The first book I ever read of Anne McCaffrey was not her well known Pern series, but the Acorna series. Included in this series are the books following: Acorna, Acorna's Quest, Acorna's People, Acorna's People, Acorna's World, Acorna's Search, Acorna's Rebels, Acorna's Triumph, and the connected series called Acorna's Children includes First Invasion, Second Wave, and Third Watch.
Synopsis: A young child is found in an escape pod in deep space by three bachelor space miners. The child has some oddities; she has a opalescent horn growing from her forehead, hoof-like feet, and three fingers with only one joint. The miners raise her with a few interesting mishaps, but eventually she grows into a very gentle and loving young lady. She frees child slaves from the factories of Kezdet and is adopted by a wealthy gentleman who believes that she is a "ki-lin" or descendant of the ancient, legendary unicorns. Eventually, Acorna's family finds her, and she discovers that she is a "Linyaari", an alien race that is being exterminated by insectoid aliens. Acorna, with the help of her adopted benefactor and future life-mate, discovers a way to stop the massacre. After several adventures involving time travel, Acorna settles down in the rehabilitated home world of the Linyaari, and has a child whose adventures furnish the story line of the "Acorna's Children" series.
Also written by Anne McCaffrey, is the Talent series. Included in this series are the following books in a set of two "mini-series": in the Pegasus series are To Ride Pegasus, Pegasus in Flight, and Pegasus in Space. In the Rowan series are The Rowan, Damia, Damia's Children, Lyon's Pride, and The Tower and the Hive.
Synopsis (Pegasus): A few years into the future, parapsychic abilities are finally proven scientifically. After years of work, the many people with these abilities, called Talents, are accepted as useful contributors to society. With the help of strong teleporters, space can finally be habited by humans with little cost. These books chronicle the adventures of Peter Reidinger the first "Prime", a Talent of the highest ability known. Peter began the Federated Teleport and Telepath company, which loans its services to anyone who needs the help of any Talent. Peter is a quadriplegic who learns to transport himself by his talent.
Synopsis (Rowan): After a disaster on Callisto, one of Jupiter's moons and a domed habitation, a piercing mental scream is heard by anyone with the least degree of Talent. The source of the scream is found to be a young girl of about two years of age. Taking the name of the mining village near where she is found, the Rowan is trained to become the Prime for Callisto. This book follows her search for a cure to her incredible loneliness, finally found in the love of Jeff Raven, a Prime from the outer reaches of the known universe. This series tells of the adventures of the Rowan-Raven descendants and their battles against an encroaching alien threat that seeks to destroy the human civilization.
The Chronicles of Pern are the best known of any of Anne McCaffrey's writtings. These begin with a suprising propensity for fantasy, instead of her usual futuristic science fiction. Eventually though, the reader discovers that Pern was an Earth colony that was severed from communication with Earth. When the Pernese discover an Artificially Intelligent computer, their way of life drastically improves.
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