Anne McCaffrey died today. I don’t always think of her when people ask me about other writers who have influenced me, but of course she did. I found her stories about Pern when I was just embarking on adolescence. I read them over and over as I grew up. The world she realized captured my imagination.
For a girl who never really identified with the Disney princesses who were rescued by handsome princes, I found in characters like Lessa, Mirrim, and Menolly women whose independence, toughness, determination, and smarts inspired me, certainly in ways I didn’t fully understand until much later. And, oh, how I longed to impress a dragon. (I still do, if I’m being honest–but my beautiful dog Bella is the next best thing. I swear she can read my mind.)
I have not been back to visit Pern or the other worlds McCaffrey created for several years, but I will never forget how her stories captured my imagination, especially at a time in my life when I needed such stories badly. Thank you for sharing your world, Anne, and for changing the role of women in sci-fi/fantasy forever. We will miss you.
http://io9.com/5862031/rip-anne-mccaffrey-creator-of-pern-and-other-classic-books
singledaughterofgod 