The Girl Who Heard Dragons by Anne McCaffery

[Barry Northern]

"As great scientists have said and as all children know, it is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope." - Ursula K. LeGuin

Book Details

Title: The Girl Who Heard Dragons
Tag-line: Fifteen superb stories from the creator of the dragons of Pern
Genre/Category: Single-authour anthology
Type: Paperback
Authour: Anne McCaffery
Publisher: Corgi Books
ISBN: 0552144363

Reading Details

Started Reading: 7th May 2009
Finished Reading: 31st May 2009

Review

Despite the cover, I knew this book would be largely science fiction, technology based stories, rather than pure fantasy. The only previous exposure I had to Anne McCaffery was when I read a Pern story in one of the Legends anthologies, but I had a strong sense of how good she was, and what she was like from that. I now have an even greater respect for the authour. Her career is long, and her books and stories are wonderful. I'm reading the first book in the Pern series now, and intend to read them all -- I know I'm starting late, McCaffery fans!

There are some real gems in here, ideas that I've never seen developed before, like the Velvet Fields, a story where an entire colony has to literallyh hand back their flesh because they've inadvertantly eaten an indigenous species whose life-cycle begins in what appears to be tillable soil. There's also a great story about exogenesis, written in the 50's, which goes beyond the science and explores the legal and social implications, still relevant today. And there's lots of horses, which is nice. I gather McCaffery likes horses, and I see her dragons as an extension of her love for the animals. The title story is another great Pern tale too.

The stories are still so strong in my mind, and I know they will stick with me, vividly, for a long time. McCaffery is a truly great authour.