Anne McCaffrey ​

Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-Irish writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. Her works are complex, often incorporating elements of romance, and they primarily focus on interactions between humans and aliens. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction and the first to win a Nebula Award.

Quick Facts ​

• Known for science fiction series Dragonriders of Pern.
• Inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2006.
• Was the first woman to win the top two prizes for science fiction writing, the Hugo and Nebula Awards.
• Published nearly 100 books, many co-written with her son Todd McCaffrey.
• Her novels have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Background ​

McCaffrey was born in 1926 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to George Herbert McCaffrey, a colonel in the United States Army, and Anne Dorothy McElroy, a professor of Phonetics at Boston University. Anne's family were well-educated and influential, with her father having proposed the first toast when he attended the Irish Proclamation of Independence.He was a supporter of Irish Home Rule, and his political beliefs shaped Anne's childhood. McCaffrey's father had a huge impact on her interests, introducing her to science fiction and to the works of Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, whom she considered to be a forerunner of modern romantic science fiction. Through Burroughs, she discovered other science fiction authors.

At age 21, McCaffrey graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College in 1947 with a degree in Slavonic Languages and Literatures. In her twenties, while living in New York, she wrote her first two novels: one was a love story about a girl and a dolphin, and the other was about a girl who could talk to horses.

In 1967, she became the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction and the first to win a Nebula Award. Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list. She was an inductee of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2006.

Writing Style and Impact ​

Anne McCaffrey's writing is characterized by its richly detailed worlds, well-drawn and sympathetic characters, and complex relationships. She is best known for her "Dragonriders of Pern" series which combines elements of fantasy and science fiction. McCaffrey's work has been praised for its imaginative vision, depth, and sensitivity, and she is considered a pioneer in the field of female science fiction and fantasy authors. Her work has not only entertained millions of readers worldwide but has also inspired and influenced the work of many other writers.

Notable Works ​

• Dragonflight (1968)
• Dragonquest (1971)
• The White Dragon (1978)
• Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern (1983)
• Dragonsdawn (1988)
• All the Weyrs of Pern (1991)
• The Dolphins of Pern (1994)
• The Skies of Pern (2001)