Dragonsong

Lore & Background

Dragonsong is set seven years after the events of Dragonflight, during the Ninth Pass of the Red Star, more than 2500 years after human settlement on Pern. Its primary geographical setting is an isolated sea-hold, in contrast to the weyrs and major holds of the concurrent novel Dragonquest. The protagonist Menolly, daughter of Masterfisher Yanus, is forbidden to pursue music after the death of the Hold's Harper Petiron, leading her to leave her Hold and live Holdless. She discovers a nest of fire-lizards, smaller versions of the dragons, and accidentally Impresses nine hatchlings, forming a psychic bond with them.

Reader's Guide

Dragonsong marked a shift in the Pern series toward a younger audience and a focus on the arts and education, rather than the military and political themes of the original Dragonriders trilogy. Editor Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Books solicited the story to attract more female readers to science fiction. The novel's exploration of fixed gender roles and Menolly's struggle to express her musical talent resonated with readers, and the American Library Association cited the early Pern trilogies when McCaffrey received the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1999 for her lifetime contribution to writing for teens. The book also introduced fire-lizards as a significant element in Pern's mythology.

Did You Know?

• Dragonsong was the first book in the Harper Hall of Pern trilogy, with a new publisher, editor, and target audience of young adults.
• The novel is set at the same time as Dragonquest, seven years after Dragonflight.
• Editor Jean E. Karl solicited 'a story for young women in a different part of Pern' to attract more female readers to science fiction.
• Menolly's fire-lizards learn to harmonize with her songs, a key plot point that reveals her identity as the composer sought by Masterharper Robinton.