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The White Dragon (novel)
Encyclopedia
The White Dragon is a fantasy
or science fiction
novel
by American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey
.
It completes the original Dragonriders trilogy in the Dragonriders of Pern
series, seven years after the second book. It was first published by Del Rey Books
in June 1978
, one year before the young-adult Harper Hall
trilogy.
In 1987, Locus: The magazine of the science fiction & fantasy field
ranked The White Dragon number 23 among the 33 "All-Time Best Fantasy Novels", based on a poll of subscribers.
for its annual convention Boskone
in 1975, where McCaffrey was Guest of Honor.
story of Jaxom, the young Lord of Ruatha Hold
, who had accidentally impressed the unusual white dragon
Ruth in Dragonquest
and Dragonsong
. As Jaxom grows up, he has to deal with the difficulty of being both a Lord Holder and a dragonrider, the maturity of Ruth (who besides being white is a runt
), his own teenage angst and desire to fight Thread on his own, and the rebellious Oldtimers, who attempt to steal a golden egg from Benden Weyr
. Fortunately, Ruth always knows when he is and can travel through time to avert the growing political crisis. But while fighting Thread, Jaxom falls ill with a potentially deadly sickness, Fire-Head (influenza). This leads him to recuperate in Cove Hold, and while there he discovers some of the mysteries that the Ancients, the ancestors of the Pernese, left behind, and he begins to make more sense of the past.
and it was one of five nominees for the annual Hugo Award for Best Novel
. It won the Gandalf Award for Book-Length Fantasy and the Australian Ditmar Award
for international fiction.
The American Library Association
in 1999 cited the two early Pern trilogies (Dragonriders and Harper Hall
), along with The Ship Who Sang
, when McCaffrey received the annual Margaret A. Edwards Award for her "lifetime contribution in writing for teens".
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
or science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
.
It completes the original Dragonriders trilogy in the Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern is a science fiction series written primarily by the late American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. The series comprises 22 novels and several short...
series, seven years after the second book. It was first published by Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
in June 1978
1978 in literature
The year 1978 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award given annually to books with unusual titles is created. The first winner was Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude...
, one year before the young-adult Harper Hall
The Harper Hall Trilogy
The Harper Hall trilogy comprises three fantasy or science fiction novels by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey.They are part of the Dragonriders of Pern series as it is known today, 24 books by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey as of summer 2011....
trilogy.
In 1987, Locus: The magazine of the science fiction & fantasy field
Locus (magazine)
Locus, subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field", is published monthly in Oakland, California. It reports on the science fiction and fantasy publishing field, including comprehensive listings of all new books published in the genre. It is considered the news organ and trade...
ranked The White Dragon number 23 among the 33 "All-Time Best Fantasy Novels", based on a poll of subscribers.
Origins
The first part of the novel was published three years earlier as A Time When, a special publication by the New England Science Fiction AssociationNew England Science Fiction Association
The New England Science Fiction Association, or NESFA, is a science fiction club centered in the New England area. It was founded in 1967, "by fans who wanted to do things in addition to socializing"...
for its annual convention Boskone
Boskone (convention)
Boskone is an annual science fiction convention run by NESFA in Boston, Massachusetts. In the words of the convention organizers, "Boskone is a regional Science Fiction convention focusing on literature, art, music, and gaming ". It is held over President's Day weekend every February, in the city...
in 1975, where McCaffrey was Guest of Honor.
Plot summary
The White Dragon follows the Coming of ageComing of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story of Jaxom, the young Lord of Ruatha Hold
Ruatha Hold
Ruatha Hold is a hold, or dwelling-place , on the fictional planet of Pern in the series of "The Dragonriders of Pern" by Anne McCaffrey. Ruatha was the third major hold to be established on Pern. Its founders were Peter "Red" Hanrahan, his wife and their children...
, who had accidentally impressed the unusual white dragon
Dragons (Pern)
The Dragons of Pern are a fictional race created by Anne McCaffrey as an integral part of the science fiction world depicted in her Dragonriders of Pern novels....
Ruth in Dragonquest
Dragonquest
Dragonquest is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It is the sequel to Dragonflight, set seven years later and the second book in the Dragonriders of Pern series...
and Dragonsong
Dragonsong
Dragonsong is a fantasy or science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Released by Atheneum Books in March 1976, it was the third to appear in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey...
. As Jaxom grows up, he has to deal with the difficulty of being both a Lord Holder and a dragonrider, the maturity of Ruth (who besides being white is a runt
Runt
A runt is a smaller specimen in a group of animals, usually of offspring in a litter.Runt may also refer to:*Runt , a 1970 album by Todd Rundgren, originally credited to the band Runt...
), his own teenage angst and desire to fight Thread on his own, and the rebellious Oldtimers, who attempt to steal a golden egg from Benden Weyr
Benden Weyr
Benden Weyr is the second of eight Weyrs on the planet of Pern in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern fantasy novel series....
. Fortunately, Ruth always knows when he is and can travel through time to avert the growing political crisis. But while fighting Thread, Jaxom falls ill with a potentially deadly sickness, Fire-Head (influenza). This leads him to recuperate in Cove Hold, and while there he discovers some of the mysteries that the Ancients, the ancestors of the Pernese, left behind, and he begins to make more sense of the past.
Awards
The White Dragon placed third for the annual Locus Award for Best NovelLocus Award for Best Novel
Winners of the Locus Award for Best Novel, awarded by Locus magazine. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year....
and it was one of five nominees for the annual Hugo Award for Best Novel
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
. It won the Gandalf Award for Book-Length Fantasy and the Australian Ditmar Award
Ditmar Award
The Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
for international fiction.
The American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
in 1999 cited the two early Pern trilogies (Dragonriders and Harper Hall
The Harper Hall Trilogy
The Harper Hall trilogy comprises three fantasy or science fiction novels by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey.They are part of the Dragonriders of Pern series as it is known today, 24 books by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey as of summer 2011....
), along with The Ship Who Sang
The Ship Who Sang
The Ship Who Sang is a science fiction novel by Anne McCaffrey, a fix-up of five stories published 1961 to 1969. Alternatively, "The Ship Who Sang" is the earliest of the stories, a novelette, which became the first chapter of the book...
, when McCaffrey received the annual Margaret A. Edwards Award for her "lifetime contribution in writing for teens".
See also
- The Atlas of PernThe Atlas of PernThe Atlas of Pern by Karen Wynn Fonstad is an authorized companion book to the science fiction Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey...
(1984), a companion book produced by Karen Wynn FonstadKaren Wynn FonstadKaren Wynn Fonstad, née Wynn was the author of several atlases of fictional worlds.Born Karen Lea Wynn in Oklahoma City to parents James and Estis Wynn, she graduated from Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma, and then earned a B.S. degree in Physical Therapy and an M.A...
in consultation with McCaffrey.
External links
- Pern Home – "the website for Pern and The Dragonriders of Pern™".