All the Dragons Keen
A relative gave me a paper grocery sack full of books when I was 12. Most of them were Pern novels–old mass markets. I inhaled them all, starting with Dragonsdawn. Back then, I had little idea of what “fantasy” was (books that were kind of medieval?), much less “science fiction.” But I loved her books–not just Pern, but the Brainship books and Crystal Singer books and Planet Pirate books, too. Soon I was reading more SF: Douglas Adams and Frederick Pohl and so many others.
I joined Pern fandom that year. We’d only recently gotten the internet and it was like a door opening up. For two years, my life was hatchings and bubbly pies and wherries and splats and firelizards and impressions. The girls at Starshine Weyr were truly my best friends. I became a writer by writing among them. Eventually, the shine would wear off. It was around the time when Anne started telling us that even queer girls wouldn’t ride blues, but also around the time I made real life friends and starting coming out of my shell a bit. It seemed I’d outgrown Pern, or Pern had outgrown me, or something.
Since those days, my relationship with Anne’s work has been complicated. There’s the rape stuff and the tent peg stuff and the weird sexuality stuff and the way the later books were really not very good, more corrective than immersive.
But I can’t deny what Anne gave me. On those lonely weekends, thirteen years old, I read about Sean and Sorka and thought that it might be possible to find oneself twinned someday in a magical creature. I thought I might not be alone. And thanks to her words, I wasn’t. Last year, I got a tattoo in honor of Pern. A blue dragon, of course (I continue to be the opposite of a hidebound holder). Today, I write science fiction. For teenagers. I guess deep down, I hope to do for some twelve-year-old girl what Anne did for me.
Goodbye, old friend. You’ve not gone–just gone between. I’ll see you under clearer skies.
Phoebe
Phoebe is a 20-something writer who lives in New York State with her husband and cat. She is a dork, not a geek or a nerd.
Her debut novel, Starglass, will be released from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers in Summer 2013.
9 comments
I always felt sad for those blue dragons, so undervalued. But I like to think there are plenty of girl riders out there (in the same universe where there are female rabbits searching for Watership Down and girl hobbits having adventures).
(Also, love your tattoo!)
And re:fandom, you don't by chance know Hope Ring, do you? She's a friend of mine from LARP and I think she was involved in that same Pern group (though I may be misremembering the name of her group).
I feel the need to bake a bubbly pie, now. And I am definitely re-reading Dragonsong and Dragonsinger!
Yes, exactly. I think that often readers create spaces for diversity in novels even when the authors don't.
(And thanks!)
You know, I remember a Hope, but it was *so* long ago. Ask her if it was Starshine–I'm still in touch with a number of Starshiners, and it's always great to reconnect.
I just emailed her and pointed here, but on reflection I think her Weyr was StarRise not Starshine… Still, it's cool to think of so many folks united in the Pern fandom!
Aw, dang. Yeah, there were dozens of weyrs back in the day.
If you were still here in Florida, I'd invite you to our commemorative SS gathering around Christmas. After all these years I guess we're finally going to have a mini-Gather, and yes, there will be bubblies.
BTW, if anyone has a tested-and-tasted non-crappy recipe for klah, feel free to throw it at me.
Aww, bummed I'm going to miss it! I might make it to the next Dragon*Con (finally) though–any chance you'll be there?
I actually really liked the klah recipe in the DLGTP. But I was 14 at the time, and now I'm not nearly so sure instant coffee and cocoa powder and nutmeg are as delicious as I thought.
Last time I tried the DLG recipe it was appallingly ungood, even though at the time I wasn't as against instant coffee as I am now … but on the other hand, I have discovered instant espresso exists. Maybe that would be better.
There is something of a chance I'll be at next year's D*Con — actually, probably a fairly good one. If I hadn't managed to miss this year's I'd say I'd absolutely be there, but I don't want to jump the gun.
Do you have your hotel room booked yet? As booking far, far in advance is a Good Thing.
Oooh, I haven’t done ANY of that stuff yet. I’d better get on it.
And you guys were really, really important to me at a time when I was pretty lost in meatspace (middle school–ugh!). Still are, in a big way. I’ll always be a Starshine girl at heart. <3
I just checked the Hilton (my current hotel of choice) and their rooms are sold out for the D*Con time period, which is probably the case for the other two main con hotels as well (the Marriott and the Hyatt), unless you're lucky enough to get a room that someone cancelled like two seconds ago.
I was just about to post some more hotel reservation advice, but it occurred to me that this is public, and I don't want to share my tricks with EVERYONE ON THE PLANET, so I'll switch to FB message now.