Noted science fiction and fantasy author Anne McCaffery has died at the age of 85. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award, was elected a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America in 2005. Her book, The White Dragon was the first science fiction novel ever to land on the New York Times best seller list.
She is also widely credited for changing the genre of science fiction-fantasy as we know it. Her blending of both genres was groundbreaking and she wrote her first novel Restoree in response to the unrealistic portrayals of women in science fiction and is all around one of my favorite authors of all time.
Although she was 85, this really and truly makes me sad. Of all the authors I've ever read, McCaffery has influenced me the most- she, along with David Eddings and probably Tolkein helped me to inculcate a love of reading and books that has never gone away- and something I hope never will go away.
Dragonflight, Dragonquest and The White Dragon remain some of the best books of the genre I've ever read. I remember we had an omnibus edition containing all three books and I must have read that thing so many times, it fell apart in my hands- and such was the love of these book in our house that when it fell apart, all three books were replaced. And I'm sure when those fall apart, they'll be replaced again.
The Rowan and its subsequent sequels and prequels were also eagerly devoured by me- I think I own all of them, scattered around either my house or my parents house and I'm sure a few of them will need replacing at some point in the near future, they've been read so many times.
Basically, her books got me through junior high and high school. They were comfort and escapism when I sorely needed them, they forever knocked down any notions of science fiction and fantasy being 'bad literature' or 'not literature' at all- read them and see for yourself. The women she wrote about in her books were strong, fierce and independent- knocking down another stereotype and influencing my own writing in the process. No scantily clad damsels in distress for McCaffery!
Everyone has authors that change their lives and Anne McCaffery changed mine.
She will be missed.
(And if you haven't picked up Dragonflight or The Rowan, stop what you're doing and find them. Now. You won't regret it, I promise you...)
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