Anne McCaffrey died on Monday of a stroke. She was 85. She was without a doubt one of my favorite authors.
She was best known for the Dragon Riders of Pern, but to me the Crystal Singer series and the Ship Who Sang series were the best of the lot. She combined SF with Fantasy in a very good way. Her advice to new authors:
“Follow (Robert) Heinlein’s rules for getting published,” she said, referring to the legendary science fiction author of Stranger in a Strange Land. “Write it. Finish it. Send it out. Keep sending it out until someone sends you a check. There are variations on that, but that’s basically what works.”
In terms of her legacy, I’d have to put her up there with Card, Herbert and Heinlein. She was that good. Her stories mixed romance with action and frequently used SF elements in interesting and unique ways. But where she really shined was her characterization. She lent her characters an identity and a feel that anyone reading her works quickly feel into. Both Helva and Killashandra Ree were wonderful characters to follow.
Her influence, particularly in regard to dragons and their relationship with people, has been picked up by a variety of authors. You can see McCaffrey in many other published works – her echoes. I believe that influence will be her greatest legacy. If you enjoy SF or Fantasy and you haven’t yet had the pleasure, then I certainly recommend picking up a few of her novels. It’s not all action. It’s a combination of romance, suspense, mystery and (of course) the delightful weirdness associated with the genre.
RIP Anne. I’ll re-read a few in your memory.
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Filed under: society, Writing Tagged: | Anne McCaffrey, RIP Anne McCaffrey
She had some good advice.
I don’t know who she is, but if you say she’s in the same field as Heinlein and Herbert … hey! I love those guys!
It’s all about the entertainment, and her books were highly entertaining and very enjoyable to read.