Anne McCaffrey
There won’t be many posts this month (as though I’m not always a sporadic poster, anyway). I’ve been losing desperately to the NaNoWriMo event this month. However, I had to come out of blog-hiding to pay tribute to the late but still wonderful Anne McCaffrey.
I received word (read: news report) via an email yesterday that announced that Ms. McCaffrey died of a stroke in her home. She was 85 years old.
The revered author of the Dragon Riders of Pern series, as well as creator of other wonderful characters, such as Acorna the Unicorn Girl will be greatly missed by literature, and especially by all who knew her. Every account I have had with anyone who had met her or spent any time with her at all quickly gave me a story of what a delight she was. She is survived by her son Todd McCaffrey who co-authored many Pern books over the years. He is also an excellent writer and a most charming person. Inklings extends it’s deepest condolences during this sad time and respectfully gives thanks for all of the gifts that she gave during her incredible life.
Weryworld: Whelan
Known to her fans as “the Dragon Lady,” Anne McCaffrey lived in her home, aptly named “Dragon Hold” and was interested in equestrian sports as well as dragons, of course. Over the course of decades, she taught her readers about dragons and the honor of their riders. She inspired writers, convention tracks, and a discussed (and very long overdue) film. She was an excellent story-teller, world-builder, and an impeccably well-structured plotter. A small piece from a dragon rider novel found it’s way into my junior high literature textbook; this excerpt covered the parts of a plot as well as the types of conflict academically. Creatively, it influenced my own writing for years, and still does.
As fans mourn the death of a beloved writer, I again express sincerest sympathies to her family and friends who knew her well and loved her dearly. Wishing you swift flight and forever peace, Ms. McCaffrey.
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