The Sword and Laser discussion

I haven't read many dragon books, myself. For those of you have, who does it best? And why?

I've read a lot, but Anne McCaffrey still does it best for me.

I love Anne McCaffrey and Denis L. Mckiernan's really cinches it for me. His dragon's are like relativistic bombs landing while people are still stringing their bows.

Another dear dragon writer is Christopher Rowley with First in a series about a more mundane sort of dragon, but no less awesome and engaging. Loved those books! It is a shame they are all out of print.

Interestingly, I have never read McCaffrey before, but based on the first couple of chapters of Dragonflight her dragons actually seem the closest I've come across to how I would write dragons myself. Which makes me like her dragons a lot (and also think 'dammit, that was MY idea that she stole years ago before I was born!').

When I was younger, I really enjoyed the Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

I'm going to have to go with two of the newer authors, Naomi Novik with His Majesty's Dragon and the whole Temeraire series. Also, there's James Maxey, with his lovely sci-fi/fantasy blender Bitterwood.

Probably Anne McCaffrey or Robin Hobb. Naomi Novik's are quite nice as well.

There's also Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

Anne McCaffrey without question. Hers were the first fantasy novels I read as a young girl, and among the very few books I've re-read. The idealist in me loves that her dragons are altruistic.

Anne McCaffery is my favorite but Melanie Rawn is a close second.

A strong second to Novik's Tameraire series. Dragons that are both fearsome and friendly. It's fun to see how different cultures acclimated to dragons.

On a more sword and sorcery level; Richard Lee Byers' Forgotten Realms series, The Year of Rogue Dragons:

Very entertaining.

You know, this thread amused me when I saw it written, because for as much as I profess to like fantasy (and in fact prefer it to science fiction), I think that the only books with dragons that I've read are:

-the Pern books (ages and ages ago, so glad for this month's pick to go back and see if I still love it--these are some of the books that I credit with getting me into the SFF genres)
-Hobb's assassin books
-GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire
-Eragon books

I have a vague recollection that dragons show up in Feist, but I can't specifically remember any. Of those three I *do* remember, the dragons I want to have as my own are the ones I remember best: GRRM's. The TV show is helping that. But honestly as generic as the Eragon books are, I'd love to be paired to one of Paolini's dragons, too.

I need to read more dragon books! I even have a Dragonite Pokemon on my shelf!

I like the dragons in the Earthsea trilogy by Le Guin. Wise, dangerous, magical beings fit my ideas of dragons.

I'm going to go with The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick. Or for an even more artsy take on the whole thing, The Dragon Griaule by Lucius Shepard.

Then again, to go more classic, I haven't read them in many, many years but I do fondly remember the dragons in Dragonlance Chronicles.

Anne McCaffrey by far writes my favorite dragons. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles were also favorites of mine, though they are more YA.

I agree with Joseph -- I have to go with Michael Swanwick, too (don't forget The Dragons of Babel). Unconventional dragons, which is why I like 'em.

I haven't read many, but I like Naomi Novik

I grew up with Pern dragons, so I guess they are what set the standard for me, but I also like Naomi Novik take on Temerarire...in the first books

The Age of Fire Series (Dragon Champion) by E.E. Knight.

And like many other Novik

Robin Hobb and Naomi Novik.

Oooh, I almost forgot, Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton was a great and funny read, I really loved her concept of dragon society!

Melanie Rawn trumps McCaffery for me - I loved her 'Dragon Prince' and 'Dragon Star' series so much. I know she's moved on to other ideas, but I do sometimes wish she'd revisit that universe again.

I love Anne MacCaffrey's dragons... but I also really like E. E. Knight's Age of Fire series, told from the dragon's point of view. Wonderful books!

It's probably a toss up between McCaffreys, Hobbs, and by Edwards. I rarely hear anyone speak of this author, but I loved him in my teens (which could prove his undoing, I haven't gone back and reread them since I got out of high school)

As I'm thinking about it, wasn't there also a dragon in the Naamah's Kiss series by Jacqueline Carey?

And there's also always Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy.

Mel wrote: "I've read a lot, but Anne McCaffrey still does it best for me."

Same here. McCaffrey's dragons are really unique in literature for not being the antagonist or scaly monsters. Even when dragons are good guys, they're still the typical scaly monster.

I love Naomi Novik when it comes to dragons. I also have several favorites from the YA genre - Dragon Slippers and Dealing with Dragons are right up there.
I read Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong series first, so I was always way more about her fire lizards than her dragons.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned How to Train Your Dragon. I bought it back when the movie came out, but haven't got round to reading it yet. Based on the movie, and subsequent series, I would think it had some good dragons.

I like Le Guin's dragons. I love the description of a dragonlord as someone who can talk to a dragon and not get eaten by them. I like the way that the dragons are portrayed as "other", powerful and wise.

Joseph wrote: "As I'm thinking about it, wasn't there also a dragon in the Naamah's Kiss series by Jacqueline Carey?..."

Yes, there is a dragon in Naamah's Kiss and I liked him a lot. My favorites are probably McCaffery's. Like many of the other responses I read, I kinda grew up with them. Another that comes to mind are the Devvery books by Katherine Kerr (although I'm not sure there are any dragons until late in the series).

Anne McCaffery and, believe it or not, Terry Pratchett. McCaffery's dragons are really great characters while still being instinctive animals and Pratchett's dragons are funny little (and not so little) explosions waiting to happen.

Admittedly Pratchett's dragons only appear in two or three of his novels and only star in one.

Dajinxed1 wrote: "Anne McCaffery and, believe it or not, Terry Pratchett. ..."

I totally forgot about them! But I do love those little exploding dragons, so funny!

I'll echo the love for Melanie Rawn's dragons. She's a front runner for me with Anne McCaffrey. I'm not sure anyone else has ever written dragons as personable as those two.

One of the first dragon books I remember reading: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher: A Magic Shop Book.

The McCaffrey books as well as the Tracy & Hickman books were constant companions for me during Middle and High School. I have read and re-read both series numerous times.

Dragon Weather by Lawrence Watt-Evans and the others in the series are great quick reads. A bit YA-ish though I'm not sure if it's classified as YA.

Mercedes Lackey has a few good ones. Joust,Alta,Sanctuary.

Terry Pratchett and Robert Asprin both write funny dragons. (Not the typical sword and sorcery novels, but pretty awesome in their own comedic right).

I'm actually surprised looking back through my library at how FEW dragony books I have. I would have thought there would be more.

I don't have one.
My favorite Dragon, aside from Smaug and one of the greatest D&D campaigns I ever played—involving several high level characters, a city army, vs a single Epic Level Dragon (just so the DM could show what fighting an organic skyscraper with wings, would be like), comes from the movie Reign of Fire. The movie was Ok, I liked it a lot when it first came out, but I still love how the dragons were done.

I am really surprised no one put Elizabeth Kerner Song in the Silence. Tooth and Claw was a good one too.

Oh and the Death Gate Novels. Starting with Dragon Wing while not "about" dragons, they are present in a very good story.

I haven't read many books with dragons but of those I had I will go with the Dragonlance Chronicles.

Glenn wrote: "I'll echo the love for Melanie Rawn's dragons. She's a front runner for me with Anne McCaffrey. I'm not sure anyone else has ever written dragons as personable as those two."

I';m going to have to go reread those. I remember loving them.