''Dragonsdawn'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by the American-Irish author

Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...

. It was the ninth book published in the ''

Dragonriders of Pern ''Dragonriders of Pern'' is a science fantasy series written primarily by American author Anne McCaffrey, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning in 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. ...

'' series, but chronologically it takes place before any of the other books. It was published in 1988, by Del Rey in the US and Bantam in the UK. UK editions have had various subtitles: ''Dragonsdawn: The First Chronicles of the Colony of Pern'' (Bantam, 1988), ''Dragonsdawn: The earliest legend of Pern'' (Corgi, 1995).http://www.worldcat.org/title/dragonsdawn-the-earliest-legend-of-pern/oclc/312459946?ht=edition&referer=di While the ''

'' series is recognized as science fiction (due to its origin discussing the nature of the star Rukbat and its planetary system), many of its elements in the earlier books were primarily

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

in origin. ''Dragonsdawn establishes the science fiction nature of the series by defining the science behind McCaffrey's

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

Plot summary

The planet Pern seemed a paradise to its new colonists—seeking to return to an agrarian-based simpler way of life, Admiral

Paul Benden Characters in the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' series of science fiction novels by Anne McCaffrey. 8th Interval, 9th Pass Major characters AIVAS AIVAS is an advanced computer (Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System). AIVAS was found by Jaxom, ...

, Governor Emily Boll and the rest of the colonists had selected Pern as a place to leave their recent wars and troubles behind. Shortly after arriving on the planet, however, a new threat appeared – the lethal spore Thread. With time running out and the colony's destruction imminent, geneticist Kitti Ping Yung and her granddaughter Wind Blossom set out to bio-engineer Pernese lifeforms that appear to instinctively react to the Thread – the dragonets that colonists have adopted as pets. In order to ensure the survival of the newly designed species, as well as reduce the possible threat they may have to the colonists by going rogue, they are created with an ability to bond with humans. By the end of the book, Sorka Hanrahan and Sean Connell and a few other young colonists become the first of the dragonriders.

Themes

* Food *Dragons * Childbirth (both human and dragon, both literal and metaphoric) *Survival

Awards

''Dragonsdawn'' placed third for the annual, juried

John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, or Campbell Memorial Award, is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best science fiction no ...

published in the USA and seventh for the annual

Locus Award for Best Novel Winners of the Locus Award for Best Novel, awarded by ''Locus'' magazine. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year. The award for Best Novel was presented from 1971 (when the awards began) to 1979. S ...

Notes

References

External links

{{Pern stories 1988 novels 1988 science fiction novels Dragonriders of Pern books Novels by Anne McCaffrey Del Rey books Books with cover art by Michael Whelan