The Dolphins of Pern
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| Author | Anne McCaffrey |
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| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | Pern |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Del Rey (1st edition hardcover) |
| Released | September 6, 1994 |
| Media Type | |
| Pages | 340 pages |
| ISBN | ISBN 0345368940 |
| Preceded by | The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall |
| Followed by | Dragon's Eye |
The Dolphins of Pern is a science fiction novel in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. First published in 1994.
This novel follows Dragonsdawn and the short story The Dolphin's Bell (short story contained in The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall) by discussing the present state (Ninth Pass) of the dolphins that were brought to Pern by the colonists. Set after the events of All the Weyrs of Pern it further integrates the science fiction aspects of the origins of the Pern series with the fantastical aspects presented by the original books.
The plot follows the adventure of young Readis, who is saved by dolphins ('shipfish') after falling into the sea. Learning they can talk, Readis becomes fixated with the creatures, even disobeying his mother in his maintaining his friendship with the creatures. Later, his ability to communicate with the dolphins will play a part in helping the people of Pern learn the knowledge of the colonists and assist in the removal of the threat of Thread.
[edit] From the Publisher
When the first humans came to settle the planet Pern, they did not come alone: intelligence-enhanced dolphins also crossed the stars, to colonize the oceans of the new planet while their human partners settled the vast continents. But then disaster struck in the form of Thread, deadly silver spores that fell like rain from the sky, devouring everything - and everyone - in their path. And as the human colonists' dreams of a new, idyllic life shattered into a desperate struggle for survival, the dolphins were forgotten, left to make their own life in the seas of Pern. As time went by, human memory of dolphins was lost to legend, and only the occasional tall tale of "shipfish" rescuing fishermen lost at sea kept the legend alive. But the dolphins never forgot, and from generation to generation they preserved their oral history against the day when humans at last might remember their old friends, and once again the seas would resound with the ringing of the dolphins' bells from docks and ships... Now, centuries later, the dragonriders of Pern were on the verge of ridding their planet of Thread forever. But T'lion, a young bronze rider, was not old enough to participate in that great venture. Instead, he and his dragon, Gadareth, were relegated to conveying people from place to place - until he and Readis, son of the Lord Holder of Paradise River Hold, made contact with the legendary "shipfish." And as the dragonriders grappled with the ending of an era, T'lion, Readis, and the dolphins faced the start of a new one: reviving the bond between land- and ocean-dwellers and, in the process, resurrecting the dreams of the first colonists of Pern...
| The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey | |
|---|---|
| The Dragonriders of Pern trilogy | Dragonflight | Dragonquest | The White Dragon |
| The Harper Hall trilogy | Dragonsong | Dragonsinger | Dragondrums |
| Other novels | Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern | Nerilka's Story | Dragonsdawn | Renegades of Pern | All the Weyrs of Pern |
| The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall | The Dolphins of Pern | Dragon's Eye | The Masterharper of Pern | The Skies of Pern | |
| Novels by Todd McCaffrey | Dragon's Kin | Dragonsblood | Dragon's Fire |
