About the Dragonriders of Pern®

Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders novels chronicle the history of the eponymous planet Pern, a colony of a futuristic Earth that has reverted to a pseudo-medieval society over hundreds of years' separation.

Seeking a simpler life far from war-torn Terra, the original colonists were decimated when, seven years after the founding of the colony, a mindless space-borne organism - later dubbed 'Thread' - began to fall on the planet, devouring all organic material in its path. Only stone and metal were impervious to the stuff, and hundreds of people died in the first Threadfalls.

When the remaining scientists realised that the parasite would fall on their undefended planet in waves for fifty years out of every two hundred and fifty, a plan was devised to combat the menace. Creatures native to the planet, known as 'dragonets' for their resemblance to the mythical Earth beasts, were used as a basis for the genetic engineering of true 'dragons'. Capable of flight, instantaneous teleportation, and fire-breathing, the dragons would be used to intercept and burn the Thread before it touched the ground. The inherent empathy of the diminutive dragonets was enhanced in the engineered dragons to ensure a full telepathic bond between the dragons and their riders - chosen at the moment of Hatching in a ceremony called Impression that left dragon and rider with a life-long bond.

Forgetting their origins in the struggle to survive, the Pernese reverted to a feudal model of society, with three distinct cultures evolving to meet their needs: the Holds, home to most of the populace and governed by their ruling Lords; the Halls, where skilled artisans learn the crafts of smithing and healing, teaching and animal-care, or one of any number of other disciplines; and the Weyr, where the dragonriders and their beasts live apart, supported by the tithes of the people they were sworn to protect.

For fifty years at a time Thread rains down upon Pern, and the dragons rise to meet it, risking injury and death in their defence of the planet. When the Pass of Thread is over Pern enjoys two hundred years of clear skies. But the Intervals always come to an end - and dragonriders watch and wait, holding their vigil until their planet and their people need them to combat Threadfall once more.

The Dragonriders of Pern® is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited.