Dinosaur Planet (novel)

Last updated
Dinosaur Planet
Dinosaur-Planet.jpg
First edition (UK) [1]
Author Anne McCaffrey
Cover artist Melvyn Grant (UK)
Darrell Sweet (US) [1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SeriesIreta [2]
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Orbit Books
Publication date
1978
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages189 (first edition)
ISBN 0-86007-948-1 (first)
OCLC 39493412 (Canada)
Followed by Dinosaur Planet Survivors  

Dinosaur Planet is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. [3] It was a paperback original published in 1978, by Orbit Books (UK) and then by Del Rey Books (US), the fantasy & science fiction imprints of Futura Publications and Ballantine Books respectively. [4]

Contents

A sequel followed in 1984, titled The Survivors (Dinosaur Planet II), [5] or Dinosaur Planet Survivors in the US. Jointly they are sometimes called the "Dinosaur Planet series" or sub-series. [2] They are set on a fictional planet named "Ireta" that some characters call the "dinosaur planet". They became the first two books of the "Ireta series" in 1990, when McCaffrey collaborated with Elizabeth Moon and Jody Lynn Nye to write three "Planet Pirates" novels with the same setting. [2]

Origins

McCaffrey had emigrated to Ireland in 1970, with the second Dragonriders of Pern book near completion and a contract for the third. [3] That work stalled after she finished Dragonquest (the second) but the market for children and young adults eventually provided crucial opportunities. Futura Publications (London) signed her to write books about dinosaurs for children, published by its imprint Orbit Books. [6]

Plot summary

A survey team visits fictional planet Ireta to survey its mineral wealth. Several anomalies are discovered, including some decidedly large animals that resemble prehistoric beings from Earth's history and legend. Before all can be explained, the Heavyworlder "muscle people" mutiny after gaining a taste for flesh and blood.

The Death of Sleep is a prequel to this book, and the fourth section delivers the characters to Ireta, intersecting some of the same plot points.

Ireta series

There have been omnibus editions of the two Dinosaur Planet novels as early as 1985 and of three Planet Pirates novels as early as 1993. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dragonflight</i> 1968 novel by Anne McCaffrey

Dragonflight is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It is the first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series. First published by Ballantine Books in July 1968, it was a fix-up of two novellas which between them had made McCaffrey the first woman writer to win a Hugo and a Nebula Award.

Anne McCaffrey American science fiction writer, famous for the Pern series (1926–2011)

Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-Irish writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction and the first to win a Nebula Award. Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.

<i>Restoree</i> 1967 novel by Anne McCaffrey

Restoree (1967) is a science fiction novel by American-Irish writer Anne McCaffrey, her first book published. It is the story of a young woman who survives being abducted by aliens and finds a new life on another planet.

Dragonriders of Pern is a science fantasy series written primarily by American author Anne McCaffrey, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning in 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. The series comprises 24 novels and two collections of short stories. The two novellas included in the first novel, Dragonflight, made McCaffrey the first woman to win a Hugo Award for writing fiction as well as the first to win a Nebula Award.

Elizabeth Moon American science fiction and fantasy writer (born 1945)

Elizabeth Moon is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. Her other writing includes newspaper columns and opinion pieces. Her novel The Speed of Dark won the 2003 Nebula Award. Prior to her writing career, she served in the United States Marine Corps.

<i>Dragonsong</i> 1976 science fantasy novel by Anne McCaffrey

Dragonsong is a science fantasy novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Released by Atheneum Books in March 1976, it was the third to appear set on the world Pern of the Dragonriders of Pern. In its time, however, Dragonsong brought the fictional planet Pern to a new publisher, editor, and target audience of young adults, and soon became the first book in the Harper Hall of Pern trilogy. The original Dragonriders of Pern trilogy with Ballantine Books was not completed until after the publication of Dragonsong and its sequel.

Jody Lynn Nye American science fiction writer

Jody Lynn Nye is an American science fiction writer. She is the author or co-author of approximately forty published novels and more than 100 short stories. She has specialized in science fiction or fantasy action novels and humor. Her humorous series range from contemporary fantasy to military science fiction. About one-third of her novels are collaborations, either as a co-author or as the author of a sequel. She has been an instructor of the Fantasy Writing Workshop at Columbia College Chicago (2007) and she teaches the annual Science Fiction Writing Workshop at DragonCon.

<i>Generation Warriors</i> 1991 novel by Anne McCaffrey

Generation Warriors is a science fiction novel by American writers Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon. published by Baen Books in 1991. It concludes the Planet Pirates trilogy (1990–1991), which McCaffrey wrote alternately with Moon and Jody Lynn Nye, and it is the last book in the Ireta series that she initiated with Dinosaur Planet in 1978.

Todd J. McCaffrey is an Irish American author of science fiction best known for continuing the Dragonriders of Pern series in collaboration with his mother Anne McCaffrey.

<i>Dragonquest</i> 1971 novel by Anne McCaffrey

Dragonquest is a science fantasy novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It is the sequel to Dragonflight, set seven years later and the second book in the Dragonriders of Pern series. Dragonquest was first published by Ballantine Books in May 1971.

<i>Sassinak</i> 1990 science fiction novel by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon

Sassinak is a science fiction novel by American writers Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon, published by Baen Books in 1990. It is the first book in the Planet Pirates trilogy and continues the Ireta series that McCaffrey initiated with Dinosaur Planet in 1978. McCaffrey wrote the second Planet Pirates book with Jody Lynn Nye, the third with Moon.

<i>Crystal Singer</i> 1982 novel by Anne McCaffrey

The Crystal Singer, or Crystal Singer in the U.S., is a young adult, science fiction novel by Anne McCaffrey, first published by Severn House in 1982. It features the transition by Killashandra Ree, a young woman who has failed as an operatic soloist, to the occupation of "crystal singer" on the fictional planet Ballybran. The novel is based on short stories written in 1974 and is the first book McCaffrey set in her "Crystal universe".

<i>Dragons Kin</i> 2003 novel by Anne McCaffrey

Dragon's Kin is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd McCaffrey. Published by Del Rey Books in 2003, it is the eighteenth book in the Dragonriders of Pern series and the first with Todd as co-author.

<i>The Ship Who Sang</i> 1969 novel by Anne McCaffrey

The Ship Who Sang (1969) is a science fiction novel by American writer Anne McCaffrey, a fix-up of five stories published 1961 to 1969. By an alternate reckoning, "The Ship Who Sang" is the earliest of the stories, a novelette, which became the first chapter of the book. Finally, the entire "Brain & Brawn Ship series", written by McCaffrey and others, is sometimes called the "Ship Who Sang series" by bibliographers, merchants, or fans.

Planet Pirates

Planet Pirates is a science fiction trilogy written by Anne McCaffrey and two co-authors separately, Elizabeth Moon and Jody Lynn Nye. The three novels were published as paperback originals by Baen Books in 1990 and 1991, although the Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC) issued hardcover editions of each within several months. Baen published an 890-page omnibus trade paperback edition in 1993 entitled The Planet Pirates.

<i>The Harper Hall Trilogy</i> Science fiction novel series by Anne McCaffrey

The Harper Hall trilogy is a series of three science fiction novels by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. They are part of the Dragonriders of Pern series as it is known today, 26 books by Anne or her son Todd McCaffrey or daughter Gigi McCaffrey as of 2018. They were published by Atheneum Books in 1976, 1977, and 1979, alongside the Dragonriders of Pern series. Omnibus editions of the two trilogies were published by the Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club in 1978 and 1984, titled The Dragonriders of Pern and The Harper Hall of Pern respectively.

<i>The Death of Sleep</i> 1990 novel by Anne McCaffrey

The Death of Sleep is a science fiction novel by American writers Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye, published by Baen Books in 1990. It is the second book in the Planet Pirates trilogy and continues the Ireta series that McCaffrey initiated with Dinosaur Planet in 1978. Elizabeth Moon and McCaffrey wrote the other two Planet Pirates books.

Jean Edna Karl was an American book editor who specialized in children's and science fiction titles. She founded and led the children's division and young adult and science fiction imprints at Atheneum Books, where she oversaw or edited books that won two Caldecott Medals and five Newbery Medals. One of the Newberys went to the new writer E. L. Konigsburg in 1968 for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

This is a list of works by American science fiction and fantasy author Anne McCaffrey, including some cowritten with others or written by close collaborators.

<i>Dinosaur Planet Survivors</i> 1984 novel by Anne McCaffrey

Dinosaur Planet Survivors or Survivors: Dinosaur Planet II is a 1984 science fiction novel by American writer Anne McCaffrey. It is the sequel to Dinosaur Planet (1978) and thus the second book in the Ireta series.

References

  1. 1 2 Dinosaur Planet title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database lists cover artists Melvyn Grant for the early UK editions (hard and paper) and the 1980 French edition; Darrell Sweet for the early US editions (paper only); among others, at least three artists for omnibus editions 1985 and later.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ireta series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
  3. 1 2 McCaffrey has lived in the vicinity of Dublin, Ireland since September 1970, when she emigrated from greater New York City at age 44.
    Todd McCaffrey (1999). Dragonholder: The Life and Dreams (So Far) of Anne McCaffrey by her son. New York: Ballantine. ISBN   0-345-42217-1. Pages 54–55, 68–71, 74.
  4. Dinosaur Planet title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
  5. The Survivors (Dinosaur Planet II) 1984 first edition publication contents at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
    • This is the Canadian release ("price C$3.95") of the second book. For the first book ISFDB lists both British and Canadian releases, which share ISBN, page-count, and cover art.
  6. Dragonholder, p. 101 and pp. 71–101 passim.

Ireta series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database