. In October 1967 there was a short novel, called “Weyr Search,” by Anne McCaffrey. It was followed in December and January by a serial called “Dragonrider.” The following year the two were put together in a book called Dragonflight, and the Pern series was on its way.

I haven’t read everything by Anne McCaffrey, and probably won’t. Some of her collaborations, in particular, just don’t interest me. But the story of Pern fascinates me, and I enjoy keeping track of the characters and their relationships. I wish Ms. McCaffrey were still here, to let us know how the story of Toric and the Abominators came out.

Just for the heck of it, I once worked out how the various Pern books and stories fit into the internal timeline. Here’s what I came up with, with the aid of the timeline in First Fall. The years are approximate; even the Pernese couldn’t quite get them right!

“The Survey: P.E.R.N.”, in First Fall. ~200 years before colonization.

Dragonsdawn. First 10 years of the colony; Thread; breeding of dragons from fire-lizards.

“The Dolphins’ Bell,” in First Fall. Overlaps end of Dragonsdawn.

“The Ford of Red Hanrahan,” in First Fall. Year 19, founding of Ruatha, whose bloodline produced many dragonriders.

“The Second Weyr,” in First Fall. Year 28, founding of Benden Weyr.

“Rescue Run,” in First Fall. Year 49, the result of Ted Tubberman’s emergency beacon.

Dragonseye. Year 258, beginning of second pass, the star stones.

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. Year about 1505, near the end of the 6th pass. The plague.

Nerilka’s Story. Overlaps Moreta, from a different point of view.

The Masterharper of Pern. Robinton was born about 50 years before the end of the second long interval; this book goes through the beginning of Dragonflight.

Dragonflight. Covers Lessa’s Searching and Impression of Ramoth through the end of the long interval 3 years later. Book ends about 2408.

Dragonquest. Year 2415, 9 years into ninth pass. Problem of oldtimers.

Dragonsong. Overlaps Dragonquest; starts Harper Hall emphasis. The Masterharper of Pern was actually written considerably later., though it is set in an earlier time.

Dragonsinger. Overlaps Dragonquest.

Dragondrums. Overlaps The White Dragon.

The White Dragon. 2420 through 2425; 12^th through 17^th years of ninth pass. Includes discovery of Aivas.

The Renegades of Pern. 1^st through 17^th years of ninth pass.

“The Girl Who Heard Dragons,” in The Girl who Heard Dragons. This short novel was reworked and modified into The Renegades of Pern.

All the Weyrs of Pern. Ninth pass, 17^th through 21^st years. First appearance of the Abominators.

The Dolphins of Pern. Overlaps All the Weyrs of Pern.

“The Smallest Dragonboy,” in Get Off the Unicorn. This was first published in 1973, but the names of dragon and rider make it clear that this was the Impression of the same K’van and Heth that appear in The Dolphins of Pern, though the story is somewhat changed there.

The Skies of Pern. Ninth pass, 31^st year. More about the Abominators, and the threat of planetary impacts. What will dragons do when there is no more Thread?

I have not included the books with Todd McAffrey; sadly, I have found it a chore to finish those I’ve bought. If anyone knows of books or stories I’ve missed, please let me know.

Quotes from Anne McCaffrey

These are the quotes that have been tweeted from @sueannbowling over the last seven days. All but the last quote are from Dragonquest, by Anne McCaffrey.

“There are other ways of remembering important matters.” Canth to F’nor, when they have first found a fire lizard and neither human records no Canth’s memory holds any trace of dragons being bred from them.

“Is age a prerequisite for a loving heart?”  Brekke, when F’nor seems to question Mirrim’s impression of three fire lizards.

“Does maturity always bring compassion?” More of the same.

“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.” Brekke scolding Mirrim when she suggests Kylara is less than would be expected of a weyrwoman.

“Silly people waste time assigning or assuming guilt.”  Robinton, when Lessa tries to consider herself at fault for the present disagreement between the oldtimers she brought forward in time and the modern dragonriders.

“Talk makes no miracles.” Fandarel, speaking to F’lar and Lessa after they have laid out the problem of the oldtimers.

“While saying good-bye forever was hard, it was harder yet not to have the chance.” Lai, grieving over Cloudy. Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming.

Quotes from Anne McCaffrey

These are the quotes tweeted over the past week, and all but the last of them were from Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books.

“It would be simple … but … it wasn’t simple.” The Masterharper of Pern. “It” is suicide, after Robinton’s wife has died, partly of her exposure on their honeymoon.

“A man convinced against his will is of his old opinion still.” The Masterharper of Pern. An old saw that Robinton repeats to F’lon, trying to keep him from further antagonizing the Lord Holders.

“There’s nothing wrong in doubting. It sometimes leads to greater faith.” Dragonflight, the first book written in the Pern series. F’lar to Lessa, when she is expressing her doubt that Thread will fall again.

“Living was striving to do something impossible.” Dragonflight. Lessa’s thought after the first fall. It continues, “to succeed or die, knowing you had tried!”

“I don’t know how to get to a when that has not yet happened.” Dragonflight. F’lar, in response to Robinton’s suggestion that he use the dragons’ ability to go across time to see if his plan is working.

“The real problem is to reconcile the old with the new.” Dragonquest. F’lar, speaking to Lessa and realizing that the fight over the knife was only a symptom of the gap in perceptions of those brought forward in time 400 years and the present-day Pern.

“I’d get myself in serious trouble someday because I couldn’t tell love from lust.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derik is speaking to Roi, saying what he’d been told long ago. He has had to invade Roi’s memories to tell why he didn’t key a response properly, and found what Roi really thought of his advances.

Quotes from Anne McCaffrey

All of this past week’s quotes but the last were taken from Dragonsdawn, by Anne McCafffrey. This is the first of the Pern novels in terms of internal (Pernese) time, but nineth in terms of when it was written.

“Things were going far too well.” Kenjo, on the first landing approach to Pern.

“History was something one read about in books.” Sorka, then elementary age, is unimpressed by the idea that she is making Pernese history.

“Horses, always. We were promised horses.” Sean, talking with Sorka about the need of the traveling folk for draft animals.

“Alaskans had a reputation for never throwing anything away.” Sallah Telgar, commenting on the way the quartermaster (who is Alaskan) has stripped the colony ship, sending everything remotely usable down to the new colony.

“It’s one thing to see, and another to know.” Sorka, when she is taken along on an exploration trip.

“Mankind prove[s] in many ways that greed is universal.” Admiral Benden at a meeting of the colony’s leaders while they are discussing a legal framework for the new colony.

“If they drink that much beer, they wouldn’t be drinking that much water.” Tourist Trap, by Sue Ann Bowling. Roi’s observation on the Eversummer plague situation, which sends Marna looking for a water-borne source.

Note that all of these quotes were tweeted on @sueannbowling. Follow to get more Context? Quotes, and challenge yourself to identify them before these weekly roundups!