Month: April 2007

Images

Images

When the nice people at DAZ told me about their upgrade to Bryce, Bryce 6.1, I snapped it up.

And installed it. And made some pictures. And then wondered what it’d be like to see dragons flying. Lots of dragons. I ran out of memory at 40 dragons. Here they are.

NOTE: These are not proper Pern dragons (not even close).

Letter from Karen

Letter from Karen

I have been a fan of the McCaffrey “stable” (if you’ll pardon the analogy) ever since I first picked up Dragonflight and then Crystal singer many years ago. I wrote to your mum at the time and told her how wonderful they were. I now have every one of Anne’s books, including those with which you have collaborated. I read them over and over again, they are like my friends and I love them to bits!

I have just read Dragonsblood amd am stunned! What a wonderful book, Todd! It kept me up until 1.30am this morning – I had to finish it in one sitting. I have always loved time paradoxes – I especially enjoyed Lessa’s trip back to fetch the oldtimers, and was thrilled when AIVAS was found. I was intrigued by the concept of how setting the engines to explode at different times helped change the red star’s orbit. Anne’s imagination is infinite!

However, the way you weaved this one around the hidden rooms at Benden – and the reason for their creation – I found myself almost looking for a reference to creation of the little round mirror-like plate with the “Eureka” quote on it, found when Felessan and Jaxom first located a hidden room.

There’s the carving out of the large docking cavern near Nerat which you just know will be half-circle seahold, and then there’s the reference to the rider and dragon who would be found entombed in rock two thousand years later, showing how they became stuck there originally, by materialising without correct visualisation. You were so clever in weaving in all those little references and details which we Pern enthusiasts love so much. Anne’s imagination and talent are phenomenal and yours are easily equal.

Please keep going with Pern for as long as possible. I for one would love to hear more about Menolly, Jaxom, Lessa and the “old” crowd, but in their post-AIVAS years after the red star dwindles, to see how they, the dragons, the dolphins and the southern continent develop in other ways. I do hope that’s possible.

For the gift of the fruits of your imagination, I extend my thanks and my admiration to both you and your mum.

With kindest regards

Karen

Dear Karen,

Thank you! (I’m blushing!)

Dragon Harper will be out (hopefully) by the end of the year and I’m working on the sequel to Dragonsblood so hopefully you’ll have something more to read soon!

Cheers,
Todd

Question from Lilah

Question from Lilah

Hey, Todd. I’m a big fan of your and your mom’s books — I own nearly all of them — and I was wondering…

I’m in a DRoP RP on Neopets.com and it’s quite possibly the best I’ve ever been in. I was wondering if you could approve it on behalf of your mom? We have two websites at freewebs.com/rainbowmistswebbie *main* and freewebs.com/rainbowmists if you’d like to check them out.

Thanks for your time — and your books! ~Lilah

Hi Lilah!

The answer to your question is “nope, sure can’t.” I do not have any legal right of approval. In fact, all my writing on Pern is done under contracted license with Mum. She gets a royalty for every book of mine sold, and rightly so!.

My advice to you would be to read a good book on copyright and determine if what you’re doing is in violation. If so — stop! If you’re very worried you could check with a lawyer (expensive).

Questions of copyright have come up so much that I bought “Copyright for Dummies” and I would recommend it as a good starting place.

Having said all that, you might consider that Warner Brothers hasn’t sued anybody (recently) for copyright violations of “Harry Potter”.

There are two reasons to protect Mum’s copyright:

    1. To accord her art the respect and legal protection it deserves
    2. To protect the works so that a film or TV series can be made

I hope all that helps!
— Todd

Letter from Nev

Letter from Nev

Hi Todd,

I, like a lot of others in your letters page, am very impressed. I also have followed your mothers work, (I still have the Power Lines and Power Play to read yet, as well as Decision at Doona) and was a little worried you would not be the same, totally unfounded I am glad to say, I read Dragon’s Kin late last year, about September 2006, and like most have just finished Dragonsblood without being able to put it down. Congratulations on being a great writer able to follow in your mothers great footsteps.

May I also add, as your mother managed to find a way of removing the threat of thread, can I urge you to find the room to write about how the dragons can still be of use, and how they prove it. Pern still has to move on in time and space. A great challenge I know, but only you can do it. (Unless mum has beaten you to it.)

Yours,
Nev.

Hi Nev,

Thanks for your kind words! We’ll continue to write more.

As for writing “After the Fall is Over” (as Mum likes to joke)… I don’t know. I know that Mum has some ideas she’s working with and we’ll see what she does with them.

For myself, I’m busy with the Third Pass!

Cheers,
Todd