Anne McCaffrey: Adoration and a query, please

[smallhagrid]

Hello Folks.
As a middle-aged man I am saddened by the loss of yet another amazingly bright light.

Ms. McCaffrey's works are immensely appreciated treasures (at least by this reader).

Some of my earliest scifi readings were her works, and they have remained dear to me all throughout the ~40 years since.

In recent years I discovered a site with a wonderful chronological listing of the Pern works, and set about reading them again according to that - and in their entirety.

The wonder returned in full force (except during certain parts influenced by a male co-writer whose style I do not appreciate very much...) and it was a huge joy in my life.

I confess that I have reserved some of Ms. McCaffrey's books/series' for later enjoyment and will now parcel them out carefully during the duration of this old man's life-span...

A query, if you please ?:
I wish to know what other writers (If any ?!) may have created other worlds with such a fine, motherly, compassionate touch as the Pern and Ship series' so clearly show ?

My preference is for series, and thus far I have found recommendations for Joan Vinge, John Varley, and Robin Hobb.

As a closing note - it needs to be said that I actively avoid anything which centers upon war, the 'us vs. Them' theme, and when possible I lean TOWARDS any series which includes higher mind functions as in telepathic bonding and so forth.
(And book first and foremost, though that now means -ebooks- !!!)

Thanks, and Best Wishes for Health and Happiness.

mark

[hopewrites]

with all my heart I recommend Melanie Rawn. her worlds and her characters are as deep and complex as you could wish. the trilogies Dragon Prince and Dragon Star run together and tell a beautiful story all together and enchanting tales in themselves.
Exiles is an incomplete series but I would recommend it anyway. its a, i hate to say deeper story but it delves deeper into more subjects and more complicated subjects, and handles them so creatively that i instantly forgive her for getting writers block and not finishing it yet. and it is "yet", every where i look she expects herself to finish it.
Her style is not at all Anne's but completely her own, as one would expect of a good author.

[chrispenycate]

As being of a mature bent and thus not requiring either instant gratification nor endless inconclusive waffling, () did you attempt Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Darkover" books? There is indeed some violence and bloodletting, but most combat is interpersonal, and the "them and us" theme is not straight forward "we good, they evil, grunt". (And Mrs McCaffrey had human or inhuman 'baddies' too, particularly in the 'Tower and the Hive' series; it is difficult to maintain dramatic tension with the universe as sole adversary).

I personally would have preferred less of Pern, or brainships, and that she create more different universes rather than revisiting and producing sequels of those fully established, but I do understand reader and publisher pressure towards known values.

[smallhagrid]

Goodness - with such a glowing recommendation how could I possibly do other than to read the works of Melanie Rawn ?!?!
Thank You Hopewrites, that is exactly the sort of recommendation I'd hoped for.

Otherwise...
In a world where things constantly go from bad to worse, it is a needed balm (for this man) to escape into other worlds where compassion and decency are ordinary and expected.

I could EASILY enjoy double the number of Pern books if Ms. McCaffrey had written them.

Seems to me that my inclination is towards authors born in 1930 or earlier; such as R.A. Heinlien, Poul Anderson, Frederick Pohl, E.E. Smith, and so on.
It may be that their upbringings or the times they lived in inclined them towards qualities which I find most admirable when expressed in their works.

And before I send this along to it's cyber-destination, I will only add that if there was a door of some sort which went straight into Pern with no way to get back at all, ever...I'd have passed through it as soon as it's existence became known to me !!!

[Lilmizflashythang]

The Wolfwalker series by Tara K Harper comes to mind. Mrs. McCaffrey enjoyed them as well.

[smallhagrid]

Wonderful, thank you Lilmizflashythang !
(Easily found too)

[Lilmizflashythang]

You're welcome. Actually, the Wolfwalker series was what got me into McCaffery's books. You can't read a book with another author's recommendation across the front cover without getting curious, or maybe that's just me.

[smallhagrid]

And it only seems natural given that...:

Originally Posted by Lilmizflashythang

You're welcome. Actually, the Wolfwalker series was what got me into McCaffery's books. You can't read a book with another author's recommendation across the front cover without getting curious, or maybe that's just me.

The author IS a 'Harper' after all, yes ?

[Lilmizflashythang]

Lol, good one. I guess that would be one good reason.