MQ2007 Topic!

[Cheryl]

For McCaffrey Quest 2007, to be held in October, our topic will be:

Early Pern and Tower & the Hive

The specific books to be covered are:
Dragonsdawn
Chronicles of Pern
Dragonseye/Red Star Rising
The Rowan
Damia
Damia's Children
Lyon's Pride
The Tower and the Hive

You have 8 books to read and 5 months to prepare! Good luck to all!

[edith]

yay! I have these - except rsr- which is odd since its one of my favourites!
Just TatH or the shorts too?
Oh and what about the edition differences in Dragonsdawn?

[sjslack]

Just to reaffirm that all said books have to be read and whanot? I'm certainly glad I have Ebay now, so I can get the ones I don't have...3 of them...-Chuckles-

[Hans]

Yes, there are many differences between the US and US editions of Dragonsdawn... *evil chuckle*

But, we'll not capitalize too much on them - and probably only if you can find the relevant data online You know us, we're harsh task masters but fair


Edith:
No, I don't think this contest will include the, sometimes different, short stories that later became parts of the Tower and the Hive-Talent series.
The Chronicles of Pern is an anthology but I don't think we'll insist on you all reading the seperate editions of The Dolphins Bell and Rescue Run too. More detailed news will follow!

STAY TUNED

[Kath]

Yay! Early Pern!

[Allana]

Yay! I have all of these, and I can't wait to reread them all!

[Lady Maelin]

OH WHOOOOOOOPEEEEEEE.... These are some of my most favorite stories of Anne's....well other than the Ship Who Sang that is.

goes off muttering to herself to hit the books and study, study, study...I really love having the "Mccaffrey Quest Banner"....just adds a touch of extra special above my avatar!!! Now to make sure I score high enough to get one of those lovely prizes this year...OH YES!!!

[Gwina]

I know I'm not looking in the right spot... what is the McCaffrey Quest exactly, please?

[Hans]

Go here Gwina, all will be explained if you read the info in the site!

The Quest is a joined effort by staff of this board, A Meeting of Minds, and the websites The Pern Museum & Arcgives, Sariel's Guide to Pern and The Many Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.

The quest is tough; certainly not an easy contest despite the fact that most of the questions are mutiple choice.

Prizes are usually wonderful but fame and confirmation of knowledge is what the contestants are really after

[Cheryl]

To add a bit more to what Hans said, McCaffrey Quest (MQ) is an trivia challenge that we hold annually. It is long and difficult unless you really know your books, but much fun too, and with great prizes available to the top winners.

[Kath]

I think I mentioned it once before... but if you want a hand coming up with early pern questions, I'm happy to help.

[Sandi]

Considering all the things that happened at the time of the last quest I wonder if I should dare risk it. Prolly will. It was really fun and maybe this time I'll be able to apply myself to it without so much RL interference.

[Gwina]

Sounds like a great challenge! Thanks for the info. So, I gather it's taken at the same time, by computer? Does that mean we're on the honor system? Just checking.

[Cheryl]

It can be taken any time over a matter of 3-4 days.

Honor system, in what way? You're allowed to use your books and online sources to check for answers. And even ask friends for help, though presumably most friends that would know enough to help would want to compete on their own!

[L'isa]

Cool!!! I am ready for my second try. This time I know how it works a little better. Maybe I can even get a good score. better start now. Have read all but one, will read them all again, and again, and again. BUT, I really had a great time doing it last year.

[Goldrider Thais]

hmm...now to head to the public library to track down the non-pern books and the only pern book i don't own...dragonseye...

[Goldrider Thais]

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!
my library doesn't carry any of these books!!! what do i do now?
i shall go and request them...hopefully. i have great librarians!

[Cheryl]

Interlibrary loan is your friend! Good luck!

[Lady Maelin]

Thais, Try your local used book store...most that I have been in generally have several paperback copies...ranging mostly from .25 to .50 cents. Nautrally they are well used copies...but they will be yours to use for the MQ, and for reading again for pleasure afterwords.

[Deb]

YEEAAHHHH!!!! How exciting!! I can hardly wait!! Imagine...looking FORWARD to a grueling examination!! (Didn't/don't we all hate those while in school??? )

And yes....the fame and pride in knowing that we know, inside and out, the stories we love so much!!!

[Gwina]

Ahhhh, yes, I get it now! This has got to be the BEST kind of exam in the world! (considering there's such a category...well, there would only be one entry then.)

[Goldrider Thais]

Thanx Maelin and Cheryl for the tips!

[Jax]

Excellent news!!!

Kath if you help with questions you won't be able to compete this year!

[mmarkina]

Thank you for posting the topics and giving us lots of time to prepare!

Last year I found out about it a week before, this is much better

[PernesePhoenix]

hah, just when i thought i needed to brush up on early pern. yay more reading. in this challenge it pays to be a bibliophile/bibliomaniac.

[granath]

Ain't that funny? I just finished reading TTATH yesterday! :p Of course, I'll do another re-read before the quest. I suspect that my Towerdex
will get more hits than usual (it covers the Tower books and some of the Pegasus series) once we get the questions.

[Hans]

I think that' s a safe guess, Granath

[Lady Maelin]

OOOO Granath, I had not gone there before....WOW your Towerdex is very impressive. It reminded me of some names that I had forgoten. It has been way to long since I have read all of my Talent series...MQ or no MQ I need to do that very soon... I love that series very much!!!

[edith]

Originally Posted by granath

Ain't that funny? I just finished reading TTATH yesterday! :p Of course, I'll do another re-read before the quest. I suspect that my Towerdex
will get more hits than usual (it covers the Tower books and some of the Pegasus series) once we get the questions.

It's been bookmarked!

[sjslack]

I've almost finished 'The Rowan'. -Grins at Edith-

I need Damia and Lyon's pride now. I'll try to get 'em cheap off Ebay or something...I only need reading editinos for this.

[Deb]

Originally Posted by edith

It's been bookmarked!

Me too!!

Thanks Granath!!

[granath]

No problem. I haven't updated it for ages and have been meaning to do PiF and PiS as well. Luckily they aren't needed for this quest.

[dragon_dreams]

Kind of interesting, I just finished rereading the Pegasus trilogy and started on the Tower and the Hive again 2 days ago and didnt even know that the topics had been put up been too busy with school to remember which forums I visit. Looking forward to my second attempts at MQ

[Panteresss]

Just so I can be good and prepared, since I am new to this, what are the differences referenced about Dragonsdawn, and the TaTH shorts?

[Kath]

Originally Posted by Panteresss

what are the differences referenced about Dragonsdawn

Heh.

I started to go through my two editions of Dragonsdawn with a fine-toothed comb earlier this year, trying to pull out every single difference. I'm still planning on going back to it one day to catalogue the major variations (cataloging everything properly would have me quoting so much of the text I'd be worried about breaching fair-use clauses), but on a minor level, I hope this illustrates the problem:

These are all passages taken from the first chapter...

#1

Originally Posted by US

'Probe reports coming through, sir,' Sallah Telgar announced without taking her eyes from the flickering lights on her terminal.

Originally Posted by UK

'Probe reports coming through, sir,' Sallah Telgar announced to the bridge at large without taking her eyes from the flickering lights on her terminal.

#2

Originally Posted by US

'On the screen, please, Mr Telgar,' Admiral Paul Benden replied.

Originally Posted by UK

'On the screen, please, Mr Telgar,' Admiral Paul Benden replied with punctilious courtesy. He was joint leader of the Pern Colonial Expedition on its fifteen-year voyage to the Saggitarius sector and the strategically unimportant Rukbat star system.

#3

Originally Posted by US

Beside him, leaning against his command chair, Emily Boll kept her eyes steadily on the sunlit planet, scarcely aware of the activity around her.

Originally Posted by UK

Beside the Admiral, leaning against his command chair, Emily Boll, co-leader of the Pern Colonial Expedition, kept her eyes steadily on the sunlit planet, scarcely aware of the muted reports that were a constant on the bridge.

#4

Originally Posted by US

The Pern Colonial Expedition had reached the most exciting moment of its fifteen-year voyage: the three colony ships, the Yokohama, the Bahrain and the Buenos Aires were finally approaching their destination. In offices below the bridge deck, specialists eagerly awaited updates on the reports of the long-dead Exploration and Evaluation team that, 200 years earlier, had recommended Rukbat's third planet for colonization.

Originally Posted by UK

Truth be told, this was the most exciting moment of the long and boring haul as the three colony ships, the Yokohama, the Bahrain and the Buenos Aires rapidly approached their destination. In offices below the Bridge deck, specialists eagerly awaited updates on the reports of that long dead Exploration and Evaluation team which had recommended Rukbat's third planet for colonization.

#5

Originally Posted by US

The long journey to the Saggitarian sector had gone without hitch, the only excitement being the surprise when the Oort cloud encircling the Rukbat system had been sighted. That phenomenon had continued to engross some of the space and scientific personnel, but Paul Benden had lost interest when Ezra Keroon, captain of the Bahrain and the expedition's astronomer, had assured him that the nebulous mass of deep frozen meteorites was no more than an astronomical curiosity. They would keep an eye on it, Ezra had said, but although some comets might form and spin from its depths, he doubted that they would pose a serious threat to either the three colony ships or the planet the ships were fast approaching. After all, the Exploration and Evaluation team had not mentioned any unusual incidence of meteor strikes on the surface of Pern.

Originally Posted by UK

There had been little diversion on the long trip except the brief stimulation every five years when relief crews were awakened to serve their hitches. Of course, there'd been the flap when the Oort cloud encircling the Rukbat system had been sighted. While that phenomenon had engrossed some of the space and scientific personnel, Paul Benden had lost interest when Ezra Keroon, captain of the Bahrain, who was also the expedition's astronomer, had assured him that this nebulous mass of deep frozen meteorites was no more than an astronomical curiosity. They'd keep an eye on it. Some comets might form and spin from its depths, Ezra had said, but he didn't consider that they were likely to be a viable threat to either the three colony ships or the planet the ships were fast approaching. After all, the Exploratory and Evaluation team had not mentioned any unusual incidence of meteor strikes on the surface of Pern. Ezra didn't think the situation would have altered drastically in the ensuing two hundred or so years since the report had been filed.

#6

Originally Posted by US

'Screeing probe reports, sir,' Sallah confirmed, 'on two and five,' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Admiral Benden smile slightly. 'This is slightly anti-climactic, isn't it?' Paul Bended murmured to Emily Boll as the latest reports flashed onto the screens.

Originally Posted by UK

'Screeing probe reports, sir,' Sallah now confirmed, 'on two and five,' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Admiral Benden smile slightly. Sallah suspected that he no more wished to change the image on the main screen which displayed the enthralling vision of the planet of their destination, than anyone else on the Bridge. At the same instant the bridge screens were activated, the reports would flash onto the screens where the specialists anxiously awaited updates to analyse, parse and discuss in the most minute detail. 'This is slightly anti-climactic, isn't it?' Paul Bended murmured to Emily Boll.

The same information is provided, but you can see that both books are very, very different indeed. In addition to a lot more words in a different order, there are also some characters named in the UK version that aren't in the US version. The UK version also connects first names to surnames and jobs... helpful when you're trying to figure out what's what and who's who.

Of course, none of that helps with our favourite Dolphineer and Pilot Theo Force, who managed to be in two places at once during the second crossing... [Piloting Emily Boll's sled which crashed in DD; with the dolphins in TDB]

[Hans]

Kath? We did tell you this (comparison between US and UK editions of Dragonsdawn) has been done already, right?

There's absolutely no probem with someone doing a second check (plus I think Anneli didn't do the complete book) but I thought you should know.

[Kath]

Originally Posted by Hans

Kath? We did tell you this (comparison between US and UK editions of Dragonsdawn) has been done already, right?

I can't remember what I've been told in the past, except that what I was interested in at the time was slightly different.

[Hans]

There's a VAST number of differences between especially the US and UK edtiions of Dragonsdawn. In the UK addition for instance there are mentioned about 40 (!) characters more by name apart from the many textual differences.

[Allana]

Are these differences cataloged somewhere?

[Hans]

Yes, but not public (yet) although the characters are all in my Pern Encyclopedia (which has a google search).

We haven't really discussed this but, because of the many other differebces) I suppose it would be unfair to take UK edition of Dragonsdawn as reference/source for the McCaffreyQuest questions.