Masterharper Of Pern Inconsistencies

[MarciH]

Originally Posted by P'ter

Okay, Anne wasn't perfect, with infallible recall: that's why we used to talk about Anneconsistancies.

That's why you have editors. Also, if you're writing a series over several years, you're supposed to go back and reread your earlier books, and have friends read your copy so you don't have these glaring inconsistencies.

I don't think many of her inconsistencies are from forgetfulness, as much as wanting to make the series more palatable for modern readers. When she first started, readers were more understanding of stories set in a medieval type setting where women were not equal, or treated equal. It's only today's readers who want strong, equal women who do everything men do (even if that makes no sense in a patriarchal, agrarian society)

Granted, Pern is more forward thinking in some ways (especially with sex), but it's ridiculous to insist that every society regard women the way Europe and America do. The fact is, agrarian societies tend to be much more patriarchal, with gender defined roles. Mainly because of the physical demands. And women were needed to grow the population, especially after a plague. That's the main reason having female green riders died out - because going between so much causes miscarriage and can hinder child bearing (DLG mentions that female riders are more prone to ovarian cysts because of going between).

But, going back to the original statement, I believe that Anne began to get some flack about the way she treated women, and fiction writing changed also (bodice rippers went out of style), and that's why there are so many inconsistencies in her later books.

But there was really no need (especially in books set before the original trilogy) to make so many changes. It was already set up, with the overpopulation and the discovery of AIVAS, as well as very forward looking and strong leaders in F'lar, Lessa, Robinton, and Fandarel, to have the views on women start changing in AWOP and SoP. Plus, she could have had more equality in her books set in earlier passes, without trying to modernize MHOP.

[P'ter]

Having read Todd's Pern books; I wonder how much input he had in MHoP?

[MarciH]

Originally Posted by P'ter

Having read Todd's Pern books; I wonder how much input he had in MHoP?

That's an excellent suggestion and extremely plausible. It would explain many of the inconsistencies in MHOP.

On a side note, I have not been impressed by Todd's books, and I HATE Sky Dragons. I find the idea of "green queens" utterly ridiculous and totally implausible. Too much deus ex machina. And the way he writes it, queens from greens are better than queens from golds. They're more psychic and impress in the shell, and can do things in the shell that golds can't do even when hatched (ex. Control their riders' pain, psychically tell where tunnel snakes are and tell people that information)

[vyon]

There's one big advantage that we have that Anne didn't when she first started writing. A computer. With a computer it's easy enough to do a search to see if Lytol's dragon was green or brown, or even to set up a "guide" with character sheets and charts, and switch between both documents to check on inconsistencies.

Writing longhand, the first time an inconsistency comes to your awareness can be when some reader complains about it.

Having said that, I have to confess that my first reaction to Masterharper was along the lines of: "Bah! She's taken to writing potboilers!"

The book improved with re-reading, to the point where it became one of the take-off points for my own fanfiction. My characters take roughly the same track that Robinton does on his journeyman walkabout while escaping from Fax.

[Kennet]

I may have missed it in reading MHoP, but: why does F'lon hate Fax? The two do not seem to have any connection, and Fax is just a minor family member at High Reaches. Even Robinton does not hate Fax at that point, he just finds him annoying.

[P'ter]

Possibly F'lon, or his dragon, senses that Fax is a baddun who's going to cause trouble in the future?

[Kennet]

All that any mind-reading would get from Fax was that he was ambitious and/or wanted to impress his uncle as a good holder. Not that I think that such a reading was possible, even granted draconic telepathy.

IF dragons could 'see' the future, they would not know which future was the correct one. This is one reason why dragons don't hold memories for long. They 'see' different outcomes in their precognition and cannot tell which are correct, so they forget them.

I think that I said this before: Canth 'forgets' a variety of versions of returns from Ruatha:
- One in which F'nor returns with Lessa, but F'lar is dead and Mnementh has gone between; another with F'lar badly wounded and no Lessa; and another where they return empty-handed. F'nor remembers the actual events, and Canth relies on him for this ability.

[Greenrider Tresa]

Now that's a very interesting theory, Kennet. Makes me think.

[Kennet]

I drink, therefore I am. -- Decartes (according to Monty Python)

It is a great thing that you can drink tea at work. It is also great that Jack Daniels looks like tea.

[P'ter]

It never ceases to amaze me just how many of our favourite drinks are the colour the the muddy streams drunk by our distant ancestors.

[Kimi]

My biggest question had always been how Petiron is a journeyman Harper in Dragonsinger and Dragonsong, but a Master Composer, in MoP?

Menolly cannot have served an apprenticeship under a "competent journeyman" (thoughthat sounds close to"fumble-fingered, to me, lol, always enjoyed the implication that Menolly was one of those students who are much now talented than their teachers, that Petiron knew it, and was devoted to her, regardless It's one of the sweetest aspects of Dragonsong, to me.) But that couldn't be the case if he were a Master Composer, similar to Domick. (Source: Menolly is copying songs when she overhears the Masters discussing her own promotion, although she doesn't realize what she is hearing. It's the same meeting/scene in which journeyman postings are discussed and about which Piemur later chides Menolly for not eavesdropping -- according to him -- "overhearing" (for we learn by overhearing our Masters...) <grin> Piemur is such a sweet character.

More minor oddities -- the journeyman, only rode a dragon once, and disliked it. The Master Composer regularly rides dragons. Also, Silvina describes Merelan as having a lovely voice, not as being a Pern-wide celebrity. Certainly she'd tell Menolly if the Masterharper's own MOTHER was a Master Singer, since gender is such an issue in the book. And there's Sebell -- he tells Menolly in the trilogy his foster farther nurtured his talent. Welll, either you're a distant relation to the Masterharper, your family "tapped" as Hall possibilities a generation prior., or your fostered. And, of course, Petiron trains female singers in MoP, but Shonogar praises him for not "interfering" with Menolly's vocal training in the trilogy..


It wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't very much adore Menolly and the trilogy, and the other earlier, concurrent, books.

Why would Robiton's parents both need to be Masters, much less both known Pern wide, in MoP? It seems overwrought.. I think Petiron being a journeyman Harper, (one of the greater inconsistencies) would'vee actually strengthened MoP. His jealousy and self centeredness might make more sense, if his feared his (prodigy) child would dominate his wife and the Hall's attention. That'd be hard for anyone. Marry a celebrity, your only child is a darn prodigy. His attachment and support of Menolly would "fit," better, too. It'd be a a life pattern.

It seems a lot of successful writers use "help" in their later work. Michael Connelly, for instance -- terrible mistakes in his recent novels, esp for a FL native. Someone is writing, and it's not him. Wonder if the same happened here. Anne produced an outline, and no one really researched the "Records."

Thanks for reading.