''Nerilka's Story'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...

by the American-Irish author

Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American 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'', 1968) an ...

. ''Nerilka's Story'' is the eighth book in the ''

Dragonriders of Pern ''Dragonriders of Pern'' is a science fantasy series written primarily by American-Irish 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 A ...

'' volume series.. Retrieved 2011-10-09. ''

Moreta ''Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern'' is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It is the seventh book in the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' series. With this book, McCaffrey jumped 1000 years back in Pern history from the set ...

'' (1983) and its sequel ''Nerilka'' (1985) are companion stories, in that the latter narrates a second perspective on major events of the former. It was the first work in the series following publication of ''

The Atlas of Pern ''The Atlas of Pern'' by Karen Wynn Fonstad is an authorized companion book to the science fiction ''Dragonriders of Pern'' series by Anne McCaffrey. It was completed in 1984 based on the first seven Pern novels and collaboration with McCaffrey. ...

'', and so is not covered in the Atlas.

Plot summary

Taking a different approach from the previous seven books in the series, ''Nerilka's Story'' has a non-dragonrider and non-harper as its major viewpoint character. It is set during the events detailed in '' Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern''. Nerilka is the daughter of a Lord Holder who turns her back on her life in an upper-class family and sets out to fight the disease that threatens to kill all humans on Pern. According to a critic for the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'', Nerilka makes for an "intelligent, resourceful, selfless and, alas, homely" heroine.

Reception

Critics have called ''Nerilka'' a story with "terse power". It was first published in 1985. The novel reached #7 on

TIME Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

Magazine's Best Sellers list for fiction on April 7 and 21, 1986. On the

New York Times Best Seller list ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

for paperbacks, it first appeared on February 22, 1987, at #12, and reached #11 the week after.

Notes

References

Citations – books *

External links

* {{Authority control 1986 American novels 1986 science fiction novels Dragonriders of Pern books Novels by Anne McCaffrey Del Rey books