Search Worlds Without End

Nebula Award winning and Hugo Award nominated novella. It originally appeared serialized in Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact, December 1967 and Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact, January 1968. The story is also included in the anthologies Nebula Award Stories Four (1969), edited by Poul Anderson, The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume III (1981), edited by Arthur C. Clarke, George W. Proctor, The Best of the Nebulas (1989), edited by Ben Bova and The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century (2001), edited by Harry Turtledove and Martin H. Greenberg. The story is incorporated in the fixup novel Dragonflight (1968).

When the original colonists find that the Southern Continent is too geologically unstable, they need to find a way to transport the growing colony and its possessions to the Northern Continent.

Working with the intelligent dolphins who helped to colonize Pern with humans is key if they are to be successful...

Hugo Award winning and Nebula Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact, October 1967. The story can also be found in the anthologies Nebula Award Stories Three (1968), edited by Roger Zelazny, Analog 7 (1970), edited by John W. Campbell, Jr., The Hugo Winners, Volume 2: (1963-70) (1971), edited by Isaac Asimov, The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF (1994), edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, and Wings of Fire (2010), edited by Jonathan Strahan and Marianne S. Jablon. It is incorprotated in the fixup novel Dragonflight (1968).

HOW CAN ONE GIRL SAVE AN ENTIRE WORLD?

To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise - and take back her stolen birthright.

But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon. The bond they share will be deep and last forever. It will protect them when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa's world is threatened by Thread, an evil substance that falls like rain and destroys everything it touches. Dragons and their Riders once protected the planet from Thread, but there are very few of them left these days. Now brave Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world....

Another Turn, and the deadly silver Threads began falling again. So thebold dragonriders took to the air once more and their magnificent flyingdragons swirled and swooped, belching flames that destroyed theshimmering strands before they reach the ground.

But F'lar knew he had to find a better way to protect his beloved Pern,and he had to find it before the rebellious Oldtimers could breed anymore dissent... before his brother F'nor would be foolhardy enough tolaunch another suicide mission... and before those dratted fire-lizards could stir up any more trouble!

Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed betweenthe daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary whitedragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of manytalents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that wouldnever amount to anything.

But Jaxom knew better, knew he could teach his dragon to fly and todestroy the deadly silver Threads that fell from the sky. Disobeying allrules, Jaxom and Ruth trained in secret. Their illicit flights seemedbut a minor disobedience -- until they found themselves in the path ofdanger and in a position to prevent the biggest disaster of all!