Anne Inez McCaffrey (1. dubna 1926 Cambridge, Massachusetts – 21. listopad 2011 Dragonhold-Underhill, Irsko) byla americká spisovatelka, autorka 20 románů a 30 známých povídek sci-fi a fantasy literatury.
Jednou za stovky let se k Pernu přiblíží jeho sesterská planeta Krvavice a s ní smrtonosná Vlákna. Jedinou ochranou před zkázou světa jsou draci a jejich jezdci. Nyní však Vlákna nepadala už po několik set oběhů. Draků je málo, dračí jezdci i prostí lidé na hrozbu zapomněli, stará dračí královna umírá a v líhništi tvrdne skořápka pouze jednoho jediného královského vejce. Poslední nadějí je mladá dívka Lessa a starobylý gobelín...
Dračí dar přináší čtyři okouzlující příběhy o Pernu v jednom svazku s uměleckými ilustracemi Toma Kidda. Povídka Nejmenší z dračích jezdců, je o nejmladším z kandidátů na dračí jezdce. Keevan je rozhodnut zasvětit se drakovi při příští líhni dráčků z vajíček a překvapivě se ukáže, že navzdory svému vzrůstu je on nejvhodnějším kandidátem. V povídce Dívka, která slyšela draky mladá dívka se vzácnou schopností komunikovat s draky uvede svou rodinu do nebezpečí a musí čelit tváří v tvář největší bázni – i svému nejtajnějšímu přání. Pernskou poselkyní je nazývána dívka jménem Tenna, která následuje rodinné tradice v doručování zpráv – a nalezne svůj osud v mechem porostlých stezkách, které Poslové pod draky přeplněným nebem po staletí používali. A konečně jeden velmi zvláštní dar: vzrušující nový příběh z Pernu Navždy dva, zde poprvé publikovaný a plný svěží imaginace Anne McCaffrey.
První díl Harfenické trilogie, odehrávající se na dračí planetě Pern.
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během devátého Míjení.
Anne McCafrey patří ke skutečným hvězdám science fiction. Napsala téměř čtyřicet románů a spousty krátkých povídek, získala ceny Hugo i Nebula a její knihy se v milionech výtisků prodávají po celém světě. Mezi její populární dračí romány patří mimo jiné především Harfenická trilogie (Harper Hall Trilogy), sestávající se z knih Dračí píseň, Menolly a Dračí bubny, úzce propojená s trilogií Drakeni z Pernu.
První vydání.
-- zdroj: www.legie.info --
Třetí kniha pentalogie Drakeni z Pernu.
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během devátého Míjení.
I když Jaxomovi dělá jeho malý drak trochu starosti, přece jen se ukáže, že Ruth umí létat, žvýkat ohňovec a chrlit oheň, skákat do mezimezí i mezi časy, tedy všechno jako opravdový drak. Spolu pak přijdou na to, že Ruth umí i další nečekané věci…
Druhá kniha pentalogie Drakeni z Pernu. Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během devátého Míjení. Život na Pernu se změnil. Nic není jako dřív. Tradice přestávají být tradicemi, mění se zvyky i postoje prostých lidí. Dračí jezdci se chtějí vydat na Krvavici a jednou provždy zničit vražedná Vlákna. Je taková cesta vůbec možná, nebo je to sebevražedná mise? A je dobré, nebo špatné znamení, že se narodil bílý drak?... celý text
První kniha pentalogie Drakeni z Pernu.
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během devátého Míjení.
Jednou za stovky let se k Pernu přiblíží jeho sesterská planeta Krvavice a s ní smrtonosná Vlákna. Jedinou ochranou před zkázou světa jsou draci a jejich jezdci. Nyní však Vlákna nepadala už po několik set oběhů. Draků je málo, dračí jezdci i prostí lidé na hrozbu zapomněli, stará dračí královna umírá a v líhništi tvrdne skořápka pouze jednoho jediného královského vejce. Poslední nadějí je mladá dívka Lessa a starobylý gobelín…
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během prvního Míjení.
Román Dračí úsvit se odehrává na nádherné planetě Pern, která je natolik podobná Zemi, že se na ní kolonisté mohou cítit jako doma. Narozdíl od jejich domovské planety není poničená průmyslovým rozvojem ani zpustošená meziplanetárními válkami. Několik tisícovek kolonistů má v úmyslu zachovat planetu, kterou si na první pohled zamilovali, neporušenou. Zaberou si půdu, usadí se a začínají uskutečňovat svůj sen – vybudovat málo industrializovanou společnost poklidně hospodařících zemědělců.
Náhle však zasáhne planetu neočekávaný úder. Po mnoha stovkách let se k ní přiblíží její bludná oběžnice a začne na Pern trousit bakteriální spory, hubící všechno živé, co se jim postaví do cesty. Tato Vlákna, jak se jim začalo říkat, dokážou zničit jen oheň nebo voda. Kolonistům však chybí prostředky k neustálé obraně – Vlákna je mají sužovat celých padesát let! Mají-li lidé na Pernu přežít, nezbývá jim, než rychle objevit účinné řešení.
Pak si někdo povšimne malých domorodých ještěrek, které se snaží Vláknům vzdorovat po svém. Chrlí na ně oheň a bleskurychle se dokážou přemístit do bezpečí. Kdyby tak jen byli tihle dráčkové dost velcí, aby na nich mohli létat lidé, a dost bystří, aby si s jezdcem rozumněli…
Nejtalentovanější genetikové se pustili do práce. Cíl je jasný – vyšlechtit obří inteligentní Draky!
-- zdroj: www.legie.info --
série: Drakeni z Pernu
díl v sérii: 4
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během devátého Míjení.
Celé generace drakeni se svými draky, schopnými telepatického kontaktu se svými jezdci, vzlétali vstříc hrozbě Vláken a pálili je ještě ve vzduchu, než mohla dopadnout na povrch planety a žravě pohlcovat veškeré organické látky. Snem všech drakenů bylo najít způsob, jak vymýtit Vlákna definitivně, aby už nikdy neohrožovala jejich milovaný Pern.
Konečně svitla naděje, že by se jejich sen mohl naplnit. Obyvatelé Pernu vedení Mistrem Harfeníkem Robintonem a vůdci Bendenského Weyru F'larem a Lessou při zkoumání pozůstatků prvního osídlení Pernu objevili velmi složitý počítačový systém. Díky němu se znovu naučili dávno zapomenuté poznatky a počítač je vedl ke splnění svého prioritního úkolu, jímž bylo právě trvalé odvrácení hrozby ničivých Vláken. Mnoho drakenů, řemeslníků i držebníků se chopilo nabídnuté příležitosti, ovšem převratné novinky neměly pouze příznivce, ale také rozhodné a mocné odpůrce…
Byla to téměř obyčejná holčička, ale s drobným rohem uprostřed čela, podivně tvarovanými nohami a krásnými stříbrnými vlasy. Ovládala zvláštní schopnosti, jako čištění vody a vzduchu, urychlování růstu rostlin a hojení zranění. Trio šedovlasých kosmických prospektorů ji našlo v záchranném kokonu mezi asteroidy, adoptovali ji a vzali na kosmickou stanici. Tam však čelili nepřátelství a nepochopení. Byrokraté chtěli Acornu umístit do útulku a amputovat jí „deformitu“, zatímco vědci ji chtěli izolovat a studovat. Její adoptivní strýčkové se rozhodli jednat a unesli ji na pirátskou planetu Kezdet, kde mohla vyrůstat bez protivenství. Avšak Kezdet skrývá temné tajemství – prosperita planety spočívá na dětské otrocké práci, kterou řídí tajemný muž zvaný Pištec. Ten má s Acornou zvláštní plány, neboť v jejím růžku vidí potenciál bohatství a moci. Zatímco některé dívky se vyhnuly otroctví a touží po svobodě, Lukia, Paní světla, se chystá Pištci a jeho nohsledům ukázat, co znamená čest, svoboda a hodnota dětství.
Na konci dvacátého století došlo k zásadnímu průlomu v oblasti mimosmyslového vnímání, které bylo dlouho považováno za podvod. Mladý Peter Reidinger předvedl svou schopnost ovládat stroje myslí, když telekinezí posunul lehkou kosmickou loď z oběžné dráhy na Mars. Tato událost otevřela novou éru, kde lidé začali parapsychologické talenty oslavovat a přestali se jich bát. Tyto schopnosti se staly nezbytnými pro přežití na přelidněné Zemi, chudé na přírodní zdroje.
Byly vybudovány speciální stanice na Měsíci, Marsově Deimu a Jupiterově Callisto, odkud byly startovány velké průzkumné lodě kolonizující devět hvězd s planetami vhodnými pro lidskou rasu. Poptávka po talentech výrazně převyšovala nabídku, a trénink nadějných jedinců byl obtížný. Rowan, která byla od dětství jedním z nejsilnějších talentů, se stala hlavní postavou s mocí dosáhnout až k dalekým hvězdám. Přestože měla obrovské schopnosti, chyběli jí rodina, přátelé a láska.
Jednoho dne obdržela telepatickou zprávu z dalekého světa, který čelil hrozbě neznámých bytostí. Odesílatelem byl telepatický talent Jeff Raven, což přivedlo Rowanu blízko k lásce a zároveň k nebezpečí…
Nastal čas naděje a vzpomínek, konců i nových začátků. Krvavice, odpovědná za spady smrtících Vláken na Pern, byla odsunuta na neškodnou dráhu, takže právě probíhající Míjení, období spadu, bude tím posledním.
Technické zázraky pozměňují způsob života na Pernu a drakeni, jimž jdou příkladem Lessin a F’larův syn F’lessan, jezdec na bronzovém Golanthovi, a Tai, jezdkyně na zelené Zaranth, si musí najít nové místo ve světě, který už je jako ochránce před Vlákny nebude potřebovat.
Změny se ale nezamlouvají každému a někteří se nezastaví před ničím, jen aby udrželi Pern a jeho lid „čisté a nezkažené“ tak, jako bývali po staletí.
Na obloze nad Pernem se však objevilo nové nebezpečí, hrozící katastrofou nepředstavitelných rozměrů. A tak opět celý Pern vnímá draky a jejich jezdce jako svou naději
Pátá kniha pentalogie Drakeni z Pernu.
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během devátého Míjení.
Když přiletěli lidé na planetu Pern, aby ji kolonizovali, nepřišli sami. Spolu s nimi přes hvězdné dálky dorazili také delfíni s uměle navýšenou inteligencí, aby obydleli oceány nové planety, zatímco jejich lidští partneři budou obsazovat pevninu. Zanedlouho však přišla pohroma: z oblohy se jako déšť snášely smrtící stříbřité výtrusy zvané Vlákna, pod jejichž útoky se sny lidských kolonistů o novém, idylickém životě rozpadly. Místo nich museli lidé vést zoufalý boj o holé přežití a pod tlakem těchto okolností na delfíny pozapomněli...
O mnoho století později se pernští drakeni připravovali podniknout nejúžasnější akci v dějinách Pernu, která měla planetu zbavit hrozby Vláken jednou provždy. Tehdy mladý bronzový jezdec T'lion a jeho přítel Readis navázali jako první kontakt s legendárními „plavouny" - delfíny. A zatímco drakeni napínali všechny síly, aby úspěšně završili vytyčený úkol a ukončili tím jednu epochu pernské historie, T'lion a Readis spolu s delfíny začínali s úkolem novým: obnovit dávný svazek mezi obyvateli souše a oceánů...
Pokračování ságy z planety Pern, kde lidé a draci žijí v telepatické symbióze.
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během třetího Míjení.
Hrdiny příběhu tentokrát nejsou stateční drakeni a draci, kteří se spolu domlouvají telepaticky a ovládají bleskové přesuny v prostoru i čase, ale skupina obyčejných dětí z chudého hornického tábora, které se starají o mládě hlídacího whera – menšího, šeredného tvora, jen vzdáleně příbuzného s draky, který má střežit horníky před plynem a závaly v důlních štolách. O hlídacích wherech toho Perňané moc nevědí, a teprve děti objeví jejich zázračné schopnosti, které dokážou zachraňovat lidské životy a dodat ošklivým nočním tvorům na důstojnosti.
Osiřelí Kindan, slepá Nuella a oddaný Zenor se svou bystrou sestřičkou Rennou jsou rovnocennými partnery světu dospělých, protože mají odvahu uskutečňovat svoje sny a jít proti tradici, která se přežila.
Napínavý příběh o soužití lidí a draků strhne dospělé i dětské čtenáře a potvrdí jim, že na světě je možné všechno – i existence přátelských, vznešených a věrných draků.
2. kniha série Kateni. Kris, Zainal a další se začínají zabydlovat na Botany, ale najednou se o ně začne zajímat civilizace, které patří vše technické vybavení na planetě. Navíc je na podstatně vyšší technické úrovni než Kateni a Eosi. Budou chtít vše nazpátek? A za jakých podmínek? -- zdroj: legie.info --
1. kniha série Kateni.
Katenská civilizace má na kolonizování neobydlených planet jednoduchý recept: Chyť libovolný počet příslušníků jiných ras na libovolné obydlené planetě a vysaď je s minimálním vybavením na planetu, kterou chceš osídlit, pak odleť. Zhruba po roce se tam zaleť podívat znovu… Po dobytí planety Země se nedobrovolnými kolonizátory neznámých světů stávají i příslušníci druhu Homo Sapiens Sapiens…
Druhá kniha série Odpadlíci z Pernu.
Děj knihy se podle vnitřní chronologie odehrává během šestého Míjení současně s příběhem Morety.
Příběh dívky ze vzdálené planety Pern, na kterou se z oblohy snášejí žíravá vlákna se kterými si ale draci a jejich drakeni umí poradit. Na konci míjení ale přichází snad ještě horší katastrofa - epidemie tak hrozná, že hrozí vyhynutí celé pernské populace. Nerilka, dcera pána Tolocampa z Fortské držby, ale nehodlá jen tak přihlížet, když lidé všude kolem umírají. Její rodina jí neumí ocenit, proč by tedy měla dát na jejich přání?
Science fiction legend Anne McCaffrey’s beloved Harper Hall trilogy, set within the bestselling Dragonriders of Pern series, is now available in a collectable boxed set. Every two hundred years or so, on the planet colony of Pern, shimmering Threads fall from space, raining death. Yet the great dragons of Pern, mounted by the stalwart dragonriders, scour the skies with fire to destroy the deadly Thread and save the planet. Here we meet Menolly as she navigates her way as the first journeywoman Harper in the history of Pern; and fellow student Piemur whom is secretly asked to leave Harper Hall, drafted by Masterharper Robinton to embark on a dangerous mission to the Southern Hold. The Harper Hall trilogy, set within science fiction legend Anne McCaffrey’s beloved and bestselling Dragonriders of Pern series, is a seminal work and a must-have for any fantasy or science fiction fan.
In the Harper Hall trilogy, a young woman forms a powerful alliance with magnificent dragons, navigating a rich world filled with adventure and intrigue. Set within Anne McCaffrey's acclaimed Dragonriders of Pern series, the story explores themes of friendship, courage, and the bond between humans and dragons, offering a captivating blend of fantasy and science fiction.
This collection features three novels centered on the brave and tragic "crystal singers" of Ballybran: "The Crystal Singer," "Killashandra," and "Crystal Line."
Finally together in one volume, the first three books in the world's most beloved science fiction series, The Dragonriders of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey, one of the great science fiction writers of all time: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon. Those who know these extraordinary tales will be able to re-visit with Lessa, F'lar, Ruth, Lord Jaxon, and all the others. And for those just discovering this magical place, there are incomparable tales of danger, deceit, and daring, just waiting to be explored
Perfect for diehard fans as well as readers discovering McCaffrey for the first time, this dazzling new volume features three classic novels from the early years of Pern– Dragonsdawn , Dragonseye , and Moreta .The spectacular planet Pern seems a paradise to its new colonists–until unimaginable terror turns it into hell. Suddenly deadly spores are falling like silver threads from the sky, destroying everyone and everything they touch. Pern is in mortal danger. The only thing that can stop the Thread is the fire from Pern’s flying dragons. Now, the colonists must join forces with the dragons to burn the Thread before the parasite devours any and all organic life–and turns lush Pern into a barren wasteland.On Dragonwings traces the story of the early generations on Pern. From the colonists who first created the fire-breathing dragons for protection, through the rise of the dragonriders, these three novels set readers on a daring quest to protect a beautiful and extraordinary planet.
Pursuing her dream to be a Harper of Pern, Menolly studies under the Masterharper learning that more is required than a facility with music and a clever way with words.
This agricultural history explores the transformation of the Santa Clara Valley over the past one hundred years from America's largest fruit-producing region into the technology capital of the world. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the region's focus shifted from fruits—such as apricots and prunes—to computers. Both personal and public rhetoric reveals how a sense of place emerges and changes in an evolving agricultural community like the Santa Clara Valley. Through extensive archival research and interviews, Anne Marie Todd explores the concepts of place and placelessness, arguing that place is more than a physical location and that exploring a community's sense of place can help us to map how individuals experience their natural surroundings and their sense of responsibility towards the local environment. Todd extends the concept of sense of place to describe Silicon Valley as a non-place, where weakened or disrupted attachment to place threatens the environment and community. The story of the Santa Clara Valley is an American story of the development of agricultural lands and the transformation of rural regions.
A tale of dragons in the fantasy land of Pern and the boy who communicates with them by telepathy. He is Rob, a musical genius, and when he grows up he leads the dragons and their riders in battle against an evil man who denies people education
Rhyssa Owen, a woman possessing telepathic power and in charge of assigning jobs to similarly gifted people known as Talents, must reassess her opinion of her people when two Talented children display unique abilities
Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough are two of science fiction's favorite authors. Together they have created the world of Acorna, the unicorn girl. Now Acorna's children start to have their own adventures. FIRST WARNING Acorna's daughter, Khorii, must contend with an overwhelming legacy to forge a path of her own. A simple journey to visit her relatives turns into a race against time when Khorii comes across a derelict spacecraft drifting in space, its crew dead in their seats. But this gruesome discovery is only a dread harbinger - a deadly plague is spreading across the universe and not even the healing powers of the Linyaari can slow its horrific advance. Khorii, one of the few unaffected by the outbreak, must find a cure before the disease consumes all in its path - including her beloved parents.
In this special 20th Anniversary Edition, a young woman faces paralysis and transforms into a brainship, a unique fusion of human and ship. Her journey involves finding her Brawn, a human soulmate, as they navigate the challenges of space and seek a cure for her condition. This romantic space adventure, part of Anne McCaffrey's beloved Brainship series, explores themes of resilience, connection, and the quest for healing. The new introduction by Mercedes Lackey adds fresh insights into this classic tale.
In a triumphant career spanning more than thirty years, Anne McCaffrey has won the devotion of millions of fans. Now she has written the exciting and long-awaited addition to her classic Pegasus series--and the perfect link to her bestselling Rowan saga . . . For an overpopulated Earth whose resources are strained to the breaking point, there is only one place to look for relief: straight up. With the successful completion of the Padrugoi Space Station, humanity has at last achieved its first large-scale permanent presence in space. But there are those who, for motives of their own, want Padrugoi to fail. Standing in their way are the Talented, men and women gifted with extraordinary mental powers that have made them as feared as they are respected--and utterly indispensable to the colonization effort. Now, as sabotage and attempted murder strike the Station, it's up to the Talented to save the day. Only who is going to save the Talented? Pegasus in Space is the tale of Peter Reidinger, first Tower Prime!
"From world bestselling author Anne McCaffrey, creator of The Dragons of Pern, comes a new saga - the story of the brave, beautiful, tragic people who are the Crystal Singers of Ballybran. Killashandra thought her world had ended when she was told she would never become a concert singer.And then she met the stranger from off-world. He said he was a Crystal Singer - one of the unique ones of the Galaxy - and when Killashandra tried to find out what a Crystal Singer was the answers were vague, obscure.All she could discover was that they were special people, shrouded in mystery, and danger, and beauty - and something altogether incomprehensible. It was then that she decided that she too must try and become a Crystal Singer."
The stunning sequel to Elizabeth Kerner's Song in the Silence , The Lesser Kindred continues the story of Lanen Kaelar, a young woman who embarked on a search for the great dragons of legend and discovered not only the reality of the myth but her own true love. The course of happiness is not an easy one, however, and Lanen must make some hard choices. Her decisions could spell the salvation of an entire race--but at the cost of all she holds dear.
"Old Enough to be Used. Young Enough to be Broken. Sassinak was twelve when the raiders came. That made her just the right age: old enough to be used, young enough to be broken. Or so the slavers thought. But Sassy turned out to be a little different from your typical slave girl. Maybe it was her unusual physical strength. Maybe it was her friendship with the captured Fleet crewman. Maybe it was her spirit. Whatever it was, it wouldn't let her resign herself to the life of a slave. She bided her time and watched for her moment. When it finally came, she escaped. But that was only the beginning for Sassinak. Now she's a fleet captain with a pirate-chasing ship of her own, and only one regret in her life: not enough pirates"-- Provided by publisher
A Crystal Singer novel—a captivating blend of adventure, intrigue and romance. Killashandra Ree's life was one of catastrophic changes. She had joined the Heptite Guild to become a crystal singer, get rich, and forget her past. And at first everything went just as she had hoped. In one season on the deadly beautiful world of Ballybran, she had sung Black Crystal, grown wealthy, and met a man who made her sorrows seem unworthy of notice. But then, a year later, a devastating storm turned her claim to useless rock. In short order she was broke, she had crystal sickness so bad she thought she'd die, and the only way she could be true to the man she loved was to leave him. . . .
Travel back to the earliest days of Pernese history in this first-ever Dragonriders of Pern short-story collection! Join the original survey team as they explore Pern and decide to recommend it for colonization. Share the terror of the evacuation from the Southern Continent as a flotilla of ships, aided by intelligent, talking dolphins, braves the dreadful currents of the Pernest ocean. Learn how the famous Ruatha Hold was founded, and thrill with the dragonriders as they expand into a second, then a third Weyr. And discover a secret lost in time: the rescue of some of the original colonists before the planet was cut off forever! Building a new life on a distant world, braving the dreaded Thread that falls like silver rain from the sky only to destroy every living thing it touches, flying heroically on the wondrous dragons: The Dragonriders of Pern!
“McCaffrey's world of the Talented is as vivid as that of Pern and its dragons.”—Publishers Weekly When a freak accident furnishes solid scientific proof of paranormal mental abilities, the world reacts with suspicion and fear. How can ordinary people coexist with a minority able to read minds, heal with a touch, peer into the future, or move objects with a thought? How can anyone with such power be trusted not to abuse it? Harsh repression seems the only answer Gifted with precognitive talent, Henry Darrow has other ideas, foreseeing a future in which the Talents are accepted for what they are and not what they can offer their fellow humans. But the road to that future will not be easy. Darrow and the powerful telepath Daffyd op Owen must win the public's trust while overcoming the threat of rogue Talents like Solange Boshe, a young girl so consumed with hatred that her thoughts can kill, and the singer known as Amalda, whose telepathic prowess can unite a thousand strangers in joyful harmony—or mold them into a bloodthirsty mob. . . .
They were extraordinary people who read minds, healed bodies, diverted disasters, foretold the future—and became pariahs in their own land. Molly was a nurse whose hands could heal far better than most modern medical treatments. Charity, a hooker with a heart of gold, had extrasensory skills that put her other talents to shame. Barbara could locate a crook on the lam as easily as she could find a missing pair of glasses…and she could also drive the Police Commissioner right up the wall. Dorotea was a perfect baby in every way—and a little more perfect in some ways, since she could screen others for hidden Talents while she was still in diapers. Amalda at 22 had the voice of an angel and the as-yet-untrained powers to broadcast emotions that could control thousands…In the wrong hands, she could become a lethal weapon. They were the Talented—an elite cadre that had stepped out of the everyday human race…to enter their own!
Helva had been born human, but only her brain had been saved—saved to be schooled, programmed, and implanted into the sleek titanium body of an intergalactic scout ship. But first she had to choose a human partner—male or female—to share her exhilirating excapades in space! Her life was to be rich and rewarding . . . resplendent with daring adventures and endless excitement, beyond the wildest dreams of mere mortals. Gifted with the voice of an angel and being virtually indestructable, Helva XH-834 antipitated a sublime immortality. Then one day she fell in love!
Pern AL 50: the geneticist Wind Blossom is nearing the end of her long life and is painfully aware that the colonists are running out of the modern technology the settlers brought with them to Pern and that they are forgetting how to use what they do have.
Khorii, the rebellious daughter of the near-mythic Acorna and her lifemate,
Aari, has followed in Acorna's footsteps leading their people from danger, but
the pressure to succeed and fulfill a legacy is tremendous.
Nerilka's StoryIt was in Moreta's time -- a time of legend, of heroic valor,
of terrible Threadfall and the Great Plague that devastated both Holders and
Dragonfolk. For Lady Nerilka of Fort Hold, the tragedy was twofold, for with
the death of her mother and her sister, her father's mistress took possession
of the Hold.
In the third "Catteni" novel, the people of Botany are protected by an impervious bubble but face ongoing threats from monstrous Eosi ships. They devise a plan to eliminate the Eosi for good.
In Deluge the selkie twins, Ronan and Murel, leave Petaybee on a mission to
help rescue their friend Marmie, who has been falsely arrested on the orders
of a corrupt Colonel.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Captivating . . . The McCaffreys are well known for their brilliant characterizations, and they do not disappoint here.”—Booklist In Fort Hold, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs is about to hatch, and Lord Bemin’s beautiful young daughter, Koriana, is determined to Impress one of the delightful creatures. At the hatching, apprentice harper Kindan Impresses a fire-lizard of his own . . . and wins the heart of Koriana. But Lord Bemin mistrusts harpers and will not hear of a match between his daughter and the low-born Kindan. Then fate intervenes in the form of a virulent plague as fast-spreading as it is deadly. Arising suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the contagion decimates hold after hold, paying no heed to distinctions of birth. In this feverish crucible, friendship and love will be tested to the breaking point and beyond. For with Threadfall scant years away, the Dragonriders dare not expose themselves to infection, and it will fall to Kindan and his fellow apprentices to bravely search for a cure and save humanity. “Strong storytelling and compelling drama, along with memorable characters.”—Library Journal
After being stranded light years from home in an experimental starship, Lady Nimisha BoyntonRondymensedirector of the Rondymense Ship Yardsmust return to defend the yards against a rival branch of her family.
When his boy soprano voice begins to change, Piemur is drafted by Masterharper Robinton to help with political work and is sent on missions that lead him into unusual and sometimes dangerous adventures.
Like Helva, the Ship Who Sang, (and Nancia from PartnerShip, Tia from The Ship Who Searched, and Simeon, who runs The City Who Fought) Carialle was born so physically disadvantaged that her only chance for life was as a shellperson. And again like those others, Carialle decided she would strap on a spaceship. Her brawn is a guy named Keff. Their mission: to search the galaxy for intelligent beings, to travel where no shellperson and her brawn have gone before... Alas, intelligent life is thin on the galactic ground, so when Carialle and Keff arrive on a very nice little world with very nice little aliens, fuzzy and polite and eager to please, they are overjoyed. But their joy does not last: their fuzzy friends turn out to be virtual slaves to a race of sorcerers, sorcerers who really do seem to possess magical powers of frightening potency, and who are neither fuzzy, polite, nor the least bit eager to please.
In Generation Warriors, the list of people who will save the galaxy is not a long one, but together the might and wisdom of them cannot be thwarted. Lunzie, Fordelition, Dupaynil, Aygar and Sassinak work to stop disaster. Sassinak, the novel, tells how Sassinak was only twelve years old when the raiders came. Despite her youth she remembered them and resolved to take revenge on the pirate who killed her parents and friends. In The Death of Sleep, Lunzie Mespill always knew that the "planet pirates" were capable of doing horrible things, but she truly believed nothing would ever happen. Then, the pirates attack the space liner she's on. She thinks fast and decides to spend some time in cryogenic stasis while awaiting rescue.
Acclaimed writer and editor Robert Silverberg has curated a collection featuring eleven renowned Fantasy authors, each contributing a new story inspired by their famous series. Stephen King presents "The Little Sisters of Eluria," a tale of Roland, the Gunslinger, set in The Dark Tower universe. Terry Pratchett offers a humorous incident in Discworld with "The Sea and Little Fishes," highlighting a magical contest involving Granny Weatherwax. Terry Goodkind explores the origins of the Border between realms in "Debt of Bones," tied to The Sword of Truth. Orson Scott Card shares a story of Alvin and his apprentice in "Grinning Man," drawn from the Tales of Alvin Maker. Silverberg himself revisits Majipoor in "The Seventh Shrine," where Lord Valentine embarks on an adventure in an ancient tomb. Ursula K. Le Guin adds a sequel to her Earthsea series with "Dragonfly," focusing on a woman's quest to learn magic. Tad Williams crafts a dark tale set in a haunted castle before the events of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn in "The Burning Man." George R.R. Martin's "The Hedge Knight" takes place a generation prior to A Song of Ice and Fire. Ann McCaffrey returns to Pern in "Runner of Pern," while Raymond E. Feist's "The Wood Boy" is set in the Riftwar Saga. Lastly, Robert Jordan's "New Spring" reveals pivotal events leading to The Wheel of Time, featuring the meeting of Lan and Moiraine as they begin their search for the child destined to lea
The Rowan's daughter Damia is a handful. Aware from birth that she's different, a Prime, she's spoiled. The only person who can keep her in line is The Rowan's manager--which causes more problems.
On the planet Pern, two farseeing dragon riders train their troops--mounted on genetically engineered dragons--for the battle with the Thread, an evil force. Portents of all sorts, including violent storms and erupting volcanos, point to the Thread's coming, but most of the planet prefers to ignore them, lulled into complacency by 200 years of peace
The miraculous and mysterious world of Petaybee was to be investigated. No-one - no-one outside Petaybee, that is - could believe that the planet was a living, breathing sentient entity, that every plant and animal was in symbiotic communication with the spirit of the Petaybean world. Matthew Luzon was one of the investigators, an arrogant, wily, manipulative man who didn't believe there was anything in the universe that couldn't be controlled by hard scientific methods. His plan was to crush Petaybee, strip it of its mineral assets, and subdue or destroy the inhabitants. Major Yanaba Maddock - who had been sent to Petaybee to die, but who now understood its secretive curative powers - with the help of Sean Shongili, Clodagh, and all the gifted ones of Kilcoole, was determined to fight for their world. It was a battle in which every human, every plant, and every secretive telepathic creature - most especially the famous orange felines of Petaybee - was to be put at risk. Luzon was determined to destroy them - whatever the cost.
Damia and Afra-Raven-Lyon had reared their children in a brilliant and unorthodox way. All their young had been 'paired' when six months old with the furry, one-eyed Mrdinis, the only other sentient beings in the Alliance, who could communicate with humans by their 'dream messages'. Together, Man and Mrdini worked to create prosperous worlds and guard against the terrible threat of the annihilating Hivers.And now, in the deeps of Space, Mrdini scouts had crossed the path of three Hive ships -- ships that were giant hulks of cell units, bearing the queens and workers out into space, to breed and multiply and destroy wherever they found a viable planet.It was the four elder children of Damia -- Laria, Thian, Rojer and Zara -- all uniquely talented in their various ways, who were to play their part, helped by their life-long Dini friends, in the conquering and investigation of the Alien threat of the Hivers.
Focuses on the adventures of the brave unicorn girl, Acorna, as she faces her most difficult challenge ever. She has defeated slavers, a deadly international conspiracy, and the vicious alien Khleevi, only to endure the loss of her beloved Aari, distant in both time and space. Having rescued her people from their enemies, Acorna is disturbed by sinister changes that are demonstrated by her beloved lifemate. Aari, a situation that is complicated by the workings of a vicious criminal and the deadly Khleevi.
Khorii, the rebellious daughter of the near-mythic Acorna and her lifemate,
Aari, must contend with an overwhelming legacy to forge a path of her own
through a universe filled with new adversaries and adventure.
Acorna's people, the Linyaari, have started to reclaim their homeworld from
the ravages of the brutal alien Khleevi. But the expedition has unlocked a
larger mystery about the origins of the Linyaari people - one that has led
Aari, Acorna's lifemate, into a dangerous journey through time and space.
schovat popis
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A richly detailed story on a par with the rest of the Pern canon . . . another successful McCaffrey mother-and-son collaboration.”—Booklist At Natalon’s mining camp, Pellar embarks on a secret mission to discover whether the condemned criminals known as the Shunned are stealing coal. But the gifted tracker discovers that a far more treacherous plot is unfolding. A heartless thief named Tenim has realized there is profit to be made from firestone, the volatile mineral that enables the dragons of Pern to burn the lethal Thread out of the sky. When the last remaining firestone mine explodes, a desperate race begins to find a new deposit of the deadly but essential mineral. Sure enough, Tenim has a murderous plan to turn tragedy to his own advantage. Now Pellar and his new friends—the kind and gentle Halla, a child of the Shunned, and Cristov, the son of a corrupt miner—must stop Tenim. If they fail, it will mean the end for Pern and its dragonriders. “Grittier than the early parts of the series; Todd’s apparently brought a wider, more current worldview to Pern.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune “These fabled dragons still cast a spell.”—Publishers Weekly
"There was a sudden stench of a dead sea creature. There was the sudden horror of a huge black shape closing over her. There was nothing... Then there were pieces of memory, isolated fragments that were so horrible her mind refused to accept them. Intense heat and shivering cold; excruciating pain; dismembered pieces of the human body. Sawn bones and searing screams. And when she awoke she found she was in a world that was not earth, and with a face and body that were not her own. She had become a Restoree..."
A DESTRUCTIVE SPECIES The Hive acts as a single entity, relentlessly swarming the galaxy, endlessly propagating on every habitable world they encounter—destroying native populations in the process. They do not recognize any sentience but their own. They do not acknowledge any attempt to communicate with them. They do not understand they leave countless numbers of dead in their wake. A FAMILY LEGACY The Prime Talents of the Raven-Lyon clan—telepaths, teleporters, and telekinetics—have protected the Alliance from the Hive breeding contagion for years. Now a fleet orbits the alien homeworld to prevent them from leaving, and a Hive queen and her eggs are in captivity and quarantined. And unless the Raven-Lyons break the language barrier between Human and Hive, the Alliance may have no choice but to eliminate their entire race…
“[McCaffrey is the] master of the well-told tale.”—Chicago Sun-Times As long as the people of Pern could remember, the Holds had protected them from Thread, the deadly silver strands that fell from the sky. In exchange for sanctuary in the huge stone fortresses, the people tithed to their Lord Holders, who in turn supported the dragonriders, Pern’s greatest weapon against Thread. But not everyone on Pern was protected. Some, like Jayge’s trader clan, simply preferred the freedom of the roads to the security of a hold. Others, like Aramina’s family, had lost their homes. Regardless of their differences, however, they all feared the outlaws who preyed on holds and holdless alike. The Lady Thella’s renegades are the most dangerous yet—all they need is Aramina, whose telepathic link with dragons can help them evade the dragonrider patrols. But Jayge is out to stop Thella . . .and he will never let her have Aramina.
SSS-900, a huge space station controlled by the brain of Simeon--a shellperson who relieves his daily monotony by replaying computer simulations of great battles--becomes the only thing standing between ruthless alien pirates and total destruction.
Killashandra Ree agrees to sacrifice her memory for the opportunity to join the Heptite Guild of crystal singers and prays that her heart will remember what her mind is forgetting
Petaybee is on the verge of becoming a recognized independent planet. Colonel Yana Maddock, now married to Sean Shongili, is invited to testify at a meeting on Gal Three about the harmonious relationship between humans, animals, and the sentient world of Petaybee.
Acorna, the "unicorn girl" has made peace with her Linyaari past, and aboard the interplanetary salvage vessel Condor she is finally free. But dread overtakes her when a distress signal summons Acorna and her companions to a nearby planet. For among the myraid wonders of this world of sentient plants and intoxicating perfumes are unmistakable signs that everythng Acorna holds dear is in peril. A promise of world-shattering devastation is in the celestial winds-and impending catastrophe at the claws of the cold-blooded insectile race that seeks to eradicate all Linyaari and human life from the galaxy...the Khleevi!
Legends II features original short novels from top fantasy writers like Neil Gaiman, Anne McCaffrey, and Robin Hobb. This collection includes tales set in familiar worlds and introduces new characters, offering captivating insights and adventures. Each story stands alone while enriching the authors' larger narratives.
The Shongili twins, Ronan and Murel, accompany their friend Marmie on her
luxury space craft Piaf to rescue their friend Ke-ola's family from an
uninhabitable planet. Ronan and Murel change into seal form and find the
survivors and their totem animals or aumakua, the giant turtles, or Honu, and
the sharks.
A LEGENDARY FAMILY For generations, the descendants of the powerful telepath known as The Rowan have used their talents to benefit humanity. As human civilization reached out to colonize the stars, the family led Earth to ally itself with the peaceful alien Mrdini. Together, the two races have held back the predatory Hivers, who once decimated entire worlds. THE NEW ORDER But there are factions on Earth who resent the power the family has accumulated. Now, with their goals of peace and prosperity so close at hand, The Rowan’s descendants face the looming destruction of all they have suffered to achieve…
The spacefaring Barque Cats are valued members of every vessel’s crew, thanks to their special bond with humans. Then Pshaw-Ra, a mysterious cat with highly advanced knowledge, gives the felines the power of telepathy. When panic over a virulent plague drives the government to exterminate animals, Pshaw-Ra guides the cats and humans of the starship Ranzo to safety on his home planet, Mau. But Pshaw-Ra has a hidden agenda. His ultimate goal? Mate the Barque Cats with their godlike counterparts who rule on Mau and create a superior race to conquer the universe. His plans, however, may be doomed by his daughters’ battle royal to become queen, by a suspicious Barque Cat with an equally curious human friend—and by something stirring deep beneath the city with a hunger to devour all life . . . and an undying hatred for cats.
While convalescing on the icy planet of Petaybee, Major Yanaba Maddock discovers that something odd--and maybe something wonderful--is happening on her new home world. 150,000 first printing. $75,000 ad/promo.
To escape extermination by their colleagues, Kai, Varian and their companions sought refuge in the suspended animation of cryogenic sleep. Now time has elapsed and the survivors emerge from their hibernation. But Ireta, the Dinosaur Planet, has altered beyond recognition.
The minstels of SF serenade readers with this magnificent medley of 20 all-original stories, in which music is the featured performer. From the compelling account of a detective/choral singer whose perfect ear for music aids her in fighting crime to a space beacon keeper who must rely on music to rescue her from impending danger to a photographer on a desolate African shoot searching for a mysterious melody, these evocative and harmonic tales make up a SF symphony you'll never forget.
Casting aside her duty as the heir to the Ambassador of her world, Lady Caissa refuses to marry a man she despises and flees into the Forbidden Zone, where she meets a handsome injured man and sets a world-changing series of events in motion. Reprint.