Anne McCaffrey’s
passing was announced this afternoon, actually eliciting a sad sign here in the Cummings house. McCaffrey was an early influence (after getting over Rendezvous with Rama in 4th grade, my brain needed the more relaxing plight of thread and dragons), starting with the Harper Halls of Pern. I remember devouring many of her books, excitedly breaking into this fountain of new stories. Why, one Christmas my best present (though I don’t know if I realized it at the time) was a copy of the then just published Dragon’s Dawn (1988). I devoured it in a day, because that’s how McCaffrey’s books were – quick, fun, and a pleasure to read.
Bah.
