All the Weyrs of Pern

IT sucks to be inside, but the BOOKS of Pern make it BEARABLE( hahaha), Honestly McCaffery has captured my mind's Eye with her writing style and fulfillment of Characters in ALL of her Books!!

AIVAS -- the Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System that was a part of the original colonists' settlement -- is unearthed on the Southern continent after having been buried for many generations. Finding this machine changes the whole way of life for the people of Pern. This book is truely one of the best books I have read. For me, it was a definite climax to the Dragonrider's series -- and well worth working your way toward if you're starting the series. There's so much adventure, and so much humor that this is truely a must read. But to read this one you must read the other 14. In chronological order (according to Pern's history), the reading order is Dragonsdawn The Chronicles of pern: First Fall Dragonseye Moreta: dragonlady of pern Nerilka's story The masterharper of Pern Dragonflight Dragonquest Dragonsong Dragonquest Dragonsinger Dragondrums The white dragon The renegades of Pern All the weyrs of Pern The Dolphins of Pern

This 1991 entry into the long running series begins with the rediscovery of the computer left by the first settlers to Pern. This computer, named AIVAS, complete with its vast store of knowledge, had managed to stay operational in the intervening 2,500 plus years since the settlers had been forced to flee the original settlement. In that time the settlers had developed a new society and found methods to deal with the menacing Thread that periodically attacked their world but had lost many of the technologies that their ancestors had brought with them from Earth. Now that AIVAS was available to them the people of Pern would have the opportunity to regain this knowledge, but at what cost to their society?Favorite characters from previous novels are here, Jaxom and his white dragon Ruth, Master Harper Robinthon, dragonriders Lessa, F'Lar and their son F'lessan and numerous others. We see how the people and dragons of Pern adapt to the changes in their world and rise to met the challenges these changes have brought about.For long time fans of the series there is a fear that this is the end of the saga but it appears that there are other entries writen more recently. In any case this is a must read for any fan of the series. It is not, however, a good place to start.

I found All the Weyrs to be the most satisfying of the newer Pern books written in the 90's. Here McCaffrey takes on a plotline set up in Renegades and DragonsDawn. The book details a lot of technology introduced by the computer Aivas which was uncovered at the end of Renegades. But somehow reading about the characters learning about technology is not incredibly dry but rather entertaining. One of my favorite aspects of McCaffrey's writing is the simple and sweet voices of the dragons in speech. Here, Aivas, the computer, takes on a persona that is more sophisticated than the dragons but equally sweet. The venture to rid Pern of Thread involves ventures into space, some of which made me mentally balk at going "between" to a space ship. Also the book introduces the future political upheavals and problems with the introduction of the new technologies. All of our favorite charactors are here, particularly Jaxom and Sharra, Robinton, Lytol and of course F'lar and Lessa.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Although second to McCaffrey's great work--Dragonflight--the characterization is amazing. The characters become unbelievably real to the reader as McCaffery draws him into her carefully crafted world. I must admit that I cried at the end, but I won't devulge the denoument. A must have for any McCaffrey fan. (I would suggest reading the four or so books in the series before reading this one.)

All of the Dragons of Pern books are excellent. McCaffrey knows how to create a whole fascinating complex culture, filled with heroism and honor and loyalty. "All the Weyrs of Pern" brings the long struggles of the people of the planet Pern against thread to a climax. Combining fantasy and sci-fi elements, Ruth the White Dragon plays a lead role in bringing the Dragonriders fight into space. All the unique skills and history of Pern come together in this final triumph against thread.