All the Weyrs of Pern

Dragonriders of Pern

By: Anne McCaffrey

Narrated by: Mel Foster

Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

For generations, the dragonriders had dedicated their lives to fighting Thread, the dreaded spores that periodically rained from the sky to ravage the land. On the backs of their magnificent telepathic dragons they flew to flame the deadly stuff out of the air before it could reach the planet's surface.

But the greatest dream of the dragonriders was to find a way to eradicate Thread completely, so that never again would their beloved Pern be threatened with destruction.

Now, for the first time, it looks as if that dream can come true. For when the people of Pern, led by Masterharper Robinton and F'lar and Lessa, Weyr-leader and Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr, excavate the ancient remains of the planet's original settlement, they uncover the colonists' voice-activated artificial intelligence system - which still functions. And the computer has incredible news for them: There is a chance - a good chance - that they can, at long last, annihilate Thread once and for all.

Pay another visit to Pern.

©1992 Anne McCaffrey (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"When McCaffrey's beloved dragons roar and their riders soar upon the beasts' mighty backs...fans of Pern will likely be enthralled." (Publishers Weekly)

STOP RUINING GREAT BOOKS!!!!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

About the book??? You mean Anne McCaffery's pern? How could one presume to change a masterpiece? What a silly question

What didn’t you like about Mel Foster’s performance?

OK, this is the real reason for writing this review. We as consumers keep contributing so mediocrity. Do NOT buy this audio book. I'm sorry Anne I love you and pern, but Mel was not the right guy for this. He ruined your book. Mel, just because you have a pleasant voice does not mean you are a good story teller. What the hell was up with F'lar's voice? He sounded like a G.I.Joe cartoon character with a southern twang. WRONG in so many ways!! Lytol? you made him sound like a weasel. He has dignity damn it, a weasel?!?!? what were you thinking? Did you read this book before you started? Fandarel, both you and Dick got him wrong. He's a huge, barrel chested blacksmith with a deep voice, why does he sound like a geek squad employee? I take it you've done Saturday morning cartoon voices or something, but treat these beloved books with some respect damn it! And where was the producer to say "hey Mel, lets try again, but this time leave off with the cheesy cartoon villain impression"? Most of all I have to blame us, the consumers, for continuing to buy garbage instead of saying, "I think I'll wait till they make something with quality in it before I buy"
The point is, I get so frothing upset about the mispronunciations, the childish accents, the misplaced stressed words that completely change the meaning of Anne's words.... There was a scene with Piemur down in cove, and Mel did his dialogue in this childish singsong tone 6 TIMES in a row!! And it was so out of place and out of character that I had to rip my headphones out of my ears and scream. The performance is SO upsetting that I can barely follow the story. Oh ya, and I heard him change words, ya that's right, I'm sure the dragonrider didn't say "doncha". Yeah, Anne doesn't write like that, it was "don't you". As in "Don't you DARE to presume to change Anne's words to fit those IDIOTIC character voices!!!!" There was SO much wrong, if I don't stop here the review will be it's own book.
Mel, I know you're a good guy, and I can tell you did put work into it. It was just wrong for this book. I'm sorry I was so harsh, but stick to spongebob where your characters will be appreciated.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

A Thousand Times YES

Any additional comments?

Buy the hard copy, or kindle or what have you. Make the characters your own. Pern is a wonderful universe that should be visited as often as possible but you will regret buying this in audiobook form.

The Narration Would Make A Harper Weep

Would you listen to All the Weyrs of Pern again? Why?

I love the story---all the Pern stories and it might bring me back. But the performance is abysmal. For anyone who knows Pern the treatment the Master Harper gets from Foster is...heartbreaking. He sounds like a drunken parody of some campy vaudevillian not the wise and wonderful man he is. Why oh why not have Dick Hill who did the earlier books wonderfully do this one??

What other book might you compare All the Weyrs of Pern to and why?

It's one of the more exciting Pern books, it ends a saga. I'm not sure there is a reason to compare it....

What didn’t you like about Mel Foster’s performance?

Absolutely nothing...it was awful. I never thought you could over act an audio book but he did...a combination of Mary Tyler Moore's Ted Baxter and a very eager high school sophomore trying to bring a new level of angst to The Glass Menagerie. He ruined the book!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole book has moved me for years, Mel Foster's performance is an insult to Anne McCaffery's fine writing

Any additional comments?

Fine book, awful narration

I miss Dick Hill

If I hadn't already read this book in print and knew that it was worth the read, I might not have been able to make it through. Mel Foster is NO Dick Hill and I found him very difficult to listen to. His halting reading compelled me to listen to the book at 1 &1/2 speed. It sounds more natural that way.

Other than that Anne McCaffrey never disappoints :)

awful narration

Would you consider the audio edition of All the Weyrs of Pern to be better than the print version?

the story is great as most of mccaffrey's works but this guy is terrible. Especially after hearing Dick Hill's narration of the previous books. This guy doesn't get the characters at all...he should have heard the previous versions to get the inflections correct.

The print is superior in so many ways.

What was one of the most memorable moments of All the Weyrs of Pern?

The continuation of learning of the characters origins.

How could the performance have been better?

Get Dick Hill to read it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not at all witht his narrator. I loved the book itself but found I kept getting upsset with the way Mel depicted important characters.

Wonderful book, bad audio

I have loved this book for years and couldn't wait for it to come out on audio.. but the narrator was terrible. He made Piemur sound like an idiot, and Master Robinton like a slow witted imbecile. I was very disappointed and could hardly tolerate listening to the end.

I am satisfied

When I styarted listening to the books on audio, I was soooo looking forward to hearing this lst book. I feel as if I have finished the series but I know there are more books out there. I like Ann Mc Carthey as an arthor and will look for her other books. Sometimes I think I would like to live on Pern but then there were alot of problems. The whole series was excelent and the readings weren't to bad either. I liked the fact that Ann wrote books depicting the same event from different points of views.

Performance wasn't horrible

After reading all the reviews, I'd have to say that Mel Foster wasn't awful by any means, he's just no Dick Hill, who has previously read the male voices from the series until now.

Story is exceptional. Got a bit slow in the middle, and I started to loose interest, but when that happened it sped up, and was awesome to the end.

A Nice Ending

Crafts, Holds, Weyrs and Thread have been a main staple in the Pern books since it all started. That is all about to change. For over one-thousand four-hundred years Pern has been plagued by the silvery menace that fell from the sky. A menace that only dragons seemed able to deal with. Finally a solution is found in the relics of an ancient past. Although I know it is not the last book of Pern, it feels like it is. There is a finality to it that is not found in any of the ones before it. I was almost sad when this book ended. I was left wondering what the future held for Pern, especially the dragons who soon would no longer be needed. I enjoyed this book and look forward to hearing what happens next.

One of my absolute favorite books of all time.

I reread or listen to this book about one a year. It always makes me laugh and cry. Try It!

All the Weyrs of Pern

I love all of the Dragon Riders of Pern series, and I have read and listened to them all, in fact all of them more than once each, this is one of my favorite series.

A classic story with a master teller of the genre

A classic tale of the series of PERN definitive in the tyeing of the tails of inhabitants of their world

Wonderful.

So nice to revisit Pern. I loved the FireDragon series and the major characters therein.

brilliant

I'd read the book several times but the audio book was just as enthralling and I would recommend it to anyone.

Excellent book

Th I s was an excellent audio the dragon and rider conversation was done very well

Enthralling

have not read it for a long time. I was enthralled again. Just as I was the first time.

The Pern Adventures.

Brilliant loved every story. Will willingly read or listen to them over again . thank you

For every purpose their is a time and place

I have thoughly enjoyed this book and will be rereading it. May I wish my colleagues who read this book the same enjoyment I have had in the series as I have

great book, sad reader

I've always loved the dragon Rider series but I struggled to listen to The reader because he sounded so sad all the time! I also struggled with Robinsons voice because to me he seems a very happy jolly character and he didn't sound it from the reader.