Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey is the creator of the Dragonriders of Pern, the Crystal Singer Trilogy, Doona, and other fictional worlds. The name of her official newsletter was "Starfire Weyr".
She passed away in November 2011.
==McCaffrey's Involvement with Fans and Fandom==
McCaffrey was very involved in her fandom—replying to questions, attending cons, and answering their questions.
From alt.fan.pern's FAQ (date unknown, likely mid-1990s): 
Regarding the closing of the popular forum, Kitchen Table Bulletin Board, in 2004, fans were told: 
A fan remembers: 
==Views on Fanworks==
In 1975, she gave her approval for a proposed zine, one which, for unknown reasons, did not make it off the ground: "Ms. McCaffery has given the green light and her best wishes. For this fanzine, DRAGONFEN, to succeed, the editors are requesting that anyone who would like to participate in it get in touch with us. They will need help on it, as they can't do it alone. A format has not been chosen yet. They're waiting to see what kind of response the idea gets." from Sub-Space Chatter #6 
Despite this early nod to fanworks, McCaffrey often had a fractious and restrictive relationship with fanworks and fans, and she adopted several positions regarding fan fiction, some of which have softened over time.
For MUCH more information on McCaffrey's views and stance on fanworks, see:
* McCaffrey's Fanwork Policies 
* Pern Fan Art and C&D Letters
* McCaffrey's Fanwork Rules: Their Legacy
The most current stance on fanworks: 
==Her Most Famous Series==
Dragonriders of Pern is a book series set in a lost colony on the planet Pern.
The series began as a novella called 'Weyr Search' published in the October 1967 issue of Analog, a professionally published science fiction magazine of considerable prestige, edited by John W. Campbell. A second novella, 'Dragonflight', was published in the December issue that same year. 'Weyr Search' won the Hugo for Best Novella, and 'Dragonflight' the Nebula in the same category.
Notably, Anne McCaffrey is the first woman to win either award, breaking a science fiction glass ceiling.
The two novellas were collected for publication as one novel, Dragonflight. The Pern series continues to this day, with new novels being published by her son, Todd McCaffrey. Fandom is widely derisive of these new novels as being 'non-canonical' and full of unrealistic Mary Sue characters.
Having an organized existence since the late 1960s, Pern fandom is contemporaneous with many older First Fandoms, including Star Trek and remains active. The lure of dragons which cause mindless sex, canonical implied slash, and powerful female characters with archetypal roles help to explain this series' enduring lure to some fans.
Like many science fiction authors of her time, McCaffrey was uncomfortable with fanworks, and the battle over fanwork has shaped fannish practices. Due to pressure from Anne McCaffrey and her heirs, most fannish expression in this fandom involves the creation of original characters using the setting.
For much, much more on McCaffrey's views on fandom and fanworks, see Dragonriders of Pern.
==Tentpeg Statement (1998-ish)==
Anne McCaffrey is the infamous creator of The Tent Peg Statement, a wank so offensive that even the non-fannish know of it.
==Interviews==
* (1988, an audio interview)
* Science Fiction Book Club (late 1997?)
* (1998)
*An Interview with Anne: Questions and Answers on Dragonriders of Pern (1998)
* OtherSpace Interview (August 2000)
* (date unknown, essay)
* many others
==A Fan's 2011 Comments and Speculation Regarding Fanworks, Permissions, and Legacy==
For much, much more on McCaffrey's views on fandom and fanworks, see Dragonriders of Pern.
==Her Death==
She passed away November 21, 2011.
==Fan Sites==
* Heptite Guild of Ballybran - a CompuServe fanclub for Anne McCaffrey's Crystal Singer Trilogy.
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* A Meeting of Minds, fan forum
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==Further reading==
* (2004)
* The Long, Strange Legacy of Anne McCaffrey by skywaterblue (November 22, 2011)
==References==
Category:Dragonriders of Pern
Category:Crystal Singer
Category:People
Category:Science Fiction Authors