The author who gave us the magical world of Pern has passed away. Anne McCaffrey passed away today at the age of 85. She is survived by her three children.
Random House Books has also acknowledged the writer’s death. A post now up at the publisher’s site reads, “McCaffrey died at her home in Ireland on November 21st shortly after suffering a stroke.”
The trailblazing writer helped usher in a new era for women writers of science-fiction and fantasy. McCaffrey was the first to be given a Hugo Award in 1968 and a Nebula Award one year later. She was also the first woman with a science fiction title on The New York Times Best Seller list in 1978, with “The White Dragon.”
Extremely prolific, she published nearly 100 books, mainly fiction, starting in 1967. She emigrated to Ireland (from America) in 1970. McCaffrey was also a large collaborator. Up until 1990, she co-authored more than 30 books — 15 with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. She also co-wrote with Margaret Ball, Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Moon, Jody Lynn Nye and S. M. Stirling.
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted her June 17, 2006.
“Oh, Tongue, give sound to joy and sing/ Of hope and promise on dragonwing.” RIP Anne McCaffrey. You filled my childhood with dragons and song.
Her books were a major part of my childhood and her loss is keenly felt.
When someone who brought joy to the world passes there is less joy left in the world.
she’s gone “between”. somewhere the dragons mourn…..
Thanks for all of the great stories and memories Ann….
Hickerson, there was a FPM interview with Ann a few years back, with her son, if I recall correctly – don’t remember if it was Dragon Page or SoSF. You guys should try and fish that out and drop it in the feed in memorial.
While that interview is not in the feed, it is still available online. It’s a dual interview show, with the first half being with Anne, and the second half with David Anthony Durham:
http://www.dragonpage.com/2007/07/10/cover-to-cover-270/
There’s also a separate interview with Todd McCaffrey that’s available:
http://www.dragonpage.com/2007/02/22/cover-to-cover-251/
Thanks Summer!
Missing you already. Read everything you ever wrote. Thank-you for always.