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The “Dragonriders of Pern” series was written by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey. In the year 2003, Todd started writing the novels, both with his mother and by himself. Anne started the series in the late sixties, and it features over twenty novels and many short stories. Anne McCaffrey asked that her readers read the novels in the order that they were written, not the order that everything takes place. This is due, in part, to the fact that there are many novels after the original trilogy that take place in different time lines or from different characters’s point of view.
Order of Dragonriders of Pern Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragonflight | 1968 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Dragonquest | 1971 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Dragonsong | 1976 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Dragonsinger | 1977 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Smallest Dragonboy | 1977 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | The White Dragon | 1978 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Dragondrums | 1979 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern | 1983 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Nerilka's Story | 1986 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Dragonsdawn | 1988 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | The Renegades of Pern | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | All the Weyrs of Pern | 1991 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | The Dolphins of Pern | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | Red Star Rising / Dragonseye | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | The Masterharper of Pern | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | The Skies of Pern | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | A Gift of Dragons | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | Dragon's Kin | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 20 | Beyond Between | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 21 | Dragonsblood | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 22 | Dragon's Fire | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 23 | Dragon Harper | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 24 | Dragonheart | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 25 | Dragon Girl | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 26 | Dragon's Time | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 27 | Sky Dragons | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 28 | Dragon's Code | 2018 | Description / Buy |
Chronological Order of Dragonriders of Pern Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragonsdawn | 1988 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Dragonsblood | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Red Star Rising / Dragonseye | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Dragon's Kin | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Dragon's Fire | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Dragon Harper | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Dragonheart | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Dragon Girl | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Dragon's Time | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Sky Dragons | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern | 1983 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Beyond Between | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | Nerilka's Story | 1986 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | The Masterharper of Pern | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | Dragonflight | 1968 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | Dragonquest | 1971 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | Dragonsong | 1976 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | Dragonsinger | 1977 | Description / Buy | |
| 20 | Dragondrums | 1979 | Description / Buy | |
| 21 | Dragon's Code | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 22 | The Smallest Dragonboy | 1977 | Description / Buy | |
| 23 | The White Dragon | 1978 | Description / Buy | |
| 24 | A Gift of Dragons | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 25 | The Renegades of Pern | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
| 26 | All the Weyrs of Pern | 1991 | Description / Buy | |
| 27 | The Dolphins of Pern | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
| 28 | The Skies of Pern | 2001 | Description / Buy |
The first novel in the series “Dragonflight”, released in 1968, is a fix-up that is made up of the stories “Weyr Search” and “Dragonrider”. Both were published by Analog science fiction magazine. “Weyr Search” featured illustrations done by John Schoenherr and was the cover story for one of the issues.
DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN AWARDS
“Weyr Search” won the very first Hugo Award for the best novella in the year 1968. The next year “Dragonrider” won the Nebula for Best Novella. Anne McCaffrey was the first woman to win either award. Among subscribers, “Dragonflight” was ranked ninth out of 33 on Locus (a science fiction and fantasy magazine) all time best fantasy novels in 1987.
BEST DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN BOOKS
This next section is for those readers interested in getting into the “Dragonriders of Pern” series. This section will focus on the novels: “Dragonflight”, “Dragonsong”, and “Dragonsinger”.
Dragonflight: This the second novel in the “Dragonriders of Pern” series (original trilogy) that was released in 1970. Tensions have been risings between the Oldtimers (who came on dragons four hundred turns) as they help the contemporary dragonriders as they try to defeat the destructive Thread. F’nor tries to meditate, but things get heated and an Oldtimer named T’reb stabs him. T’reb is upset that his green dragon is in heat. F’nor is told to go the Southern Continent while his injuries heal up, and he winds up falling love with someone named Brekke and finds out about the wicked things that Weyrwoman Kylara is getting up to lately.
Dragonsong: This the fourth novel in the “Dragonriders of Pern” series (first in the “Harper Hall” trilogy) that was released in 1976. Menolly is a gifted musician and youngest daughter of Masterfisher Yanus; she being punished for using her talents after Petiron (someone who encouraged her to increase her talents) dies. Her father does not permit her to do her music, which makes her life quite unbearable for her. This leads her to run away from her home. She finds refuge from a Thread in a cave, and discovers fire-lizards (the ancestor to the dragons that will come later and serve as Pern’s defense against the Thread) that are hatching. She is supposed to care for these nine babies as they grow; all the while, she is isolated from civilization. Over time, she learns to be more and more resourceful and independent. And no longer being forced to repress her musical talents, she practices her music.
Dragonsinger: This the fifth novel in the “Dragonriders of Pern” series (second in the “Harper Hall” trilogy) that was released in 1977. Menolly is now apprenticed into Harper Hall, which is a type of music conservatory for harpers, so that she can become a harper herself one day. This is a coming of age tale. Life here in Harper Hall is challenging and it is trying for her to make a name for herself. She likes the atmosphere that accepts her and the way that she writes and plays music, there are some who belittle her and wonder if she has any music abilities at all. Her first roommates are awful girls. She also has teachers who do not have a master emphases, and instead of helping her to develop her own talents, try to have her specialize in their techniques.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
The “Xanth” series is written by Piers Anthony, and features a playful tone. It started as only a trilogy, but Anthony decided, after the books were hugely popular to write six more books.
The “Discworld” series written by Terry Pratchett is a highly popular comic fantasy series. The series is set in a so called Discworld, that is flat disc that sits flat on four elephants standing, that are on a giant turtle (named Great A’Tuin). The novels take inspiration or parody famous the works of fantasy novelists and Shakespeare.
What Is The Next Book in The Dragonriders Of Pern Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Dragonriders Of Pern Series. The newest book is Dragon's Code and was released on October, 2nd 2018.