The Skies of Pern

Rating:
Summary: It was a Pern book
Review: For Anne, it was average at best. First the things I liked: I liked the fact that there's finally more character development again (F'lessan and Tai), and the interactions between Golanth and Zaranth.

Things that bothered me:

1. While I understand that surgery was a Very Cool Thing for the Pernese to be learning and starting to use, I thought it was rather... convenient... that F'lessan needed those services. Which leads me into my #1 gripe about the whole book that knocked the two stars off the top:
2. If the dragons could 'time it' back to save all those folks from the tsunami waves, which was hours back, why the heck couldn't Ramoth, or Ruth, or Mnementh, or Path, or ANY FREAKING DRAGON WHO HAD BRAINS THAT SHOWED UP just 'time it' back *before* the cats even attacked? Hello? What's the point of timing it back milliseconds, for crying out loud? And if they couldn't do it riderless, Jaxom/Ruth know perfectly well how to jump backwards in time to any point they so desire to.
3. Yes, yes... I know that they needed someone to practice all their newfound surgical skills on. Including a dragon.
4. But give me a break.

I didn't mind the jumping around between the different sections much; I figured that meant that there was at least a sequel planned. <grin> But to make 'Skies' a better and seemingly more cohesively written book, another one (or two) definitely need to be written to tie everything together.

I'll buy it in hardback to keep my collection complete, but I think I'll be haunting the clearance tables. I highly doubt it will be one I'll pick up to reread any time soon.

Rating:
Summary: Good in parts, disappointing overall
Review: I have long loved the Pern novels but sadly this book is disappointing. The plot itself runs on two main tracks. First, the resistance of conservatives to the changes in Pernese life following from the learning gained through AIVAS and second, the need for the dragon riders to find a new role for themselves, post-thread. However, in trying to weave the two together, the book ends up trivializing both. Neither the psyche nor the inner motivation of the "Abominators" is delved into; the various events of sabotage occur almost in the background. One gets the feeling of large scale resistance acts; yet there is little detail of the kind of people or organization needed to arrange such attacks. The book is best where it does explore the effect of change on Pern - evidence the discontent of the Runners who fear Dragonriders displacing their role. Sadly, this is not taken further. On the other hand, the book does an excellent job of introducing dragon telekinesis and deriving a use for it. Yet again however, this seems to happen almost in passing and still the reader senses it long before the characters themselves work it out. Flashes of the old Anne McCaffrey are there in the description of the evacuations at tsunami time and the tremendous battle with the felines. On the whole however, the book does not live up to the Pern standard. Old canons of dragon life, so clearly laid down by McCaffrey are cavalierly disregarded to the point of confusion. On finishing the book, I was left with a feeling as if I had sat down to a good meal yet rose from the table still empty.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful world, wonderful writer, mediocre story
Review: I've been disappointed with most of the recent installments in the Pern series, largely because of the lack of depth to human-dragon interaction. The Skies of Pern, however, is a very welcome return to a relationship-centered Pern. F'lessan and Tai, the two central characters, are remarkably well-developed, and their dragons are even better! This novel explores the depth of the relationship between dragon and rider, and between Weyrmates, in a way that none of the previous Pern books really have. The buildup is gradual, the climax at once heartbreaking and triumphant. I sincerely hope that McCaffrey gives us more of F'lessan, Golanth, Tai, and Zaranth in the future, as I loved and cared immensely for all four of them... and definitely feel that the ending warranted a follow-up!

Mercifully, the accounts of Council meetings and politics among Lord Holders are limited to vital decisions which affect the main storyline. The side plot about the Abominators, however, didn't really feed into everything else. Maybe that will be wrapped up in a future installment.... But at least in this volume of the Pern saga, I found myself skimming those sections to get back to F'lessan and Tai.

Golanth and Zaranth are some of the best-written draconic characters that Pern has ever seen, and the only way that I will find their story disappointing is if there is no more of it!

Rating:
Summary: Pernese society continues to evolve
Review: It has been thirty years or more (the book could definitely benefit from a chronological appendix) since the Hatching of Ruth, the White Dragon, and the Lost Colony of Pern is now experiencing what most of its inhabitants devoutly hope will be the last Threadfall ever. The central question of this latest Dragonrider novel, then, is, What will Dragonriders and their Dragons do when there is no more Thread to fight? For some, the holdborn, the question isn't too vital: they need only return to their ancestral occupations. Others are moonlighting as carriers of mail and light freight. But new challenges continue to arise: the Abominationists, a Luddite group that disapproves (to the point of terrorism) of the new technologies imparted by the AIVAS computer at Landing, and the splashdown of an Object From Space (either a huge meteorite or a small asteroid), which results in a world-circling tsunami from which the Dragonriders must struggle to evacuate the inhabitants of lower-lying settlements. It is this Object which reveals the role the Dragonriders must play After: they will be the Watchers of the Skies, the defenders of their planet from similar debri. And green Zaranth, ridden by the female Rider Tai, displays a new talent which shows how such debri will be dealt with in future.

Most of the familiar characters reappear in this novel (including Weyrleader F'lar, now in his 60's, and his Weyrwoman Lessa), but the main concentration is on F'lessan, son of F'lar and Lessa, and on Tai, who proves to have been severely psychologically bruised by her dragon's previous mating flights. Of course, it's almost mandatory to have read the previous volumes, but I can't imagine anyone who buys this book not having done so. And it's reassuring to see that the Pernese recognize that their world needs only adopt so much technology and no more; their society need not be totally shaken to its roots by the revelations of AIVAS.

I'm sure McCaffrey never anticipated, when she published "Dragonflight" in 1968, that 35 years later she'd still be chronicling the history of Pern in a series that has now grown to 16 volumes. My only question is, how will she follow this act in the chronicles of one of the most beloved sf societies yet to appear in print?

Rating:
Summary: A good and a worthly addition to the series...
Review: OK I really enjoyed this book, not as good as the first books, nothing ever will be IMHO. There is one major thing people keep harping on and another previous reviewer also corrected. It never says Mirriam is a gold rider or a Weyrleader. It says she is T'Gellan's weyrmate, that is all and that certainly has not in prior novels ever meant they were automatically a Weyrleader.
There are many examples of the Weyrleaders having separate mates from each other.
This book was wonderful, I enjoyed the new issues and charcters, I like how Anne is evolving the stories I've loved for more that 20 years and I hope she will continue to do so.....

Rating:
Summary: If There Were A Mark Less Than One Star I Would Pick It...
Review: This book is a good addition to the Pern series. It mostly follows Lessa and F'lar's son F'lessan. It also reveals a new dragon talent and the future occupation of dragonriders. I would definately recommend this book to any Pern reader.

Rating:
Summary: May you live in interesting times
Review: This oriental curse describes the new problems chronicled in this 2001 entry in the long running Pern series. The story picks up a few years after ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN. The Thread that has periodically ravaged the planet will be totally eradicated in a few years leaving the society with the need to reorganize itself. The dragons and their riders who have protected Pern for thousands of years now need to be thinking about what other skills they have to offer, new innovations from the AVAIS computer are still entering society, changing traditional ways of life. Some are not happy about the changes they see happening around them and wish to maintain the traditional ways of life. They attempt to sabotage the new inventions, calling them 'Abominations'. THE SKIES OF PERN chronicles these societial changes mainly through the actions of Lessa and F'Lar's son, F'Lessan although many other old friends appear, Jaxom and Ruth most notably.

This is a must read for any fan of the series and while it could be read independantly it would be more enjoyable to begin at the beginning of the series.

Rating:
Summary: May you live in interesting times
Review: This oriental curse describes the new problems chronicled in this 2001 entry in the long running Pern series. The story picks up a few years after ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN. The Thread that has periodically ravaged the planet will be totally eradicated in a few years leaving the society with the need to reorganize itself. The dragons and their riders who have protected Pern for thousands of years now need to be thinking about what other skills they have to offer, new innovations from the AVAIS computer are still entering society, changing traditional ways of life. Some are not happy about the changes they see happening around them and wish to maintain the traditional ways of life. They attempt to sabotage the new inventions, calling them 'Abominations'. THE SKIES OF PERN chronicles these societial changes mainly through the actions of Lessa and F'Lar's son, F'Lessan although many other old friends appear, Jaxom and Ruth most notably.

This is a must read for any fan of the series and while it could be read independantly it would be more enjoyable to begin at the beginning of the series.

Rating:
Summary: A Dragon Lover's Look
Review: Well, first of all, I would like to congragulate Patricia C. Wrede on her astounding work with the Dragon Riders Of Pern series. Well Done!!! As for this particular entry back into the world of Pern, I would have to say that this book took us deeper into the world of Men and Dragons than anyone has ever gone! For a long time I have been a dragon lover and these books give me an opportunity to live my fantasy, however imaginary. The story of F'lessan and Tia was incredible. One could actually feel the passion of their relationship unfolding. Though it did lack the usual aspect and involvement with arial battles that the other books held, I must say that this book is an enchantment unlike any other, and is in itself the start of another possible series, should the author decide to develop on it. Keep up the good work Patricia, and you'll have me on my way to the Dreams of Pern. (I do wish I could find a Fire-Lizard of my own...)

Rating:
Summary: The most intersting of the series
Review: Yes, I am one of those weirdos who loves this story. I guess the apparent lack of writing skills in some of her Pern books never bothers me (except for in The Renegades of Pern).

What I loved most about this book was it showed more of the relationship between dragon and rider. In most of her previous books in the series, it seemed to me the extreme bond between dragon and rider was hardley supported by her writing other then what characters said. To me, the dragons are really the most enjoyable part. After all, the series isn't called the Dragonriders of Pern for no reason. To see McCaffrey start to bring this bond out more was just highly exciting for me.

Another thing I liked in it, is Anne seems to also be getting away from the very obvious habit of creating main characters only with high ranking positions. I find that green riders and other low status people can still be interesting and are just as important to Pern's society as the others. Off course, it would be a surprise if all of them suddenly were not gold riders of lord holders, especially since they are the people with high political standing that do need a lot of attention focused on.