Anne McCaffrey: A Queen of Fantasy Fiction, Where Women Are Strong

Take a woman who great up in the Great Depression and give her an imagination and a little encouragement and you would be amazed at what happens! Anne McCaffrey was a woman just like that. Like many other people, Anne McCaffrey didn't have a lot growing up but she did have a passion for writing stories about things she had never seen before. Anne's stories were well-received by some of her teachers and some of her first works were published in the late 1960's. Thankfully, Anne hasn't stopped writing ever since. Whether she is working solo or collaborating with other brilliant minds, Anne's fervor for the realm of fantasy fiction just doesn't diminish.

One of the most common threads in the works of Anne McCaffrey is the theme of the strong woman. Her characters might not start out knowing they have great capability and strength (although some do) but in the end, the spirit and drive of every female character is a dominating force. From her first published book, Restoree, to the strong women dragonriders of the Pern series books, Anne captures what it is to be a woman and to survive, occasionally against great odds.

Although Anne's books can be classified as fantasy fiction, there is a great deal of science fiction in her books as well. Strong characters, especially women, populate books in the Crystal Singer series and the great many books in the Tower and the Hive series. Collaborations with other great women authors put an interesting spin on women in the military, especially when the ships are flying through the universe instead of gliding through the oceans. Anne's Dinosaur Planet and Planet Pirates series really showcases what a strong woman leader is capable of even in a male-dominated environment.

Anne has soft side as well, and she has written a number of romance novels that give more than a hint of her undying love for Ireland, the country where she currently resides. The Kilternan Legacy and The Lady are two of her best works of non-fantasy romance and they really reveal her passion for Ireland, its beautiful landscapes, and its wonderful heritage of horses.