In Febuary, the Science Fiction book club featured an interveiw with Anne McCaffrey in their catalogue. Staff writer Phil White was the lucky chap who got to speak to her.
| SFBC : | Why dragons? |
| AMcC : | Why not? |
| SFBC : | We know you love horses. Why not unicorns? |
| AMcC : | Those are Annie Scarborough's. I needed a new critter after I finished "Decision at Doona" and "Restoree". And I would put them on a planet where they would be an airborne, fire-breathing, planet saving species. I had the whole thing thought out in one afternoon. |
| SFBC : | One afternoon? |
| AMcC : | One afternoon. Two million words later, I haven't stopped. There's now 15 now in the Dragonriders series, plus three reference books, three short stories. About 63 or 64 books in total. |
| SFBC : | Who are your favorite dragons......other then your own? |
| AMcC : | Barbara Hambly's Morkeleb. I'm very fond of Robin McKinlay's Maur. And I like the dragons that Melanie Rawn has. |
| SFBC : | "Masterharper" is about a charater who already passed from the scene. |
| AMcC : | Well. you seen Robininton was very annoyed that I killed him off. |
| SFBC : | It probably ruined his afternoon. |
| AMcC : | It did, but he was tired. His heart wasn't good. And my older brother has just died. One day he thought he'd go to bed early and never woke up. There [on Pern] the Harper thought "It would be nice to rest." I didn't plan it that way. |
| SFBC : | Is Masterharper Robinton based on your brother? |
| AMcC : | No, my brother was a CIA spook. (A delicious gale of laughter.) Robinton came on as a spear carrier, and he's dominated the books ever since. |
| SFBC : | Is the Masterharer based on any actual person? |
| AMcC : | Yes he is. The guy who taught me opera techniques. I had a mad crush on him but he was married. |
| SFBC : | What advice would you give to a writer starting in science fiction? |
| AMcC : | Do short stories. Get known to the editors in the magazines. Be aware that publishers will pay new authors diddly squat. |
| SFBC : | You're a member of the Science Fiction book club. Most people see us as a fan organization. |
| AMcC : | As I see it is for readers *and* writers. That makes it the best place to get newest books. |
| SFBC : | What's next? I can hear your keyboard while we're speaking. |
| AMcC : | I have many more tails to tell |
| SFBC : | We're looking forward to them. Thank you |