The Ultimate Guide to Reading Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern: Publication Order and Where to Start
If you’re like me, discovering the world of Pern through the telepathic bond between dragons and their riders is one of those reading experiences that stays with you forever. Maybe you’ve just finished Dragonflight and want to know where to go next, or maybe you’re standing in front of a bookshelf wondering how to tackle a series that spans decades of publication and thousands of years of fictional history. Either way, you’ll quickly realize that Pern has a vast body of work that can be confusing to navigate.
Most guides will show you both a publication order and a chronological order. The official Anne McCaffrey website even provided both options. But here’s the truth: publication order is the way to go. Anne McCaffrey herself recommended reading the books in the order they were published, and for good reason. The series was written with the assumption that you’re discovering Pern alongside the author as she expanded and deepened her world. Reading chronologically robs you of that journey and can spoil major revelations that were designed to hit you at specific moments in your reading experience.
This guide will walk you through every Pern novel in publication order (with a slight modification given the overlap of the Harper Hall Trilogy, including the books co-written and continued by Todd McCaffrey after Anne’s passing, and the 50th anniversary novel by Gigi McCaffrey that brought the series full circle.
A Note on the Harper Hall Books
You’ll notice The White Dragon (1978), despite being “original trilogy” falls between Dragonsinger (1977) and Dragondrums (1979), technically interrupting the Harper Hall trilogy. Some readers prefer to read all three Harper Hall books together since they form a continuous narrative following the Harpers. That’s a defensible choice.
However, publication order still works best. Anne wrote and published The White Dragon before Dragondrums for a reason—she was developing multiple storylines simultaneously and wanted readers to experience Jaxom’s coming-of-age journey at this specific point. The White Dragon also advances the main Pern timeline and introduces plot elements that resonate through later books.
If you’re a completist who can’t stand interrupting a trilogy, go ahead and read Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums back-to-back, then read The White Dragon. You won’t ruin anything. But for your first time through Pern, trusting Anne’s original publication sequence gives you the journey she intended, even if it means taking a brief detour from Harper Hall before returning for Piemur’s story.
The Original Two Trilogy: Where It All Begins
This is ground zero for Pern. Lessa, the last surviving member of Ruatha Hold’s royal bloodline, Impresses the golden queen dragon Ramoth and becomes Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr. As Thread—deadly spores that fall from space—returns to threaten Pern after centuries of absence, Lessa and bronze rider F’lar must convince the skeptical Lord Holders that the danger is real. The book introduces you to the telepathic bond between dragons and riders, the structure of Weyrs, and the desperate fight against Thread. This novel incorporates two earlier novellas: “Weyr Search” and “Dragonrider.”
Thread is falling regularly now, and the dragonriders face a new crisis: Oldtimers from 400 years in the past have been brought forward in time to help fight Thread, but they’re struggling to adapt to modern Pern. F’lar and Lessa must balance tradition against innovation as tensions rise between the Weyrs and the Holds. Meanwhile, a young bronze rider named F’nor discovers something that could change the fight against Thread forever.
Menolly, a young girl with extraordinary musical talent, is forbidden to pursue her dreams because she’s female. When an accident ends her ability to play, she runs away and finds herself living in a cave with nine fire lizards—the small, wild cousins of dragons. This is your introduction to Pern through the eyes of someone who isn’t a dragonrider, showing you the Harper Hall and the wider world beyond the Weyrs.
Menolly arrives at Harper Hall to study music, but faces prejudice as the only girl apprentice. She must prove herself worthy while navigating the politics of the Harper Hall and learning what it means to be a true Harper. Her fire lizards become the talk of Pern as people realize these creatures can be Impressed just like dragons.
Jaxom, Lord of Ruatha Hold, Impresses a unique dragon: Ruth, a white runt who should have died but defies all expectations. As Jaxom struggles with his dual role as both Lord Holder and dragonrider, he becomes caught up in a quest to find the origins of Pern’s colonization. This book expands the scope of Pern beyond dragon-fighting to explore the planet’s mysterious past. It incorporates material from the earlier publication “A Time When” (1975).
Piemur, a talented young Harper apprentice, loses his beautiful singing voice when it changes. Masterharper Robinton sees potential in the boy and recruits him as a messenger and spy. Piemur’s adventures take him across Pern, into the Southern Continent, and eventually to a surprising Impression of his own.
7. “The Smallest Dragonboy” in Get Off The Unicorn (1977) (Also contained in the book, A Gift Of Dragons)
This standalone short story follows Keevan, the smallest candidate at a Hatching, who desperately wants to Impress a dragon despite being bullied for his size. It’s a perfect encapsulation of Pern’s themes about worth, courage, and the mysterious bond between dragons and their chosen riders.
Going Back in Time: The Sixth Pass
8. Moreta: Dragonlady Of Pern (1983)
Set during the Sixth Pass, centuries before the events of Dragonflight, this novel follows Weyrwoman Moreta during a devastating plague that threatens both humans and dragons. When a cure is discovered, Moreta must coordinate a daring plan to distribute it across all of Pern in a single day, using the dragons’ ability to travel through time and space.
This companion novel tells the same plague story from a different perspective. Nerilka, a Lord Holder’s daughter, finds herself thrust into the crisis as a healer and caretaker. While Moreta showed you the heroic dragonrider’s view, Nerilka’s Story shows you what the plague looked like for ordinary people trying to survive.
The Beginning: Colonization and First Pass
Everything changes here. This is the origin story of Pern, showing how human colonists arrived on the planet and created the dragons through genetic engineering to fight Thread. You’ll meet the ancestors of all the major bloodlines and discover how Pern’s society developed. This book was a revelation when it was published, transforming Pern from pure fantasy into science fiction and explaining the “why” behind everything you’d read before.
Additional Stories and Context
11. “The Impression” in The Dragonlover’s Guide To Pern (1989)
The Dragonlover’s Guide is a companion encyclopedia to Pern, filled with maps, illustrations, and background information. “The Impression” is a short story included in this guide that explores the mysterious process by which dragons choose their riders.
12. The Renegades Of Pern (1989)
This sprawling novel covers multiple storylines and time periods, from the aftermath of the Sixth Pass plague through the early days of the Ninth Pass. You’ll follow various renegades and outcasts, including the theft of dragon eggs, Lord Jaxom’s investigation into the theft, and the discovery of the original colony’s landing site. The book connects numerous threads from earlier novels while introducing new characters and conflicts.
13. All The Weyrs Of Pern (1991)
When the colonists’ artificial intelligence is discovered at the Landing site, F’lar and Lessa realize they might be able to destroy the Thread source forever. But can modern Pern, which has forgotten its technological origins, successfully revive ancient knowledge and create a permanent solution to the Thread menace? This book brings together storylines from across the series for a climactic confrontation with Thread itself.
14. The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall (1993)
This collection of short stories explores the early history of Pern’s colonization. “Rescue Run” and “The Dolphin’s Bell” had been published separately in 1991 and 1993, but this volume collects them along with several other stories showing how the colonists adapted to their new world and began to forget their origins.
15. “The Girl Who Heard Dragons” in The Girl Who Heard Dragons (1996) (Also contained in the book, A Gift Of Dragons)
This short story collection contains the title story set on Pern, featuring a young girl who discovers she can hear dragons thinking. While most of the collection isn’t Pern-related, this story explores another facet of the dragon-human bond.
16. Dragonseye (1996) (published as Red Star Rising in the UK)
Set 200 years after Dragonsdawn, during the Second Pass, Pern is forgetting its technological heritage. When Thread returns after a 200-year interval, the planet must relearn how to fight while dealing with those who don’t believe Thread will come at all. This novel bridges the gap between the high-tech colonists and the medieval society seen in Dragonflight.
17. The Masterharper Of Pern (1998)
The life story of Masterharper Robinton, one of the series’ most beloved characters. This novel spans from his troubled childhood through his rise to become the most influential Harper on Pern, showing you the political and social forces that shaped the world of Dragonflight from behind the scenes. Do note that there are some continuity errors in the retelling of some stories from Robinton’s perspective here of previous books.
18. “Runner Of Pern” in Legends (anthology edited by Robert Silverberg) (1999) (Also contained in the book, A Gift of Dragons)
This short story explores the runners—Pern’s messengers who travel on foot between holds and crafthalls. It’s a look at yet another profession on Pern, showing how communication works in a pre-technological society. Legends as an anthology contains some of the heaviest hitters in fantasy, including “The Hedge Knight” by George R.R. Martin which is worth a read.
Following the events of All The Weyrs Of Pern, Thread has been eliminated, and the dragonriders must find new purpose in a Pern that no longer needs them for survival. But when a comet threatens to strike the planet, the dragons and their riders face a new kind of danger that only they can prevent.
A collection of four short stories set on Pern, including “The Smallest Dragonboy,” “The Girl Who Heard Dragons,” “Runner of Pern,” and “Ever the Twain” (which appears here for the first time). This is a perfect sampler if you want concentrated doses of Pern and to pick up most of the short stories in one colleciton.
21. “Beyond Between” in Legends II (anthology edited by Robert Silverberg) (2004)
Even though this technically released after Todd McCaffrey took over the series (see below), it’s better to place this at the end of Anne’s tenure on Pern as a nice coda and endcap. This short story expands on the plague storyline from Moreta and explores what happens when dragons travel between—the dangerous dimension they use for instant travel.
The Todd McCaffrey Era: The Third Pass
After Anne McCaffrey’s early work, her son Todd McCaffrey began writing Pern novels set during the Third Pass, about 500 years after colonization and 2,000 years before the Ninth Pass events of Dragonflight, the first several of which are listed as co-written, as they at least were approved by his mother before her passing.
22. Dragon’s Kin (with Todd McCaffrey) (2003)
Set in the coal mining camps of Crom Hold, this novel introduces Kindan, a young boy who loses his family in a mining disaster. He befriends a watch-wher (a night-adapted dragon cousin) and eventually makes his way to the Harper Hall. This book focuses on the working-class side of Pern and the watch-whers, creatures that had appeared in earlier books but never been fully explored.
23. Dragonsblood (by Todd McCaffrey) (2005)
Todd’s first solo Pern novel. A mysterious illness is killing dragons during the Third Pass, and young dragonrider Lorana must find a cure by researching ancient records. The fate of Pern’s dragon population hangs in the balance as the sickness spreads faster than anyone anticipated.
24. Dragon’s Fire (with Todd McCaffrey) (2006)
Continuing the story from Dragon’s Kin, Kindan and Cristov must work together to prevent a disaster at the mine while a new generation of dragonriders trains at the Weyr. Meanwhile, the watch-whers prove their worth in surprising ways.
25. Dragon Harper (with Todd McCaffrey) (2008)
Kindan’s story continues at the Harper Hall, where he trains under Masterharper Zist while dealing with romance, rivalry, and the responsibilities that come with his unique talents.
26. Dragonheart (by Todd McCaffrey) (2008)
The dragon sickness from Dragonsblood has returned, and this time it’s worse. Young Fiona must step up to help save Pern’s dwindling dragon population while managing the complex politics of the Weyrs.
27. Dragongirl (by Todd McCaffrey) (2010)
Fiona continues her mission to preserve the dragon population while training a new generation of riders. With Thread falling and dragons dying, Pern faces its greatest crisis of the Third Pass.
28. Dragon’s Time (with Todd McCaffrey) (2011)
Time travel becomes the key to saving Pern’s dragons. Fiona and Lorana must coordinate a complex plan that spans past, present, and future to ensure there are enough dragons to fight Thread in all time periods.
29. Sky Dragons (with Todd McCaffrey) (2012)
The final collaboration between Anne and Todd McCaffrey, published after Anne’s death in 2011. Xhinna, the first female blue dragon rider, leads a group to an unexplored island to breed dragons and rebuild the decimated population. This book concludes the Third Pass storyline that Todd had been developing throughout his Pern novels.
30. Dragon’s Code (by Gigi McCaffrey) (2018)
Published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dragonflight, this novel brings the series full circle. Written by Anne’s daughter Gigi, it returns to the Ninth Pass era and follows Piemur during the Oldtimer crisis. When the displaced dragonriders from 400 years in the past begin to sicken, Piemur must go undercover to discover what’s causing the illness before Pern faces another catastrophe. The book bridges material from Dragonquest and The White Dragon, giving you a new perspective on familiar events.
The Best Reading Order: Publication Sequence Easy List:
Dragonflight (1968)
Dragonquest (1971)
Dragonsong (1976)
Dragonsinger (1977)
“The Smallest Dragonboy” (1977) (Also in the book, A Gift Of Dragons)
The White Dragon (1978)
Dragondrums (1979)
Moreta: Dragonlady Of Pern (1983)
Nerilka’s Story (1984)
Dragonsdawn (1988)
“The Impression” in The Dragonlover’s Guide To Pern (1989)
The Renegades Of Pern (1989)
All The Weyrs Of Pern (1991)
The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall (1993)
“The Girl Who Heard Dragons” (1996) (Also in the book, A Gift Of Dragons)
Dragonseye/Red Star Rising (1996)
The Masterharper Of Pern (1998)
“Runner Of Pern” (1999) (Also in the book, A Gift Of Dragons)
The Skies of Pern (2001)
A Gift of Dragons (2002)
“Beyond Between” (2004) (Published technically after Dragon’s Kin)
Dragon’s Kin (2003)
Dragonsblood (2005)
Dragon’s Fire (2006)
Dragon Harper (2008)
Dragonheart (2008)
Dragongirl (2010)
Dragon’s Time (2011)
Sky Dragons (2012)
Dragon’s Code (2018)
Why Publication Order?
Anne McCaffrey built Pern gradually, revealing its secrets when the story demanded them. When you read Dragonflight, you experience Pern as a pseudo-medieval fantasy world where dragons and Thread are simply part of life. The revelation in Dragonsdawn that Pern was colonized by spacefaring humans and that dragons are genetically engineered is meant to be shocking. Reading chronologically, starting with Dragonsdawn, removes that sense of discovery and wonder.
Publication order also lets you see Anne’s writing evolve and the world deepen organically. The Harper Hall books expand your understanding of Pern’s social structure. Dragonsdawn recontextualizes everything you thought you knew. The later novels show you how the events of the early books rippled across centuries.
Todd McCaffrey’s Third Pass novels work best after you’ve read the Ninth Pass books because they’re written with the assumption that you already know how things turn out. You’ll catch references, understand the significance of certain bloodlines, and appreciate how Todd is filling in the gaps in Pern’s history.
Gigi McCaffrey’s Dragon’s Code is the perfect capstone because it returns to the Ninth Pass era with fresh eyes, letting longtime readers revisit familiar territory while newcomers get another entry point into that pivotal period.
Why Pern Still Matters
Anne McCaffrey created one of science fiction and fantasy’s most enduring worlds. Pern combines the wonder of dragons with the rigor of science fiction worldbuilding, giving you telepathic bonds and medieval societies that all have logical explanations rooted in the planet’s history. The series examines duty, sacrifice, innovation versus tradition, and what it means to be chosen for greatness.
If you’re ready to dive into Pern, start with Dragonflight and follow publication order. You’ll experience the world the way Anne intended—as a journey of discovery that spans centuries and connects dozens of storylines into one coherent, magnificent whole. Todd and Gigi McCaffrey’s additions honor that legacy while expanding the universe in new directions.
The dragons of Pern are calling. Will you answer?
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I have read all those up to Skies of Pern, there was a little dust-up in 2001 that occupied me for the next decade or so. I really need to go back and read all of the "newer" stuff. I did pass on my appreciation for Pern to my daughter who I know made it thru at least Master Harper.
I’ve read the first two trilogies many times and Moreta and Nerilka a few times. For me, the quality fall-off happened after that, when characters flattened and stories were plagued with “prequel-itis” - the knowledge that since this world-shaking event happens before books I’ve already read, I know a solution will be found. I’ve also skipped the McCaffrey children’s books after sampling a few pages and finding them wanting.