All the Weyrs of Pern

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1. 

   Y. Slayton @ 3:18 pm

   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

   
2. 

   Jeanne Tassotto @ 5:43 pm

   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.

   
3. 

   Anonymous @ 8:00 pm

   I seem to be in the minority, but I had major, major problems with ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN and I fear this book has really ruined Pern and destroyed what made it special. Stuff that bugged me (SPOILERS):

   1. THE MODERNIZING OF PERN. Do we really want a modern Pern? I don’t know about everyone else, but I loved the medieval setting and dark atmosphere of DRAGONFLIGHT, the tension between dragonriders and Lord Holders, and especially reading about life in the Weyrs. Despite the title, this book was not actually about the Weyrs! What a shame that McCaffrey seems to be veering away from them.

   2. TRASHING AND SLASHING OF BELOVED CHARACTERS FROM THE EARLIER BOOKS. Lessa as portrayed in the first book has always been my favorite Pern character. So why is it that with each successive Pern book Anne McCaffrey seems more and more determined to give her a bad name and ruin her? The characterization did not seem consistent to me. I also did not like or believe the way F’lar manipulated and lied to her. It was never his style before (he always treated Lessa as an equal and never underestimated her), and Lessa should be too clever to fall for it anyway — since she is good at manipulating others herself. These two used to be one of SF’s most dynamic couples. Does someone acutally prefer *this* version of F’lar and Lessa?

   And lets not even mention Robinton. Do we really want Pern without Robinton in it? Pern without the Masterharper?

   3. THE PREPOSTEROUSNESS OF THIS PLOT! Okay, they find a computer and it tells them *exactly* how to get rid of Thread! How convenient (Can you say “deus ex machina”?). Also, all these medieval people just learn to use computers and mass produce what they need? Yeah right. I can’t even get my mom to use a computer and you want to tell me people who don’t haven’t even had electricity until now are going to catch on to using computers that fast?

   And duplicating all they need in 4 years? With nothing going wrong?! When even NASA has had disasters? Starting from medieval technology? Um, I don’t think so.

   4. THE ERADICATION OF THREAD. Do we really want to read about Pern without Thread? Isn’t the struggle to survive on Pern what makes this series compelling and dramatic? Doesn’t it give the dragons and dragnriders their purpose? I would rather Thread was impossible to eradicate so we could have more dramatic stories about brave men and women battling Thread and struggling to survive on Pern.

   5. WHY DOES JAXOM ALWAYS GET TO HAVE HIS CAKE AND EAT IT TOO? Seriously, isn’t he supposed to be a Lord Holder? What the heck is he doing leading all the dragonrider missions? Why are F’lar and the other Weyrleaders letting Jaxom do their job? Doesn’t he have a Hold to run?! And how come Lessa had to give up Ruatha Hold so she could be a dragonrider and now Jaxom gets to rule Ruatha and go to the Red Star while Lessa doesn’t get to do either? This does not seem fair to me, especially since Ruatha belonged to Lessa’s family and Jaxom’s father murdered them.

   I loved Jaxom as a little boy in DRAGONQUEST but ever since THE WHITE DRAGON he has seemed like a spoiled little rich boy to me… The dragonrider / Lord Holder thing could have been an interesting conflict and made a great character but instead Anne McCaffrey always lets him have his cake and eat it too, trashing F’lar, Lessa, F’lessan and others just so Jaxom can hog the spotlight. Ug.

   6. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMEN ON PERN? Have they all turned into Stepford Wives? Pern has always been a sexist society but usually there has been a Lessa, a Menolly or a Sharra somewhere in sight who would try to fight for freedom and equality. In this book it seems like all the men are running the show, and the women are staying home barefoot and pregnant! I never thought I would see the day.

   7. A HUGE GAFFE / OVERSIGHT. A friend of mine pointed this one out: If the Dragonriders divided the virus into three batches and went back in time to the two long intervals to infect the Thread with it all those centuries ago, why has Thread been falling just as strongly? It should have been weakening all along centuries ago if the virus was starting to infect it.

   All in all, I was really bummed by this book, which took eliminated so much of what made Pern special to me — life in the Weyrs, conlficts between dragonriders and holders, Thread battles, F’lar and Lessa’s spirit and heroism, Robinton’s wonderful wit, the dark medieval atmosphere, strong women, plots with some credibility… I found ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN so depressing I have been afraid to read any more recent Pern books. If anyone else felt as I did, please post a review, so that I won’t feel alone… I miss the old Pern so much!!!

   
4. 

   Edie @ 9:20 pm

   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.

   
5. 

   wysewomon @ 11:48 pm

   In _All the Weyrs of Pern_ the large cast of characters from the Dragonrider and Harper Hall books, with the help of the Ancient AI device unearthed at the end of _Renegades_, settle down to their ultimate task: Ridding Pern of Thread for once and for all.

   I’ve read all the Pern books over and over since I first discovered them in eighth grade — _Dragonquest_ was the first book I bought with my own money. In the main, I really enjoy them. Anne McCaffrey writes well and her ideas are very original, particularly in the earlier books in the series. Some of the later volumes have not thrilled me, however. _Renegades_ I found particularly unmoving, so I picked up ATW with some trepidation the first time. But this is the Dragonriders series at its best, with all the characters the reader has come to know and love facing challenges with fortitude and even humour.

   I don’t argue that McCaffrey is a great storyteller. She is at her best in situationally-driven stories (rather than character-driven), particularly those where her charcters are put in a new, alien and/or hostile environment where they must develop the skills to succeed in various tasks. This is part of what makes her Dragonrider series appealing to fans of straight science fiction as well as fans of fantasy. And as the basic theme of ATW, it makes for an absorbing read.

   McCaffrey needs a continuity editor, however. As her world becomes more and more complex it seems she has trouble keeping track of the details. Unfortunately, I am the kind of person who is bothered by this.

   Is Jancis a Mastersmith or a journeyman smith? She seems to be both, often in the same paragraph. And how did she come to be Fandarel’s granddaughter when he formerly stated he had no wife, only his work? How did Sharra appear at landing to exchange a significant glance with Jancis, when before and after that single incident it was clearly stated she wasn’t there at all? Why is Menolly telling AIVAS about her three children when in _Dolphins_ at a later date she is shown to be pregnant with only the second? How did Lord Oterel appear in _Dolphins_, long after the close of ATW, when he died before ATW ended? These are just some of the details that distracted me.

   But, well, this is still a great book and one that really ties up the Pern series. I could only wish that Anne McCaffrey had ended here.