From: tkogoma@triton.unm.edu (Gym Z. Quirk)
Subject: 2nd Draft of the 'Welcome to alt.fan.pern' periodic posting.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 05:36:39 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Summary: Look it over...comments/additions welcome

Ok. Here's the second draft.  Unless I receive major objections, I'll
be posting it on/about the 1st of each month.  I am also looking into
having it cross-posted to news.answers for automatic archival.

---[Draft copy. Additions/corrections welcome]---

[ Thanks to: 

 jsb16@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Jennifer S Broekman)

for legwork in tracking down the various PernMU*s. ]

WELCOME TO ALT.FAN.PERN!  [Last modified: 15JUL92]

This newsgroup is dedicated to discussion of the fictional world of
Pern as described in the various novels and short stories by Anne
McCaffrey.  Related topics include Ms. McCaffrey's other works, and
several of the on-line virtual realities depicting Pern (see below).

Questions addressed:

1) What is Pern?
2) Can you list the books?
3) What else is there?
4) Reference books?
5) Pern on-line?
6) Access to Pern-type MU*s?

[Any other questions we need to take care of? - Quirk]

1) "Ok.  So what is this Pern place anyway?"

Pern is the third planet of the Rukbat system in the Sagitarius
sector.  Alternatively, Pern is the home of Dragons, their riders, and
various other people as depicted in Anne McCaffrey's _Dragonriders of
Pern_ series and related books.

2) "Ah...Books.  Can you give me a list?"

In order of publication:

_Dragonflight_               (1968)
_Dragonquest_                (1971)
_Dragonsong_                 (1976)
_Dragonsinger_               (1977)
_The White Dragon_           (1978)
_Dragondrums_                (1979)
_Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern_ (1983)
_Nerilka's Story_            (1986)
_Dragonsdawn_                (1988)
_The Renegades of Pern_      (1990?)
_All the Weyrs of Pern_      (1991)

Additionally, there are two short stories and a limited-release
novella.

[Should I list these short stories? - Quirk]

3) "That's a lot of books.  I take it it's pretty popular."

Indeed.  In addition to the above books by McCaffrey, there is a
boardgame, two "Choose your path" books, a game simulating fighting
thread from dragonback, several 'reference books', and numerous
computer-based 'virtual realities' based on Pern.

[Again.  Should I provide more details here?  If so, I'll need to ask
some of you, since I don't have everything...yet. ;-) - Quirk]

4) "Reference books?"

Yep.  They include:

_The Atlas of Pern_ by Karen Fonstead
  (Out of print, but still availible if you look around for it.)

_The People of Pern_ with sketches/paintings by Robin Wood,
                        text by McCaffrey.
  (Actually, more of a 'photo album' for the major characters.)

_The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern_ by Jody Lyn Nye with Anne McCaffrey
  (Considered by many to be *the* reference work on Pern...asside from the
    books themselves.)

5) "You mentioned something about 'virtual realities' back there. Care to
     elaborate?"

Some people have gone to the extent of attempting to duplicate Pern
with a multi-user program designed to allow people to assume the roles
of dragonriders, harpers, holders, etc.  While the most frequently discussed
is PernMUSH (See the 'What is PernMUSH?' Mimi-FAQ' for more details),
it is by no means the only one.

Pern-themed MUSHes:
	PernMUSH (wiretap.spies.com 4201 or 130.43.3.3 4201)
	SouConMUSH (kyriath.cygnus.com 4201 or 140.174.1.69 4201)
	DragonsDawnMUSH (elof.iit.edu 2508 or 192.41.245.90 2508)

MUSHes with Pern areas:
	TinyTIM (foof.dorm.clarkson.edu 5440) or 128.153.48.3 5440)
	SpellBoundMUSH (bongo.cc.utexas.edu 4201 or 128.83.186.13 4201)
	AmberMUSH (amber.cygnus.com 6250 or 140.174.1.69 6250)

Pern-themed MUSE:
	DragonsFireMUSE (chezmoto.ai.mit.edu 4444 or 18.43.0.102 4444)

[Additions to this list are welcome. - Quirk]

6) "How do I get on these things?"

Well, the quick way of doing it is to telnet to the appropriate
machine specifying the port listed (use the numeric address if the
name won't work).  For more info, look at the rec.games.mud.*
newsgroups.  (Rec.games.mud.tiny and rec.games.mud.misc primarily.)

[You want to send me an excerpt of the mini-FAQ, Ken? - Quirk]

---[end rough draft]---

Kurion@PernMUSH, Fort WeyrHarper, master of archives, 
                  and self-appointed MasterNitPicker. ;-)
-- 
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk  (Known to some as Taki Kogoma)  tkogoma@triton.unm.edu
  I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior to
                           what I have now...