A Complete Guide to The Dragonriders of Pern

In the beginning, before Thread, before the Dragons, before the story that started it all, the great ships journeyed through space with six thousand passengers, colonists ready to find a new home planet and begin a new era of humanity. Pern seemed perfect, an idyllic land with breathable air and picturesque landscapes. Then the terror came, and suddenly death was everywhere. Humanity had a new enemy: Thread. But soon, a new creature would be born to help them fight this seemingly insurmountable terror.

In this collection, we have five stories from the earliest days of Pern, from the first space survey that singled it out for colonization to the discovery of the dragon culture that would change everything. Readers will also see the mass evacuation of the volcanic south continent to the north, across treacherous seas with only a flotilla of dolphins as their guides.

It's been 200 years since the deadly Thread first consumed Pern, devouring everything that stood in its path. Nobody nowadays remembers that traumatic time, and many see it as myth. Only the dragonriders know that it will happen again, and for the past two centuries, they've been training to fight the next great war. Now, the signs of Thread's return are clear, but one stubborn Lord Holder, Chalkin of Bitra, refuses to believe. His ignorance could doom them all. The other Holders must find a way to convince him before Pern is destroyed once more.

The son of a miner, Kindan has no expectations for his own future. While he would prefer to be a harper, he knows he will be a miner, like everyone else in his family. But until then, he enjoys playing music for the camp and helping out with the watch-wher, a creature akin to a dragon. When disaster strikes, Kindan loses his family and the camp loses its watch-wher. Now, Kindan must carve out a future for himself that could change not only his fate but that of his people. 

Pellar, a mute with incredible tracking abilities, is taken in by the Masterharper Zist. Accompanied by his fire-lizard, Chitter, Pellar accompanies him on a secret mission to uncover a series of coal thefts. They seem to be the work of the Shunned, criminals sentenced to a life of hardship and wandering. Halla is one of the children of the Shunned. Though innocent of their parents’ crimes, these children have inherited their cruel punishment. Her future is one of hopelessness. Cristov is another child of the Shunned, eager to make amends for his father's crimes. Together, the three of them scheme to shop Christov's vile father from a deal that could destroy the planet.

Kindan, Nonala and Kelsa are best friends, with the latter two being the only female apprentices in Harper Hall. They're used to being bullied by Vaxoram and his goons, but when Kindan springs to their defense one day, he ends up in a fight for his life. Meanwhile, in nearby Fort Hold, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs is about to hatch, and Lord Bemin’s beautiful young daughter, Koriana, is determined to find one willing to bond with her. At the hatching, Kindan Impresses a fire-lizard of his own, and wins over Koriana in the process. Now, their fates are intertwined as a deadly new plague threatens Pern.

A mysterious fatal illness is spreading among the dragon population of Pern. The timing couldn't be worse, as the next cycle of Threadfall is mere days away. Young Dragonrider Lorana must find a cure before the dragons, including her beloved Arith, are struck down and humanity is left defenseless against the mutagen.

Humanity is close to running out of the modern technology it brought with them to Pern during the first days of colonisation. Society is beginning to revert to a feudal system and Wind Blossom, a geneticist nearing the end of her long and fruitful life, worries that man may not be prepared for the dark future ahead of them.

Young Fiona, rider of the gold queen Talenth, has returned from the past, where she and a group of dragons and riders fled so that the wounded could heal from their brutal battles with Thread and allow the fledgling dragons to grow up in peace. They've been gone only three days, but they've aged three years in that jump. Fiona is now ready to fight against Thread and lead the weyrfolk against the plague.

Even though Lorana cured the plague that was killing the dragons of Pern, sacrificing her queen dragon in the process, the effects of the disease were so devastating that there are no longer enough dragons available to fight the next fall of Thread. Now pregnant and fearful for her unborn child's future, Lorana must take drastic steps to preserve humanity's future. 

Meanwhile, back at Telgar Weyr, Weyrwoman Fiona, herself pregnant, and the harper Kindan are struggling with their own devastating dragon losses. The solution to their problems? It might lie in time travel.

Countless dragons are dead after an epidemic that engulfed Pern. Now, the Weyrs are trying to rebuild their arsenals before Threadfall takes place and kills the remainders. Their best hope lies with a group of new dragonriders who have volunteered to brave the dangers of an unexplored island populated by wild creatures where young dragons flourish. But their leader, Xhinna, the first female rider of a blue dragon, faces an uphill battle to win the respect of her peers. 

Some 1400 years after men first came to Pern, Moreta is the Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr, rode across the skies on her great golden dragon, Orlith. Then without warning, a runnerbeast fell ill. Soon, hordes of people across Pern were dying, and nothing could stop the mysterious illness striking them where they stood. The future of Pern rests in the hands of Moreta...

Nerilka has always rebelled. When her father refused to share Fort Hold's bounty with others in need, she packed up medicines and supplies and ran off to help the less fortunate. Her quest to help wherever she was most needed led her finally to Ruatha Hold, where Lord Alessan tried to stave off a plague with no cure in sight.

MasterSinger Merelan and Harper Petiron were talented musicians and a devoted couple. Merelan was the most outstanding soprano ever heard on Pern, and nobody could beat Petiron's technical prowess on the harp. When, after a long and difficult birth, Robinton was born to them, it should have been the happiest day of their lives. But Petiron rejected the boy's evident abilities. Not only had he inherited his parents' musical skills, but Robinton was able to talk to the dragons of Pern.

A Gift of Dragons brings together a trio of stories that take place throughout Pern's history. In “The Smallest Dragonboy,” Keevan is the youngest dragonrider candidate ever, and he hopes to impress a dragon at the next round of hatching. In “The Girl Who Heard Dragons,” a young girl’s rare ability to communicate with dragons will force her to choose between her greatest desires and her duty to her family. In "The Runner of Pern,” a girl named Tenna delivers messages across the land and comes face to face with her destiny.

To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is a mere kitchen girl of no importance. But she is actually a woman on a mission. She serves the lords who betrayed her father and took over his homeland, preparing to exact her vengeance and reclaim her birthright. Everything changes when she meets a Queen dragon, a majestic beast that is capable of breeding new dragons. Lessa wants to take back what is hers, but Threadfall may destroy it all before she gets the chance.

As Threadfall takes over and the dragonriders battle for their lives, Pern must fight for its survival once more. F'lar knows that humanity can't keep doing this. There must be a better way to protect the peoples and lands of Pern. But he must find it before the riders are sent back to the skies... taking his brother F'nor with them.

The number of dragons capable of fighting against Thread are dwindling. Menolly wishes to be a Harper, not a Rider. But despite her great talents, her father believes that a young girl is unworthy of such a position and bans her from pursuing her dreams. So Menolly runs away, taking shelter in a cave by the sea, where she discovers nine fire lizards that could possibly save Pern.

In the world of Pern, Harpers are more powerful than kings. The music they play has incredible mind control abilities. For young Menolly, her dreams of becoming a Harper are rooted in her love of music, not a hunger for control. Now she is finally living out her musical dreams as an apprentice Harper, but it’s turning out to be more challenging than she thought. She's the only woman in her class and everyone doubts her abilities. But Menolly's music has greater powers than any of them could have foreseen.

Piemur has one of the most impressive voices at Harper Hall and, in the world of Pern, there are few things more important than the ability to sing. But then his voice begins to change, leaving him crushed and wondering if his entire future has been scuppered. No longer capable of singing, Piemur is sent on various errands by Masterharper Robinton, including the task of learning the complicated beats of the messenger drums. His new mission will allow him to find greater purpose and perhaps save Pern itself.

Never in the history of Pern has there been a dragon like Ruth. While he's smaller than the average dragon and pure white in color, he's also brave and loyal to his rider, Lord Jaxom, who is also looked down upon by his peers. Their dreams of joining the ranks of the dragonriders have been dismissed, so they decide to go it alone and find their future in the vast wilds of Pern. But in doing so, the two friends will find themselves facing a desperate choice that could threaten the fate of the entire planet.

As long as the people of Pern could remember, the Holds had protected them from Thread. In exchange for sanctuary in these vast fortresses, the people tithed to the Lord Holders, who in turn supported the Weyrs, who cared for the dragons. It's a good system where everyone benefits, but not everyone approves of it. There are some, like Jayge's trader clan, who prefer a life of nomads and trading, and others like Aramina's family, who rally against the injustice of it all. Then, from the ranks of the criminals rejected from the holds, rose the renegades of Lady Thella. Revenge is now the name of the game, but who can win in this battle?

The dragonriders fight against Thread, preparing for each wave in the hopes of protecting Pern from certain doom. But their greatest hope is that one day Thread will be eradicated and the planet can live without fear. Now, it seems like that dream could come true.  For when the people of Pern, led by Masterharper Robinton and F'Lar and Lessa, Weyrleader and Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr, excavated the ancient remains of the planet's original settlement, they uncovered the colonist's voice-activated artificial intelligence system. The super-computer had astonishing news: Thread might not be infallible after all.

As a small boy, Readis Lilcamp was rescued from certain death by the shipfish. These majestic creatures are called dolphins, part of the original settlers of Pern brought over by humans who has trained them. Now, Readis and his uncle Alemi are determined to restore the dolphins to their rightful place among the creatures of Pern. Could dolphins be the answer to the ever-present problem of Thread?

The Red Star, the cursed power responsible for Threadfall, has shifted out of near orbit around Pern. With it, the current Threadfall will be the last. Technology is evolving, changing the face of the planet, and the dragonriders are looking at a future where they might be obsolete. But change is not easy for everyone. Some want to keep Pern pure, and reject all forms of progress. As a new danger looms from the skies, the world looks to the dragons and their riders to save Pern.