Rest In Peace - Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011)

SFWA Grand Master Anne McCaffrey, 85, died November 21, 2011 of a massive stroke at home in Ireland.

More details Online.

She is the author who truly first introduced me to fantasy. I read some YA fantasy as a kid, but The Dragonriders of Pern series is the one that really threw me all into this fabulous genre.

She will be greatly missed by her many fans and fellow authors.

I had just read "The Ship who Sang" last week for a science fiction and fantasy course. AMAZING story. That was actually the first thing I had read by her. :(

As a teenager, I re-read the Dragonriders trillogy so many times, I had to buy the books three times over. The Harper Hall series was a great YA series series that not only made me love the main characters Menolly and Piemur, but eventually drove me to take voice lessons and join my high school choir. While I never pursued it, I credit Anne with my deeper appreciation for the work of singing, and the dangers they have had to face historically.

Even though I knew it was impossible, I still yearned to fly on the back of my own telepathic dragon of Pern, or at the very least, impress one of their diminutive fire lizard cousins.

I still do.