Beyond Between

Pern (Chronological Order)

by Anne McCaffrey

"Beyond Between" is a novelette by Anne McCaffrey that first appeared in the Science Fiction Anthology "Legends II" which was published in 2003 by Del Rey.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Dragons, Fiction, Ebooks, Audiobook

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy series. I really enjoyed this reading this short story. I liked hearing what happened to Moreta after the end of her book. This is a great, quick read.

[Laurla2]

moreta and her borrowed dragon holth become trapped in the 'between' after delivering the last packet of vaccine against the plague. there she encounters marco and his dragon duluth. he helps her figure out how to contact the regular world to get a message to her dragon orlith, and dragon holth's rider leri.

-short story read in the anthology legends II: shadows, gods, and demons. only read this story.

[Roger L. Eason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Pern books generally, and often like short stories.

But this one was just flat for me. I had read Dragon's Dawn and Moreta but couldn't connect to the characters here.

Nothing seem to hold attention very well, characters, plot, mysticism, etc. It all just felt weak.

Roger

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely short story, that follows immediately on from Moreta, and tells what may have happened to Moreta and Holth, after they went Between.

It also tells of the last Hold that Moreta delivered the flu serum to.

This was short, but sweet.

[Glenn тнєgєєкунιρριє™ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this after Moreta Dragonlady of Pern for some closure.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would best be read shortly after reading Moreta's story, I think. It added some speculation on the Afterlife of Pern.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short little story covers what happens to Moreta and Holth after the the end of Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern and it feels entirely unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, it's not the worst McCaffrey short story I've ever read, and the writing is still better than some of her early work, but it feels more like an idea she wanted to put to paper than a fully fleshed story.

As an exploration/allegory for the after life, it's boring...Though I might be biased as I find them a bit boring anyway. What could have been a very interesting story about inter-dimensional travel, or the horrors of getting stuck in the eternal cold of between, turned into a very placid, very Christian interpretation of heaven and ghosts. Any moments of suspense or atmosphere was thoroughly ruined even if the characters themselves were well written...Except for Moreta, who turned into a wet fish, even if being dead is a good excuse.

The ending was especially annoying, both as a resolution to the end of Moreta's story and as an ending actual story itself. If the pair can be seen, interact with the physical world again, and mentally speak to each other, then surely they don't need to go between? It reminded me of how Orlith couldn't reach Moreta when she previously went between time but could find her when she returned. It had no reason for happening other than to create a 'happy' reunion with no effort.

I tracked a copy of this down outside of the Legends II anthology purely to understand some of the discussions happening in fandom. If that's not of interest to you, just read the synopsis on the Pern Wiki.

[Liv · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like I know where the author was trying to go with this story, but that she missed the mark by a mile. The story attempts to deal with some major issues of where we go when we die, or what happens to us, or perhaps the place in the novel is not death but near-death. Really, it's that vague and hard to follow that I couldn't even pin that much of it down. It was fragmented, confusing, and even slightly hurtful to see some beloved characters from two other novels during this time-frame to be treated so cavalierly.

If anything, the best I can guess is that it was dashed off in a great unplanned rush without a lot of thought put into it, to meet the deadline for the short story compilation it's included in. I'm glad I read it once at least, but most likely I will pass on it when I re-read my Pern collection.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story details the jumps that Moreta, dragonrider of Orlith and Holth, dragon to Leri, made to help spread a vaccine in advance of a plague spread by cats (in some way, that was not expressed).

Moreta and Holth last had a delivery to Thaniel's runnerbeast camp. They jumped Between, with no destination. Everyone on Pern believes them dead. However, their spirits find the Paradise Island, led by Marco and Duluth, a team of dragon and dragonrider. Navigating how to get back to their people, and their other halves also explores the idea of an afterlife or the soul.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh as I observe the writing style to be aimed at late adolescence to young college students, it doesn't take long for me to pass the details and get lost in the story, to tear up, to want to break down and cry yet keep reading (ever try to read while crying?) to a beautiful resolution. Or not, but it's really the best for all involved. By the nature of the bond between dragon and rider established at hatching, it's truly the ONLY resolution to a minor mistake that resulted in the death of a non-bonded pair.

Read it, it only takes 90 minutes. You can find it in Legends II

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story about how Moreta was reunited with Orlith and Leri with Holth after Moreta inadvertently went between after her final run delivering serum. Cool look at between, with a surprise visit from Marco Galliani and Duluth! (Found in LEGENDS II)

[Rick Piatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice way to put the final wrapping paper on the stores of Moretta.

[Chez Nash · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good closing to Moreta's story.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Anne McCaffrey. I have read all of her series more than once. If I was stranded on an island I would want all her books.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Beyond Between" is a novelette by Anne McCaffrey that first appeared in the Science Fiction Anthology "Legends II" which was published in 2003 by Del Rey.

[Echo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Added nothing to the series, didn't fit with the rules set up about dragons, and nothing really happened.

[Puddytatpurr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely addendum to Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern.