I wouldn’t say both books are absolutely required but Dragonsdawn is strongly recommended, for sure. If you read these two books, All the Weyrs of Pern (the book that follows The White Dragon chronologically) will be a richer read. Bear in mind that these two books have a serious tonal shift, details on each below.

If you are interested in learning about the distant origins of Pern, this would be a great time to check out Dragonsdawn and/or The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall. You have more choices to make at this point. Dragonsdawn cover by Michael WhelanĪfter The White Dragon, you’ve completed the original trilogy. If you’d rather read about dragons and what’s happening with their riders, don’t worry too much about the Harper Hall trilogy just yet, and simply move right on to The White Dragon. These three books (Dragonsong, Dragonquest, Dragondrums) are short reads, but good ones. If you are interested in Harpers and the role they play in Pern’s society, read the Harper Hall trilogy next. I suspect it will grab you, though, so you’ll probably want to see what’s next.Īfter Dragonflight, move to the second published book, Dragonquest. You could stop here and be content, if the world of Pern doesn’t grab you enough to continue. This novel has clearly defined problems and solutions as well as a satisfying ending. It’s the first book in publication order and I believe also the best book in the series. These books are also set in time periods that Anne largely ignored, and are unimportant to the overall tale of Pern, in my opinion.ĭip your toe in the pool by reading Dragonflight first. Both of her children have written books set on Pern, but these are not well regarded by most fans. I should note that I include only the Pern books that Anne herself wrote here. I put this blog post together to help readers figure out which reading order is best for them as they explore the tales of Pern. There are more than twenty Pern books, so knowing where to start can be a challenge.

The Pern books are amazing, and beloved by many fans. I first wrote about my love for Anne McCaffrey’s epic Dragonriders of Pern saga after Anne’s death in 2011. Michael Whelan’s wonderful cover art to All the Weyrs of Pern

The dragonriders of pern anne mccaffrey