[dkstories] The Rider's Pride

[bdadtopper]

GREAT start to a story...I am really gonna enjoy this story I can already tell...

 

 

Kevin

[sumbloke]

Now, first off, a confession:

[Mizu]

the chapters sounds good.... even though i have problem understanding some stuff, since i haven't actually read the novel..... hopefully, DK will make the story understandable to ppl who haven't read the book....

[dkstories]

That's what I've tried to do with the story. I think you should have a fairly good grasp of things as the story progresses (chapter 3 really moves things along - which you should find out when it's posted soon).

[EMoe57]

Its amazing to me how much you covered in fifteen chapters. I've never read any of the Pern stories and I was able to follow along just fine. Give it time... this story is worth it!

[Graeme]

Its amazing to me how much you covered in fifteen chapters. I've never read any of the Pern stories and I was able to follow along just fine. Give it time... this story is worth it!

Yes! Fifteen chapters for the story -- a nice, easy to handle number. That will, hopefully, mean we won't have to wait too long for the complete story to be available. I, for one, am waiting patiently while nervously biting lots of fingernails....

[Graeme]

Chapter 3 is now up, and it's another great chapter with a surprise ending. Well, at least it caught me by surprise.

 

I won't say anything more at the moment until others have had a chance to read it.

 

Well done, Dan!

[C James]

Chapter 3 is now up, and it's another great chapter with a surprise ending. Well, at least it caught me by surprise.

 

I won't say anything more at the moment until others have had a chance to read it.

 

Well done, Dan!

I loved the surprise too! I'd been wondering what would happen there.

 

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

 

The hatching scene was very well done! I loved it. I had expected that color, but, Dan wrote it in such as way as to make me think otherwise right up until it happened.

 

[Lugh]

Lugh pokes his head up out of his hidey-hole and wailes plantiffly...

 

 

GIMME GIMME

 

 

please?

[Tom]

It's already complete! And you're going to tease and torment us by draggin out the posting...that is so evil

 

generally, I don't read fan-fiction, but I'm really glad I am reading this one. Thanks for writing it Dan

 

Hugs,

Tom

[Graeme]

The hatching scene was very well done! I loved it. I had expected that color, but, Dan wrote it in such as way as to make me think otherwise right up until it happened.

It was only after reviewing Dan's comments in his blog that I realised that in all the novels I had read, there is only one signficant character who rode a blue or green dragon (and that was a female rider of a green). All the other lead characters rode queen, bronze or brown dragons (plus one white dragon).

 

I also went back to the passage that Dan alluded to in his blog, and found the following quote from a character.

 

"Weyrbred is best for dragonkind. Particularly for greens."

 

That book was originally published in 1973. While she didn't make it more overt until later books, it is clear to me (now that Dan has pointed it out) that Anne McCaffery has included homosexual relationships in her world from at least the second book in the series. The quote above didn't make a lot of sense to me previously.

 

I guessed that at least one of the major characters in Dan's story would impress a green, but I wasn't sure who. I'm looking forward to learning more about this part of Weyr life because it has been lacking in most of the novels so far.

[C James]

It was only after reviewing Dan's comments in his blog that I realised that in all the novels I had read, there is only one signficant character who rode a blue or green dragon (and that was a female rider of a green). All the other lead characters rode queen, bronze or brown dragons (plus one white dragon).

 

I also went back to the passage that Dan alluded to in his blog, and found the following quote from a character.

 

"Weyrbred is best for dragonkind. Particularly for greens."

 

That book was originally published in 1973. While she didn't make it more overt until later books, it is clear to me (now that Dan has pointed it out) that Anne McCaffery has included homosexual relationships in her world from at least the second book in the series. The quote above didn't make a lot of sense to me previously.

 

I guessed that at least one of the major characters in Dan's story would impress a green, but I wasn't sure who. I'm looking forward to learning more about this part of Weyr life because it has been lacking in most of the novels so far.

I'd have never picked up on that (gay characters in the novels) without DK's post, either. But, I read the Pern books long before I knew I was gay, and I was even more obvious then than now. I'm definitely going to be doing some reading soon.

[Graeme]

I'd have never picked up on that (gay characters in the novels) without DK's post, either. But, I read the Pern books long before I knew I was gay, and I was even more obvious then than now. I'm definitely going to be doing some reading soon.

I'm assuming you mean oblivious... since I'm exactly the same.

 

I wouldn't say they are gay characters, because that implies as dichotomy between gay and straight. My read on the situation is that because of the mental/emotional influence broadcast by the dragons during a mating flight, the weyrs are more relaxed on sexual matters -- it's been stated in the stories that a rider is not responsible for what happens while a dragon is mating.

 

A consequence of that is that relationships between males are as acceptable to the weyrs as relationships between males and females. I'm using relationships in a non-sexual sense here, more like the Australian concept of mateship, though sex can be part of the relationship. Casual sex is also quite acceptable.

 

In other words, instead of 'gay characters' you have normal characters who just happen to be in a same-sex relationship -- which is EXACTLY how I think it should be.

 

Just my opinion, and I'd like other Pern fans' opinions, too.

[Mizu]

somehow, i saw the twist about the brother getting a dragon too... but i was so set on Jashon getting at least a blue...

[C James]

I'm assuming you mean oblivious... since I'm exactly the same.

Ooops! Yep, oblivious... And Emoe will surely be along shortly to remind me that I can't type. LoL!

 

I wouldn't say they are gay characters, because that implies as dichotomy between gay and straight. My read on the situation is that because of the mental/emotional influence broadcast by the dragons during a mating flight, the weyrs are more relaxed on sexual matters -- it's been stated in the stories that a rider is not responsible for what happens while a dragon is mating.

 

A consequence of that is that relationships between males are as acceptable to the weyrs as relationships between males and females. I'm using relationships in a non-sexual sense here, more like the Australian concept of mateship, though sex can be part of the relationship. Casual sex is also quite acceptable.

 

In other words, instead of 'gay characters' you have normal characters who just happen to be in a same-sex relationship -- which is EXACTLY how I think it should be.

Hmmmm... My own personal definition of "gay" is someone who just happens to prefer same-sex relationships, so to me being in a same-sex relationship means "gay" or "bi".

 

I do agree on the rest, though.

[EMoe57]

 

I'm assuming you mean oblivious... since I'm exactly the same.

Ooops! Yep, oblivious... And Emoe will surely be along shortly to remind me that I can't type. LoL!

 

Would I do that?

[C James]

Would I do that?

Yep.

 

BTW, I was wondering about Rider's pride: I noticed a lot of details like the whirling eyes that I recall from the novels. How hard is it, in a fanfic, to keep all the details such as that in sync? I'd imagine that it is actually harder than non-fanfic in that regard?

[EMoe57]

BTW, I was wondering about Rider's pride: I noticed a lot of details like the whirling eyes that I recall from the novels. How hard is it, in a fanfic, to keep all the details such as that in sync? I'd imagine that it is actually harder than non-fanfic in that regard?

Very tough to do, I'm sure. You are writing about a universe that is not your own creation. Add to that, the scores of readers who are familiar with what you are writing about and are quick to point out where you went wrong... not that I would know anything about that!

[C James]

Very tough to do, I'm sure. You are writing about a universe that is not your own creation. Add to that, the scores of readers who are familiar with what you are writing about and are quick to point out where you went wrong... not that I would know anything about that!

I'm thinking that, due to the amount of published Pern novels and stories, the amount of information must be overwhelming and darn near impossible to cross-reference.

 

Writing a fanfic based on one novel would be quite an undertaking, but a large series? Yipes!

 

Hmmmm, speaking or "Rider's Pride", I haven't seen any mention (Though I might have missed it) of why DK chose that title. My hunch is that "pride" in this case is a play on "gay pride", or in other words, gay (meaning same-sex relationships) dragon riders. Just wild speculation on my part... Sound reasonable to anyone?

[Graeme]

I'm thinking that, due to the amount of published Pern novels and stories, the amount of information must be overwhelming and darn near impossible to cross-reference.

 

Writing a fanfic based on one novel would be quite an undertaking, but a large series? Yipes!

Worse -- the books themselves are not totally consistent. The first couple, in particular, vary in some details when compared to the later. And when you start looking at the ones about early Pern, it gets worse. One of the latest books has watchwhers able to go 'between', but there is not the slightest hint in any of the other books that this was possible, and I would've expected it. It's consistent with where watchwhers came from, but it's something that was glaring by its absence in the other books -- there was a definite implication that only dragons (and, later when they were re-discovered, fire lizards) could go between.

 

Hmmmm, speaking or "Rider's Pride", I haven't seen any mention (Though I might have missed it) of why DK chose that title. My hunch is that "pride" in this case is a play on "gay pride", or in other words, gay (meaning same-sex relationships) dragon riders. Just wild speculation on my part... Sound reasonable to anyone?

My guess is that it's J'Shon's pride we're talking about. He initially didn't want to be a rider, because he felt it would disappoint his father. He is yet to be proud to be a rider -- and that is what I suspect the title means. There's probably the innuendo that you've mentioned, and that may have helped Dan select that title, but as soon as I started reading it, I felt it was J'Shon's pride that the title was about.

[C James]

Worse -- the books themselves are not totally consistent. The first couple, in particular, vary in some details when compared to the later. And when you start looking at the ones about early Pern, it gets worse. One of the latest books has watchwhers able to go 'between', but there is not the slightest hint in any of the other books that this was possible, and I would've expected it. It's consistent with where watchwhers came from, but it's something that was glaring by its absence in the other books -- there was a definite implication that only dragons (and, later when they were re-discovered, fire lizards) could go between.

It has been a lot of years, but I vaugely recall, while reading some of the "early history", that some things seemed incongrous. Yipes, that would be one heck of a challenge to deal with. I have no clue how one would go about it, so I'm very interested to see how DK handles it.

My guess is that it's J'Shon's pride we're talking about. He initially didn't want to be a rider, because he felt it would disappoint his father. He is yet to be proud to be a rider -- and that is what I suspect the title means. There's probably the innuendo that you've mentioned, and that may have helped Dan select that title, but as soon as I started reading it, I felt it was J'Shon's pride that the title was about.

That makes sense... Dan has been known to use multiple meanings in his stories on occasion, so it could certainly have more than one meaning. I also think your version sounds a bit more "spot on" than mine.

 

I loved the way DK portrayed J'Shon's feelings when he was "chosen" by a green dragon; his love for the dragon, and his fear of his father's reaction. I also really loved the Dragon's focus on food...

 

BTW, is it normal for a rider to be able to hear dragons other than their own? I notice that J'Shon can, and I suspect this might be significant.

[Trebs]

BTW, is it normal for a rider to be able to hear dragons other than their own? I notice that J'Shon can, and I suspect this might be significant.

In the Pern books, it is infrequent when a dragon talks to anyone other than their rider - but the dragons can do it when they need/want. There have even been some non-dragonriders, such as Masterharper Robinton, who have been spoken to by dragons.

 

One of the great lines so far to me, was:

 

[Graeme]

From my reading, there are very rare people who can talk to all dragons (eg. Lessa), plus the occasional person who the dragons honour by speaking to (such as Masterharper Robinton).

 

My reading of what Dan has written so far is that J'shon is tending towards the former, not the later. My reasoning is based on the hatchling that spoke to him -- who wouldn't normally speak to him unless he was the one that was to be impressed. It is possible that that particular dragon spoke to him because it was the one that K'mer impressed, and as brothers they were very close, but I'm leaning towards J'shon having a limited ability to talk to a range of dragons.

 

Thanks, Treb -- you're right. That was a real special moment in the story.

[Graeme]

Chapter 4 -- another good chapter.

 

The details of weyrlings is missing from Anne McCaffery's stories, so it was good to learn. It all certainly fitted with what has been stated or implied.

 

I liked how the two brothers are working together, and how B'rrel is leading them into Weyr-life.

 

Thanks, Dan -- I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the next chapter when it's posted.

[C James]

This was a great chapter! I loved the background info, and also the character development. J'shon's brother and B'rell shielding him "by unspoken agreement" when they were bathing was very cool.

 

The way the dragon picked up on his emotions was very well done, and certainly was a good lead-in for those who have not read the stories (and was still great for those who have) into the emotional link, and how it affects riders, especially during mating flights. J'shon is certainly nervous about that!

 

Great chapter, thanks!!