| Dragondrums | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Anne McCaffrey |
| Cover artist | Fred Marcellino (first) Colin Saxton (UK) and others[lower-alpha 1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Dragonriders of Pern, Harper Hall Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction, Young adult novels |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
| Publication date | March 1979 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 240 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-689-30685-7 |
| OCLC Number | 4498784 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.M122834 Dm |
| Preceded by | The White Dragon |
| Followed by | Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern |
Dragondrums is a young adult fantasy novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Published by Atheneum Books in 1979, it was the sixth to appear in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey.[1]
Dragondrums completed the Harper Hall of Pern trilogy one year after The White Dragon completed the Dragonriders of Pern trilogy. Boxed and omnibus editions of both trilogies soon followed.
Contents |
Dragondrums is the coming of age story of Piemur, a small, quick, clever apprentice at Harper Hall. When Piemur's clear treble voice changes at puberty, his place among the Harpers is no longer certain. He is sent to the drum towers to learn drumming, the primary method of long-distance communication on Pern for non-dragonriders, while his voice settles. There he has to deal with the jealousy and bullying of the other drumming apprentices. When Masterharper Robinton secretly asks Piemur to be his apprentice, Piemur begins journeying through Pern, gathering information and running discreet errands for the Masterharper. In his adventures throughout Pern, Piemur has only his knowledge and wits to deal with a cruel Lord Holder and rogue dragonriders. He Impresses one of the coveted fire-lizards – a gold he names Farli – as a companion, discovers his place in the world, and earns journeyman status among the Harpers.
The events in Dragondrums take place after Dragonsinger and is contiguous with some events in The White Dragon, which discusses characters and events elsewhere on Pern.
Seven Pern books including Dragondrums were published before The Atlas of Pern (1984), a companion book prepared by Karen Wynn Fonstad in consultation with McCaffrey. As such their geographical settings from peninsulas to stables are illustrated by maps and other drawings and their chronologies are explicitly presented in the Atlas.
The American Library Association in 1999 cited these first six Pern books, along with The Ship Who Sang, when McCaffrey received the annual Margaret A. Edwards Award for her "lifetime contribution in writing for teens".[2]
Dragondrums placed eighth for the annual Locus Award for Best Novel and it won the annual Balrog Award in the Novel class.[3]
Dragondrums publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
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