#### DRAGONFLIGHT ####
Series: Dragonriders of Pern (#1)
Author: Anne McCaffrey

Dragonflight was my introduction to Anne McCaffrey many, many years ago. I 
picked it up sometime in 4th grade on my mother's recommendation and instantly 
fell in love with the world, with the characters and (of course) with the 
dragons.

Now, with my own daughter in 4th grade, I am revisiting the Dragonriders of 
Pern series again. Will it stand the test of time? Was this book really good, 
or do I owe my fond memories of it to youth and inexperience in the genre? Can 
I recommend this to my daughter in turn? Let's find out!

## THE WORLD ##
The Dragonriders of Pern series is "Science Fantasy" -- a hybrid genre that 
takes traditional fantasy elements and then attempts to explain them through 
science. Anne McCaffrey herself always insisted that her work be viewed as 
science fiction, and consulted experts in astrology, reproductive biology, etc 
to make sure that she understood the science involved. Dragonflight opens with 
a prologue that explains the history of the planet Pern, giving context to the 
story to come.

In brief, the Rukbat system was surveyed by Earth many years ago and found to 
contain one inhabitable earthlike planet with few interesting resources. PERN = 
Parallel Earth, Resources Negligible. Rights to colonize the planet were bought 
and a group of colonists arrived on PERN with the goal of leading a simpler 
life. Given the planet's lack of exotic minerals that would be interesting to 
mining operations elsewhere, the colonists were ensured a peaceful existence on 
the outskirts of human civilization.

However, the Rukbat system had a deadly secret. Apart from the five native 
planets of the Rukbat system, observers discovered a small rogue planet, 
captured by Rukbat from a neighboring system, in a highly erratic elliptical 
orbit which brought it close to Pern every 200 years. Disregarded as a 
curiosity, the Red Star's steady approach was unremarked for the first two 
generations of colonists. When proximity and conditions allowed, the native 
life of the Red Star spun off from the planetoid as deadly spores aimed at 
Pern's welcoming surface.

The first Threadfall was catastrophic. The colonists, completely unprepared for 
the deadly rain of silvery filaments from the sky suffered huge casualties. 
Anything and anyone caught out in the open was literally eaten alive, and any 
unprotected land became blackened as Thread burrowed into the soil and 
multiplied. Only metal and stone could stop the Thread, so the colonists were 
forced to move into caves on the inhospitable northern continent, abandoning 
their original settlement to the south.

To combat the Threads, a two-part plan was developed. One, a native grub was 
genetically engineered to eat Thread from the soil and was seeded across the 
Southern continent. Two, a native winged species was altered to become larger, 
stronger and far more intelligent than the native "fire lizards" from which 
they were born. Called "dragons" because of the mythical Earth creatures they 
resembled, these creatures bond at hatching with a human who partners with them 
for life. Together, they formed an aerial force that burned Thread from the 
skies. The Dragonriders of Pern were begun.

Several millennia later, all knowledge of the colonist's origins have been 
lost. People shelter in stone Holds and work the lands around them, while 
dragonriders live in mountainous Weyrs. Unable to grow their own food, the 
Weyrs are tithed to by the Holds they protect -- both during the 50 year "Pass" 
of the Red Star and the 200 year "Interval" of no Threadfall. Skilled craftsman 
-- smith, weaver, farmer, miner, fisher, herder and harper -- gathered into 
Halls to practice and refine their craft. Though each craft Hall is sheltered 
by a Hold, they are considered independent entities, ensuring that the products 
of their labor are available to all.

## THE PLOT ##
Dragonflight begins after a Long Interval -- a period of 400 years free of 
Thread. The six great Weyrs have been reduced in number to a lone survivor, and 
dragonriders have fallen out of favor. After 400 years with no Thread, people 
are content to treat it as a myth. The purpose and honor of the dragons and 
their riders is dismissed. Dragonriders are parasites, soon to be forgotten 
entirely.

Only one man believes that the Threads will return. F'lar, rider of bronze 
dragon Mnementh, has spent his entire adult life pouring over ancient records 
and training those under his command to be ready for Thread's return. 
Unfortunately, he is not Weyrleader -- R'gul is. And R'gul is so scared of 
upsetting the holders further that he has implemented a policy of isolation 
that ensures the continued decline of the Weyr. Once populated by hundreds of 
dragons and many queens, Benden Weyr now hosts barely over a hundred dragons. 
And the sickly old queen dragon, dying on the hatching grounds, has laid one 
final queen egg to continue to population. One queen egg, one chance for 
dragonkind. One chance for F'lar to find a strong woman to Impress the new 
queen and bring about the changes so desperately needed.

Without getting into too many spoilers, I will say that the plot is very good. 
The stakes are high, and the author continually finds new problems for F'lar 
and Lessa (the new queen rider) to solve. The fate of the entire world rests on 
their ability to figure out whatever they can about Thread, learn how to fight 
it, and convince a large group of recalcitrant Hold and Craft leaders to 
cooperate. The biggest problem, by far, is how understrength Benden Weyr is. 
How can one reduced Weyr do the work of six full-strength fighting forces? What 
happened to the other Weyrs? Why were they abandoned suddenly, 400 years ago?

The answer to that question is the major point of Dragonflight, so I won't 
spoil it here. Let's just say that puzzle solving, research and extreme heroics 
are required by both Lessa and F'lar and I love how the book ends.

## THE CHARACTERS ##
Apart from F'lar, Lessa is the other protagonist of this book. Young, 
strong-willed and fiercely intelligent, Lessa has spent most of her life 
focused on revenge. The daughter of Lord Holder of Ruatha, she witnessed the 
brutal murder of her entire family when she was just ten years old. For ten 
long years, she has hidden herself in her family's hold as a common laborer, 
working steadily to destroy the prosperity of Ruatha so that the invader Fax 
could realize no profit from his conquest. When the dragonriders arrive with 
Lord Fax on Search, she sees it only as an opportunity to rid herself finally 
of a hated enemy, and works to set the dragonriders against the self-styled 
Lord of the High Reaches.

I like how none of the characters in this book are perfect. Lessa, though 
quick-witted and brave, is also stubborn, rebellious and unable to trust 
anyone. She acts alone, without always anticipating the consequences of her own 
actions. McCaffrey did a wonderful job portraying a young woman who still has a 
lot of room for growth, without making her annoying or unlikeable (to me, at 
least). It's a hard balance to strike.

F'lar, in his turn, is driven, ambitious and focused to the point of being 
almost callous and cold. He, like Lessa, has fought on his own for so long that 
he has trouble confiding in anyone other than his dragon or his half-brother 
F'nor. It takes him a long while to stop underestimating Lessa, and even longer 
to entrust her with his plans. The adversarial relationship between the two is 
good plot fodder, though I was relieved to see it worked out by the end.

## IS THIS BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS? ##
Given that I read this book in elementary school, you think that would be a 
settled question, but I was reading adult books at a young age. The language of 
this book is certainly more advanced than a lot of the recently published young 
adult stuff I have read. Wonderful vocabulary words abound (saturnine, 
victuals, parochial, redolent, maunderings...), and I remember needing to use a 
dictionary for this. (I also remember being so caught up in the story that I 
neglected to use a dictionary often enough, leading to some mistaken 
understandings that stayed with me for years.)

The content is also just (barely) appropriate for young adults. There is sex 
and a great deal of man-woman relationship stuff. The sex is not explicit but 
it is implied and discussed far more than I recall. I think a lot of it flew 
over my head when I was in fourth grade, thankfully.

Adult relationships in the Weyr are... fluid. The Queen dragon will fly to mate 
a couple of times a year, and is caught by whatever bronze dragon can outfly 
her. When that happens, the riders are also overcome through their telepathic 
link with the dragons and they also (ahem) copulate. As a result, marriage 
isn't really a thing in Weyrs, though permanent attachments can and do occur 
when a queen consistently allows only a particular bronze to catch her. Rape is 
mentioned in passing, and implied heavily with Fax's relationship with his own 
women.

Male/female relationships are also colored by the period in which this book was 
written. Dragonflight was first published in 1968, and you can sort of see that 
in the pairing of F'lar and Lessa. Lessa, when she is rebellious or immature, 
is admonished and/or disciplined by F'lar (who tends to shake her). F'lar 
thinks of Lessa as "that girl" for most of the book, considering her childish 
and headstrong. This does ease off as they establish a relationship as 
Weyrwoman and Weyrleader, working together for the mutual benefit of Pern, but 
it is there throughout.

McCaffrey was considered a leader in the "planetary romance" sub-genre, and I 
suppose Dragonflight can be viewed that way, if you squint? Certainly Lessa and 
F'lar's partnership is important, but it is not the central driving force of 
the plot. I certainly wouldn't consider this a romance novel, but I suppose 
that wasn't what I was trying to get out of the book, either.

I think that this is definitely an adult book, though it could be a good 
stretch read for young adults. The strong writing and relatable characters, 
provide an excellent incentive to plow through unfamiliar vocabulary, and the 
plot isn't overly complex. I would, however, advise some caution regarding 
content for middle-grade readers and below.

## CONCLUSIONS ##
I don't have a lot of bad things to say about this book. As I was reading it, 
it became clear to me just how many times I must have read it when I was 
younger. I loved this book then, and I still do. I whole-heartedly recommend it 
to anyone who loves science fiction OR fantasy, as the blending of the two is 
so seamless here. Pern's Weyrs and Holds are idyllic backdrop to a story of 
bravery, sacrifice and love that I think stands the test of time. I can't wait 
to introduce it to my own daughter, though . . . perhaps I will wait another 
year or two.