Pern series

[Redlass]

So, does anyone else out there read Mcaffrey's Pern series?

My husband and I are currently reading The Skies of Pern (and let me tell you, having two people read the same copy of a book at the same time is a bad idea. You'd think we'd have learned to quit doing that by now!).

It's gotten so complex and involved that I feel like I need to go back and read the whole series to understand much of what is going on in this book. I keep getting that nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something. Yet, I don't find the series so good that I want to hunt out all the books and invest the time to re-read them all when I have so many other books waiting.

Part of me feels like McAffrey wrote The Skies of Pern because Pern fans continue to demand additions to the series. Don't get me wrong--I like the series and find the world incredibly imaginative and interesting. I give McAffrey a lot of credit for the wonderful books she's written. I also feel like there isn't a whole lot new in each new novel.

My husband pointed out that the early Pern novels were fantasy books, whereas the last couple have been much more science fiction. He keeps finding flaws in the book as a science fiction novel, and I get frustrated because it seems to me that the objections he raised were addressed in some of the other books (especially First Fall) and I just can't remember.

For example, my husband questioned whether there was enough genetic differentiation among the original settlers to allow for the huge genetic differences in the current population of Pern.

We also wondered why, if Pern was an Earth colony, nothing survived of any of Earth's religions. Three of Earth's major religions rely heavily on written records--why did none of that survive? Or was it that McAffrey simply didn't want to deal with that in her world--despite the complexity and depth her world has in every other way. The people of Pern haven't even developed their own version of spirituality, something that seems awfully strange and something that no other known culture has ever done.

Thoughts on any of these?

[murasaki]

I did read most of the Pern series. I stopped, however, when The Dolphins of Pern came out. I didn't like the idea that McCaffrey was changing a completely detached fantasy world into an off-shoot of Earth. What you've told me about the latest book has just proven to me that I made the right decision: I'll stick with the Pern I know and love--a completely detached fantasy world that has absolutely no bearing or connection with Earth whatsoever.

Don't get me wrong though. I do like McCaffrey's sci-fi books too. I have all the Rowan books and the Freedom's Landing trilogy. I guess I just want Pern to stay unique and unsullied by we earthlings.

--naomi

[hypotenuse]

Originally posted by Redlass
Part of me feels like McAffrey wrote The Skies of Pern because Pern fans continue to demand additions to the series. Don't get me wrong--I like the series and find the world incredibly imaginative and interesting. I give McAffrey a lot of credit for the wonderful books she's written. I also feel like there isn't a whole lot new in each new novel.

I honestly don't think she wrote the last book. : ducking:

Here's my reasoning... You know she's handing pern off to her son - Todd Johnson, or Todd MaCaffrey as he is now known. To ease transition I think he wrote the last one, with input from Anne and probably editing as well.

My husband pointed out that the early Pern novels were fantasy books, whereas the last couple have been much more science fiction. He keeps finding flaws in the book as a science fiction novel, and I get frustrated because it seems to me that the objections he raised were addressed in some of the other books (especially First Fall) and I just can't remember.

For example, my husband questioned whether there was enough genetic differentiation among the original settlers to allow for the huge genetic differences in the current population of Pern.

That and in Dragaon's Dawn. But it was handled in a forties Cambell kind of way. *I said the science and technology did such and such, so that's the way it is.* No real explanation.

We also wondered why, if Pern was an Earth colony, nothing survived of any of Earth's religions. Three of Earth's major religions rely heavily on written records--why did none of that survive? Or was it that McAffrey simply didn't want to deal with that in her world--despite the complexity and depth her world has in every other way. The people of Pern haven't even developed their own version of spirituality, something that seems awfully strange and something that no other known culture has ever done.

That was also brought up in Dragon's Dawn. The records were there, as literature, within Aivis. Remember at the end of All the Weyrs of Pern - And a time for every season under heaven.

There were also several comments of not bringing the sectism of religion to their new world in Dragon's Dawn. When Aivis went down, so did the records. I assume that those records were not hard copied before the computer system completely died on the northern continent at the beginning of Dragon's Eye.

She does bring up the issue of religion in the Freedom's Landing trilogy. In a backhanded kind of way.

Ok. So I've read the series several times...

Lynne

[quasar]

I read the first few books when I was younger (8-10ish maybe?) but it never hit a chord with me. Considering this was a time when I read and enjoyed almost anything fantasy based, that's a little surprising. I honestly don't even remember what the series was about anymore, just that I didn't really care for it. Probably ambivalent is a better description because if I disliked it I probably would remember it.

Janice

[Redlass]

Originally posted by hypotenuse


I honestly don't think she wrote the last book. : ducking:

Here's my reasoning... You know she's handing pern off to her son - Todd Johnson, or Todd MaCaffrey as he is now known. To ease transition I think he wrote the last one, with input from Anne and probably editing as well.

Wow! No, I didn't know she was handing Pern off. It might take me awhile to get my brain around that one. What that means is that the world she has created has now transcended any one particular book. The hidebound part of me resists that--I want each book to be complete in itself. The other part of me recognizes that there is some merit to that idea--it takes the author from the level of book-creator to world-creator. But to then let go of one's creation...

Hmmm. I'll have to think about that one. She did have an awful lot of acknowledgements in this book.

That and in Dragaon's Dawn. But it was handled in a forties Cambell kind of way. *I said the science and technology did such and such, so that's the way it is.* No real explanation.

That was also brought up in Dragon's Dawn. The records were there, as literature, within Aivis. Remember at the end of All the Weyrs of Pern - And a time for every season under heaven.

There were also several comments of not bringing the sectism of religion to their new world in Dragon's Dawn. When Aivis went down, so did the records. I assume that those records were not hard copied before the computer system completely died on the northern continent at the beginning of Dragon's Eye.

She does bring up the issue of religion in the Freedom's Landing trilogy. In a backhanded kind of way.

I remembered the quote--it just seems odd to me that NO form of spirituality developed to fill the vacuum. It makes sense to me that they didn't want the wars or discord that organized religion is credited for causing on Earth. But wouldn't something else have developed? It has for every other culture that we know about. (At least, that I know about. I could be wrong in that statemnt as I haven't extensively studied sociology. I'd be interested in hearing cases to the contrary.)

Naomi: I'm such a sucker for reading a series that it is hard for me to say "I'll read no more." It's just strange because I come to the books with certain expectations and then those expectations are thrown off. It's also frustrating because she (or he if Todd is now writing them) expects you to remember so many details from the whole series. I don't re-read the series with any regularity. Indeed, I only really enjoyed the harper trilogy enough to re-read it.