Usenet 1994 January/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicjanuary1994.iso/answers/pern-intro/part2

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From: [e-mail] (Taki Kogoma)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pern,news.answers,alt.answers
Subject: Welcome to alt.fan.pern (Semi-monthly posting) (Part 2 of 2)
Followup-To: alt.fan.pern
Date: 15 Dec 1993 14:03:20 -0700
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Summary: Introductory material for the alt.fan.pern newsgroup
Keywords: Pern FAQ Intro
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Archive-name: pern-intro/part2
Last-Modified: 14 Dec 93

Version: 2.1

WELCOME TO ALT.FAN.PERN!  (Part II.)

CONTENTS OF PART 1:
1.  Introductory Material
    1a.  What is this group?
    1b.  Introduction to Pern
    1c.  Appropriate subject matter
    1d.  Common abbreviations
    1e.  Fan Fiction
2.  Pern in Print
    2a.  Book List  (McCaffrey-written)
    2b.  Suggested reading order
    2c.  Chronological order of books/stories
    2d.  'References'

CONTENTS OF PART 2:
3.  Frequently Asked Questions about Pern
    3a.  Pronunciation of various words/names
    3b.  Rider behavior during Mating flights
    3c.  Queen dragons and firestone
    3d.  Where do dragons/firelizards deficate?
4.  On-line Simluations of Pern
    4a.  Accessing Pern-type MU*s
    4b.  List of Pern-type MU*s
5.  "Real Life" Fan Organizations

Note: Starting 1 November 1992, these articles are being cross-posted
to the news.answers and alt.answers newsgroups for extended expire times
and archival on rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/alt.fan.pern
                     or      /pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/alt/fan/pern
                     or      /pub/usenet/news.answers/pern-intro

To obtain these files (assumes UN*X environment with FTP capability):
---
%ftp rtfm.mit.edu
Connected to <etc.>
Name (rtfm.mit.edu:<foo>): [anonymous]
331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
Password: [your e-mail address]
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
ftp> [cd pub/usenet/alt.fan.pern
    (or) pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/alt/fan/pern
    (or) pub/usenet/news.answers/pern-intro]
250 CWD command successful.
ftp> [get Welcome_to_alt.fan.pern_(Semi-monthly_posting)_(Part_<X>_of_2).Z]

(Where <X> is the part number.  If you have chosen the
pub/usenet/news.answers/pern-intro path, then just get part<X>.)

200 PORT command successful.
[Some stuff]
ftp> (get any other parts you may want)
ftp> quit
%
---
The files are UNIX-compressed but have no other encoding.

=-=-=-=
3. Frequently Asked Questions about Pern

   From time to time, the same questions come up as new people
discover this newsgroup and pose the questions that have cropped up
during their reading of the series.  [I expect this section to grow
considerably as time passes.  Suggestions - and more importantly,
documented answers - are welcome. -Quirk]
===
3a.  Pronunciation of various words/names.

[ This pronunciation guide is based on the audiotape of Anne McCaffrey
reading an abridged version of _All the Weyrs of Pern_ and the
editor's hearing/pronuncation prejudices. ;-) ]

First off, let's get the big one out of the way: ;-)

     weyr    -   WEER     [This is hinted at in _Dragonflight_ where it
                           is implied that 'Weyr' rhymes with 'adhere'.]

Others of mild interest

     wher    -   (A cross between 'where' and 'whir')
     Piemur  -   PIEmur   [Yes, first syllable is pronounced like that
                           filled pastry thing.]
     Sebell  -   SEEbell
     Groghe  -   GROWgee  [hard (e.g. Golf) g's in both cases.]
     F'lar   -   FLAHR    [No glottal stop that I could detect.]
     Ruth    -   ROOTH    [Y'know...like the 20's baseball player? ;-) ]

[There are, of course, more names on that tape,  I'll add more names
on request.]
===
3b.  Rider behavior during Mating Flights.

    The behavior of the riders of mating dragons (and to a lesser
extent firelizard 'owners') has generated considerable controversy in
this newsgroup in the past.  During one particularly vehment flamewar
sparked by the topic, someone queried the Dragonlady, Anne McCaffrey,
herself:

---[begin included text]---
From: [e-mail] (Sharon Fisher)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 92 18:26:59 GMT

Presumably this will settle the issue?

---
Date:  23-Sep-92 02:07 PDT
From:  Anne McCaffrey
Subj:  Pern question
Well, now, it's like this...when the dragons mate, their riders are so
consumed with their dragons' passions, that there's really only one way to
vent it:  enjoying the sexual act themselves.  The double whammy is
something incredible.  Since most green riders are male, and most blue,
brown and bronze riders are also male, the obvious need not be stated.
However, it is permissible within the Weyrs for the less-enthusiastic
about this pairing having an alternate of the opposite sex available.  The
green rider will also have someone of his preference available so that the
double charge is not lost...if you don't mind me being a tad bawdy.
Actually, many of the Candidates are weyrbred and accustomed to such
demands and think little of it.  It's the main bone of contention between
the hidebound Halls and Holds and the the Weyrs for the Halls and HOlds
don't really `like' such innovations.  Still, the rider is always
compelled by concern for his dragon and THAT consideration makes the
difference in such a sexual situation.  And it is ALSO an incredible
experience, one to be treasured.
And yes, there could be more female riders of green dragons to relieve
that dilemma but after the early Plagues, women were needed more as
mothers to increase the population (something men still haven't been able
to do on their own <G>) and flying constantly between is how to abort on
Pern.  (Queen dragons are not always as horny as the greens and as they
are low-level Thread fighters, their pregnant riders could generally
manage without constantly going *between* in the performance of their
duties.)  Anyway, I thought homos deserved a place in the elite social
structure on Pern.
---
Does that answer the question completely?  Or do you need <g> diagrams?
---[end included text]---

    Some people feel that Ms. McCaffrey wimped out in this
declaration, but still, this is the best answer we have.
===
3c) Firestone and Queen Dragons

   It is stated about 1/3rd through _Dragonflight_ that Queen dragons do
not chew firestone because it would render them sterile.  (To support
this contention, the example of the overly amorous green dragons and
their lack of egg-laying activity was brought up.)  This idea is
reinforced throughout the later books - Except for _Dragonsdawn_ where
it is implied that queen dragons had been designed by Kitti Ping Yung
to be incapable of chewing stone.  This could also lead one to
conclude that green dragons had been engineered to be infertile.

   A popular theory (although certainly not the majority opinion) is
that the 'firestone -> sterility' theory had formed over the turns to
explain green infertility.  Since no goldrider in her right mind woulD
risk her queen to test this theory, it is self-consistent.

3d) Where do dragons/firelizards deficate?

   In a mostly joking respose to this question at a convention in the
distant past, Ms. McCaffrey stated that 'Dragons go *between*.' (i.e.
take care of bodily functions while transiting *between*.)  Although
this has been perpetuated throughout fandom and has even found its way
into the _Dragonlovers Guide to Pern_, it is still regarded by many as
just a joke, since it blatantly violates the laws of Conservation of
Mass/Energy.  (Of course, much in the Pern universe doesn't hold up to
scientific scrutiny. ;-)

=-=-=-=
4. On-line Simulations of Pern

   Some people have gone to the extent of attempting to duplicate Pern
with a multi-user program designed to allow people to assume the roles
of dragonriders, harpers, holders, etc.  While the most frequently discussed
is PernMUSH (See the 'What is PernMUSH?' Mimi-FAQ' for more details),
it is by no means the only one.
   Just about all of the on-line Pern simulations are based on
derivatives of a program called 'TinyMUD'.  These programs (TinyMUSH,
TinyMUSE, etc.) are collectively referred to as MU*s.

[Note to readers in Australia: My understanding is that the authorities
there have banned overseas MU*ing for the forseeable future.]
===
4a.  Accessing Pern-type MU*s

   The quick way of doing it is to use the 'telnet' program to connect
to the appropriate machine specifying the port listed - e.g. 'telnet
<machine> <port>' for most Unix systems.  If the name doesn't work,
try the numeric address.  For more info, look at the rec.games.mud.*
newsgroups.  (rec.games.mud.tiny and rec.games.mud.misc primarily.)
===
4b.  List of Pern-type MU*s

NOTE: This information is accurate so far as the author is aware.  If
there is a change, it won't be reflected here unless I'm informed of
it.

  Pern-themed MUSHs:
    PernMUSH (cesium.clock.org or 130.43.2.43) port 4201
    SouConMUSH (In limbo pending location of a new site)

        [These two are set during start of the 10th pass and are
          considered in parallel.]

    DragonsDawnMUSH (elof.iit.edu or 192.41.245.90) port 2508

        [Set during the start of the second pass.]

        ShardsMUSH (vesta.unm.edu or 129.24.14.68) port 7777

        [Set prior to the 7th pass.]

  MUSHs with Pern areas:
    TinyTIM (wiretap.spies.com or 130.43.3.3) port 5440
        TinyCWRU (caisr2.caisr.cwru.edu or 129.22.24.22) port 4201

  MUSE with Pern area:
        TimeMUSE (murren.ai.mit.edu or 18.43.0.179) port 4201

  Pern-themed MOO
        Harper's Tale (salmon.csb.ki.se or 130.237.204.6) port 8888

        [Reportedly set just prior to the 10th pass.]

    DragonsFireMOO (eskinews.eskimo.com or 162.148.13.44) port 7777

        [Set before the 11th pass.]

=-=-=-=
5.  "Real Life" Fan Organizations

There is an email list for discussion of Pernese craft issues.

To subscribe to this mail list, send email to
[e-mail]. Just include your email
address in
the body.

[ Note: I am not a member of any of the below, so I have no idea as to
activities/policy/quality.  The information has been rendered
verbatum from individuals submitting it.  No attempt has been made to
verify any of it. ]

[ Also, many thanks to [e-mail] (Joshua Sean Bell) for
sending me the following.  In addition, thanks to [e-mail]
(Chris Croughton) for providing the the CompuServe addresses listed.]

From: Bob Snyder, [e-mail]

                           Pern Fandom Organizations

This is a listing of all known Pern fandom groups which publish
newsletters or fanzines, current as of July 1991. Weyrs are listed
first; alphebetically and in order of when they are in Pern's
timeline. Since dues are subject to change, I did not include the cost
of membership. Location on Pern and contact person's persona are in
parenthesis. Please include a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope)
with any inquiry.

[Updates & aditions courtesy of:
    Greg McElhatton <[e-mail]>
    Shirley Hagstrom <[e-mail]>     ]

                                  Fandom Weyrs

                                Early Ninth Pass
Rocky Weyr (Southern Continent)
Liz Patton
12801 Roydon #703
Houston, TX  77034
Publication: The Rocky Review


                                Late Ninth Pass

Cambray Weyr (Southern)                 Fort Weyr (Northern)
Weyrwoman Randella, gold Corinth        Weyrwoman Jana, gold Kanarith
Steve Herrick (Wingsecond T'ran)        Andi Bennett-Banks (Drgnhealer Deleyan)
6681 Highland Greens Dr. #203-F         P.O. Box 850717
West Chester, OH 45069                  Westland, MI 48185-0717
                                        Publication: Harper Beat

High Reaches (Northern)                 Ista Weyr (Northern)
Weyrwoman Gessika, gold Elyseth         Weyrwoman Merelan, gold Lyrath
Laurie McCurry (Weyrwoman Gessika)      Marilyn Alm (Weyrwoman Merelan)
2903 N. Perkins Rd. C-108               2911 Eton Street
Stillwater, OK  74045                   New Orleans, LA 70131-3805
Publication: Seven Spindles             CIS: Marilyn Alm [73200,3004]

---
[ I have received a note from Judith Tabron ([e-mail])
about a fanzine generated by the 9th pass Ista Weyr organization: _Weyr Words_

For more information, snail-mail:

Judith Tabron / Holly Hutchison
4 Walnut St. 3-R
Waltham, MA 02154
(Subscriptions, questions, requests for more info)

or e-mail the above address.

Prices listed were U$15.00 for 4 issues (1 year), or U$3.75 for a
trial issue.

Also mentioned was the fact that they were looking for submissions of
fan fiction and/or artwork.

The compiler of this article has no connection to the above, and
includes this information by request.]
---

Segel Weyr (Far Eastern Continent)
Weyrwoman Kendori
Chantal Whittington
4810 O'Meara
Houston, TX 77035


No Lessa 9 Timeline

 Southern 9 (Southern Continent)
 Weyrwoman Dansela, gold Trilleath
 Tamlyn Scott (Weyrwoman 2nd Casi)
 P.O. Box 29429
 Los Angeles, CA  90029-0429
 Publication: Southern Comfort
 GEnie: TAMLYN (Tamlyn Scott / Weyrwoman 2nd Casi)


                                   Tenth Pass

Argon of Cantee (Cantee)               Crescent Weyr (Southern Continent)
Weyrwoman Shelana, silver Tellath      Weyrwoman Alianora, gold Teleuteth
Pat Munson-Siter (Weyrwoman Shelana)   Greg McElhatton (Weyrwoman Alianora)
15 S. 5th St.                          9810 Vale Rd.
Del Haven, NJ 08251-3404               Vienna, VA  22181
Publication: DragonWings               Publication: Crescendo
GEnie: R.STUKEY (Randall Stukey        e-mail: [e-mail]
                /Wingleader S'lon)     GEnie: DRIZZAN (Greg McElhatton
                                                       /Weyrwoman Alianora)

Crystal Weyr (Southern)                ForTen (Northern; Fort Weyr)
Weyrwoman Kirylyn, gold Kith           Weyrwoman Liarra, gold Glowenth
Kirylyn Dreamer (Weyrwoman Kirylyn)    Kris Spooner (Weyrwoman 2nd Lysera)
1160 N.E. 176th St.                    412 Summit Ave. #20
North Miami Beach, FL  33162           Arlington, TX  76013
Publication: Dragon Gems               Publication: Fort Drums
CIS: Kirylyn Dreamer [73507,2562]      GEnie: LYSERA (Kris Spooner
GEnie: K.DREAMER (Kirylyn Dreamer                     /Weyrwoman 2nd Lysera)
                  /Weyrwoman Kirylyn)

Haven Weyr (Southern)                  High Reaches 10 (Northern)
Weyrwoman Celina, gold Candith         Weyrwoman Niniane, gold Danuth
Debbie Bryan (Weyrwoman Celina)        Heather Moore (Weyrwoman Niniane)
1619 Eufaula Hgts.                     3428 Lariat Lane, Apt. 56
Longview, WA 98632                     Orlando, FL 32826
Publication: Haven Only Knows          Publication: Northern Lights
GEnie: R.GORDON33 (Ted Gordon          GEnie: NINIANE (Heather Moore
                   /Weyrleader G'rick)                 /Weyrwoman Niniane)>


Ista-Ten (Northern)                     Janus Weyr (Southern)
Weyrwoman Nimaleah, gold Cameleont      Weyrleader L'dan, bronze Cirth
Dale Staley (Weyrleader L'dan)          Tinker Strother (Wingsecond Gemma)
712 Bancroft Road #17                   Rt. 3, Box 190
Walnut Creek, CA 94598                  Fairfield, TX 75840-9800
Publication: Ista Impressions           Publication: Ni Var Chronicles
CIS: Dale Staley [71600,1263]           CIS: Tashana [76506,2450]

Northwind Weyr (Far Eastern Continent)  Sable Weyr (Southern)
Weyrwoman Elyssa, gold Edaygith         Weyrwoman Navira, gold Lirinith
Jennifer Gower (Weyrwoman Elyssa)       Sandra Swindle Cook (Weyrleader K'tarr)
205-A Richards                          602 Morgan Road
College Station, TX 77840               Trussville, AL  35173
Publication: Where the NorthWind Blows  Publication: Flights of Fancy
GEnie: ELYSSA (Jennifer Gower           GEnie: S.COOK11 (Sandra Swindle Cook
               /Weyrwoman Elyssa)                        /Weyrleader K'tarr)

Southern Weyr (Southern)                StarRise Weyr (Eastern Ring Islands)
Weyrwoman Lerai, gold Zanolith          Weyrwoman Ashleen, gold Lynneth
Dina Grozev (Weyrwoman Lerai)           W. David Mackenzie
144 S. Linden                           P.O. Box 1741
Palatine, IL 60067                      Norfolk, VA  23501
Publication: The Weyrhold               Publication: Out of the Blue
                                        GEnie: SF-2000 (April Masters
                                                        /Weyrleader J'ren)

Talkon Weyr (Far Eastern Continent)     Visia Weyr (Far Eastern Continent)
Weyrwoman Ynora, gold Novath            Weyrwoman Maeve, gold Dargenth
James Smith                             Robin Watson Moon (Weyrwoman Maeve)
603 S. Blackburn                        502 SW Parkway #608
Brady, TX 76825-5606                    College Station, TX  77840
Publication: The Forge                  Pulication: Visia Vision


Telgar Timeline

 Telgar 10 (Northern Continent)
 Weyrwoman Devera, gold Asfaloth
 Deborah Fredericks (Weyrwoman Deveera)
 4403 N. Monroe
 Spokane, WA  99205-1263
 Publication: The Telgar Times


                              AIVAS-10 Timeline

Fort A10 (Northern Continent)         Western Weyr (Far West/Northern Islands)
Weyrwoman Kanithia, gold Cynth        Weyrwoman Jazmyn, gold Crystath
Randall Stukey (Weyrleader D'var)     Jazmyn (Weyrwoman Jazmyn)
4122 Tallulah                         13412 Gilbert St.
San Antonio, TX  78218-3452           Garden Grove, CA 92644
GEnie: R.STUKEY (Randall Stukey       email: [e-mail]
                 /Weyrleader D'var)



                                Other Pern Clubs

Caravan Fatis (10th Pass-Northern)          Gar Hold/Darriel Council (Northern)
High Reaches and Fort Territories           9th Pass Ista Territory/Darkover
Heather Moore (Wagonsmaster Jason Fatis)    Victoria A. Smith
3428 Lariat Lane, Apt. #56                  12627 Harbor Drive
Orlando, FL 32826                           Woodbridge, VA 22192

Healercraft Hall 9 & 10 (Northern & Southern)     Pern Jockey Club (10th Pass)
Healermaster Jillian                              For Runnerbeast Racing Fans
Scotty Matthews (Master Jillian)                  Debbie Bryan
310 Barnett Shoals Rd. #20                        1619 Eufaula Hgts.
Athens, GA 30605                                  Longview, WA 98632
                                                  [Reportedly GEnie only]

--
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk                   | "I'll get a life when someone
(Known to some as Taki Kogoma)       |   demonstrates that it would be
[e-mail]                       |   superior to what I have now."
Veteran of the '91 sf-lovers re-org. |       -- Gym Quirk