Customer Reviews

All the Weyrs of Pern: Dragonriders of Pern, Vol. 11

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

AIVAS -- the Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System that was a part of the original colonists' settlement -- is unearthed on the Southern continent after having been buried for many generations. Finding this machine changes the whole way of life for the people of Pern.

This book is truely one of the best books I have read. For me, it was a definite climax to the Dragonrider's series -- and well worth working your way toward if you're starting the series. There's so much adventure, and so much humor that this is truely a must read.

But to read this one you must read the other 14. In chronological order (according to Pern's history), the reading order is

Dragonsdawn
The Chronicles of pern: First Fall
Dragonseye
Moreta: dragonlady of pern
Nerilka's story
The masterharper of Pern
Dragonflight
Dragonquest
Dragonsong
Dragonquest
Dragonsinger
Dragondrums
The white dragon
The renegades of Pern
All the weyrs of Pern
The Dolphins of Pern

This 1991 entry into the long running series begins with the rediscovery of the computer left by the first settlers to Pern. This computer, named AIVAS, complete with its vast store of knowledge, had managed to stay operational in the intervening 2,500 plus years since the settlers had been forced to flee the original settlement. In that time the settlers had developed a new society and found methods to deal with the menacing Thread that periodically attacked their world but had lost many of the technologies that their ancestors had brought with them from Earth. Now that AIVAS was available to them the people of Pern would have the opportunity to regain this knowledge, but at what cost to their society?

Favorite characters from previous novels are here, Jaxom and his white dragon Ruth, Master Harper Robinthon, dragonriders Lessa, F'Lar and their son F'lessan and numerous others. We see how the people and dragons of Pern adapt to the changes in their world and rise to met the challenges these changes have brought about.

For long time fans of the series there is a fear that this is the end of the saga but it appears that there are other entries writen more recently. In any case this is a must read for any fan of the series. It is not, however, a good place to start.

I found All the Weyrs to be the most satisfying of the newer Pern books written in the 90's. Here McCaffrey takes on a plotline set up in Renegades and DragonsDawn. The book details a lot of technology introduced by the computer Aivas which was uncovered at the end of Renegades. But somehow reading about the characters learning about technology is not incredibly dry but rather entertaining. One of my favorite aspects of McCaffrey's writing is the simple and sweet voices of the dragons in speech. Here, Aivas, the computer, takes on a persona that is more sophisticated than the dragons but equally sweet. The venture to rid Pern of Thread involves ventures into space, some of which made me mentally balk at going "between" to a space ship. Also the book introduces the future political upheavals and problems with the introduction of the new technologies. All of our favorite charactors are here, particularly Jaxom and Sharra, Robinton, Lytol and of course F'lar and Lessa.

In _All the Weyrs of Pern_ the large cast of characters from the Dragonrider and Harper Hall books, with the help of the Ancient AI device unearthed at the end of _Renegades_, settle down to their ultimate task: Ridding Pern of Thread for once and for all.

I've read all the Pern books over and over since I first discovered them in eighth grade -- _Dragonquest_ was the first book I bought with my own money. In the main, I really enjoy them. Anne McCaffrey writes well and her ideas are very original, particularly in the earlier books in the series. Some of the later volumes have not thrilled me, however. _Renegades_ I found particularly unmoving, so I picked up ATW with some trepidation the first time. But this is the Dragonriders series at its best, with all the characters the reader has come to know and love facing challenges with fortitude and even humour.

I don't argue that McCaffrey is a great storyteller. She is at her best in situationally-driven stories (rather than character-driven), particularly those where her charcters are put in a new, alien and/or hostile environment where they must develop the skills to succeed in various tasks. This is part of what makes her Dragonrider series appealing to fans of straight science fiction as well as fans of fantasy. And as the basic theme of ATW, it makes for an absorbing read.

McCaffrey needs a continuity editor, however. As her world becomes more and more complex it seems she has trouble keeping track of the details. Unfortunately, I am the kind of person who is bothered by this.

Is Jancis a Mastersmith or a journeyman smith? She seems to be both, often in the same paragraph. And how did she come to be Fandarel's granddaughter when he formerly stated he had no wife, only his work? How did Sharra appear at landing to exchange a significant glance with Jancis, when before and after that single incident it was clearly stated she wasn't there at all? Why is Menolly telling AIVAS about her three children when in _Dolphins_ at a later date she is shown to be pregnant with only the second? How did Lord Oterel appear in _Dolphins_, long after the close of ATW, when he died before ATW ended? These are just some of the details that distracted me.

But, well, this is still a great book and one that really ties up the Pern series. I could only wish that Anne McCaffrey had ended here.

I seem to be in the minority, but I had major, major problems with ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN and I fear this book has really ruined Pern and destroyed what made it special. Stuff that bugged me (SPOILERS):

1. THE MODERNIZING OF PERN. Do we really want a modern Pern? I don't know about everyone else, but I loved the medieval setting and dark atmosphere of DRAGONFLIGHT, the tension between dragonriders and Lord Holders, and especially reading about life in the Weyrs. Despite the title, this book was not actually about the Weyrs! What a shame that McCaffrey seems to be veering away from them.

2. TRASHING AND SLASHING OF BELOVED CHARACTERS FROM THE EARLIER BOOKS. Lessa as portrayed in the first book has always been my favorite Pern character. So why is it that with each successive Pern book Anne McCaffrey seems more and more determined to give her a bad name and ruin her? The characterization did not seem consistent to me. I also did not like or believe the way F'lar manipulated and lied to her. It was never his style before (he always treated Lessa as an equal and never underestimated her), and Lessa should be too clever to fall for it anyway -- since she is good at manipulating others herself. These two used to be one of SF's most dynamic couples. Does someone acutally prefer *this* version of F'lar and Lessa?

And lets not even mention Robinton. Do we really want Pern without Robinton in it? Pern without the Masterharper?

3. THE PREPOSTEROUSNESS OF THIS PLOT! Okay, they find a computer and it tells them *exactly* how to get rid of Thread! How convenient (Can you say "deus ex machina"?). Also, all these medieval people just learn to use computers and mass produce what they need? Yeah right. I can't even get my mom to use a computer and you want to tell me people who don't haven't even had electricity until now are going to catch on to using computers that fast?

And duplicating all they need in 4 years? With nothing going wrong?! When even NASA has had disasters? Starting from medieval technology? Um, I don't think so.

4. THE ERADICATION OF THREAD. Do we really want to read about Pern without Thread? Isn't the struggle to survive on Pern what makes this series compelling and dramatic? Doesn't it give the dragons and dragnriders their purpose? I would rather Thread was impossible to eradicate so we could have more dramatic stories about brave men and women battling Thread and struggling to survive on Pern.

5. WHY DOES JAXOM ALWAYS GET TO HAVE HIS CAKE AND EAT IT TOO? Seriously, isn't he supposed to be a Lord Holder? What the heck is he doing leading all the dragonrider missions? Why are F'lar and the other Weyrleaders letting Jaxom do their job? Doesn't he have a Hold to run?! And how come Lessa had to give up Ruatha Hold so she could be a dragonrider and now Jaxom gets to rule Ruatha and go to the Red Star while Lessa doesn't get to do either? This does not seem fair to me, especially since Ruatha belonged to Lessa's family and Jaxom's father murdered them.

I loved Jaxom as a little boy in DRAGONQUEST but ever since THE WHITE DRAGON he has seemed like a spoiled little rich boy to me... The dragonrider / Lord Holder thing could have been an interesting conflict and made a great character but instead Anne McCaffrey always lets him have his cake and eat it too, trashing F'lar, Lessa, F'lessan and others just so Jaxom can hog the spotlight. Ug.

6. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMEN ON PERN? Have they all turned into Stepford Wives? Pern has always been a sexist society but usually there has been a Lessa, a Menolly or a Sharra somewhere in sight who would try to fight for freedom and equality. In this book it seems like all the men are running the show, and the women are staying home barefoot and pregnant! I never thought I would see the day.

7. A HUGE GAFFE / OVERSIGHT. A friend of mine pointed this one out: If the Dragonriders divided the virus into three batches and went back in time to the two long intervals to infect the Thread with it all those centuries ago, why has Thread been falling just as strongly? It should have been weakening all along centuries ago if the virus was starting to infect it.

All in all, I was really bummed by this book, which took eliminated so much of what made Pern special to me -- life in the Weyrs, conlficts between dragonriders and holders, Thread battles, F'lar and Lessa's spirit and heroism, Robinton's wonderful wit, the dark medieval atmosphere, strong women, plots with some credibility... I found ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN so depressing I have been afraid to read any more recent Pern books. If anyone else felt as I did, please post a review, so that I won't feel alone... I miss the old Pern so much!!!

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Although second to McCaffrey's great work--Dragonflight--the characterization is amazing. The characters become unbelievably real to the reader as McCaffery draws him into her carefully crafted world. I must admit that I cried at the end, but I won't devulge the denoument. A must have for any McCaffrey fan. (I would suggest reading the four or so books in the series before reading this one.)

All of the Dragons of Pern books are excellent. McCaffrey knows how to create a whole fascinating complex culture, filled with heroism and honor and loyalty. "All the Weyrs of Pern" brings the long struggles of the people of the planet Pern against thread to a climax. Combining fantasy and sci-fi elements, Ruth the White Dragon plays a lead role in bringing the Dragonriders fight into space. All the unique skills and history of Pern come together in this final triumph against thread.

With a respectful nod to all her brilliant other works, when I think of Anne McCaffrey, I always think of dragons first, and, specifically, the telepathic dragons of Pern and their bold riders. From Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern), the first published novel about Pern, all the way up to The Skies of Pern, I have so enjoyed the ride. The Chronicles of Pern (or maybe the Dragonriders of Pern) is a series of novels which I go back to every few years, and it always is as awesome a read as the first time. Anne McCaffrey is simply a timeless storyteller. My second thru fifth favorite Pern novels are, respectively, DRAGONFLIGHT, Dragonsinger (Harper Hall Trilogy, Volume 2), The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern Vol 3), and Dragonquest (Dragonriders of Pern). ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN trumps all of those.

This series won't elicit the same exact sense of excitement from new readers, I think, as opposed to those who've been following the Pern stories for decades. Me, when I first picked up this series, Dragonsdawn (Dragonriders of Pern Series) hadn't yet been published. Trust me, it's not the same if you haven't waited years for each book to come out, and then have McCaffrey kick you in the jaw with all the stunning revelations. Back then, far as I knew, even though the prior books had fleetingly mentioned a science-fictiony origin, the present backdrop was predominantly of a fantasy nature, dragons and fire lizards and harpers and such making their way in an agrarian society. Really great stuff. Then DRAGONSDAWN came out (in 1988) and blew my mind. It told the story of the colonists fleeing Earth and settling on Pern, and, over time, genetically creating the dragons of Pern. Then, shortly after came The Renegades of Pern: (#7) (Dragonriders of Pern), which ended with a passage establishing a solid, "living" connection between DRAGONSDAWN's very distant past and the present-day Pern. So now here's ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN (here, of course, meaning published back in 1991), which picks up on that connection and runs away with it.

That "connection" is the Artificial Intelligence Voice-Address System (or Aivas), dug up in the Southern continent by Piemur, Jancis, Jaxom, and his white dragon Ruth. Aivas dates back to the time of the original colonists and had languished under earth for over 2500 years, yet somehow was able to sustain itself on minimal power. Having now been reacquainted with man, Aivas promptly revolutionizes modern-day Pern, ushering in a new age, introducing new technologies and new ways of thinking, improving the quality of life, as well as establishing closer ties between the current Pernese and their ancestors. And there's one more thing. Aivas also means to complete the overriding project tasked him by the colonists, which is to rid Pern of Thread...

ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN is, hands down, my favorite Anne McCaffrey novel. It is the big mamajama. Other entries have followed (and they're pretty good), but ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN is the crowning touch to this series. I can't tell you how pumped up I was when I first read this book, as Anne McCaffrey, all of a sudden, shifted gears. This is a dazzling, sweeping epic, and more in the realm of science-fiction than the prior books (except for DRAGONSDAWN). If you haven't yet seen dragons freefalling in a spacecraft or engaging in EVAs, then you're in for a treat. And all the characters I've come to love are here... Life would never again be the same for the Weyrleaders F'lar and Lessa, Jaxom and Ruth, Piemur, Menolly, Masterharper Robinton, and the rest.

I wasn't messing around when I said "sweeping." This novel chronicles almost five years in the lives of the people of Pern. The massive undertaking, of destroying Thread forever, comes to involve the entire planet, from the Weyrs to the Holds to the Crafthalls. But, as ever, change doesn't suit everyone. Certain quarters soon begin rumbling, dubbing Aivas "the Abomination"; and the naysayers and traditionalists begin to get their hate on. And it's not too long before they decide to do something about it.

But, really, terrorist acts aside, ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN tells mainly of wonder and joy and of keeping faith. For F'lar, who was the first to galvanize the dragonriders into action and who years ago vowed to eradicate Thread, and for Aivas, who had patiently, steadfastly waited for thousands of years to continue his mission - for these two, especially, it's been a long time coming. To see F'lar and Lessa and the other characters run the gamut of emotions at each of Aivas's unveilings, to see them marvel at each new experience, to have them slowly realize that the threat of Thread could indeed end in their lifetimes, to see them strive and work and pull it off (yes, they pull it off)...well, if you're into being gratified thru reading, if you like being taken on flights of fancies, and maybe even crying a bit in the end, then this book doesn't disappoint. I cherish - cherish! - the hell out of this book. If you haven't yet read ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN, dammit, I envy you. But I do recommend that you read all the preceding novels first, and, I say, read them in the order they were published.

Lastly, does a computer have a soul? The way McCaffrey writes Aivas, I would have to say, "Yes."

I recently started reading the Dragonriders of Pern series about two months ago. I picked up "DragonFlight" one day in the school's library and read the whole thing in three days and haven't stopped reading the Dragonrider books since. After reading the first three volumes and "The Renegades of Pern" (I suggest you read all of these first) I started reading "All the Weyrs of Pern." Being the Pern-addict I am now, I quickly became engrossed in the story line. With the promise of Thread to be forever gone for Pern's skies and many other rediscovered things that have been long been lost since the first people came to Pern. It makes for a solid story line and keeps the reader interested through out the book. All in all I think this is the prefect ending for McCaffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern". If you like being keep on the edge of your set wondering what's going to happen next, I think this book would be worth looking into. But do be warned, have a box of tissues for the ending. It's an unexpected tear jerker.

All the Weyrs of Pern is a great book for anybody who has read Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon, and Dragonsdawn (all 4 have to be read or you won't understand much about it).

Anyway, AIVAS was a great addition to the world of Pern, but I find the change in Lessa and F'lar a little saddening. I know people age, but it seems that their personalities have aged, also. Lessa appears far too engrossed with her Weyrwomanity for my likes, although she used to be one of my favorite characters.

The book stars out with a slower tempo, but it picks it up as it goes along. As with all books, don't let the first chapter force you into putting the book down, but read at least half of it before you make your decision.