Volume 2, Issue 1 – February 1999
Anne McCaffrey: Year of the Dragons
Thirty years ago, Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight swept readers into the fascinating and dangerous world of Pern. One of the first novels written by a woman to combine science fiction with fantasy, Dragonflight secured McCaffrey both critical respect and the abiding loyalty of her readers.
Forty-two books (16 of them about Pern) and millions of devoted fans later, Anne McCaffrey talks to Crescent Blues about how a kitten became the catalyst for televising The Dragonriders of Pern, the ins and outs of co-authoring, and a horse named Jack.
First, we like to wish you hearty congratulations on the success of The Masterharper of Pern. You once said that Master Robinton was very annoyed that you killed him off. Is he any happier now that you’ve written a best-seller about his life?
Anne McCaffrey: I haven’t heard a peep out of Robinton so he must be basking in the aura of success. He’s not a nagger by temperament and if things are going smoothly, as they are for him now, he won’t bother me.
Speaking of the Masterharper, rumors have been circulating that a movie based on his book might be on the horizon. Any truth to these rumors and if so, who do you have in mind for the title role?
I’ve thought of a lot of people who might be good in the role of Masterharper Robinton. But generally they are of such a calibre that they price themselves out of our budget. James Cromwell was, to my mind, a possible but his acting career just took off on warp drive. Robinton must be tall, fit, and have a good speaking voice (singers can always dub in).
I often thought Dwight Schultz (formerly Lt. Brocolli) would do justice to the part. Many email fans have suggested Sean Connery but that would really take all the budget! [Grins.] What I’d like to do is find a relatively unknown actor who has the look and the right charisma, as Babylon 5 did with the actors who played G’kar and Londo Molinari, and let them develop the character. But it’s not my call.
While we’re talking about dragons and cameras, Crescent Blues has heard there’s a new television series currently in production in Toronto called The Dragonriders of Pern. This is really exciting news for Pern fans. When and how did this come about?
Zyntopo with Alliance/Atlantis are doing a live-action, digitally enhanced, animatronic TV series, prime time and internationally aired, called The Dragonriders of Pern (R). Robinton will certainly be a player, but the series will start with a combination of Renegades of Pern, Dragonflight, and All The Weyrs of Pern. With some 2558 years to work in, there’s plenty of material for adventures. But to the second question, when and how, it all revolves around a kitten and that’s a long story. Suffice it to say that there’s been pre-production work in Dublin and Toronto, for the past year and a half, and I’m quite satisfied with the work in its present stage.
We can’t let that one pass. Please tell us about the kitten?
My Maine Coon queen cat had had kittens ready for homes. Eric Weymueller [of Zyntopo Productions] and his wife Joanna had been looking for a kitten for their daughter, Austen. A friend brought them to my house. They picked the tri-color female and went away happy… but I thought then that Eric had tumbled to the fact that I was the SF writer.
Ten days later, they had to go back to the States and I agreed to keep the kitten until they returned. We called her “Fighty-Bitey” because of her habits but Austen called her “Fluffy.” It was after that that we got to talking about the Dragonriders of Pern since Eric had been with Warner Brothers when a producer had been “pitching” an animated film at them.
How much input do you have on the production?
I’ve answered some questions for production designer, Sheila Haley, and hope to have more conversations with her on what more I know about Pern that isn’t in the books — yet.
Did you have any say in the choice of actors or in how the dragons were portrayed?
I did discuss how I saw the dragons to Gareth Edwards, of Myths and Legends, London. The current ones are much more equine — which is how I always saw them — than reptilian. AND they fly well.
What can viewers expect from the show?
They can expect to be entranced by the dragon-rider relationship, by the “look” of Pern, by good acting and a strong continuity line. Pern will be on screen, and the dragons you’ve all longed to ride. While some adjustment is needed to translate a book into another media, it will be as faithful to the original as possible. The “ambience” of Pern will definitely be portrayed. The launch date is January 2000 — the Year of the Dragon.
You’ve really been a very busy lady. Word is out that you’ve signed with Red Storm to produce a line of computer games based on Pern and the Catteni. What was your involvement in the development of these games, and when can your fans expect to see them in stores?
Red Storm entertainment has the Catteni series, but it is Grolier, with Kevin Oxland in charge of production, who have been working on The Dragonriders of Pern (TM). Both interactive games are scheduled for September l999.
To top it all off, someone is recording a CD featuring the “teaching” songs of Pern. Since Masterharper Robinton and Menolly certainly aren’t available, who are the musicians?
The Masterharper CD has music written by Tania Opland and Mike Freeman, a pair of musicians I have known for a long time. Tania’s a gifted musician and singer — plays guitar, violin, recorder, hammer dulcimer, keyboards and Kiowan flute (that’s Native American.) Mike Freeman does guitar, djembe, darabouka, cymbals, snare, frame drums, timpani and other percussion instruments. There’re four good voices as well as Tania’s and Mike’s, and my good friend Madeleine Doherty on the harp. All original music to my lyrics, some of which have been expanded for the express purpose. Gerard Brom sold me the rights to use his cover to The Masterharper of Pern, and it sure identifies the CD real quick… at least to American readers. The limited first edition is now sold out.
[Editor’s note: Tania Opland and Mike Freeman have advised Crescent Blues that copies of The Masterharper of Pern CD are still available through their Web site.]
You’ve written quite a few books about extra sensory powers, i.e., “Talent.” The Rowan series, Pegasus in Flight, Get Off the Unicorn and The Dragonriders of Pern all featured people (and dragons) with that little something “extra.” Crescent Blues just has to ask, are you “Talented” too?
I’ve a limited range of psi, second sight, whatever you want to call it. But sufficient for me to extrapolate what real Talent is like. I decided to lift ESP out of the ghetto and make it legal, useful in the modern society — and commercial. I’m in the process of writing the third Pegasus novel.
The next book about Pern is Dragon’s Sight, by your son, Todd McCaffrey. Can you tell our readers a bit about it?
Todd has placed Dragon’s Sight in the 2nd Pass, where the Pernese still know enough of their early history and the reasons for settling a planet at the back end of nowhere.
How did it feel collaborating with a member of your family?
I’m not collaborating with Todd. This is his solo effort. Mind you, he’s got one book and half a dozen short stories under his belt and has always been able to write. (Since he has a “day job,” the progress is slower.) We’ve discussed his premise and, while he plans to use some of my characters from my 2nd Pass book, they will of course, be older since he’s placed the story at the end of the 2nd Pass.
Sounds as if your son is a chip off the old block. You must be very proud of him.
I am. Todd wanted to join the Air Force and get into space, but very poor eyesight prevented that. When he was a teenager and moaning about the inequities (his sister has perfect eyesight), I told him all he needed to do was get a good job, learn to fly and buy his own airplane. He did — except he only owned one-fourth of a two-seat Tomahawk. But he flew that twice on round trips to the East Coast [of the U.S.]. Not bad.
Speaking of collaborations, you’ve written with some of the best science fiction/fantasy authors in the business: Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Moon, Margaret Ball, S.M. Stirling, etc. You’re a best-selling writer on your own many times over. Why all the collaborations?
The collaborations, which were fun to do (sparking off another person’s experience and style), were to help mid-list writers keep working in the field of their choice. Publishers found it cheaper to use first time authors at that going rate rather than pay mid-list writers what they should expect. Some of us felt that our better known names would help increase sales for our mid-list friends.
Certainly it’s worked with the five (only five) authors with whom I worked. They were already published professionals, just not bestsellers — yet! I no longer have the free time to collaborate as I am concentrating on finishing my own contracts and being available to the TV producers, Zyntopo & Alliance/Atlantis.
What are the hardest and easiest parts of collaborating with another author?
Being sure that you don’t rub the other author the wrong way with your suggestions [is the hardest]. Thinking up plot twists is the easiest, because you have two great minds focused on the problem.
You make the transition from fantasy to science fiction so easily. Do you find writing one more difficult than the other? Do you consider them to be separate genres, as so many science fiction writers insist?
I have always found writing in the “present,” using our own history as background to be harder — you have to stick to the facts, ma’am, the facts!
One of the artists featured in this issue of Crescent Blues is a very fine Russian artist, Volodymyr Ivanov. You’ve commissioned him to put dragons on the gates of your home, Dragonhold-Underhill. How did you meet Ivanov?
I met Volodymyr “Vlad” Ivanov at the London World Fantasy Convention in l997 and was mightily impressed by the exhibition of his sculpture and the paintings of his associate [Sergiy Poyarkov]. In fact, I was so taken that I bought Vlad’s Scythian Warrior sculpture — a powerful piece of an archer, shooting backwards as he clung by his knees to his speeding horse. The sense of urgency and speed were inherent in the work.
So I commissioned Vlad to do a Pernese dragon. It seems that he had read my books in Russian. (He was also kind enough to find two for my library. Although it’s only recently that the publication has been legal, I know the books have been translated into Russian for some time. His gift was the first time I had any in my hand.)
Vlad and his lovely wife, Elena, have been my guests at Dragonhold, while we try to publicize his unusual style and workmanship. On his last trip here, he brought me the gate dragons, replacing the “Welsh” dragons that the builder had used. The gates are much more decorative now. [Grins.]
We understand that Vlad is also designed an award based on your horse Jack. What’s the story behind the horse and the award?
At my request, he is using his style of metal sculpture to depict our Jack, a small but extremely athletic skewbald who competed widely in Three-Day Events (Horse Trials), and show jumping.
Jack was bought originally as my ride but my stable manager and competition rider found him to be so “scopey” (meaning agile, willing and able) that we asked more of him — and always got it. Jack had an answer for every question we asked him and was definitely a “character” horse. We “thought” he was 11 when we bought him, but seven years later we discovered that he had to be considerably older so we retired him from competition, rather than abuse his good nature.
Jack was ridden and lightly competed by a good friend, Margaret Kennedy, for another six years. Last June after a rainy May, he began to stiffen painfully and took no more pleasure in getting out in the field to graze. Rather than have him suffer, we had him put down and buried in a spot overlooking our cross country course.
Since he was so well-known in the Adult Riding Clubs, we decided to commission a perpetual trophy called the Jack Award for ARC competitions to commemorate an unusual equine personality.
How did you come to acquire a house in Ireland? And what’s the story behind your home’s intriguing name, Dragonhold-Underhill?
I’ve had two Dragonholds, bought with the royalties of the Dragonriders of Pern(R) books, so it was incumbent on me to name them for the source. It is the civil habit in rural Ireland that you name your house so the postmen can find it.
When my books and artwork outgrew the original Dragonhold, I designed the floor plan of a larger house, to be built on my farm. As we had to dig out a hill to accommodate the house, I added “Underhill” to differentiate between the two residences.
Last but not least, you have another book out this spring entitled Nimisha’s Ship. The buzz on this non-Pern book has been very favorable — could you give our readers a preview?
My eponymous heroine is a space ship designer, out on her test run with her Mark 5, when she encounters a space hazard not expected in that particular area. The story is about her subsequent adventures and her reunion with her beloved daughter.
Teri Dohmen