She created the Dragonrider of Pern.
First woman to win a Hugo Award (1968, for “Weyr Search”)
First woman to win a Nebula Award (1969, for “Dragonrider”)
First with a science fiction title on the New York Times Bestseller List (1978, The White Dragon)
Named Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America (2005)
Joined Science Fiction Hall of Fame (June 2006)
A statement from her family:
Anne McCaffrey ended a long and enormously successful life early Monday evening, November 21st, at her home in County Wicklow, Ireland. Surrounded by the reassuring presence of family and close friends, her passing was swift and without suffering. We, her children, are hugely comforted by the outpouring of sympathy flowing now from all over the world. Our mother’s talent was known to countless fans. Yet her greatest gift to us all has to have been her enormous heart. That she was able to touch so many with her tender and loving heart is the greatest source of pride we will forever enjoy. Words cannot express how grateful we are to the universe of her admirers, whose heartfelt condolences beguile us in our grief, which pales beside the joy we know Anne McCaffrey brought to so many people.
McCaffrey’s books were adapted into comics format briefly by Eclipse.
I liked her books a lot when I was a kid. Her focus on her civilization’s guild system was my sideways introduction to the Boarding School Fantasy. A lot of kids that read fantasy books are good at being in school, so having that in a fantasy world as opposed to almost solely military-type structures was a powerful inducement to spend time with all those dragons and that time-jumping.
Plus, in the spirit of every kid that figured out what Captain Kirk was building to defeat the Gorn 10 seconds before Spock did, her fantasy world’s basic secret was fun to figure out but not too daunting or obtuse, and if you didn’t figure it out it was cool enough to discover with the characters.
I hope she had a happy life, and was well-rewarded for her efforts.
As far as comics connections goes, I always thought her fire-lizards were the obvious source for Lockheed the dragon, but I have no real idea if that’s the case or not.
I really enjoyed her books as a kid in the 70’s.
I still fondly recall the day I bought The White Dragon with my best friend at the time, the day it came out and racing to finish it first.
I met her a few years ago at Dragon*Con, she was sweet and a terrific lady. I think I’ll reread “The Ship Who Sang” this weekend.
R.I.P Anne.
All the Weyrs are keening.
I started reading Anne McCaffrey’s books with “Dragonrider” and then back to “Weyr Search” in the magazines before Dragonflight was published. I was 14. That was 42 years ago, and I’ve never given up reading (and rereading!) her books. As a bookseller, I hand-sold lots of McCaffrey’s books to customers, and as a result made some great friends. As a librarian, I’ve booktalked her books, especially the Harper Hall titles, to many many young teens. McCaffrey and her books have been a part of my life for so many years; that won’t go away. Blessed be to all who mourn.