The Many Works of Anne McCaffrey

A Biographical Timeline

Introduction to the timeline: I've been a fan of Anne McCaffrey's writing since my father first handed me Dragonflight at age thirteen. Some ten years later I learned more about her personal life and writing career and became a fan not just of her writing, but of Ms. McCaffrey herself. I found the determination of a single mother to make a living from writing - in what was then a heavily male-dominated genre - remarkable and inspirational. What a role model she is for young women everywhere with an interest or talent in traditionally male fields. So when I decided it was time to revamp and further develop an earlier website I had done on McCaffrey, I knew I wanted to include a biography.

As it turns out, biographies of McCaffrey are a dime a dozen online, with varying degrees of detail and length, and after some thought I decided it would be a waste of time (and perhaps a waste of webspace, as I have no illusions of being a great biographer) to write my own summary of her life. Instead I hit upon the idea of creating a timeline outlining many of the key events in her life.

A timeline unfortunately makes for rather dry reading and does not really paint a picture of what it's been like to be Anne McCaffrey the way a tradition biography would. For example it gives no indication of the dark period in the early 1980s when McCaffrey suffered from exhaustion and insomnia following a long and hectic promotional tour. And because I've tried to keep it concise it doesn't necessarily explain why some entries are of interest - for example that the man she studies stage direction under in the late 1950s became the model of one of her most popular characters, Robinton of Pern. Fans interested in this type of information will have to seek it elsewhere - a good deal of information is available on the web, and I heartily recommend the biographies written by Martha Trachtenberg and Todd McCaffrey, listed below.

A biographical timeline does however nicely diagram the intersection of McCaffrey's career with her personal life, and I myself didn't fully realize and appreciate how the pieces fit together until I worked on this timeline. I hope others find it interesting as I do.

Primary Sources
Anne McCaffrey: Science Fiction Storyteller by Martha P. Trachtenberg
Dragonholder: The Life and Dreams (So Far) of Anne McCaffrey by Todd McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey: Forty Years of Publishing by Mathew D. Hargreaves

When I have the time to read it a second time, I will be updating this timeline with details
from the new biography by Robin Roberts, Anne McCaffrey: A Life With Dragons

Biographical Timeline of Anne McCaffrey

April 1, 1926	Anne Inez McCaffrey born to George Herbert McCaffrey and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey; she had an elder brother, Hugh aka "Mac"
1927	Brother Kevin born
~1939	Brother Kevin sick with osteomyelitis; he spent much time in and out of hospitals and their mother devoted herself to nursing him
1942-1943	McCaffrey is a student at Stuart Hall, a girls' boarding school in Virginia
1944	McCaffrey enters to Radcliffe College (women's college associated with Harvard). Her studies include cartography, Celtic folklore, Chinese philosophers, English literature, US foreign policy, Russian, and Slavonic languages
1947	McCaffrey graduates cum laude from Radcliffe College, with a BA in Slavonic languages and literatures.
1948	McCaffrey moves to New York City, and has a succession of jobs, mainly as a secretary and/or copywriter
1949	McCaffrey meets H. Wright Johnson
Jan 14, 1950	McCaffrey marries H. Wright Johnson
Spring 1950	McCaffrey begins reading - and writing - science fiction
late 1951	McCaffrey and Johnson move to Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Aug 29, 1952	Son Alec is born
Oct 1953	First story published, "Freedom of the Race" in Science Fiction Plus
Jan 25 1954	McCaffrey's father dies
1955	"The Greatest Love" written, an ahead-of-its time tale that postulated in vitro fertilization; not published for 22 years
Apr 27, 1956	Son Todd is born
1956	16-year-old Hungarian refugee Josef Kaldi taken in by the Johnsons
Aug 1958	Johnson family moves to Wilmington, Delaware. While there, McCaffrey becomes active in local music and theater, and studies stage direction under Frederic H. Robinson.
Apr 1959	Second story published, "Lady in a Tower" in Fantasy and Science Fiction
1959	McCaffrey attends her first Science Fiction Writers' Conference in Milford, Pennsylvania. Attendees included Robert Silverberg, Judith Merril, Harlan Ellison, Kate Wilhelm, and James Blish. McCaffrey also introduced to Virginia Kidd.
Aug 27, 1959	Daughter Georgeanne (Gigi) is born
Apr 1961	Third story published, "The Ship Who Sang" in Fantasy and Science Fiction
1962	Josef Kaldi leaves the Johnsons and joins the US Army
1963	Johnson family moves to Düsseldorf, West Germany for six months McCaffrey attends her first science fiction convention, in Washington DC, and is encouraged to continue writing by James Blish. Virginia Kidd becomes McCaffrey's agent
Dec 1963	McCaffrey invited to direct the American premiere of Carl Orff's opera Ludus de Nato Infante Mirificus, performed in German; she also performs the part of a witch
1965	Johnson family moves to Sea Cliff on Long Island, NY McCaffrey devotes herself to writing full-time.
Mar 1966	Fourth story published, "The Ship Who Mourned" in Analog
1966	McCaffrey becomes the secretary/treasurer of the Science Fiction Writers of America
Oct 1966	Fifth story published, "The Ship Who Killed" in Galaxy
Sept 1967	First novel published, Restoree
Oct 1967	Sixth story published, "Weyr Search"
Dec 1967	Seventh story published, "Dragonrider" (first of two parts, second part followed in Jan)
Jul 1968	Second novel published, Dragonflight
Aug 1968	McCaffrey first visits Ireland, with her Aunt Gladys McElroy
Sept 1, 1968	Awarded the 1968 Best Novella Hugo for "Weyr Search" (first woman to win the Hugo)
1969	Seven short stories and two novels (Decision at Doona and The Ship Who Sang) published over the course of the year
Spring 1969	Awarded the 1968 Best Novella Nebula for "Dragonrider"
1970	Three short stories and one edited work published over the course of the year
Aug 1970	McCaffrey files for divorce in Mexico
Aug 25, 1970	McCaffrey moves to Ireland with her two younger children; eldest Alec began college at Stony Brook University. McCaffrey's mother joins them a week later.
1970	Johnson remarries
1971	One short story and three novels (Dragonquest, The Mark of Merlin, and Ring of Fear) published over the course of the year
May 1971	McCaffrey buys her first horse, Mr. Ed aka "Horseface"
1972	No works published over the course of the year Alec leaves college and joins the family in Ireland
1973	Nine short stories, one novel (To Ride Pegasus), and one edited work published over the course of the year Alec returns to the United States
1974	Three short stories published over the course of the year
Jul 12 1974	McCaffrey's mother dies from her second major stroke
1975	One short story, one novella (A Time When), and one novel (The Kilternan Legacy)published over the course of the year Gigi diagnosed with Crohn's disease
late 1975	Awarded the 1976 E.E. "Doc" Smith Award for Imaginative Fiction
1976	One novel (Dragonsong) published over the course of the year McCaffrey buys first home and dubs it "Dragonhold"
1977	Four short stories, one anthology, and one novel (Dragonsinger) published over the course of the year McCaffrey and daughter Gigi start Dragonhold Stables, a private livery stable
Jun 1978	The White Dragon is published and becomes the first hardcover science fiction novel to make The New York Times bestseller list. Also one short story and one other novel (Dinosaur Planet) published over the course of the year
1979	One short story and one novel (Dragondrums) published over the course of the year Awarded the 1979 Ditmar Award and the 1979 Galdalf Award for The White Dragon Todd enlists in the US Army
Apr 4, 1980	No works published over the course of the year Awarded the 1980 Best Novel Balrog Award for Dragondrums and the Professional Achievement Balrog Award
1981	One short story published over the course of the year
Sep 9 1981	Mr. Ed euthanized due to debilitating arthritis; McCaffrey's first grandchild born: Eliza to Alec and Kate Johnson. The balance of death and birth inspires the ending of Moreta
1982	One novel (Crystal Singer) published over the course of the year
1983	One novella (The Coelura) and one novel (Moreta) published over the course of the year
mid 1983	Alec graduates magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts and enters grad school at M.I.T.; Todd is based in West Germany as an army sergeant; Gigi attends the University of Massachusetts.
Mar 30-Apr1 1984	McCaffrey is Guest of Honor at IstaCon, the first Pern-based science fiction convention McCaffrey and Robin Wood begin planning The People of Pern
1984	Two novels (Dinosaur Planet Survivors and Stitch in Snow) published over the course of the year Anne expands and moves the Dragonhold Stablesbuilds; Gigi returns to Ireland and studies in Dublin.
1985	One short story and one novel (Killashandra) published over the course of the year The Golden Saddles Young Riders Competition moves to Dragonhold Stables McCaffrey invites her former sister-in-law, Sara Brooks to Ireland to manage her home and garden
1986	Two short stories and two novels (Nerilka's Story and The Year of the Lucy) published over the course of the year McCaffrey visits the Dolphin Research Center and gets to swim with the dolphins
1987	One novel (The Lady) published over the course of the year McCaffrey's brother Hugh dies
1988	One short story and one novel (Dragonsdawn) McCaffrey begins writing with up-and-coming authors to help build their careers McCaffrey's second grandchild, Amelia, born to Alec and Kate Johnson
July 1988	Khmer Gold, a novel written by McCaffrey's brother Hugh, is posthumously published
Nov 1988	Family friend John Greene murdered
1989	One novel (The Renegades of Pern) published over the course of the year
1990	Four short stories, two novels (The Rowan and Pegasus in Flight) and two co-authored novels (Sassinak and The Death of Sleep) published over the course of the year Work on McCaffrey's new home, "Dragonhold-Underhill" is begun on the grounds of the Dragonhold Stables, six miles from the original "Dragonhold"; construction complete the following year
Nov 1990	Gigi settles permanently in Ireland
1991	Four short stories, one novel (All the Weyrs of Pern) and two co-authored novels (Generation Warriors and Partnership) published over the course of the year
May 1991	McCaffrey has knee replacement surgery due to arthritis
Jul 1991	"Weyrfest" a Pern-based programming track, begun at DragonCon, an annual science fiction convention held in Atlanta, Georgia. Track continues to date
1992	Two novels (Crystal Line and Damia) and two co-authored novels (Crisis on Doona and The Ship Who Searched) published over the course of the year [Short stories no longer noted on timeline starting with this year]
1993	Two novels (Damia's Children and The Chronicles of Pern) and two co-authored novels (Powers That Be and The City Who Fought) published over the course of the year McCaffrey and Gigi's fiancé Geoff Kennedy set up a blacksmith shop and farriery school near to Dragonhold-Underhill
Aug 1993	Gigi weds Geoff Kennedy
Dec 1993	Todd weds Jenna Scott
1994	Two novels (Lyon's Pride and The Dolphins of Pern), three co-authored novels (Treaty at Doona, The Ship Who Won, and Power Lines), and one anthology published over the course of the year Ceara born to Todd and Jenna
1995	One novella, one novel (Freedom's Landing) and one co-authored novel (Power Play) published over the course of the year
1996	One novella and one novel (Black Horses for the King) published over the course of the year Alec and family move to Ireland; Alec becomes McCaffrey's business manager
Sep 1996	McCaffrey has hip replacement surgery
1997	Two novels (Dragonseye and Freedom's Choice) and one co-authored novel (Acorna) published over the course of the year
Jan 1997	Pern television deal signed with Zyntopo
1998	One novella, two novels (The Masterharper of Pern and Freedom's Challenge) and one co-authored novel (Acorna's Quest) published over the course of the year
Mar 17 1998	Gigi and Geoff adopt Owen, born Feb 22
1998	Alec and Kate file for divorce
1999	Two novels (Nimisha's Ship and The Tower and the Hive) and one co-authored novel (Acorna's People) published over the course of the year
Jun 26, 1999	Awarded the 1999 Margaret A. Edwards Achievement Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
July 1999	Awarded the 1999 Julie Award For A Lifetime Of Distinguished Service Throughout The Fantastic Arts
Nov 1999	Todd publishes Dragonholder, a biographical scrapbook of McCaffrey
2000	One novel (Pegasus in Space) and one co-authored novel (Acorna's World) published over the course of the year
2001	One novel (The Skies of Pern) and one co-authored novel (Acorna's Search) published over the course of the year
Apr 2001	Right before filming is to begin, the Pern television is scraped due to creative differences between the head writer Ron Moore and the WB network.
2002	One anthology and one novel (Freedom's Ransom) published over the course of the year
2003	Two co-authored novels (Acorna's Rebels and Dragon's Kin) published over the course of the year
Aug 2004	Awarded the 2004 L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Lifetime Achievement Award

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All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey’s fiction are copyright ©
Anne McCaffrey 1967-2007, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author.