The pendulum swing of life

I learned earlier this week that one of my favourite authors, Anne McCaffrey has passed away, at the age of 85.

Like many others, my first McCaffrey read was the Harper Hall books that eventually developed into the Dragonriders of Pern series. They started with three volumes I later learned were written as books for adolescents. The series was continued in another trilogy in the exact same setting, but with a more adult approach. The entire Dragonriders of Pern series is said to cover 22 novels.

My recollection of the books and their reading is kind of gauzy and golden it has been so long, but I do remember clearly my wonder at how McCaffrey presented me with a fantasy story in a science fiction wrapper.  Fantasy readers love their dragons, but here was a fantasy world where science required their existence. The books helped me reconcile the two ends of the pendulum swing of my reading.

Just as Anne M. passes 'between', another pendulum swing continues. Earlier this month every grade one student in the province got a free book as part of a yearly program to foster a love of reading.

I can't help but marvel at the symmetry of the universe - out the door goes one person and her life long devotion to books, while across our land a shiny new generation of book lovers is awakened.