Letter from Sue B
Hi Todd
I have some questions about the new web site. First though I wanted to say I’m really glad we can now read old letters. It’s nice when I’ve been away so I don’t have to worry that you’ll delete your response before I get a chance to read it.
I noticed that your new Letters page is missing everything after August 2005 yet I know you’ve responded since then. So I went back through your old letters, to see if the dates were in reverse order and found they weren’t but I did get pulled into reading letters I hadn’t yet read. In doing so I found this in a response to Doug May 23 2004:
“I’ve also wondered about compiling something along the lines of a ‘Pern Companion’ which has chapters of information relevant to each book. However, that doesn’t lend itself easily to a trade paperback format. It would best be served by having a loose-leaf binder which could accomodate new sections for new books and for revisions. But that seems a bit unwieldy. I suppose a Pern Companion website on a subscription basis might work although it’s still not quite the same as curling up with a book. Hmm! (can you tell I’m brainstorming?) Perhaps the best is a set of ‘Pern Companions’ one for the first three adult books (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon), another for the Harper Hall trilogy, a third for the books following after “The White Dragon” and so on. Ah, but the trouble with that is then you have to consult a stack of books when you’re seeking an answer. Well, it’s a problem to be solved.Â
I know it’s an old letter but I was hoping you hadn’t given up on the idea of a ËœPern Companion” I would really enjoy one, however you work it out.
I also noticed some of the letters written in may 2005 have your response only and not the fan letters, were they lost? If so I think I still have mine, I’d have to look.
Thanks
Sue B
Hi Sue B,
I’ve had about two major computer crashes, and three re-installations on top of all that for about a total of 5 complete changes of data. Sadly, some of my e-mail went with it. Worse, the loss causes a large amount of time to be used up recovering and I find myself back-logged with unanswered e-mail because of it.
When I don’t throw up my hands in despair, I alternate between answering the oldest e-mails first and the most interesting e-mails first. Sometimes I find an e-mail that is (what’s the right word?) “perplexing” (?) and it just stops me altogether. I may come back later and answer it or I might finally decide that I don’t want to be bothered — it depends upon the nature of the letter.
Also, I have this firm conviction that people would like more Pern novels to read than answers to e-mails (particularly those who didn’t write the e-mails). And, truth be told, I don’t get paid to answer e-mails and I do get paid to write novels.
With regards to a Pern companion or a series of them, I think for the while the idea will just have to lie fallow. I don’t think there’s that great a call for them and what desire there is is probably being well-handled by the fan community. So, for the foreseeable future, we’ll continue to rely on the memories, insights, and kindess of other fans for answering those pesky questions we get.
Cheers,
Todd