Product Description

The long-awaited new Dragonriders of Pern® novel
from bestselling author Anne McCaffrey

It is a time of hope and regret, of endings and beginnings. The Red Star, that celestial curse whose eccentric orbit was responsible for Thread, has been shifted to a harmless orbit, and the current Threadfall will be the last. Technological marvels are changing the face of life on Pern, and the dragonriders, led by F’lessan, son of F’lar and Lessa and rider of bronze Golanth, and Tia, rider of green Zaranth, must forge a new place for themselves in a world that may no longer need them.

But change is not easy for everyone. There are those who will stop at nothing to keep Pern and its people pure. And now a brand-new danger looms from the skies and threatens a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. Once again, the world looks to the dragons and their riders to save the world. But now, as the friendship of F’lessan and Tia begins to bloom into something more, unforeseen tragedy strikes: a tragedy destined to forever change the future–not just of the two young lovers, but of every human and dragon on Pern . . .

“McCaffrey’s sexy and cunning dragons carry the day–and the novel–with impeccable, irresistible panache.”
–Publishers Weekly

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #221269 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-02
• Released on: 2002-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 480 pages

Amazon.com Review
Anne McCaffrey's Pern series has been running successfully for so long that most of the Dragonriders' original problems have been solved. In The Skies of Pern, she confronts her standard cast of characters with the consequences of those solutions, consequences that are a whole new set of problems. Now that the Red Star has been pushed to another orbit, there will only be a few more ravenous Threads descending from it for them and their dragons to fight--and what role will that leave for them? They have successfully reclaimed Earth's lost technology--and suddenly everyone with a craft that might be outmoded, or who is phobic about surgery, is on the rampage, sabotaging and smashing and making up rumors. These fundamentalist Abominators are sure that something terrible will happen if the old ways are not gone back to--and sure enough, fire descends, on cue, from the skies.

Anne McCaffrey's tales of genetically engineered dragons and a lost colony that has declined into feudalism are ultimately SF rather than fantasy because they are about finding solutions to problems, solutions that involve working with what you are given to start off with; The Skies of Pern is all about elegant solutions to credible problems. --Amazon.co.uk

From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller McCaffrey's first Pern novel in three years returns to the world of her most popular series, Dragonriders of Pern, reprising almost all the best-loved Pernese characters. In earlier episodes, hero and heroine F'lar and Lessa summoned the captivating dragons and their riders from the remote past to save Pern from a devastating rain of Thread, while the later discovery of Aivas, the artificial intelligence that guided Pern's original human settlers, brought technological marvels like printing to Pern and helped shift the Thread-producing Red Star from its lethal orbit before it self-destructed. Now neo-Luddite Abominators are bent on destroying all of Aivas's gifts and returning watery Pern to its primitive state, while the Dragonriders struggle to find new purpose in a Threadless world. F'lar and Lessa uneasily contemplate second careers or horrors! retirement, while their genteel and amorous son F'lessan and perceptive green rider Tai arrive at both a dragon-assisted romance and a whole new role for the telepathic and telekinetic dragons. McCaffrey's various themes traditionalism vs. technology, the necessity of societal change, feminist commentary on draconian psychology are at times awkwardly integrated. And her slightly watered-down villains seem peripheral to the action, merely a means to showcase familiar personalities performing during crises. Nonetheless, as all her Pern novels amply demonstrate, McCaffrey's sexy and cunning dragons carry the day and the novel with impeccable, irresistible panache. (Apr. 3) Forecast: A likely genre bestseller, but some younger Pern fans may be put off by the emphasis on retirement, unable to appreciate the angst of inexorably approaching age.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
With the discovery of Aivas, the artificial intelligence hidden for centuries in Pern's southern continent, the residents of the third planet of the sun called Rukbat have learned how to end the threat posed by the periodic fall of Thread from the erratic red star that orbits the planet. Despite the abundance of rediscovered knowledge, new dangers and old fears surface, forcing Dragonriders, Holders, and Craftmasters all to reconsider their purpose and functions in society. McCaffrey's most popular series takes on a new dimension with the latest installment, as familiar characters feel the weight of their years, giving way to a new generation of humans and their dragon companions. Superb storytelling and engaging characters make this a priority purchase for most libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Anne McCaffrey still captivates...
Guided by the benevolent artificial intelligence known as Aivas, the inhabitants of Pern irrevocably altered the Red Star's eccentric orbit. Thus, after 2500 years of suffering the onslaught of Thread, the people of Pern can at last look forward to a time when their skies are forever free of the deadly silvery spores. But not yet, as the planet still has to endure this present Pass. But the Pass ends in 16 years, and murmurs have been spreading throughout the planet: What then for the dragonriders and their noble, telepathic dragons? But that's only one of the concerns which trouble the leaders of Pern.

The societies of Pern are in a state of transition. Now with access to their colonial forefathers' technology, Weyr, Hold, and Craft have had their quality of life improved by leaps and bounds. But not everyone is so accepting of these improvements. The traditionalists form one disgruntled faction, and they resort to terrorist acts in their attempts to stave off the progress introduced by Aivas, whom they call an "Abomination" (in turn, leading to these tradionalists being scornfully dubbed "Abominators.").

But that's only the most extreme reaction. While others acclimate easily enough to all the rapid changes, a sizable portion of the populace is bewildered and shell-shocked. Certain advances are even treated with fear, particularly the invasive surgical methods being studied by the Healer Crafthall. And another question being asked: If the Red Star, which is responsible for Thread falling on Pern, had been diverted, why is Thread still falling?

Nevertheless, these are exciting times, a memorable era for Pern. Into all this flux, F'lessan, the son of Benden Weyrleaders F'lar and Lessa, tries to make his mark. A trusted wingleader and the rider of bronze Golanth, F'lessan is a budding astronomist and the caretaker of Honshu, an Ancestor's hold. For years he's tried to overcome a reputation for womanizing and for flightiness. This rep doesn't hold him in good stead when he meets Tia, the solemn and studious rider of green Zaranth. Tia is also interested in the stars, yet is wary of F'lessan's attentions.

They first meet during the Turnover celebration (what passes for New Year's Eve on Pern), but this is a Turnover more portentous for the widespread, coordinated acts of sabotage which are staged later that night in many key sites harboring Aivas technology. But no sooner have these raids been dealt with (temporarily, it turns out) than an even more frightening calamity falls on the folk of Pern. A meteor plummets into the sea and causes a massive tsunami which then devastates the coasts of Pern. And the dragons and their riders are once again pushed to the brink...

THE SKIES OF PERN is a sprawling tale. It builds on previous Pern novels (and especially All the Weyrs of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern Series) and The Dolphins of Pern), and one can't really pick up this book without having some knowledge of what went on in those other novels. Longtime readers of Anne McCaffrey's great Pern series will appreciate this book. THE SKIES OF PERN catches us up with our favorite characters of the present and ninth Pass. I like that McCaffrey realistically ages her cast, although it's a bit saddening to realize that F'lar is now 63 years old, albeit an energetic one. Lessa is here, and, in more or less cameo roles, Jaxom, Sharra, Mirrim, Lytol, D'ram, and so on...the cast really is huge.

But the main protagonists are F'lessan and Tia, and their dragons Golanth and Zaranth. All are very likable, so the time spent reading about their exploits blurred for me. For once, a green dragon and her rider get a lion's share of the attention (and, thankfully, it's not Mirrim or Path, no offense to Path). If you've read ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN, you'll perhaps recall that there was one aspect of the dragons' ability (or inability) which greatly puzzled Aivas. This book (and Zaranth) addresses that. McCaffrey also unveils what the future holds in store for Pern's dragons and their riders.

Admittedly, though, whenever McCaffrey focused on the Abominators, I wasn't as engaged, especially as the story went on. For me, it's probably because this arc barely involved anyone I was interested in. There are intriguing early segments featuring Sharra and Jaxom, but after that, I yawned thru the rest. It doesn't help that there's an open-ended resolution to this arc, as the story ends with one major Abominator still on the loose. On an interesting note, McCaffrey continues to expand this universe by investing pages on the Runners (messengers) and the Printer Halls of Pern. Meanwhile, Lord Toric once again gets his greed on. Dude never learns.

But, mostly, I was caught up with F'lessan and Tia's blossoming relationship and with the unfolding of the dragons' new talent (In the last quarter of the novel, something happens which forces the dragons to summon this new talent.). In the aftermath of the catastrophic meteor, the people of Pern (perhaps hysterically) call on dragonriders to from now on ensure that things not fall from the skies. Luckily for them, a way to do this just may have been found.

This is mostly an entertaining read, another one of Anne McCaffrey's wonderful blurrings of fantasy and science-fiction. In this one, she also adds in a disaster film flavor. THE SKIES OF PERN isn't as good as the classic Pern stories. But, as a fix for the Pern junkies, it admirably does the job. I believe all the Pern novels after THE SKIES OF PERN have been written by Anne McCaffrey in collaboration with her son. I've read some of these, and they're okay but nothing special. I'm always wary of other authors infringing on the original's works as I feel that something, a flavor, is always in peril of being lost. I think this bears out in Todd McCaffrey's Pern follow-ups, even the ones co-written by his mother. Frankly, until Anne McCaffrey writes a new solo novel (it's been a while now) or Todd improves as a storyteller I tend to think of THE SKIES OF PERN as the closing chapter to the Chronicles of Pern. I hope I'm wrong.

Anne McCaffrey
"The Skies of Pern" is a continuation of all the other "Pern" stories. They all provide me with a society I am able to relate to. Excellent!!!

A Pern must have.
If you're a Pern fan, this one is a must! You might want to dust off your copy of "All the Weyrs" and "Dolphins" just to refresh your memory and wet your appetite.

This book is much longer than the first Pern books, 450 pages! I love the extra and the way she weaves all the numerous books together. I won't waste time going over what other's have already stated. I haven't yet read the other newer Pern books, but I'm looking forward to getting to them.