Friday, November 25, 2011

Follow Friday - Thankful for Anne McCaffrey





Welcome to Follow My Book Blog Friday!  Join the hop starting with Parajunkee & Allison Can Read. This week featuring The Book Addict & Books & Beyond.

Question: It's Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for - blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?



I am filled with Thankfulness over quite a few blogs & books, but I found out that Anne McCaffrey passed away on Nov 21st at 85 years, so I want to highlight how much she has meant to me.
Dragonflight
  Dragonflight is the story of Lessa. She planned her family's revenge for years, living in hiding until the dragonmen found her on Search. She bonds with Ramoth, a huge golden dragon and challenges Weyr tradition to fight the falling destruction

I enjoyed this book in high school & re-read it earlier this year. I love Lessa's strong character. That first Impression between her and her dragon was amazing for me. I thrilled with the idea of bonding with a dragon, flying with them, talking with them, and facing challenges with creativity. Anne McCaffrey created an entire world, complicated and different. I could practically taste those fair pies from Dragondrums. I've attempted to make them from time to time, aiming at just that hot, light crusted, bubbly hot deliciousness that she described so well I could have sworn I ate them.

She made so many different worlds, though. Another favorite book of mine was Crystal Singer...
Crystal SingerKillishandra does not make it in one music career, so she dares to mine crystal on a dangerous planet that requires perfect pitch.

I loved the thrill of danger and the whole idea of crystal thrall. With a little luck & a lot of attitude, Killashandra changes her life. Come to think of it, I probably like racing the sleds against the storms, too. A lot.

The Ship Who Sang
Anne McCaffrey's creativity abounded. The Ship Who Sang haunted me with a love that couldn't possibly be realized because Helva is only a brain in the hull of the ship. She is the ship. Her human partner is flawed and irritating. They complete an assignment on an unusual world and find they both have changed. I already said "haunting", right? Unforgettable.


LA Times wrote of her "She was the first woman to win the top two prizes for science fiction writing, the Hugo and the Nebula, in 1968 and 1969 respectively, after publication of her first two novellas set on the fictional planet of Pern".  Lists of her written works are here, as well as Goodreads & Amazon (of course.)  Readergirlz honored her with a Newflash from her son, Tod McCaffrey. Elizabeth Moon adjusted Thanksgiving decorations to honor her, sharing stories from their personal experiences with her.


A little blog that says "thanks" is very small in comparison, but I am deeply grateful for her writing and influence in my life, although I never told her.  


If you know of a link somewhere that honors her, please post it in the comments to share, or if you have a favorite story or favorite book... anything!