In Barbara’s home I admired a couple of beautiful prints on the wall, all lacy and medieval in style, depicting a pretty girl with lots of dark, wavy hair surrounded by tiny flying dragons. “Those are the covers from Dragonsong and Dragonsinger,” she said. “You mean, you haven’t read them? Oh, you have to. But you should really start with Dragonflight.” So I did. The Pern books grabbed me from the very first line, and never let go. They were about dragons. I had always been fascinated by dragons. These weren’t just any dragons; they were scientifically plausible dragons. The best part was, instead of being terrifying predators, they were mankind’s ally. If you had one of these dragons, it belonged to you and no one else, a powerful, telepathic friend whose voice only you could hear, and who loved you and protected you before all other people, against the compelling danger of the mindless Thread. What a terrific image to offer to readers who often felt vulnerable and lost in the real world.
What do You think about Nebula Awards Showcase 2006?
