The novel “Dragonflight” by Anne McCaffrey was published for the first time in 1968 by fixing up two novellas published in previous years, which won the Hugo and Nebula Awards, respectively. It’s the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series.
F’lar and the bronze dragon Mnementh to whom he’s bonded lead a small force to Ruatha Hold for a Search. Queen Nemorth has laid eggs that require the search for potential dragonriders to bond with. Lord Fax has attempted to eliminate all members of Ruathan Blood to erase their lineage, but Lessa has managed to evade him by posing as a servant.
Lord Fax’s welcome is limited to the bare minimum of courtesy, and Lessa attempts to use her mental powers to provoke a duel between him and F’lar. When Lord Fax’s wife goes into labor, Lessa’s plan appears to be foiled, but she still manages to exploit the situation to provoke a duel and then assert her claim to Ruatha. However, F’lar’s discovery of her powers ends up bringing her to the hatching, where she forges a bond with Ramoth, the new queen.
The two novellas that form “Dragonflight” introduce Pern’s society at a time when the Weyr where the dragonriders live and prepare to defend the planet is in decline. Approximately four hundred Turns have passed since the Threads, which come from the Red Star and devour all life forms, last fell on Pern. Many Hold Lords have long viewed the dragonriders as parasites, needlessly supported with periodic tithe.
From the very beginning of the novel, Anne McCaffrey shows how far Lords like Fax have strayed from the traditions that allowed the humans living on Pern to survive. Fax is certainly not a progressive figure: in fact, his cruel behavior toward his servants shows that he’s only interested in power, preferably absolute power, and if he can extend it to another Hold.
Dragons are a crucial element in the plot and give the novel a distinct fantasy flavor, along with the society that is medieval in some ways in which the story is set. F’lar, rider of the bronze dragon Mnementh, is convinced that the threat of the Threads hasn’t disappeared, but even among the dragonriders there are some who seem resigned to being barely tolerated by the Lords.
Decadence has also struck the Weyr, and this threatens to render the dragonriders incapable of saving Pern should the Threads return. Most of them follow traditions in a completely empty way, memorizing centuries-old ballads without understanding their meaning. Lessa’s frustration with the dull teaching she receives reveals the core of this problem.
F’lar’s attempts to interpret the traditional ballads and songs are used by Anne McCaffrey to tell an important part of Pern’s history in a way that doesn’t slow the narrative pace. It’s one of the ways the author uses to explore the various peculiarities of Pern’s society and develop the important characters, including the dragons. Events, even dramatic ones, plot twists, and various discoveries help to strengthen the various aspects of the story.
All of this made “Dragonflight” a powerful start to what has become a long series that, overall, spans over two millennia of human history on Pern. The stories written over the years cover very different periods of that history and are therefore in many ways independent, even as they form a vast canvas. For this reason, it’s possible to read this novel and then decide if you want to continue with the series. You can find it on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
