The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (and also Todd McCaffrey)

The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey.
(mostly) Ballantine Books/Random House:NY.

Dragonflight
Dragonquest ©1971
The White Dragon © 1978

These first three have also been published as a 3 story set and are closely related.

Dragonsong © 1976 Simon & Schuster Childrens Publications: NY
Dragonsinger © 1977 Atheneum/Macmillan Publishing Company: NY
Dragondrums © 1979 Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster
The Masterharper of Pern © 1998 Ballantine Publishing/Random House

These four books are the harper series and are parallel to the first three. They have some of the same characters with a focus on different subject matter. They have a more historical and artistic feel to them as opposed to fantasy/science fiction. They are the books that first drew my attention and captured it.

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern ©1983
Nerilka's Story ©1986
Dragonsdawn ©1988
The Renegades of Pern ©1989
The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall ©1993
All the Weyrs of Pern ©1991
Dragonseye ©1997

Dragon's Kin (with son Todd McCaffrey) ©2003 Del Rey/Ballantine Books
Dragonsblood (Todd McCaffrey) ©2005 Del Rey/Ballantine Books

Anne McCaffrey has created a whole new world for readers. The people have come from a highly technological society and travelled to a solar system far from Earth in an attempt to leave behind the constant and seriously destructive warfare. The colonization was an attempt to start again with a far less technological and more cooperative culture. Each book delves deeper into the culture, and the detail with which the series is described is impressive and exciting.

**The author suggests that books in the series be read in the order of publication.

Dragonflight: This story explains the threat of thread and the necessity of the dragons and dragon partners. Not everyone believes it is a real threat. F'lar becomes the one of the leaders of the society(weyrleader) as he prepares for and convinces people of the necessity of preparedness. His weyrwoman finds a way to save the people since they are not ready for the peril.

Dragonquest: The oldtimers who have been fighting thread the longest are causing problems. They live by a different set of rules, the landowners (holders) are becoming angry and uncooperative as a result. F'lar tries to find a better solution for thread and friction caused by the oldtimers.

The White Dragon: Jaxom is to inherit Ruatha Hold, but a trustee is managing it until he is of age. Meanwhile, he attends a dragon hatching and unintentionally bonds with a dragon(which means he has to raise it). This is unheard of for a Lord Holder, but Ruth is no ordinary dragon. Jaxom is allowed to keep Ruth as a "pet," but soon he is training him also in secret.

Dragonsong: Music is more important than anything to Menolly. Between her father forbidding her to continue with her music and a serious injury to her hand, she decides she will leave home(even though she could die without shelter from thread). While hiding from thread, she discovers fire lizards hatching. She feeds them, and they attach themselves to her. She gets caught out in the open one day with a thread storm coming and is found by a dragonrider on duty.

Dragonsinger: This is a continuation of Menolly's story. It is also an explanation of the importance and work of the harper network and the importance of Menolly within that network. It is a complex and heartwarming story. The harpers are my favorite part of the series.
Dragondrums: When Piemur's voice changes, he becomes the masterharper's personal assistant and is sent to do political work in the field.

The Masterharper of Pern: Robinton, son of the composer Petiron and the singer Merelan, is exceptionally gifted from the start. His talents develop quickly with special opportunities and attention. This is the account of how he becomes The Masterharper.

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern: A mysterious illness spreads across Pern (possibly started by a runnerbeast) killing holders, craftsmen, and dragonriders.

Nerilka's Story: Embarassed by her family's unwillingness to help during a deadly plague, packs medicines and supplies and leaves home. In her quest to help, she arrives at Ruatha Hold and finds a new life for herself.

Dragonsdawn: The early settlers have their first confrontation with thread and start to genetically engineer and use dragons.

The Renegades of Pern: This is the story of the outsiders on Pern-the travelling traders, the people who lost holds, those exiled for wrongdoing, and those choosing to live as outlaws. Lady Thella is the worst of the thieves, and there is a whole group trying to stop her evil plans.

The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall: These are short stories of Pern. Some of them are extensions of the other books, and some are completely new ideas.

All the Weyrs of Pern: Excavation of some of the Southern continent's buildings uncovers some of the lost technology. A new plan is formed which will hopefully end the cycles of thread.

Dragonseye: Their training teaches them that thread is shortly going to fall for the second time since inhabiting the planet. It has been two centuries, and some of the Lord Holders doubt the teachings. This is the first time chronologically that weyr and hold preparedness is in question.

Dragon's Kin: Kindan's father is experimenting with watch-whers(relatives of dragons) in the mines. When his father is killed in a mining accident, Kindan is asked to raise a young watch-wher to carry on this important work.

Dragonsblood: The dragons contract a deadly disease. It is spreading quickly, and the weyrs race against time to find a way to save the dragons before they lose so many that thread is impossible to stop.

RL=YA-adult
The books were written for adults but appeal to younger readers as well-starting with maybe 5th to 6th level.