"Dragonflight," by Anne McCaffrey, is a marvelously imagined journey into a world populated by descendents of Earth-born colonists (although they have been forgotten and this issue isn't really addressed until later books of the series) and their dragons, who protect them from a dangerous organism which falls on their planet like rain, susceptible only to drowning or burning by fire, devouring any organic material it touches. It sounds like a weird premise, but it works. The story here focuses on one respite in the cycle of affliction of "thread," as they call it. These cycles come with breaks of hundreds of years, during which the population invariably debates whether the threat will ever return. In the interim, the ranks of dragons and dragonriders have mysteriously decimated, and those who believe that thread is definitely coming back are hard-pressed to figure out how to replenish their defenses, for there is only one fertile queen dragon left. It is this valuable dragon's rider that comes up with an incredibly dangerous solution. I must say that the aforementioned character, Lessa, is one of the most distinctive, strongest, most vividly imagined heroines in sci-fi. McCaffrey's world is fully realized with intricate social structures and an alien ecosystem with its own special biodiversity. The author doesn't take much time with her exposition, choosing instead to throw information at the reader as it comes up, counting on the readers to go with it. I recommend that they do. It's a rewarding read.
cheezy
Apr 26, 2007
great fantasy read
Dragonflight is the first book in Anne McCaffrey's long "dragonriders of pern" series. This tale takes a unique twist, set on a forgotten future colony of earth. In the end, it is a fantastic tale about the relationship between dragons and their riders, leaving you wanting more.
