Dragonwriter

When Anne McCaffrey passed in November 2011, it was not only those closest to her who mourned her death; legions of readers also felt the loss deeply. The pioneering science fiction author behind the Dragonriders of Pern® series crafted intricate stories, enthralling worlds, and strong heroines that profoundly impacted the science fiction community and genre. In Dragonwriter, Anne's son and Pern writer Todd McCaffrey collects memories and stories about the beloved author, along with insights into her writing and legacy, from those who knew her best. Nebula Award–winner Elizabeth Moon relates the lessons she learned from Pern's Lessa (and from Lessa's creator); Hugo Award–winner David Brin recalls Anne's steadfast belief that the world to come will be better than the one before; legendary SFF artist Michael Whelan shares (and tells stories about) never-before-published Pern sketches from his archives; and more. Join Anne's co-writers, fellow science fiction authors, family, and friends in remembering her life, and exploring how her mind and pen shaped not only the Weyrs of Pern, but also the literary landscape as we know it. Contributors include: • Angelina Adams • David Brin • David Gerrold • John Goodwin • Janis Ian • Alec Johnson • Georgeanne Kennedy • Mercedes Lackey • Sharon Lee and Steve Miller • Lois McMaster Bujold • Elizabeth Moon • Charlotte Moore • Robert Neilson • Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett • Robin Roberts • Elizabeth Ann Scarborough • Wen Spencer • Michael Whelan • Richard J. Woods • Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Get a sneak peak at Smart Pop's 2013 titles with this preview volume of standalone essays and exclusive book extras! Volume includes: "Anne McCaffrey, Believer in Us" – David Brin From Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern, edited by Todd McCaffrey Exclusive Extra: "Painting the Dragonwriter Cover" - Michael Whelan Excerpts from "Munchkin: Hollywood" – Liam McIntyre From The Munchkin Book: The Official Companion, edited by James Lowder "Percy Jackson and the Gods of Death" – J&P Voelkel From Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians, edited by Rick Riordan "Why the Best Friend Never Gets the Girl" - Kami Garcia From Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader, edited by Cassandra Clare "The Price of Our Inheritance" - Neal Shusterman From Ender's World: Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic Ender's Game, edited by Orson Scott Card Exclusive Extra: Q&A with Orson Scott Card "The Architects of the Rebellion" - V. Arrow From The Panem Companion: An Unofficial Guide to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, From Mellark Bakery to Mockingjays Exclusive Extras: "A Grosser Power" – Ned Vizzini "Capitol or Katniss - Who Am I?" - Lili Wilkinson From the special e-book only content for The Girl Who Was on Fire - Movie Edition, edited by Leah Wilson "A Prehistory of Fanfiction" - Anne Jamison From Fic: Why Fanfiction is Taking Over the World Excerpts on Washington Commons, The Foundry, and AndrewAndrew From The Unofficial Girls Guide to New York: Inside the Cafes, Clubs, and Neighborhoods of HBO's Girls

An enthralling biography of one of the most luminous shining stars of fantasy and science fiction, world builder and dragon master Anne McCaffrey, written by her son, collaborator, and most devoted fan While you’ve been to Pern . . . you haven’t heard the stories behind the stories. I propose to fix that. When Anne McCaffrey’s Hugo Award–winning novella “Weyr Search” appeared in the late 1960s as part of the novel Dragonflight, the science fiction universe was gloriously transformed as readers first experienced the exhilarating thrill of soaring with dragons. With the many Pern novels that followed, McCaffrey steadily won the hearts and unwavering devotion of millions of fans, eventually earning a permanent position on the New York Times bestseller list. Dragonholder celebrates the birth and growth of McCaffrey’s breathtaking literary vision, as well as the momentous events of a life that was in many ways as extraordinary as the worlds and characters that McCaffrey created. No one understands or appreciates McCaffrey’s life and work better than her son, Todd, does. In Dragonholder, her frequent coauthor and avid fan intimately examines his mother’s childhood and early adulthood, the amazing gift of second sight she inherited from her own mother and grandmother, the trials she faced juggling a career and a family during the turbulent sixties, and her rise to literary stardom—and he reveals the events and influences that ultimately gave rise to the myriad wonders of Pern and the other miraculous worlds borne of Anne McCaffrey’s unparalleled imagination.

Get a sneak peak at Smart Pop's upcoming 2015 titles, as well as some of our favorite backlist titles, with this preview volume of standalone essays, excerpts, and recipes! Volume Includes: "I Remember Star Trek"—D.C. Fontana From Boarding the Enterprise: Transporters, Tribbles, And the Vulcan Death Grip in Gene Rodenberry's Star Trek "Whimsy Goes with Everything"—Heather Swain From Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest "Men and Monsters"—Alyssa Rosenberg From Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, From A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons "From Factions to Fire Signs"—Rosemary Clement-Moore From Divergent Thinking: YA Authors on Veronica Roth's Divergent Trilogy "Team Katniss"—Jennifer Lynn Barnes From Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy "Charge 6: Star Wars Pretends to Be Science Fiction, but Is Really Fantasy"— Ken Wharton with David Brin and Matthew Wooding Stover From Star Wars on Trial: Science Fiction And Fantasy Writers Debate the Most Popular Science Fiction Films of All Time "Existentialism Meets Feminism"—C. Albert Bardi and Sherry Hamby From The Psychology of Joss Whedon: An Unauthorized Exploration of Buffy, Angel, and Firefly Plus, enjoy excerpts from Reacher: An Unofficial Companion to Lee Child's Reacher Novels, The Munchkin Book, and YA trilogy, The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant and delicious recipes from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men and The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse: A Cookbook and Culinary Survival Guide.

A new hero emerges in a divided world as one of sci-fi’s most beloved series—Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern—relaunches with this original adventure from Anne’s daughter, Gigi McCaffrey. In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Dragonriders of Pern series, Gigi does her mother proud, adding to the family tradition of spinning unputdownable tales that recount the adventures of the brave inhabitants of a distant planet who battle the pitiless adversary known as Thread. The last time Thread attacked Pern, the world was unprepared for the fight—until the Oldtimers appeared. These courageous dragonriders arrived from the past, traveling four hundred years to help their descendants survive. But the collision of past and present took its toll. While most of the displaced rescuers adapted to their new reality, others could not abide the jarring change and found themselves in soul-crushing exile, where unhappiness and resentment seethed. Piemur, a journeyman harper, also feels displaced, cast adrift by the loss of his spectacular boyhood voice and uncertain of his future. But when the Masterharper of Pern sees promise in the young man and sends him undercover among the exiled Oldtimers, Piemur senses the looming catastrophe that threatens the balance of power between the Weyrs and Holds of Pern. When the unthinkable happens, Piemur must rise to the challenge to avert disaster and restore honor to the dragons and dragonriders of Pern. Because now, in a world already beset by Thread, another, more insidious danger looms: For the first time in living memory, dragons may be on the verge of fighting dragons.

Get a sneak peak at Smart Pop's 2013 titles with this preview volume of standalone essays! Volume Includes: "Truth and Lies" – Debra Driza Downtown Chicago Faction Map from "Mapping Divergent's Chicago" – V. Arrow From Divergent Thinking: YA Authors on Veronica Roth's Divergent Trilogy, edited by Leah Wilson "Welcome to the Zombie Apocalypse" and "Overnight of the Living Dead French Toast" - Lauren Wilson From The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse: A Cookbook and Culinary Survival Guide "Crime of Fashion" - Terri Clark From The Girl Who Was on Fire - Movie Edition, edited by Leah Wilson "Truly, My Name Is Cinna" - V. Arrow From The Panem Companion: An Unofficial Guide to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, From Mellark Bakery to Mockingjays "Lawless Neptune" - Alafair Burke From Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars, edited by Rob Thomas "Introduction: Why Fic?" - Anne Jamison "Blurring the Lines" - Amber Benson From Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, by Anne Jamison Plus an excerpt from the first book of Joanna Wiebe's new YA trilogy, The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant

"Here is your chance to learn powerful new methods for integrating text, imagery, animation, sound, and video to convey information. This definitive handbook features contributions on the newest multimedia innovations from experts at IBM, Apple, Kodak, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, DEC, and other leading corporations." "You'll find up-to-the-minute discussions of multimedia specifications ... writable CDs ... virtual reality ... authoring multimedia ... and producing multimedia videos." "The McGraw-Hill Multimedia Handbook also covers the following: networking multimedia applications; designing a multimedia system; multimedia standards; managing multimedia information; multimedia on cable; the virtual classroom; legal issues in multimedia; how to produce your own CD-ROM; CD-I developers' source guide; animation, video, and sound; and much more." "In addition, this handbook includes an extensive Annotated Resource Guide." "Whether you're a multimedia user or a newcomer to the field, this essential reference tool will guide you step by step through all areas of the burgeoning multimedia industry, providing state-of-the-art information on the latest breakthroughs!"--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved