Dragongirl, Dragon’s Time, and Dragonrider

Dragongirl, Dragon’s Time, and Dragonrider

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Wow! Being an author has its perks!

Yesterday, I got a package from Del Rey — two new, beautiful hot off the press editions of Dragongirl. Looking purty! And the two most egregrious typos found in the ARC are (yay!) gone.

What was even cooler was at the back of the book where they’ve got an announcement for the forthcoming next book which they say will be titled “Dragonrider” and will be out in May 2011.

Sadly, they’re wrong on both counts. Dragonrider was the name of the book when it was submitted, about two hours before I realized that it would be better called Dragon’s Time (which was then the name of the sequel). But our brilliant editor at Del Rey, after having read the book, came to the same conclusion and so, cheerfully, Mum and I agreed to its being (properly) renamed Dragon’s Time, with the sequel being (properly) renamed Dragonrider.

That news apparently didn’t get to the marketing department quickly enough (or at all but that’s also not quickly enough, isn’t it?).

And, having mentioned it to our editor, I was also informed that the publication date has had to move, currently the date is June 28th 2011 (not such a bad move and still only 11 months and 1 day after Dragongirl).

On the good news front, Mum and I are working diligently to ensure that the gap between Dragon’s Time and Dragonrider is just about the same as the gap between Dragongirl and Dragon’s Time, so you won’t have to wait too long to get your Pern fix!

83 Replies to “Dragongirl, Dragon’s Time, and Dragonrider”

  1. Glad it’s only a year(less a month) I’m on pins and needles to see what happens.

  2. Loved Dragongirl! I’m volunteering to proof read your next books, at no charge!

  4. You are very good with these titles. Dragongirl really had me guessing until I think I’ve figured it out. Correct me if I’m wrong but it seems the title refers to the radical notion of FEMALE dragonriders. When Mirrim impresses Path in The White Dragon it’s considered to be somewhat radical. As one passage in Dragongirl mentions, there must have been some serious editing of Weyr records by some Weyrwoman to allow that facts of this third pass to be left out.
    I thought at first it was a title only referencing Fiona but I had to think twice about it by the end of the book.

    As far as the waiting is concerned that’s par for the course.
    I do wish your male characters were more fleshed out. That’s the one thing that truly struck well for me when I first started reading the Pern Novels. Your mother always seems to set an excellent balance with character development. H’nez, for instance, is a character I’d like to learn more about.

  5. Hi, i have been a fan and avid reader of your mothers work, ( i visit the white Dragon once a year), and it has been a real treat to continue reading about pern. I stumbled on dragon heart and dragon girl at our local library, and now i am hooked, i am on tender hooks to see what happens next. Thank you for a new and exciting look at pern.

  6. I can’t wait to get the new book once it comes out. June seems so far away! I’ve already told my husband and kids that when this book comes out, they are not to disturb me for the day and evening!

    I hope we can look forward to many more books in the future….but if possible, can their release not be so far apart?

  8. Annette,

    The publishers determine the publication date. They seem to prefer having about a year between books. And usually, between Mum and myself, we can only manage to write one book a year although sometimes we surprise ourselves!

    — Todd

  9. Paul W,

    Sorry. Dragongirl refers to our young woman proving to herself that she’s not just a “dragon girl” but a Weyrwoman in all her glory.

    As for my male characters, I think I understand what you’re saying. I’m not sure I agree, however as I think that Kindan in particular, as well as T’mar, B’nik, M’tal, J’lantir, J’trel, D’vin, and D’gan all have things going for them (as does K’lior and many others). H’nez is a character who I’ve been cultivating, just FYI.

  10. Hi Todd,
    I’ve been enjoying your books very much. A couple of suggestions, though, I hope you won’t mind: First of all, a little less stress on the sex lives of the weyrfolk; all you had to do was mention that they were going to their room or something. Also I noticed that there is a lot of talking & emoting going on, without anything really getting done. A little more action, please.
    One more thing, and this is just a favor, really. I’ve tried to ask your Mom this question, but never got a reply.Could you please ask her why she changed the names of the Oldtimers in Dragonquest to other names in the White Dragon? That has always bugged me, and I’d really like to know. Oh, by the way, I know one of your premises for your books is to flesh out some of the little mysteries that are mentioned in your Moms books, but I didn’t see anything like that in Dragongirl. Did I miss it? Thaks for your time, & keep up the good work!!

  11. I got enveloped in the Dragonriders of Pern about three years ago and caught up to present when Dragonheart was released. I love the series and hope there are many books to come! Is there anyway to special order Dragon’s Time so that I get it exactly on June 28? I don’t think I can be kept in suspense for much longer than that. (P.S. my Favorite character throughout the books has been and always will be Fless!)

  12. On to the third time around for the Pern series Looking forward to Todd co ntinuing on The girls at the book shop I deal with are always on the lookout for the latest release for me.Ausralia recieves the books much later thanUSA but the wait is worth it and the thicker the book the better the story .Thank you Anne and Todd for giving me such pleasure through my reading life Yours Truly kay raymond

  13. i love that dragonriders of pern series won’t end with your mom. it seems that every series i love just ends, and your books are awesome and blend seemlessly with your mom’s. you are an great writer. thanks to both of you for the pern series. incidentally i wrote to your mom years ago via snail mail and she wrote back a great postcard with a dragon lecturing and the quote “we are here to discuss man… myth or legend.” i have lost he post card, it was about 25 years ago, but never forgot the handwritten response to my letter. i love you both. my 19 year old son is now as avid a pern fan as i am. thanks for your wonderful books and your accessibility. love, susan and david goodemote

  16. Kess,

    I don’t know, that’s something to talk to your local (and favorite) bookseller about.

  17. I totally agree with the comment about the fact that you are continuing the tradition of Pern. I always feel like I am leaving my family when a book comes to an end. I too read the entire Pern series about once a year.

    @ Kess: Amazon.com has pre order and you can get the book on the very day it is released!

  18. I only discovered the joys of Pern four weeks ago, and have now read every book, and cannot wait for Dragon’s Time (pre-ordered it last night). I am a notorious nit-picker (good for being a proof-reader) and wanted to congratulate you and your mum, as I have been completely enthralled, and have found it nigh on impossible to find any fault with them. You should both be very proud of your achievements with the books, and the inspiration you offer to all up and coming science fiction and fantasy writers. When my first novel is published, I shall be thanking both of you in the acknowledgements

  19. Robert,

    Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll take them under consideration.

    As to your question, the answer is that it was a mistake on her part. Her best answer was that “it was an alternate way of pronouncing the name” but, in reality, she just didn’t like the name(s) (I can only think of T’ton becoming T’ron) sounded.

  20. I just want to say that I grew up with Pern. My mother read it to me when I was a child, and I did my 3rd grade book report on Moretta’s Ride. As someone who has been emotionally invested in the series, I must say that I find it amazing and wonderful that Anne found such a good heir to her legacy. I love the turn (no pun intended) the series has taken with you at the helm, and I am glad to know that this wonderful world will continue to have its stories told to its admiring audience. Thank you and your mother for allowing us to all share this wonderful voyage! I am looking forward to being able to read it to my own children some day, and have even been practicing with the children of my friends!

  21. Brilliant stuff. I first read the very first dragon rider book when I was a teenager, and am almost 50 now. 2 years ago, having discovered Todds books, I decided to re- read every single story, this time in chronological order, including all the various short stories in various collections. I had some gaps to fill, and in doing so, discovered stories such Moreta as a ghost.

    I am so glad and appreciative that the story goes on, as this ongoing environment represents a significant part of my teenage and adult reading over more than 30 years. Thanks Anne and Todd

  22. I am so glad that you have continued the Pern series. I have been reading them for the past 20 years…. 🙂 and I can’t wait for more. The fact that you have picked up right where your mom had left off is truely wonderful. This book series is the only one I have ever read that never lost my interest over time. Each book is a masterpiece on its own!!! Thanks so much for all of them and please, please continue writing them, for I would not know what to do without Pern.

  23. Done and done! I absolutely can’t wait!!! Thankyou so much for your diligent work on an excelent series!

  24. Todd,

    I’m so excited that you are keeping up the good work of you mom! The Dragonriders of Pern is my favorite book series in the world. I believe I’ve read all of them, besides some of the newer books or short stories. I re-read them every summer also and try to read them in chronological order! I can not wait until Dragon’s Time comes out. I really hope we get more insight into some more mysteries, especially Xhinna and her blue dragon =) June 28th can’t come soon enough…I just finished Dragongirl, in like a day, and jumped on the internet to see if there was one coming after it!

    Does anyone know if there is a master list of the Pern series in chron. order? I know of Sariel’s site, but I don’t believe it’s been updated recently.

  25. Thanks times each and every book either/both of you have ever written. May you live long and prosper.

  27. Jess,

    At some point (*real* soon now), I’m going to take a stab at such a list.

  28. Well, today is the day!!! Dragon’s Time hit my Kindle this morning, and I’m just going to start reading (I live in Hawaii, so I’m a few hours behind everyone else). My sister introduced me to these books when I was a pre-teen, and I’ve been reading them faithfully every since. Your Mom says in her note that she’s going back to the current pass, and writing “After the Fall is Over.” The first and last Pass are, of course, my favorites, and I am so looking forward to reconnecting with my favorite characters. She said you MIGHT coauthor? Any updates??? Now, let me get back to the book!!! Thank you for continuing this wonderful story.

  29. Wikipedia lists the pern books in order. Wikipedi.org and search List of Pern Books

  30. My husband purchased a Nook for me and downloaded as much of the Pern series as was available. He pre-ordered Dragon’s Time when he heard about it. I didn’t even know! The only reason it took me a few days to read it was because I read aloud to my 3yr old. She’s a Pern fan even before she can read!

    I simply wanted to say Thank You.

  31. I just have to add my thanks to all the above. I read “Weyr Search” when it first came out, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve become visually impaired, so I was getting the books in audio form, but with my new Kindle I can load it up with Pern books and read in extra-large print. (And I don’t fall asleep, as I was doing with the audio books.)

    About 20 years ago I was a member of a fan club that sent your mum a quilt and greetings when she attended a convention in Atlanta. She not only thanked us all, she sent us each a small Christmas gift that year. What a lady she is!

    Now that I’ve finished Dragon’s Time, I only have to wait a year for the next installment. Guess I’ll spend it re-reading the whole series.

  32. Hello!

    I’m French and I really love your novels and those of your mother. What a good news when I’ve learned that you write novels to continue the stories of Pern’s world.
    At the beginning, I’ve read all the books which were translated in French. When I’ve all read them, I’ve read again some of them. And I’ve tried to read one in English. That was a great joy! So, I can read again all the books in English and I can read the new novels before they are translated!!! Especially that your novels are not all translated. Dragongirl was a very good one. I’ve just bought Dragon’s Time. I will receive it the next week. I’m very impatient!!!
    And after, I would like to read again all the novels, but in the chronological order of time and not of edition.
    All this to say that you and your mother are formidables. CONTINUE TO MAKE US DREAM!

  34. Hello Todd,

    I am just now starting to read DragonGirl, I have been a huge fan of pern since I was 15 and am almost 40 now. You are doing great in your time line and I cannot wait to get caught up.
    I was just wondering are you going to keep your main focus on the 3rd pass or will you dabble into the ending of F’Lar and Lessa’s reighn? Thank You.

  35. I can’t wait for the sequel to dragon’s time. The book was really good and I got insane chills during the impression it made me sad. Keep up the good work

  36. What is happening with your mother’s latest Pern instalment? Last I heard of it (I confess I’m not up-to-date), It was something called “After Thread”, I think, and she was working on it.

  37. Todd,

    I, too, am glad you are continuing the Pern series. Yay!

    I have a question for you: Is it just my bad memory or is threadfall much more dangerous in Dragongirl than in the earlier books? I don’t remember so many fatalities. I was shocked in Dragongirl at how many deaths there were. I thought most of the time a rider would get hit by thread and wink out in time to freeze it. It seems the death toll is so much higher in Dragongirl. If it were that dangerous, Jaxom, for example, would never have flown thread….

    — Mindy

  38. Mindy,

    It’s not so much your memory as that the issue wasn’t as highlighted. But consider, there are as many as five queens in a Weyr, they can rise up to twice a Turn, and each clutch produces as many as 40 eggs (but usually 30). With those numbers, 5 x 2 x 30, we have 300 new dragons each Turn. So, either they’re replacing losses or Pern is building new Weyrs at the rate of 6 a Turn.

    Losses are higher at the start of a Pass as dragonriders learn the hard way how to fight Thread and then taper off (we can also assume that the queens are responsive to population pressure and reduce both the number of mating flights and the size of clutches accordingly). There are other factors involved some of which require extensive hand-waving (like the width of a Fall is over 600 miles — how do you patrol all that even with 300 dragons? That’d mean one dragon had to cover a 2-mile line) to make the whole thing work.

    But, if you go back to Dragonflight and count through the losses listed after the first Fall (Nerat Tip), you’ll realize that they were suffering about 10% losses per Fall which pretty much ties in with the listed queens’ reproductive rate.

  39. Lise,

    I just recently heard that Mum was tackling it once more. We’ll see. It’s harder to take on a full book than it is to collaborate.

  41. Melissa,

    I doubt I’ll get into Ninth Pass any time soon. That’s more Mum’s domain!

  42. Just finished dragons time and all the other ones from todd and rereadding your mums lot from the beginning. Going well so far. Halfway through dragons time i wondered if anyone ever thought of taking a baby meowws (tiger) and keeping it as a pet. But that will break time and lessa and flar would then not have what happens turns later. Cant wait for the new one and will be patiently reading your mums ones.

  43. Your books are like friends….. one’s that I will revisit many times in my life.

    Much thanks for the joy they bring.

    Do you by chance have your mother’s Bubbly Pies recipe?
    I’m a fan of baking. Had a pastie made by my sister’s on Saturday night and thought
    of the Bubbly Pies.

    🙂 Mary

  44. Mary,

    I don’t have the bubbly pie recipe. However, I rather suspect it is a more manageable version of what would be a blueberry pie here on Earth, having been quite spoiled by our fresh-baked blueberry pies when we were vacationing in the Poconos in the mid-60s.

  45. Hm…. a baby Meeyu as a pet? Whyever would you even consider that (he says, batting his eyelashes in his very worst Southern Belle imitation)?

  46. a question for todd or anne, if either of you would like to answer.

    a question about pern’s history and times….. ok, here goes:

    from what I know, the original colonists found pern somewhere in the 24th or 25th century, and they were primarily an oriental group. from what I have read, it took about 2000 years from that time before the first pern books were written (dragonfight, dragonquest, etc.) so that would have put earth in the 44th or 45th century. what I need to know is, what is the current timeframe for pern right now? what century is pern in, in your latest or most current chronological book (ie, is it the 50th century on “pern’s earth” ??? or is it the 65th century? etc etc. something I am curious about. and also, where can I learn about the eridani?

  47. Jason,

    Firstly, I’m not doing private emails. I don’t have the time.

    As to your question: Pern was colonized around about 2400-2500 CE, Dragonflight takes place at the beginning of the 9th Pass, about 2500 Turns (years) later, so that would be roughly the 50th-51st century.

    Dragonsblood, Dragonheart and all the current novels take place at the end of the Second Interval and the start of the 3rd Pass, roughly 500 Turns after the colonization described in Dragonsdawn (in some of the books the term A.L. — After Landing is used).

    Dragonsdawn and Dragonsblood are the only two books to say much about the Eridani. Whether we’ll learn more or not — we’ll see.

  48. Hey Todd, my name is Ken. I have been reading your mothers books and yours for about 8 years now. The first one that really got me hooked was The Smallest Dragonboy haha. I read it in elementary and I forgot about it for the longest time. Then I went into the Middle school/High School library when I was about 13 and somehow remembered that one book that stood out that I loved and read quite a few times in Elementary. I never tried to even look for any others in the series because I didn’t expect there to be any. The next one I read was Dragonblood. I’m sorry to say this but it wasn’t up to par at the time I read it. I expected something much better. Then I read Dragonsong. It was exactly what I was looking for. I don’t know why but that mini-series, the one of the Harper Hall and Menolly, made me fall in love with Pern all over again. Yes, Dragonblood was a dud in my opinion but you can’t be perfect all the time can you? I have read and re-read almost every book in the Pern saga about 7 or 8 times and I just recently found out about the Sega Dreamcast game made about the series. I’m told it is a great game if you want to immerse yourself in the world of Pern but it’s slightly mundane compared to the books. I heard also about a movie that may be made in 2012? I’m not sure if this is a rumor or if there is actually some truth to it. I sincerely hope that it is true but at the same time, like with all books that have been made into movies, I am skeptical. Sorry, I am rambling. I just want to let you know that there are people who have read every Pern novel many times over and are expecting the series to continue to the fullest possible extent. Thank you for your amazing ability to continue your mother’s incredible series and if you could, I wish you would tell her thank you and Robinton was possibly the best character I have ever read about in any book, period. Again, forgive me, my thoughts are everywhere and I have a hard time bringing them all together into a single cohesive paragraph so I hardly try anymore.

  49. Ken,

    From what you’re saying it seems that the young adult (YA) books like the Harper Hall trilogy work best for you. You might find Dragon’s Kin, Dragon’s Fire, and Dragon Harper in the same vein.

  50. Hi Todd,
    Congratulations on your mother ‘s and you own inherited ability to imagine and express ideas in such a fascinating manner. I have been reading Anne’s books since the 1970’s and wish I could have somehow have an ‘in’ to all new publications, instead of suddenly coming upon a title I don’t recognise on a friend’s bookshelf.
    My son fell in love with Decision at Doona as a late primary student, and I have always been intrigued by Helga in The Ship who Sang. All my children read McCaffrey books with delight.We each have bookcases full of your titles.
    I am now eligible for retirement benefits, but still keen to experience other worlds vicariously!
    As I live ‘down-under’ in Australasia, I will regrettably never get to Ireland, but wish all McCaffreys the very best of health and long life! Please keep imagining and writing.

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