Between the ages of 13 to 18 I reckon I read Anne McCaffrey books more than any other author (except Douglas Adams - I read Hitchhikes Guide to the Galaxy about 50 times!). I can't remember now, but I probably started reading the Dragonrider books first, no doubt inspired to pick up the first one because of the beautiful covers. My books had cover art by Steve Watson (who died in February this year). I can remember spending nearly as long looking at the beautiful covers as I did reading the books!
Once I started reading though, I was hooked. I think I still have most of those ancient dog-eared and tatty paperbacks on my shelves.
Anne McCaffrey's books are sometimes considered to be fantasy, because of the Dragons in the Pern series perhaps, but in reality she was a science fiction writer. Her themes encompassed cyborgs, telepathy and telekinesis, interplanetary travel and the relationships between different species.
Her stories will take you to wonderful new worlds, spin you out into space, introduce you to a wide range of interesting and unforgettable characters, such as the feisty Sara in Restoree, the boy Jaxom who rides The White Dragon, Wise Harper Robinton of Pern, Helva, the cyborg spaceship in The Ship Who Sang and Killashandra Ree, the Crystal Singer.
Anne's stories were imaginative, enthralling and sexy and I am grateful that I had the chance to read so much of her work when I was young. Her characters became part of my own character as no doubt many avid young readers find with their favorite books. I mean, here we are, 34 years after I read my first Anne McCaffrey book and I'm even now using the alias Dragonrider!
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