Acknowledgments

My sincere thanks and appreciation to all the following people for their many contributions: Marilyn and Harry Alm of Ista Weyr, New Orleans, for their kind help and awe-inspiring mathematics; to Dr. Jack Cohen; to Ed at the Adler Planetarium; Derval Diamond for inspiration; Robin Wood and her lovely portraiture; Sarah “Sis” Brooks for wonderful meals and information on weaving and wholistic healing; Jay Katz, who helped to make the guide possible; Todd Hamilton and Jim Clouse for extraordinary artwork; Lila and Cassandra for walking on the computer keys; Barbara Young, editrix; Chris Power for responding to an emergency cry for spinning wheel data; Terri Beckett and my mother for supportiveness; Julia Ecklar for setting Anne's words to music so beautifully; Todd and Gigi Johnson; and Anne McCaffrey (of course!), for whose patience, kindness, and encouragement I am forever grateful.

Introduction

In the fall of 1987, Bill Fawcett, Todd Hamilton, Todd Johnson, and I spent ten days in Ann McCaffrey's living room in Dragonhold in Ireland , asking questions - an, in Todd Hamilton's case, making sketches under her direction. There was so much to learn. Pern is richly textured and convincingly three-dimensional.

While I was finishing up the last touches on this guide to Pern, I was temped to add to it. There was so much more I could have included. In the end, I decided to leave it as it is. I can't say enough in the space of one book about the heroic men and women who unite against the common menace of  Thread; or dragons, the gentle giant of Pern; or fire lizards, the Pernese answers to kittens. Anne McCaffey's wonderful books, the same ones that drew me to her word, will have to fill you in further on thee things I could only touch on. This is a companion volume to her work, intended to help you visualize the setting and background  for her chronicles. Todd an Jim louse have contributed over a hundred pieces of art, and Todd Johnson, Anne's son and pilot, has included a well-researched, definitive article on the Fighting Wings.

Just what kind of a place is Pern? It is a world where you can make of a dragon an intelligent, endlessly sympathetic friend who will share your every thought and hope, and on whose back you can really fly. It is a place where technology has lot its toehold and pollution never existed. To be sure, it suffers a terrifying menace in Thread, but between incursions, Pern is still a word for explorers. he frontiers haven't yet all been crossed. An the coffee there tastes as good it smells. It's almost too good to be true.

Jody Lynn Nye
Lake Zurich, Illinois

Contens

Introduction

I. Overview

II. Fit for Human Habitation

The EEC Exploration

Colonial Landing, the Ships and Commanders

Native Flora, Native Fauna

Dragonets

Imported Flora  The First

Imported Fauna

Adaptations

Stakeholds

III. The Red Star

Thread!

Defense

Appearance and Behavior of Thread

IV. From Dragonets to Dragons

Untapped Potential

Mentasynth

Five Toes from Three

Dragons

The First Hatching

The First Weyrs

Between

Mating

Watch-whers

Ruth

V. Weyrlings

The Impression — A Short Story

The Care and Feeding of a Young Dragon

VI. Training and Fighting Dragons by Todd Johnson

Weyrling Training

The Fighting Wings

Wing and Flights

Threadfighting Tactics

Shoulder Knots

VII. Threadfall Charts

VIII. Fort, the First Hold

The Move North

Fort Hold

Holdcrafts

Harpercraft

Healercraft

Fort Weyr

IX.Benden, the Second Weyr

Benden Weyr

Benden Hold

Benden Wine

X. Holds, Crafthalls, and Weyrs

Introduction

Hold Structure

Craft Structure

Means of Exchange

High Reaches Hold

High Reaches Weyr

Balen Hold

Tillek Hold

Fishercrafthall

Nabol Hold

Ruatha Hold

Southern Boll Hold

Weavercrafthall

Crom Hold

Minecrafthall

Greenfields Hold

Telgar Hold

Smithcrafthall

Starcraft

Telgar Weyr

South Telgar Hold

Ista Hold

Ista Weyr

Igen Hold

Tannercrafthall

Igen Weyr

Big Bay (Igen Sea Hold)

Katz Field Hold

Keroon Hold

Beastcrafthall

Lemos Hold

Woodcrafthall

Bitra Hold

Greystones Hold

Nerat Hold

Farmcrafthall

Half Circle Sea Hold

Southern Hold

Southern Weyr

Cove Hold

The Ancient Timers' Plateau (Landing)

XI. Pronunciation Guide to Names on Pern

Sources