Anne McCaffrey
(1926– )
Anne McCaffrey is known to her many readers as "the Dragon lady." She has written about dragons for over thirty years. Among her numerous stories about dragons are Dragonsong (1976), Dragonsinger (1977), and Dragondrums (1979)—a series of science fantasy novels for young adults about the dragons of Pern. She has also written about the dragons of Pern—telepathic, huge, flame-throwing dragons who fly because they "think" they can—in many adult novels. Although in Western culture, dragons have always been seen as threatening, McCaffrey’s dragons are connected to humans by a bond of love.
Anne McCaffrey grew up in Essex County, New Jersey. She described herself as lonely and a "tomboy" who wanted to become a famous author and own a horse. McCaffrey’s books are now known all over the world and have been translated into many languages. Since she moved to County Wicklow in Ireland, she has owned her own horse—a large dapple-gray Irish hunter she calls "Horseface." McCaffrey lives and works in Ireland at her home called "Dragonhold." In addition to her popular Dragonriders of Pern series, she has written many other science fiction and science fantasy novels.
