Subject: Welcome to alt.fan.pern (Semi-monthly posting) (Part 1 of 2)
Supersedes: <pern-intro-1-829585927@unm.edu>
Date: 15 Apr 1996 12:45:45 -0600
Summary: Introductory material for the alt.fan.pern newsgroup

Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2q
URL: http://www.unm.edu/~quirk/afp-index.html

Version: 3.1
    
This document is now being prepared from the HTML sources used by the
WWW version.  The WWW version is available at:

http://www.unm.edu/~quirk/afp-index.html

"The Dragonriders of Pern(R)" is a Registered Trademark of Anne McCaffrey,
   etc.
   
WELCOME TO ALT.FAN.PERN!

Contents of Part 1:

(Dates indicate last time the file corresponding to that section was modified)

1.  Introductory Material (25 Mar 96)
    1a.  About this newsgroup 
    1b.  Introduction to Pern 
    1c.  Appropriate subject matter 
    1d.  Spoiler ettiquette 
    1e.  Other newsgroups of interest 
    1f.  Common abbreviations 
    1g.  Fan Fiction 
    1h.  Anne McCaffrey on the net
    1i.  Just who is this Quirk joker anyway?
2.  Pern in Print (10 Apr 96)
    2a.  Book List (McCaffrey-written) 
    2b.  Suggested reading order 
    2c.  Chronological order of books/stories 
    2d.  Pern books on tape 
    2e.  Other Pern materials 
    2f.  Obtaining hard-to-find books

CONTENTS OF PART 2:
3.  Frequently Asked Questions about Pern (25 Mar 96)
    3a.  Pronunciation of various words/names 
    3b.  Rider behavior during Mating flights 
    3c.  Queen dragons and firestone 
    3d.  Where to dragons/firelizards deficate? 
    3e.  Who/What does Aramina hear in The Renegades of Pern? 
    3f.  What's this I hear about a Pern movie? 
    3g.  Is Rukbat (Pern's sun) a real star?
4.  On-line Simulations of Pern (12 Apr 96)
    4a.  Accessing Pern-type MU*s 
    4b.  (Insert your favorite MU* here) is down!!! 
    4c.  List of Pern-type MU*s
5.  "Real Life" Fan Organization and related info (5 Feb 96) 
6.  Non-Pern McCaffrey materials (22 Mar 96)
    6a.  Booklist 
    6b.  Booktapes

Note:  These articles are being cross-posted to the news.answers and
alt.answers newsgroups for extended expire times and archival on
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/alt.fan.pern
     or      /pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/alt/fan/pern
     or      /pub/usenet/news.answers/pern-intro
     or      /pub/usenet/alt.answers/pern-intro

To obtain these files (assumes UN*X environment with FTP capability):
---
%ftp rtfm.mit.edu
Connected to <etc.>
Name (rtfm.mit.edu:<foo>): [anonymous]
331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
Password: [your e-mail address]
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
ftp> [cd pub/usenet/alt.fan.pern
    (or) pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/alt/fan/pern
    (or) pub/usenet/news.answers/pern-intro
    (or) pub/usenet/alt.answers/pern-intro]
250 CWD command successful.
ftp> [get
Welcome_to_alt.fan.pern_(Semi-monthly_posting)_(Part_<X>_of_2)]

(Where <X> is the part number.  If you have chosen the
pub/usenet/news.answers/pern-intro or
pub/usenet/alt.answers/pern-intro path, then just get part<X>.)

200 PORT command successful.
[Some stuff]
ftp> (get any other parts you may want)
ftp> [quit]
%
---


                           1. INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL
                                       
1a. About this newsgroup.

   This newsgroup (alt.fan.pern) is dedicated to discussion of the
   fictional world of Pern as described in the various novels and short
   stories by Anne McCaffrey. Related topics include Ms. McCaffrey's
   other works, and several of the on-line 'virtual realities' depicting
   Pern (see below).
   
1b. Introduction to Pern

   Pern is the third planet of the Rukbat system in the Sagittarius
   sector. It is a Colony world which has lost contact with 'Mother
   Earth' due to periodic attacks from an organism called 'thread' which
   devours all organic material it comes into contact with. To counter
   Thread, the Pernese - back when they still had the skills - modified
   an indigenous life-form to create Dragons - so named for the mythical
   beasts they resemble.
   
   'Modern day' (as depicted in most of the books) Pern has lost many of
   the skills originally brought with the colonists and can probably be
   best described as a 'pre-industrial' society. Toward the end of the
   series, some of the original colonists' technology is rediscovered.
   
   Alternatively, Pern is the home of Dragons, their riders, and various
   other people as depicted in Anne McCaffrey's _Dragonriders of Pern_
   series and related books.
   
1c. Appropriate subject matter

   As stated above, this group is primarily for the discussion of the
   world of Pern -- discussion of Ms. McCaffrey's other works is
   tolerated, but not particularly encouraged. A major component of this
   discussion revolves around the various multi-user programs that have
   been set up attempting to simulate Pern. The most often-discussed is
   'PernMUSH', although there are several others in existence. Articles
   about PernMUSH or the other Pern-related simulations should have
   'PernMUSH' or 'MUSH' or something similar in the subject line so that
   those who are not interested can filter them out via KILLfile.
   
   Note, however, that questions pertaining to the mechanics of MU*s
   (seeking clients, code questions, etc.) are better asked in the
   rec.games.mud.* hierarchy rather than here.
   
   At times, the traffic about PernMUSH seems to dominate this newsgroup.
   Generally, complaining about it is counterproductive and a good way to
   spark a flame-war. If you, the reader, wish to discuss something that
   is not presently being addressed in the group, by all means start the
   discussion yourself.
   
   Also, posting binary files -- i.e. uuencoded or MIME-encoded .gifs,
   executables, etc. -- is strongly discouraged. Many people must pay by
   the byte (or for connect time which translates to the same thing) to
   download newsgroup articles sight-unseen -- this means that by the
   time they've determined that the file they just spent 30 minutes
   downloading is a binary, they've already paid for it. Therefore, if
   you have a neat-o image or program you wish to distribute, the
   preferred method is to place it on a web page, upload it to an FTP
   site, or post to one of the appropriate *.binaries.* newsgroups, and
   then post a pointer to this newsgroup telling where to find it.
   
   Finally, inconsiderate fools have, from time to time, taken to posting
   entirely inappropriate articles to the newsgroup; often cross-posted
   to many others. PLEASE do not post follow-up complaints to
   alt.fan.pern. Doing so, particularly with cross-posted articles only
   serves to increase the clutter. If you feel you must complain, do so
   via email.
   
1d. Spoiler etiquette

   Whenever new books or other material is published, it is advisable
   that any discussion that may give away the story or otherwise 'spoil'
   the book for others should be 'protected'. This is known as 'spoiler
   protection'.
   
   Placing "Spoiler!" in the subject is a start, but is not enough as
   many newsreaders display the first 12-20 lines of article text when it
   is presented. The following steps are suggested:
   
    1. Insert 12-20 blank lines before the sensitive material.
    2. Place a ^L (Control-L) character at the *beginning* of one of the
       lines; this will cause some newsreaders to treat it as a
       top-of-page marker. (Note: This doesn't always work, and some
       editors do not allow control characters to be embedded, so the '20
       blank lines' measure should be used in all cases; the ^L serving
       as an additional layer of defense.)
       
   How long should spoiler protection be kept in place? My feeling is
   that spoilers should be kept in place until one or two months after
   the release of the paperback edition of a book (assuming it was first
   released in hardcover). However, practice has shown that 3-6 months
   after initial publication is usually sufficient.
   
1e. Other newsgroups of interest

   rec.arts.sf.*: The primary hierarchy for discussion of Speculative
   Fiction (Science Fiction + Fantasy). The subgroups are:
   
     * rec.arts.sf.written: Books, Short Stories, etc.
     * rec.arts.sf.movies: Big screen.
     * rec.arts.sf.tv: Not-so-big screen.
     * rec.arts.sf.science: "How the heck does this thing work?"
     * rec.arts.sf.fandom: Fannish activities, cons, et al.
     * rec.arts.sf.misc: Catch-all.
     * Plus several others.
       
   When posting to these newsgroups, please remember to use appropriate
   subject headers; including the author or title in the subject would be
   a good idea.
   
     * alt.fan.dragons: Discussion of dragons of all types -
       mythological, fictional, etc.
       
1f. Common abbreviations

   For those of you new to the net, there are quite a few abbreviations
   in use here on Usenet that may be unfamiliar. Here is a short list of
   the more frequently seen.
   
   IMO
          "In My Opinion"
          
   IMHO
          "In My Humble/Honest Opinion"
          
   BTW
          "By The Way"
          
   OTOH
          "On The Other Hand"
          
   ;-), :-), :), etc.
          A 'smiley' face - look at it sideways. Used to indicate humor
          and/or sarcasm.
          
   ROTFL
          "Rolling On The Floor, Laughing". (There are several variants
          on this.)
          
   FWIW
          "For What It's Worth"
          
   And now some specific to alt.fan.pern:
   
   MU*
          Indicative of any of the family of MUD/MUSH/etc.
          
   NC
          PernMUSH (Which covers the Northern Continent during the 10th
          pass)
          
   SC
          SouConMUSH (Which contains the complementary Southern Continent
          for the same time period as NC)
          
   IC
          MU*-speak for 'In Character' - meaning behavior that the MU*
          characters would engage in.
          
   OOC
          MU*-speak for 'Out of Character' - Usually applying to
          information/behavior that the *player* of a MU* character
          knows/performs that the character would not, logically, be able
          to take advantage of.
          
   DLG
          _The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern_; see 'Pern in Print' below.
          
   D1, D2, D3
          The three books comprising the _Dragonriders of Pern _ trilogy.
          (_Dragonflight_, _Dragonquest_, and _The White Dragon_
          respectively)
          
   H1, H2, H3
          The three books comprising the _Harper Hall of Pern_ trilogy.
          (_Dragonsong_, _Dragonsinger_, and _Dragondrums_ respectively)
          
   [The above two sets are my personal shorthand, but I'm not the only
   one using them -- Quirk]
   
   AtWoP, ATWOP, etc.
          _All the Weyrs of Pern_
          
   CoP
          _The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall_
          
1g. Fan fiction

   NOTE: The following applies to fan fiction posted to the net. I do not
   have (nor do I desire) the authority to prevent any quasi/illegal acts
   on this newsgroup. The following is presented for informational
   purposes. You may heed or ignore as you wish, but I deny all
   responsibility for any legal problems you may encounter.
   
   (Also note that PernMUSH, SouConMUSH, DragondawnMUSH, Harpers' Tale
   MOO, DragonsFire MOO, DawnSisters MUSH, Belior Rising MUSH, Threadfall
   MUSH, High Pass Weyr on Living Fiction MUSH, Ierne Islandm abd
   DragonTrek MUSH have McCaffrey's blessing to exist. I am uncertain
   about the status of the other MU*s.)
   
   [Thanks to "Chris Croughton" (chris@keris.demon.co.uk) for relaying
   the following.]

----------
    08-Oct-92 11:39 BST
Sb: InterNet Pern rules
Fm: Anne McCaffrey [CIS number deleted]

The rules are that my characters may be referred to but not used.  BUT
there can be no adventure/stories set on Pern at all!!!!!  That's
infringing on my copyright and can bear heavy penalities - particularly
right now when there's a film deal (yet another) which has bought and paid
for the right to use the material - which, I fear, e-mail users have not.

On CIS, I have asked people to limit Pern material to a discussion of
their persona and dragons, fire-lizards, etc., in a diarist form.
Fanzines have slightly more latitude as the zine is usually mailed only to
members so that's limited publication, and a due copyright notice is
included.  As there is no such protection on electronic mail, we authors
have to be insistent on these safeguards.

I know this can be confusing since Paramount and Star Trek are handled
differently, but that's the point:  they are, and have been.  Individual
themes and characters of s-f/fantasy novels are not.  And such
indiscriminate usage of our characters, worlds, and concepts on a *public*
media like electronic mail constitute copyright infringement AND, which
many fans disregard, is ACTIONABLE!  Both the e-mail company AND the
person.  My publishers are most insistent on that point!  So it's to
safeguard the interested e-mail user that I make these very strong, and
perhaps unpalatable points.
----------

   [Chris' commentary:]
   To repeat - it's not Anne who forbids this: it's her publishers - and
   they are NOT required to tell her of any such actions which they may
   be undertaking. The first she will probably know of it is when someone
   tells her, having heard over the net...
   [End commentary.]
   
   To expand on this a bit, this prohibition is meant to protect Ms.
   McCaffrey from legal problems along the lines that have prevented
   Marion Zimmer Bradley from publishing one of her books. (I'm not
   completely familiar with the specifics of this case; inquiries to
   rec.arts.sf.written will probably result in more information than you
   ever wanted to know. ;-)
   
1h. Anne McCaffrey on the net

   As you may have noticed above, Ms. McCaffrey's Compuserve ID number
   has been deliberately removed from this document. For reasons of
   preservig her privacy, the maintainer of this periodic posting has
   decided that, until he receives permission from Ms. McCaffrey to
   release the information, it shall not be listed.
   
   If you want to get in touch with Ms. McCaffrey, your best bet is to
   write an actual (i.e. pen and paper) letter via one of her publishers.
   If you plan to do this, including a self-addressed envelope with
   return postage -- Note: Since she lives in Ireland, you will have to
   make use of International Reply Cupons -- would probably be
   appreciated.
   
   Alternately, she does appear infrequently on Compuserve, for interview
   sessions.
   
1i. Just who is this Quirk joker anyway?

   I am NOT...
     * ...Especially involved in Pern Fandom. (I collect the books, read
       this newsgroup, and play on PernMUSH between increasingly frequent
       and prolonged episodes of burnout during which I just kibitz.
       That's about it.)
     * ...A general McCaffrey fan. (Pern and Doona are the only McCaffrey
       worlds that I have found particularly engaging.)
     * ...A posting service. (Please do not send me email asking to post
       thing for you.)
     * ...The "owner" of this newsgroup. (Despite my frequent gripes and
       occasional proprietary feelings to the contrary.)
       
   I'm just the poor slob who's volunteered to maintain this FAQ --
   updating when I find the time and/or inclination -- and keep a cron
   table entry to post it twice a month.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________

                              2. PERN IN PRINT
                                       
   Since Pern is a fictional world, a complete listing of all related
   books would probably be a good idea.
   
2a. Book list (written by McCaffrey)

   [Date is of 1st printing. ISBNs are from the editions in my personal
   library or obtained from copies in local bookstores. Publisher is Del
   Rey Books unless otherwise noted. UK edition publisher is Corgi Books
   unless otherwise noted. UK ISBNs provided by Chris G. Abbott
   (Chris@ruatha.demon.co.uk).]
   
   The _Dragonriders of Pern_ trilogy (Also available in a single
   hardcover volume through the SF book club, and trade paperback in a
   few bookstores).
   
   _Dragonflight_ (Jul 1968)
          ISBN: 0-345-33546-5 / UK Edition: 0-552-08453-0
          
   _Dragonquest_ (May 1971)
          ISBN: 0-345-33508-2 / UK Edition: 0-552-11635-1
          
   _The White Dragon_ (Jun 1978)
          ISBN: 0-345-31336-4 / UK Edition: 0-552-11313-1
          
   _The Dragonriders of Pern_ (Trade Paperback)
          ISBN: 0-345-34024-8
          
   
   
   The _Harper Hall of Pern_ trilogy (Available as a single hardbound
   edition through the SF book club).
   
   _Dragonsong_ (Mar 1976 -- Bantam Books)
          ISBN: 0-553-12044-1 / UK edition: 0-552-10661-5
          
   _Dragonsinger_ (Feb 1977 -- Bantam Books)
          ISBN: 0-533-11835-8 / UK Edition: 0-552-10881-2
          
   _Dragondrums_ (Mar 1979 -- Bantam Books)
          ISBN: 0-553-20722-9 / UK Edition: 0-552-11804-4
          
   
   
   Others:
   
   _A Time When_ (1975 -- NESFA Press) [1]
          ISBN: 0-915568-07-2
          
   _Get Off the Unicorn_ (Jun 1977) [2]
          ISBN: 0-345-27464-4 / UK Edition: 0-552-10965-7
          
   _Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern_ (Nov 1983)
          ISBN: 0-345-29873-X / UK Edition: 0-552-12499-0
          
   _Nerilka's Story_ (Mar 1986)
          ISBN: 0-345-33949-5
          
   _Nerilka's Story & The Coelura_ (1987, Corgi/UK) [3]
          ISBN: 0-552-12817-1
          
   _Dragonsdawn_ (Nov 1988)
          ISBN: 0-345-36286-1 / UK edition: 0-552-13098-2
          
   _The Renegades of Pern_ (Nov 1990>
          ISBN: 0-345-36933-5 / UK Edition: 0-552-13099-0
          
   _All the Weyrs of Pern_ (Dec 1991)
          ISBN: 0-345-36893-2 / UK Edition: 0-552-13729-4
          
   _Rescue Run_ [4]
          (Science Fiction Book Club Hardcover)
          
   _The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall_ (Oct 1993) [5]
          ISBN: 0-345-36899-1
          
   _The Dolphins' Bell_ [7]
          (Science Fiction Book Club Hardcover)
          
   _The Girl Who Heard Dragons_ (May 1994 -- TOR books) [8]
          ISBN: 0-812-51099-2
          
   _The Dolphins of Pern_ (Oct 1994) [9]
          ISBN: 0-345-36895-9
          
   [*] ISBN is for Hardcover edition.
   
   In the March '96 Del Rey Internet Newsletter, it was announced that
   Ms. McCaffrey has completed and submutted a new Pern novel. A
   tentative publication date of March '97 was mentioned. _Locus_
   magazine has reported that the book's title will be _Red Star Rising_.
   Unconfimred reports indicate that it may be set just before the second
   Pass of the Red Star.
   
   Footnotes:
   
   [1] Details courtesy of: Robert A. Woodward (robertaw@halcyon.com)

---
>Contains early versions of several chapters of _The White Dragon_.
>Scenes are: Jaxom blowing up at the breakfast table, Jaxom at
>Smithcrafthall school, Jaxom and Corana, Jaxom and the entire theft &
>recovery of the Queen egg at Benden Weyr.
---

   [2] Collection of McCaffrey short fiction; contains "The Smallest
   Dragonboy" (Originally published 1973 for _Science Fiction Tales_).
   Reportedly, the short story can also be found in _Visions of Fantasy:
   Tales From the Masters_ (1989 Doubleday: ISBN 0-385-26359-7).
   
   [3] Also includes non-Pern novel.
   
   [4] Originally published in _Analog_ (Aug. 1991) and included in [5]
   below.
   
   [5] Contains short stories: "Survey: P.E.R.N." [6], "The Dolphins'
   Bell", "The Ford of Red Hanrahan", "The Second Weyr", and "Rescue Run"
   (ibid [4] above).
   
   [6] Previously published as "The P.E.R.N. Survey" in _Amazing Stories_
   (Sep. 1993).
   
   [7] Included in [5] ibid.
   
   [8] Collection of McCaffrey short fiction. Includes novella of same
   title originally published (limited edition - 100 signed copies) in
   1985.
   
   [9] Yes, I know. It hit the stands in early September, but for
   purposes of reference, it has an 'October' publication date.
   
   Finally, the _Dragonlover's Guide to Pern_ (see below) contains a
   short story, "The Impression" depicting F'lessan's impression of
   Golanth from a first-person POV.
   
   It should also be noted that this all started with the Hugo-winning
   novella: "Weyr Search" published in October 1967 in _Analog_. This
   story now forms the first quarter of _Dragonflight_.
   
2b. Suggested reading order for newcomers.

   Ms. McCaffrey suggests that the books be read in order of publication
   (i.e. start with _Dragonflight_ and go in published order).
   Alternatively, she suggests starting with _Dragonsong_ as a 'gentler'
   introduction, completing the Harper Hall trilogy, and then going back
   to _Dragonflight_, _Dragonquest_, et. al.
   
2c. Chronological order of books/stories

   This is kind of tricky, as some books depict the same events from
   different points of view. Here's what the concensus seems to be:
   
   [Pass/Interval notations added 6 Feb '96.]

             +--------------------+                      Backwards
             | "Survey: P.E.R.N." |                          ^
             +--------------------+                          |
             +-------------+                               Time
1st pass->   |_Dragonsdawn_+----------------------+          |
             +-------------+ "The Dolphins' Bell" |          v
                           +----------------------+       Forwards
             +----------------------------+
             | "The Ford of Red Hanrahan" |
             +----------------------------+
             +-------------------+
             | "The Second Weyr" |
             +-------------------+
1st Int.->
             +--------------+
             | "Rescue Run" |
             +--------------+
[...]
6th Pass->
             +------------+-----------+
             | _Moreta:   |           |
             | Dragonlady |_Nerilka's |
             |  of Pern_  |   Story_  |
             +------------+           |
6th Int.->                +-----------+
[...]
8th Int->
                         +-----------+
                         |           | +--------------+
9th Pass->               |           | |_Dragonflight_|
                         |           | +--------------+
                         |           |               +--------------+
                         |           | +-------------+ _Dragonsong_ |
                         |           | |             +--------------+
                         |           | |_Dragonquest_|_Dragonsinger_|
                         |           | |             +--------------+
                         |           | +-------------+
                         |   _The    +-------------+
                         | Renegades |_Dragondrums_|
                         |  of Pern_ +-------------+
                         |           | +---------------+
                         |           | | "The Smallest |
                         |           | |   Dragonboy"  |
                         |           | +---------------+
             +-----------+           +----------------+
             |           |           | "The Girl Who  |
             |_The White |           | Heard Dragons" |
             |  Dragon_  |           +----------------+
             |           |           |
             +-----------+           |
                         |           |
                         +-----------+
                         | _All the  |
             +-----------+   Weyrs   |
             |   _The    |  of Pern_ |
             |  Dolphins +-----------+
             |  of Pern_ |
             +-----------+

   Notes:
   
   Horizontally connected 'boxes' indicate closely connected (i.e. same
   events from different points of view) stories. Boxes connected
   vertically indicate that the following story takes place immediately
   after the previous one.
   
   _Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern_ and _Nerilka's Story_ are shown to start
   at the same time as both narratives begin on the day of the Ruatha
   Gather.
   
   _Dragonsong_ is shown to start previous to _Dragonquest_ based on the
   timelines provided in Karen Fonstead's _Atlas of Pern_. _Dragonquest_
   is shown to continue beyond the end of _Dragonsinger_ based on the
   reports on Canth's healing which suggest that considerable time has
   elapsed since Canth's jump to the Red Star.
   
   _The White Dragon_ and "The Girl Who Heard Dragons" are shown as
   starting at the same time as both start sometime in autumn of the 12th
   turn of the 9th pass. I have been unable to more specifically
   determine the relative starting times.
   
2d. Pern books on tape

   There are several audio adaptations of the assorted Pern books out in
   both abridged and unabridged forms. The performer, if known, is
   listed.
   
   [Many thanks to MIRRIM@delphi.com for doing the legwork to obtain this
   information. Publisher is indicated by bracketed numbers; Publisher
   key follows the list.]
   
   _Dragonflight_
          1-56100-511-8 (Unabridged - Performer: Dick Hill) [1]
          0-7871-0072-2 (Abridged) [2]
          
   _Dragonquest_
          1-56100-512-6 (Unabridged - Performer: Dick Hill) [1]
          0-7871-0111-7 (Abridged) [2]
          
   _The White Dragon_
          1-56100-513-4 (Unabridged - Performer: Dick Hill) [1]
          
   _Dragonsong_
          0-7871-0075-7 (Abridged - Performer: Adrienne Barbeau) [2]
          
   _Dragonsinger_
          0-7871-0080-3 (Abridged - Performer: Adrienne Barbeau) [2]
          
   _Dragondrums_
          0-7871-0067-6 (Abridged - Performer: Adrienne Barbeau) [2]
          1-55800-640-0 (No additional data) [2]
          
   _Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern_
          1-56100-492-8 (Unabridged - Performer: Sheila Hart) [1]
          
   _Nerlika's Story_
          0394558170 (No additional data)
          
   _Dragonsdawn_
          1-56100-489-8 (Unabridged) [1]
          
   _The Renegades of Pern_
          1-56100-493-6 (Unabridged) [1]
          0-7871-0081-1 (Abridged) [2]
          
   _All the Weyrs of Pern_
          1-879371-11-1 (Abridged - Performer: Anne McCaffrey) [3]
          
   _The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall_
          1-55800-867-5 (Unabridged - Performer: Meredith MacRae) [2]
          
   _The Girl Who Heard Dragons_
          0-7871-0258-X (No additional data) [2]
          
   _Dragonflight_ and _Dragonquest_
          1-55800-637-0 (combo - Abridged) [2]
          
   _Dragonsong_ and _Dragonsinger_
          1-55800-638-9 (combo - Abridged) [2]
          
   Dragonsdawn_ and _The Renegades of Pern_
          1-55800-641-9 (combo - Abridged) [2]
          
   Publisher info:
   
    1. Brilliance Corp.
       1810-B Industrial Drive
       P.O.Box 887
       Grand Haven, Michigan 49417
       1-800-222-3225
       
    2. Dove Audio
       301 N. Canon Drive
       Beverly Hills, Ca. 90210
       1-800-328-DOVE
       
    3. The Publishing Mills
       P.O.Box 481006
       Los Angeles, Ca. 90048
       1-800-72-AUDIO
       
2e. Other Pern materials

   Eclipse Comics published a 3-issue graphical adaptation of
   Dragonflight_ which was later collected into a single volume graphic
   novel. Drawings appear to be based on the artwork in _The People of
   Pern_ (see below). Publishing data for the single-volume edition:
   
     _Anne McCaffrey: Dragonflight_
     Published by Eclipse Graphic Novels, March 1993.
     ISBN: 0-06-105003-2
     
   Several Pern-related "Reference Books" have been published. The most
   frequently mentioned on this newsgroup are:
   
   _The Atlas of Pern_ by Karen Fonstead / Del Rey books
          ISBN: 0-345-31432-8 (HB) / 0-345-31434-4 (SB)
          (Out of print, but still available if you look around for it.
          The Science Fiction Book Club apparently still has copies in
          stock.)
          
   _The People of Pern_ sketches/paintings by Robin Wood, text by
          McCaffrey / 1988, Donning Publishing.
          ISBN: 0-89865-635-4 (HB) / 0-89865-751-2 (SB)
          Recently reported to be out of print. I do not know if the SF
          Book Club still has copies available.
          (Actually, more of a 'photo album' for the major characters.)
          
          [Additional note from: "Stephanie M. Clarkson-Aines"
          (thespian@access.digex.net)]
          ------
          Robin also sells beautiful prints of many of the pictures in
          the book (I have Menolly and Sebell in my bedroom :), for $30
          US. Prints are signed by Robin and run in editions of 250.
          
          Robin's address is:
          
          Robin Wood
          15529 Longmeadow
          Dearborn, MI 48120
          (313) 441-3704
          ------
          
   _The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern_ by Jody Lynn Nye with Anne McCaffrey
          / Nov 1989, Del Rey books
          ISBN: 0-345-35424-9 (Hardcover)
          (Considered by many to be *the* reference work on Pern...aside
          from the books themselves. Others have noted internal
          contradictions as well as conflicts with other published
          material and therefore do not consider it particularly
          authoritative.)
          
   Jody Lynn Nye has also written two 'Choose your path' books set on
   Pern under the (now defunct) 'Crossroads' line from TOR books.
   
   _Dragonharper_
          ISBN: 0-812-56404-9 - Journeyman Robinton's adventures as he
          travels to his first posting at Benden Hold.
          
   _Dragonfire_
          ISBN: 0-812-56423-5 - Mirrim and Path look into strange
          happenings on the Southern Continent shortly after the events
          described in _The White Dragon_.
          
   There have also been two games published:
   
   _The Dragonriders of Pern_ (boardgame) from Mayfair Games. 1983 -
          ISBN: 0-425-06624-X.
          This is set roughly during the time frame of _Dragonquest_.
          Players represent the 6 Weyrleaders (and the Masterharper in
          the 7-player game) attempting to gain prestiege and power in an
          attempt at becomming the overal leader of the planet. There is
          also a solitaire variant, and an article about threadfighting
          and Weyr organization by Todd Johnson (Anne McCaffrey's son).
          
          Mayfair games can be reached at:
          
          Mayfair Games, Inc.
          P.O.Box 5987
          Chicago, IL 60680
          
   _Dragonriders of Pern: The Book Game_ by Nova Games Designs. 1984 -
          ISBN: 0-917037-05-7.
          Two riders on patrol try to outdo one another when they
          encounter threadfall - but don't get scorred, and definitely
          don't let any of the thread reach the ground!
          
          The game mechanics involve two books which show pictures from
          the POV of each rider. Each player selects a maneuver and goes
          to a look-up page where the combination of that maneuver and
          the other player's choice determines the next view. (Very
          similar to the "Ace of Aces" WW I dogfighting game also from
          Nova.)
          
          Contact address is:
          Nova Games Designs, Inc.
          P.O. box 1178
          Manchester, CT 06040
          
   Epyx released a "Dragonriders of Pern" game for the C-64, Atari 8-bit,
   and Apple ][ around 1984. Second-hand reports inidcate that it was
   generally similar to the above-listed board game, but with occasional
   arcade-style threadfighting sequences. Inquiries to the appropriate
   comp.*.games newsgroup may prove useful to those looking for used
   copies of it.
   
   NOTE: There is a IBM-PC Dragonriders game floating around on BBSs and
   the net. Regarding this item, Justin Bradford
   _jbradford@cctr.umkc.edu_ informed this newsgroup:

>The computer game "The Dragonriders of Pern" by Everlasting Software is
>not authorized by Anne McCaffrey and should not be player, uploaded,
>downloaded, or distributed.  We uploaded this game to an Internet FTP
>site without understanding that it was a copyright and trademark
>infringement and were contacted by her attorneys.  We want
>to apologize to Anne McCaffrey, and to urge all of her fans
>to help eliminate this game from the Internet.

2f. Obtaining hard-to-find books.

   As noted above, many books are available only through the Science
   Fiction Book Club. This book club provides a good selection of recent
   releases (albeit somewhat delayed) and classic SF in 'special edition'
   hardcovers and trade-paperbacks. The membership deal is something
   along the lines of "Buy 4 books in the first year". Almost all of Ms.
   McCaffrey's works can be ordered in one form or another.
   
   Advertisments can be found in most of the usual Science Fiction and
   Gaming magazines (e.g. _Analog_, _Dragon_, etc.) or they can be
   contacted at:
   
     The Science Fiction Book Club
     6550 East 30th Street
     PO Box 6369
     Indianapolis, IN 46209-9492
     
   Note to non-US readers: I am informed that the club also extends to
   Canada, but doubtful that it goes anywhere else. Readers elsewhere
   will most likely have to arrange a special order with your local
   bookstores.
-- 
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk     (Known to some as Taki Kogoma)     quirk@unm.edu
     Just an article detector on the Information Supercollider.
                KC2:  Boursy++++ Grubor(?) Fomin+
