Todd you are doing great, an honor to your Mother. I can picture you as a young boy listening as your Mom tells you the Pern stories.

Just finished Dragonheart. I had a Senior Moment when you went into the alternate reality as Nuellask and Nuella got together. I remember a story where Kindan raised him from the egg and gave him to Nuella so she could rescue her father in the mine. Both scenarios are good and this one is longer and more detailed; so, no fault given. You have written a good stand-alone story here. I cried way too many times in the reading.

Looking forward to the next story. Want to find out what happens with Fiona and her gold as they grow. Also want to hear the story about the mysterious rider with the messages for her. I suspect it is herself, but yes or no, it must be an interesting tale.

Oh yeah – Inspiring WEB page message – goes along with Obama and the doors he is opening. I noticed that you put in scientific tidbits here and there, like it being harder to fly in hot air. I enjoyed that, it reminded me it was Todd and not Anne writing.

Enjoy Ireland – Best Wishes to your Mom – Good Health to you both and to the family.

Peace
x Marga

Marga,

Thank you!

But I do hope you realized that Nuellask isn’t Nuelsk. Poor Nuelsk gave her life saving miners and Nuella grieved over her loss.

Yes, there is more about Fiona — in fact, Dragongirl is even now with the publishers.

Cheers,
Todd

Dear Todd,

I once gathered up the courage to write to your mother in regards to a story i thought could fit into the Pern-Dragon series. She was kind enough to reply that ideas were many but time was short. Years later I came across “Dragon’s Kin” and was introduced to yourself. I wrote to you both excited that perhaps with two, you could find the time to listen. But courage failed and both the story and your letter remain in my drawer.

Every now and then the mouse attempts a roar. I would love the chance to tell you about “Kath” and her story (bunch of ideas really, and I know I can’t write nor would I be allowed to, I do understand copy write? Kind of). I guess what my heart wants is just the chance to have you hear the tale. It may be hopelessly no good, but I will have done my best. I would be happy with that.

Regards, Angie

Dear Angie,

I’m sorry, I really can’t hear about your “Kath.” I’m afraid that the legal implications are just too terrifying to consider. When Steven Spielberg produced “E.T.” he was promptly sued by someone who decided that he’d stolen their idea. Mr. Spielberg had to defend that suit at the cost of countless dollars and time. I am not Steven Spielberg and while Pern is a great place to write about, it doesn’t give me the financial security to entertain even the remotest possibility of having to defend myself in a lawsuit. I don’t want to give anyone reason to believe that I might be using an idea they relayed to me so I turn down all offers.

I understand that there is a large base of Pern fan-fiction extent on various fan websites. That might be a place to put your Kath and the fans who write such stories would probably be able to steer you clear of the shoals of copyright.

Also, from a selfish point of view, if you’ve got good ideas from reading Pern books, could you possibly evolve a whole new world all of your own and write in an entirely different universe (here’s a challenge: no dragons!) stories that we could all read and enjoy.

Cheers,
Todd

Where does Dragonheart come in the list of books?

Hi Lonnie,

I’ve updated my FAQ to show the order.

Dragonsblood and Dragonheart start at the same time with Dragonsblood actually overlapping Dragonheart timewise. You might think of them as rather like the overlap between Dragonsong/Dragonsinger and Dragonquest.

Cheers,
Todd

Huge Pern fan both author’s included so I had no issue spending quite a bit on the hard cover of Dragonheart. I enjoyed the familiar prose for most of the book and started feeling alarmed when I realized I only had about 40 pages to go. The story line wasn’t bringing me any closer to intimating how the problem the bulk of the storyline premise masterfully wove was going to be solved (Dragons and Fire-lizards had never been ill and were now dying from a mysterious illness that doesn’t appear to have a remedy even at the last page of the book). I’ve read hundreds of fantasy and fiction novels in my 46 yrs and almost all of the Pern novels and honestly have never felt let down like that. Page 291’s clairvoyant discussion between Fiona and Tenniz was exciting but most of what was ‘seen’ was never developed into the story line and concluded in the book. I can stretch some of the references to who the ‘voice’ was to be a future Fiona but the struggle alluded to on page 291 never materializes. Wondering if I’m off my game and should have been doubling up on my Wheaties the last week as I devoured the book (pun intended)or if you received any other similar feedback?

Regards,
Jay

Hi Jay,

Sorry to leave you in such suspense! Also sorry to have you feel so let down. I suspect you might not have yet read Dragonsblood which starts at the same time as Dragonheart but is set (mostly) at Benden Weyr where the “Ancient Rooms” exist.

Dragonheart is the first of four books, the second of which, Dragongirl, is now with the publishers — the whole story is just too big to tell in one book and Fiona’s return from Igen with her mature queen is the natural stopping point going from one book to the next.

In Dragongirl (as with Dragonsblood) you’ll learn about the cure for the dragons — and then the real problems start!

I hope you’ll bear with me and that, in the meantime, you’ll in Dragonsblood some of the resolution you felt lacking in Dragonheart.

You might consider Dragonheart and Dragonsblood to be similar to Dragonsinger and Dragonquest where we get two very different viewpoints of the same events.

Cheers,
Todd