Correct order of the books...

[evdelft]

Hi everybody.

With the possibility of posting something that has already been asked / posted, I like to ask the following.

I found somewhere a list of the books Anne wrote about Pern, wondering if the logical order is correct or not. Reading the books in the correct order of what happened when, makes it better to understand why things are the way they are. For example: if I should start with The Harperhall, I would never have understood anything of the whole story, mentioning oldtimers, social ranking and impressions, for example.

Anyway, by having read (allbeit in Dutch ) the following books:
Dragonsdawn, Dragonseye, Dragonflight, Dragonquest, Dragonsong and The White Dragon, I am lucky to know all this. Anyway, by still buiyng the books, it would be conveniant for me to know in what order I have to read them...

Well, this is the list as I found it. Hopefully somebody can help me in this.
1. Dragonsdawn
2. The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
"The Survey: P.E.R.N."
"The Dolphin's Bell"
"The Ford of Red Hanrahan"
"The Second Weyr"
"Rescue Run"
3. Dragonseye (UK: Red Star Rising)
4. "Ever the Twain"
5. Dragon's Kin
6. Dragon's Fire
7. Dragonsblood
8. Dragon Harper
9. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
10. Nerilka's Story
11. "Beyond Between"
12. The Masterharper of Pern
13. Dragonflight
"Weyr Search"
"Dragonrider"
14. "Runner of Pern"
15. Dragonquest
16. Dragonsong
17. Dragonsinger
18. Dragondrums
19. "The Impression"
20. "The Smallest Dragonboy"
21. The White Dragon
A Time When
22. "The Girl Who Heard Dragons"
23. Renegades of Pern
24. All the Weyrs of Pern
25. The Dolphins of Pern
26. The Skies of Pern

Erwin.

[Allana]

There's a wonderful chronological chart of the books on Cheryl's website.
I think it's pern.srellim.org?

[Hans]

If you are going fro chronological order (the author herself politely,requests to read in published order) then it should be:

1. The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
"The Survey: P.E.R.N."
2. Dragonsdawn
3. The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall"The Dolphin's Bell"
"The Ford of Red Hanrahan"
"Rescue Run"
"The Second Weyr"
4. Dragonseye (UK: Red Star Rising)
5. "Ever the Twain" (chronological order not totally sure but supposed by some to be 3rd Pass)
6. Dragon's Kin
7. Dragon's Fire
8. Dragon Harper
9. Dragonsblood
10. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
11. Nerilka's Story
12. "Beyond Between"
13. The Masterharper of Pern
14. "Runner of Pern"
15. Dragonflight (the two short stories are published earlier and were the base of this book: "Weyr Search" and "Dragonrider")
16. Dragonquest
17. Dragonsong
18. Dragonsinger (runs simultaneous with Dragonquest)
19. Dragondrums
20. "The Smallest Dragonboy"
21. "The Impression"
22. The White Dragon (A Time When is the basis and incorporated in TWD)
23. "The Girl Who Heard Dragons" (starts pre dragonflight and ends before Renegades)
24. Renegades of Pern
25. All the Weyrs of Pern
26. The Dolphins of Pern
27. The Skies of Pern

Done through from the top of my head, so will need to check later.

[Cheryl]

Yes, that's it Allana. Specifically the chronological order chart is here. It's missing the most recent one or two from Todd, but otherwise complete.

A lot of the books overlap in time, thus a chart not a list on my site. Simplifying it down to a list, yours looks good EvDelft -- almost the order I would read if doing the whole series in chron order. The one change I would strongly suggest is putting the first short story from Chronicles of Pern (Survey PERN) at the beginning of the list, then the rest can stay after Dragonsdawn.

However... Since this is going to be your first reading of most of the series, this is not at all the order I would suggest reading for the first time. Your sentiment of reading them in order to understand the series development is a good one, but I would say it's incorrectly applied. The series developed in the order Anne McCaffrey wrote it, which was not chronologically.

I'm going to quote myself on why I suggest reading in publication order first:

Everyone has their own opinion on the order a first-timer should read the series - quite often suggesting the order they themselves first discovered the books. Anne McCaffrey herself has always suggested reading them in publication order, which I endorse for the earliest books, with perhaps a little modification for the later ones. The order you first read the books can really shape your view of the series, and which of the somewhat contradictory events you view as most "accurate." Because the world of Pern developed and evolved as Anne wrote more and more about it, I think it's good to begin where Anne did so you can see for yourself how and why the evolution occurred--that way you're less likely to get annoyed with the inconsistencies. After that, when you're ready to read them again (as most fans are!), you can try them in chronological order if you prefer.

That reasoning comes from my suggested reading order page here.

[evdelft]

Well, in that case I should rephrase my question, being in the same possibility to ask a question that already had been asked.

What is the order of the books as the have been written?

To keep people busy...

[Cheryl]

The publication order is on the page I linked to at the bottom of my last post (again, missing Todd's latest books at the end of it, most likely).

[evdelft]

Thanks, Cheryl, Allana, Hans.

[Myt]

I read them in the order printed in the books ('Also by Anne McCaffrey') but The second time around i think I switched Dragondrums and The White Dragon..I think..

[cbrtlsseca]

I wish Todd had released his books in a better order for Dragon's Blood and Dragon Harper. Though it was nice knowing some of the things that would happen I wish it would have all been new to me.

[Greenrider Tresa]

:: I think that would have been easier if they weren't released so close together. Todd wasn't nearly as successful with relasing books out of order as Tara K. Harper was. But then she didn't reveal too much in the books that came out first either.