417:: The unauthorized launch of a distress beacon by a group of dissidents who believed the colony was doomed. Decades later, shortly after the end of the First Pass, this beacon is picked up by a starship in the vicinity of Pern, and a landing party—under the command of Lieutenant Ross Benden, nephew of the Admiral who commanded the Pernese colonization fleet—is sent to respond. A quick survey by Lt. Benden's party finds no sign of human habitation on the Northern Continent, where the colony has taken refuge in caverns, and finds only one surviving family group in the South, at "Honshu" excavation. The now-elderly Stev Kimmer, a greedy and corrupt original colonist, rules over Honshu and his adopted family with an iron fist. He persuades Lt. Benden that he and the others in Honshu are the only survivors of the biological and geological disaster (i.e. Threadfall), and that they are a group small enough to evacuate entirely. Benden agrees despite his suspicions of Kimmer's true nature, only furthered by speaking to the family that had long lived under his domination, as well as Kimmer's all but openly hostile attitude towards himself (as Kimmer holds Benden's long-dead uncle personally responsible for the "destruction" of the colony). The rescue is dramatically successful, though Kimmer is killed when he is shot out of an airlock (implied to have been "accidentally" opened by one of his "family"). Scientific investigation of Thread, as well as the belief there are no other humans on the planet—none of the Honshu refugees could refute Kimmer's claim that they were the last survivors of the Pern colony—leads the Federation to place Pern under strict interdict; the system is considered quarantined, all contact forbidden.
596:
385:, young queen dragonrider Torene leads the establishment of another draco-human community in a crater far to the north and east, the most distant habitable region. The leaders of Fort Weyr, Sorka Hanrahan and Sean Connell, authorize three new Weyrs at once, but the northeastern is first, named Benden Weyr for the Pern colony's founder and leader Admiral Paul Benden.
26:
330:
Mariner and former starship captain Jim Tillek organizes and leads the evacuation of "Landing", the original site of the Pern colony where many people still live, most equipment and durable supplies are stored. One purpose is to take refuge from
Threadfall in stone caverns of the Northern Continent,
255:
stories are united by the setting: they span a period from before humans arrived and the first few decades of settlement in the southern continent. Generally the stories are about the relocation and reorganization of the southern colony in response to the "First Pass" of the "Red Star", an erratic
308:
In the story, a team of FSP scientists scout a distant planet. Time is too short to resolve some mysteries, but they find it safe for human settlement, with resources to support residents but inadequate for commercial exploitation. Their report is coded
359:
Red
Hanrahan leads the establishment of a second hold, a few days north in the same mountain range. The migrating people and livestock face the dangerous crossing of a rising river at "Red's Ford", which gives its name to the second city, as it were:
331:
but the immediate threat is a local volcanic eruption. Lacking fuel or capacity for air transport, with few big boats, the colony must also use coastal and river craft that are not seaworthy. With the help of
291:
The first and last stories show from FSP perspectives the explanation for Pern's unusual relation to the
Federation of Sentient Planets: colonized, but left entirely alone for thousands of years.
449:• ISFDB lists Keith Parkinson (US) and Steve Weston (UK) cover artists for early editions, plus later covers by Michael Whelan (US) and Les Edwards (UK). Retrieved 2011-10-12.
458:
The period of the so-called Red Star is 250 years, and all Pern fiction is set just before or during a Pass, roughly a multiple of 250 years "After
Landing" (AL). Prior to
1029:
472:• Landing and events of the First Pass were universally forgotten, and the higher knowledge of the colony entirely lost, long before the Sixth Pass.
1122:
288:
and Bantam UK, each edition with different cover art. As noted below, three of the five stories were previously published, two as small books.
601:
1117:
664:
629:
1112:
586:
496:
444:
144:
1127:
355:
Years after the colony secured refuge in "Fort Hold" by expanding a cavern system on the
Northern Continent, venerable
1049:
1066:
1058:
462:, McCaffrey set six books in the Ninth Pass, about 2500 AL; followed by two in the Sixth Pass, about 1500 AL; then
406:
1009:
1091:
607:
166:
753:
622:
381:
Years after the first dragon–rider couples move out of Fort Hold and establish Fort Weyr in a nearby
809:
698:
1020:
709:
256:
planet that periodically brings a biological menace, in the form of falling thread. The twelfth
1132:
781:
774:
615:
193:
788:
684:
639:
239:
206:
77:
8:
1002:
887:
991:
760:
659:
467:
986:
967:
937:
816:
151:
139:
912:
855:
841:
356:
177:
834:
382:
301:
234:
88:
52:
552:
540:
509:
335:
partners, most of the goods and almost all the people are dramatically secured.
264:
shares its early setting only with one previously published book in the series,
997:
648:
644:
580:
564:
514:
438:
402:
365:
323:
222:
39:
25:
527:
1106:
1014:
848:
637:
285:
98:
392:
by showing more of the earliest development of Pern's interspecies society.
313:
meaning
Parallel Earth, Resources Negligible, recommended for colonization.
880:
728:
492:
862:
767:
735:
691:
266:
158:
338:"The Dolphins' Bell" provides another perspective on a major episode in
894:
795:
721:
1073:
221:
is a 1993 collection of short fiction by the
American-Irish author
332:
152:
226:
178:
284:
was published simultaneously in the US and the UK, by
466:(First Pass) and two more in the Ninth Pass (see the
591:
413:"Rescue Run" follows on from an event described in
225:. All five stories are set on the fictional planet
278:in a perspective of the ancient history of Pern.
1104:
468:complete list of stories in Pern historical time
388:The action at Fort and Benden Weyrs continues
623:
300:First published as "The P.E.R.N. Survey" in
345:
322:Published two months earlier as a 157-page
630:
616:
602:Children and Young Adult Literature portal
401:Published two years earlier as a 126-page
24:
1123:Science fiction short story collections
434:
432:
430:
294:
1105:
611:
587:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
497:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
445:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
316:
427:
30:Parkinson cover of early US editions
452:
13:
931:The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
582:The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
440:The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
371:
218:The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
14:
1144:
574:
246:
233:is one of two collections in the
1067:Dragonriders of Pern (boardgame)
1059:Dragonriders: Chronicles of Pern
594:
1118:Fantasy short story collections
956:The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern
510:Amazing Stories, September 1993
19:Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
558:
546:
533:
520:
502:
486:
1:
479:
395:
1113:1993 short story collections
7:
1010:Dragonlover's Guide to Pern
342:, part three ("Crossing").
10:
1149:
1128:Dragonriders of Pern books
827:By Anne and Todd McCaffrey
754:Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
377:Original to the collection
351:Original to the collection
1084:
1042:
978:
947:
922:
904:
872:
826:
745:
708:
673:
655:
270:(1988). McCaffrey places
201:
188:
176:
164:
150:
138:
130:
122:
114:
104:
94:
84:
72:
64:
45:
35:
23:
810:The Masterharper of Pern
675:The Dragonriders of Pern
541:The Ford of Red Hanrahan
420:
405:book (1991) and also in
346:The Ford of Red Hanrahan
134:306 (first US hardcover)
923:Short story collections
711:The Harper Hall of Pern
495:series listing at the
368:), later Ruatha Hold.
954:"The Impression" (in
782:All the Weyrs of Pern
775:The Renegades of Pern
585:title listing at the
515:"The P.E.R.N. Survey"
443:title listing at the
194:All the Weyrs of Pern
1051:Dragonriders of Pern
789:The Dolphins of Pern
640:Dragonriders of Pern
493:Dragonriders of Pern
295:The Survey: P.E.R.N.
258:Dragonriders of Pern
240:Dragonriders of Pern
207:The Dolphins of Pern
184:PS3563.A255 C47 1993
78:Dragonriders of Pern
1077:(role-playing game)
948:Uncollected stories
20:
1017:and Anne McCaffrey
1005:and Anne McCaffrey
992:Karen Wynn Fonstad
665:List of characters
528:The Dolphins' Bell
317:The Dolphins' Bell
18:
1100:
1099:
987:The Atlas of Pern
938:A Gift of Dragons
905:By Gigi McCaffrey
873:By Todd McCaffrey
817:The Skies of Pern
805:
553:"The Second Weyr"
357:animal husbandman
304:, September 1993.
214:
213:
145:978-0-345-36898-0
126:Print (hardcover)
115:Publication place
57:Steve Weston (UK)
46:Cover artist
1140:
1035:by Jody Lynn Nye
1026:by Jody Lynn Nye
799:
699:The White Dragon
632:
625:
618:
609:
608:
604:
599:
598:
597:
568:
562:
556:
550:
544:
537:
531:
524:
518:
506:
500:
490:
473:
456:
450:
436:
202:Followed by
189:Preceded by
180:
154:
106:Publication date
28:
21:
17:
1148:
1147:
1143:
1142:
1141:
1139:
1138:
1137:
1103:
1102:
1101:
1096:
1080:
1038:
979:Companion books
974:
943:
918:
900:
868:
822:
796:Red Star Rising
761:Nerilka's Story
741:
704:
669:
651:
636:
600:
595:
593:
577:
572:
571:
563:
559:
551:
547:
538:
534:
525:
521:
513:
507:
503:
491:
487:
482:
477:
476:
471:
457:
453:
448:
437:
428:
423:
398:
383:volcanic crater
374:
372:The Second Weyr
348:
319:
302:Amazing Stories
297:
249:
235:science fiction
169:
123:Media type
107:
89:Science fiction
60:
53:Keith Parkinson
31:
12:
11:
5:
1146:
1136:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1115:
1098:
1097:
1095:
1094:
1088:
1086:
1082:
1081:
1079:
1078:
1070:
1063:
1055:
1046:
1044:
1040:
1039:
1037:
1036:
1027:
1018:
1006:
998:People of Pern
994:
982:
980:
976:
975:
973:
972:
959:
951:
949:
945:
944:
942:
941:
934:
926:
924:
920:
919:
917:
916:
908:
906:
902:
901:
899:
898:
891:
884:
876:
874:
870:
869:
867:
866:
859:
852:
845:
838:
830:
828:
824:
823:
821:
820:
813:
806:
792:
785:
778:
771:
764:
757:
749:
747:
743:
742:
740:
739:
732:
725:
717:
715:
706:
705:
703:
702:
695:
688:
680:
678:
671:
670:
668:
667:
662:
656:
653:
652:
649:Todd McCaffrey
645:Anne McCaffrey
635:
634:
627:
620:
612:
606:
605:
590:
589:
576:
575:External links
573:
570:
569:
557:
545:
532:
519:
501:
484:
483:
481:
478:
475:
474:
451:
425:
424:
422:
419:
411:
410:
403:Wildside Press
397:
394:
379:
378:
373:
370:
353:
352:
347:
344:
328:
327:
324:Wildside Press
318:
315:
306:
305:
296:
293:
248:
247:The collection
245:
223:Anne McCaffrey
212:
211:
203:
199:
198:
190:
186:
185:
182:
174:
173:
170:
165:
162:
161:
156:
148:
147:
142:
136:
135:
132:
128:
127:
124:
120:
119:
116:
112:
111:
108:
105:
102:
101:
96:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
74:
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
59:
58:
55:
49:
47:
43:
42:
40:Anne McCaffrey
37:
33:
32:
29:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1145:
1134:
1133:Del Rey books
1131:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1110:
1108:
1093:
1090:
1089:
1087:
1083:
1076:
1075:
1071:
1069:
1068:
1064:
1061:
1060:
1056:
1054:
1052:
1048:
1047:
1045:
1041:
1034:
1032:
1028:
1025:
1023:
1019:
1016:
1015:Jody Lynn Nye
1012:
1011:
1007:
1004:
1000:
999:
995:
993:
989:
988:
984:
983:
981:
977:
970:
969:
964:
960:
957:
953:
952:
950:
946:
940:
939:
935:
933:
932:
928:
927:
925:
921:
915:
914:
913:Dragon's Code
910:
909:
907:
903:
897:
896:
892:
890:
889:
885:
883:
882:
878:
877:
875:
871:
865:
864:
860:
858:
857:
856:Dragon's Time
853:
851:
850:
849:Dragon Harper
846:
844:
843:
842:Dragon's Fire
839:
837:
836:
832:
831:
829:
825:
819:
818:
814:
812:
811:
807:
803:
798:
797:
793:
791:
790:
786:
784:
783:
779:
777:
776:
772:
770:
769:
765:
763:
762:
758:
756:
755:
751:
750:
748:
744:
738:
737:
733:
731:
730:
726:
724:
723:
719:
718:
716:
714:
712:
707:
701:
700:
696:
694:
693:
689:
687:
686:
682:
681:
679:
676:
672:
666:
663:
661:
660:List of books
658:
657:
654:
650:
646:
642:
641:
633:
628:
626:
621:
619:
614:
613:
610:
603:
592:
588:
584:
583:
579:
578:
566:
561:
554:
549:
542:
536:
529:
523:
516:
511:
505:
498:
494:
489:
485:
469:
465:
461:
455:
446:
442:
441:
435:
433:
431:
426:
418:
416:
409:, August 1991
408:
404:
400:
399:
393:
391:
386:
384:
376:
375:
369:
367:
363:
358:
350:
349:
343:
341:
336:
334:
325:
321:
320:
314:
312:
303:
299:
298:
292:
289:
287:
286:Del Rey Books
283:
279:
277:
273:
269:
268:
263:
259:
254:
244:
242:
241:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
219:
210:
208:
204:
200:
197:
195:
191:
187:
183:
181:
179:LC Class
175:
171:
168:
167:Dewey Decimal
163:
160:
157:
155:
149:
146:
143:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
118:United States
117:
113:
109:
103:
100:
99:Del Rey Books
97:
93:
90:
87:
83:
80:
79:
75:
71:
67:
63:
56:
54:
51:
50:
48:
44:
41:
38:
34:
27:
22:
16:
1072:
1065:
1062:(video game)
1057:
1053:(video game)
1050:
1030:
1022:Dragonharper
1021:
1008:
996:
985:
966:
962:
955:
936:
930:
929:
911:
893:
886:
881:Dragonsblood
879:
861:
854:
847:
840:
835:Dragon's Kin
833:
815:
808:
801:
794:
787:
780:
773:
766:
759:
752:
746:Other novels
734:
729:Dragonsinger
727:
720:
710:
697:
690:
685:Dragonflight
683:
674:
638:
581:
565:"Rescue Run"
560:
548:
535:
522:
504:
488:
463:
459:
454:
439:
414:
412:
389:
387:
380:
366:Irish Gaelic
361:
354:
339:
337:
329:
310:
307:
290:
281:
280:
275:
271:
265:
261:
257:
252:
250:
238:
230:
217:
216:
215:
205:
192:
110:October 1993
76:
15:
888:Dragonheart
863:Sky Dragons
768:Dragonsdawn
736:Dragondrums
692:Dragonquest
464:Dragonsdawn
415:Dragonsdawn
390:Dragonsdawn
340:Dragonsdawn
326:book (1993)
272:Dragonsdawn
267:Dragonsdawn
1107:Categories
1033:(gamebook)
1031:Dragonfire
1024:(gamebook)
1003:Robin Wood
968:Legends II
895:Dragongirl
802:Dragonseye
722:Dragonsong
512:". ISFDB.
480:References
460:First Fall
396:Rescue Run
282:First Fall
276:First Fall
262:First Fall
253:First Fall
231:First Fall
172:813/.54 20
543:". ISFDB.
530:". ISFDB.
95:Publisher
1074:PernMUSH
961:"Beyond
567:. ISFDB.
555:. ISFDB.
517:. ISFDB.
362:Rua Atha
311:P.E.R.N.
159:27814162
65:Language
1092:Dragons
1085:Related
963:Between
713:trilogy
677:trilogy
333:dolphin
237:series
68:English
965:" (in
407:Analog
260:book,
209:
196:
73:Series
36:Author
1043:Games
800:(aka
421:Notes
131:Pages
85:Genre
647:and
274:and
251:The
227:Pern
153:OCLC
140:ISBN
1013:by
1001:by
990:by
643:by
470:).
1109::
447:.
429:^
243:.
229:;
971:)
958:)
804:)
631:e
624:t
617:v
539:"
526:"
508:"
499:.
364:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
