References (Season 1)

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This page collects any non-Pern material we reference over the course of episodes in Season 1; for Season 2 references, see here.

Main Episodes

• Episode #1: Dragonflight (1968)
  • Katherine Addison, The Goblin Emperor (2014)
  • Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette, Iskryne series (2007-2015)
  • Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan Saga (1986—)
  • Gertrude Chandler, Box-Car Children / The Boxcar Children (1924/1942)
  • Harlan Ellison, “A Voice from the Styx” (1968), available here in Psychotic #27 (Sept. 1968)
    • A longer version (with the same “Guevera” typo) is available in The Book of Ellison (1978)
  • Jean George, My Side of the Mountain (1959)
  • Mercedes Lackey, Arrows trilogy (1987-1988) and the rest of the Valdemar series (1987—)
  • Anne McCaffrey, The Rowan / The Tower and Hive series (1990-1999)
  • Gary Paulsen, Hatchet (1987)
  • Kathleen Woodiwiss, The Flame and the Flower (1972)
• Episode #2: Dragonquest (1971)
  • Jane Austen, Emma (1816)
  • Ester Boserup, Women’s Role in Economic Development (1970)
  • Alberto Alesina, Paola Giuliano, and Nathan Nunnn, “On the Origins of Gender Roles: Women and the Plough” (2013; 2011 working paper version PDF here)
  • Mercedes Lackey, The Last Herald-Mage (1989-1991)
• Episode #3: Dragonsong (1976)
  • Isaac Asimove, Foundation series (1942-1983)
  • Frank Herbert, Dune series (1965-1985)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, Earthsea series (1968-2001)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, the Hainish Cycle (1964-2000)
  • Tamora Pierce, Song of the Lioness quartet (1983-1988)
  • Darko Suvin, “Considering the Sense of ‘Fantasy’ or ‘Fantastic Fiction’: An Effusion” (2000)
• Episode #4: Dragonsinger (1977)
  • Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition
  • Mercedes Lackey, Heralds of Valdemar (2001-2003)
  • Anne McCaffrey, The Ship Who Sang (1969)
• Episode #5: The White Dragon (1978)
  • Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan Saga (1986—)
  • on enthusiastic vs. willing consent, see this piece by Angela Chen
• Episode #6: Dragondrums (1979)
  • This one is self-contained!
• Episode #7: Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern (1983)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Return to Nevèrÿon (1978-1987), especially Neveryóna (1983) and Flight from Nevèrÿon (1985)
  • Mercedes Lackey, The Last Herald-Mage (1989-1991)
  • Rogue One (2016)
• Episode #8: Nerilka’s Story (1985)
  • This one is self-contained!
• Episode #9: Dragonsdawn (1988) (part 1)
  • Firefly (2002)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, “Escape Routes” (1974, republished in The Language of the Night)
  • Priest (2011)
  • Andy Weir, The Martian (2011)
• Episode #10: Dragonsdawn (1988) (part 2)
  • Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights (1847)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand (1984)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Trouble on Triton (1976)
  • Mercedes Lackey, Valdemar series (1987—)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed (1974)
  • Star Trek (the original series) (1966-1969)
  • Robert T. Tally, jr., “Tolkien’s Deplorable Cultus” (2024)
  • Jillian Weise, “Common Cyborg” (2018)
• Episode #11: The Renegades of Pern (1989)
  • Black Panther (2018)
• Episode #12: All the Weyrs of Pern (1991)
  • This one is, a bit surprisingly, self-contained!
• Episode #13: The Dolphins of Pern (1994)
  • This one is self-contained, in that we don’t specifically mention anything else in our conversation, but Lleu wants to particularly mention Sara Ahmed’s The Promise of Happiness and Living a Feminist Life as relevant for thinking about the ways expectation shapes Readis’s life.
• Episode #14: Red Star Rising/Dragonseye (1996/1997), part 1
  • This one is self-contained!
• Episode #15: Red Star Rising/Dragonseye (1996/1997), part 2
  • This one is self-contained!
• Episode #16: The Masterharper of Pern (1998)
  • This one is self-contained!
• Episode #17: The Skies of Pern (2001), part 1
  • Robert Browning, “Bishop Blougram’s Apology” (1855)
• Episode #18: The Skies of Pern (2001), part 2
  • This one is self-contained!
• Episode #19: “Weyr Search” (1967)
  • This one is, shockingly, self-contained!

Bonus Episodes

• Bonus Episode #1: World-building
  • This one is self-contained!
• Bonus Episode #2: “The Smallest Dragonboy” (1973)
  • This one is also self-contained!
• Bonus Episode #3: Human Demographics
  • Thomas E. Currie et al., “Agricultural Productivity in Past Societies: Toward an Empirically Informed Model for Testing Cultural Evolutionary Hypotheses” (2015)
  • the Eragon Sporkings fan wiki’s page on chapter 26 of Eragon
  • Mark Koyama, Remi Jedwab, and Noel Johnson, “Pandemics, Places, and Populations: Evidence from the Black Death” (2019)
  • Massimo Livi-Bacci, “Demographic Shocks: The View From History” (2001)
  • Paulo Malanima, Premodern European Economy: One Thousand Years (10th-19th Centuries) (2009)
  • the Pern demographics pages at Hartley Patterson’s News from Bree (shoutout to tumblr user threadfall for pointing us to this!)
  • Matthew Phelps et al., “Cholera Epidemics of the Past Offer New Insights Into an Old Enemy” (2017)
  • Robert A. Scott, chapter 1 of Miracle Cures: Saints, Pilgrimage, and the Healing Powers of Belief (2010)
  • Fabian Siuda and Uwe Sunde, “Disease and demographic development: the legacy of the plague” (2021)
• Bonus Episode #4: Dragon Demographics
  • the dragon demographics page at Hartley Patterson’s News from Bree
• Bonus Episode #5: ’60s and ’70s Retrospective
  • Poul Anderson, “A Chapter of Revelation” (1972)
  • regrettably, Piers Anthony’s Apprentice Adept, Incarnations of Immortality, and Xanth series
  • tumblr user apas-95 on terra nullius re North America
  • Eleanor Arnason, Ring of Swords (1993)
  • Jean M. Auel, The Clane of the Cave Bear (1980)
  • Leigh Brackett, The Long Tomorrow (1955)
  • Leigh Brackett, a wide range of planetary romance works including The Coming of the Terrans (1967, collecting older stories) and The Sword of Rhiannon (1953)
  • Terry Brooks, Shannara series (1977-2020)
  • Edgar Rice Burroughs, Martian series (1912-1943)
  • Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes (1912)
  • Octavia E. Butler, Patternmaster (1976)
  • Suzy McKee Charnes, Walk to the End of the World (1974)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Trouble on Triton (1976, also published as Triton)
  • W.E.B. Du Bois, “The Comet” (1920)
  • David (and Leigh) Eddings, the Belgariad (1982-1984)
  • Robert A. Heinlein, especially Space Cadet (1948)
  • Georgette Heyer, especially An Infamous Army (1937)
  • tumblr user identitty-dickruption on terra nullius re Australia
  • Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time (1990-2013)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, City of Illusions (1967)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, Planet of Exile (1966)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, Rocannon’s World (1966)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, The Word for World Is Forest (1972)
  • the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, some of the most important works of medieval Welsh literature
  • Anne McCaffrey, Crystal Singer trilogy (1982-1992)
  • Anne McCaffrey, Decision at Doona (1969)
  • Anne McCaffrey, The Ship Who Sang (1969)
  • Anne McCaffrey, Tower and Hive series (1990-1999)
  • Anne McCaffrey, “Velvet Fields” (1973, republished in 1994 in the collection The Girl Who Heard Dragons)
  • Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball, Acorna: The Unicorn Girl (1997)
  • Walter M. Miller, jr., A Canticle for Leibowitz (1960)
  • C.L. Moore, Northwest of Earth (1954, collecting older stories)
  • Tamora Pierce, Song of the Lioness quartet (1983-1988)
  • David Seed, American Science Fiction and the Cold War (1999)
  • WarGames (1983)
  • David Weber, Honor Harrington series (1992-2018, not counting spinoffs)
  • Jamie Williamson, The Evolution of Modern Fantasy (2015)
• Bonus Episode #6: “The Girl Who Heard Dragons” (1986)
  • This one is self-contained!
• Bonus Episode #7: Listener Q&A
  • Mary Brizzi, Anne McCaffrey (Starmont Reader’s Guide 30)
  • Harlan Ellison, “A Voice from the Styx” (1968), available here in Psychotic #27 (Sept. 1968)
    • A longer version is available in The Book of Ellison (1978)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, Earthsea series (1968-2001)
  • Stephenie Meyer, Twilight (2005-2020)
  • Patricia Monk, “The Future Imperfect of Conjugation: Images of Marriage in Science Fiction”, in Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal 17.2 (1984)
  • Tamora Pierce, Song of the Lioness quartet (1983-1988)
• Bonus Episode #8: “Rescue Run” (1991)
  • Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game (1985)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
  • Michael S. Teitelbaum, “Natural increase and population growth” (Encyclopedia Britannica, last updated Feb. 2025)
  • David Weber, Honor Harrington series (1992—)
• Bonus Episode #9: ’80s Retrospective
  • Alien series (1979—)
  • Isaac Asimov, Foundation series (1942-1993)
  • Blade Runner (1982)
  • Marion Zimmer Bradley, Darkover series (1958-1996)
  • Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan Saga (1986—)
  • Octavia E. Butler, Wild Seed (1980)
  • Octavia E. Butler, Xenogenesis trilogy (1987-1989)
  • C.J. Cherryh, Downbelow Station (1981)
  • Conan the Barbarian (1982)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Flight from Nevèrÿon (1985)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand (1984)
  • Suzette Haden Elgin, Native Tongue (1984)
  • Mercedes Lackey, Valdemar series (1987—)
  • Elizabeth A. Lynn, Chronicles of Tornor trilogy (1979-1980)
  • Elizabeth A. Lynn, A Different Light (1978)
  • Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior (1981)
  • Anne McCaffrey, The Coelura (1983)
  • Anne McCaffrey, Crystal Singer trilogy (1982-1992)
  • Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye, Doona trilogy (1969-1994)
  • Anne McCaffrey, Dinosaur Planet duology (1978-1984)
  • Star Trek franchise (1966—), especially Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
  • Star Wars original trilogy (1977-1983)
  • The Terminator (1984)
  • Jack Vance, Dying Earth series (1950-1984)
  • WarGames (1983)
  • Gene Wolfe, The Book of the New Sun (1980-1983)
• Bonus Episode #10: “The Suvey: P.E.R.N.^c” (1993)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Trouble on Triton (1976)
  • Sarah Gailey, “Stet” (2018)
  • Sarah Pinsker, “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather” (2021)
• Bonus Episode #11: “The Dolphins’ Bell” (1993)
  • Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game (1985)
  • David Weber, Honor Harrington series (1992—)
• Bonus Episode #12: “The Ford of Red Hanrahan” (1993)
  • Órla Ní Dhúill, “Do Fantasy Writers Think Irish Is Discount Elvish?” (2019)
• Bonus Episode #13: “The Second Weyr” (1993)
  • This one is self-contained!
• Bonus Episode #14: A Literary History of Dragon(rider)s
  • Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)
  • Leigh Brackett, e.g. The Coming of the Terrans (1967)
  • Marion Zimmer Bradley (at least initially), Darkover series (1958—), particularly Hawkmistress! (1982)
  • Mary Brown, Pigs Don’t Fly series (1986-1999)
  • Anne Claude de Caylus, “Le prince Courtebotte et la princesse Zibeline” (1741)
  • Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon series (2003-2015)
  • Samuel R. Delany, Return to Nevèrÿon series (1978-1987)
  • Peter Dickinson, The Flight of Dragons (1979)
  • Diane Duane, Middle Kingdoms series (1979—)
  • Dungeons & Dragons (1974—)
  • Edward Plunkett aka Lord Dunsany, The Book of Wonder (1912), specifically “The Hoard of the Gibbelins”
  • Walter Farley, The Black Stallion (1941)
  • Susan Fletcher, Dragon’s Milk (1989)
  • Diana Pharaoh Francis, Path series (2003-2006)
  • Ruth Stiles Gannett, My Father’s Dragon (1948)
  • Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron, the Gandalara Cycle (1981-1986)
  • Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia regum Britanniae (ca. 1136)
  • Stephen Gilbert, The Landslide (1943)
  • Kenneth Grahame, “The Reluctant Dragon” (1898)
  • Maria Dahvana Headley (tr.), Beowulf (ca. 10th century/2020)
  • Marguerite Henry, Misty of Chincoteague (1947)
  • Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, and Margaret Weis, Dragonlance (1984—)
  • Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, Havemercy series aka the Volstovic Cycle (2008-2011)
  • Mercedes Lackey, Dragon Jousters series (2003-2006)
  • Mercedes Lackey, Obsidian Mountain trilogy (2003-2006)
  • Mercedes Lackey, Valdemar series (1987—)
  • Andrew Lang and Leonora Blanche Alleyne, “Heart of Ice” (1892)
  • Ursula K. Le Guin, Earthsea series (1968-2001)
  • Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms (ca. 14th century)
  • Anne McCaffrey, To Ride Pegasus (1973)
  • Patricia A. McKillip, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (1974)
  • Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear, Iskryne series (2007-2015)
  • Michael Moorcock, Elric of Melniboné series (1961—)
  • Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko (ill.), The Paper Bag Princess (1980)
  • E. Nesbitt, The Book of Dragons (1899/1901)
  • John Norman, the Gor series (1966—)
  • Christopher Paolini, the Inheritance Cycle (2002-2011)
  • Tamora Pierce, the Trickster duology (2003-2004)
  • Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic (1983)
  • Anna Sewell, Black Beauty (1877)
  • Wikipedia article on solomonari
  • Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene (1590/1596)
  • Dugald Steer and a bunch of illustrators, Dragonology (2003)
  • J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937)
  • J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955)
  • Johnny Valentine, The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans (1991)
  • Vivian Vande Velde, Dragon’s Bait (1992)
  • Patricia C. Wrede, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles (1985-1995)
  • Wu Cheng’en, Journey to the West (ca. 1592)
  • Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing (2023)
  • Jane Yolen, Pit Dragon Chronicles (1982-2009)
• Bonus Episode #15: “Runner of Pern” (1998)
  • Thomas Asbridge, The Crusades (2010)
  • Roger Crowley, City of Fortune (2012)
  • François-Xavier Fauvelle, The Golden Rhinoceros (2013)
  • Michael A. Gomez, African Dominion (2018)
  • David Graeber, Debt (2011)
  • Judith Herrin, Byzantium (2008)
  • Georgette Heyer, as progenitor of the Regency romance
  • Uladzimir Karatkevich, King Stakh’s Wild Hunt (1964)
  • Thomas F. Madden, Venice (2013)
  • the “Bargaining for Bubbly Pies” page at Hartley Patterson’s News from Bree
  • Wikipedia article on szlachta
• Bonus Episode #16: ’90s Retrospective
  • K.A. Applegate, Animorphs (1996-2001)
  • Iain M. Banks, the Culture series (1987-2012)
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
  • Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan Saga (1986—)
  • Charmed (1998-2006)
  • C.J. Cherryh, Alliance-Union series (1976—)
  • Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man (1992)
  • Mercedes Lackey, Arrows to the Queen (1987)
  • Anne McCaffrey, Tower and Hive series (1990-1999)
  • books cowritten by Anne McCaffrey with other writers:
    • Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball, PartnerShip (1992)
    • Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball / Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, the Acorna series (1997-2007)
    • Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey, The Ship Who Searched (1992)
    • Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon, Sassinak (1990)
    • Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye, Crisis on Doona (1992)
    • Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye, Death of Sleep (1990)
    • Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye, The Ship Who Won (1994)
    • Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye, Treaty at Doona (1994)
    • Anne McCaffrey and S.M. Stirling, The City Who Fought (1993)
  • Jody Lynn Nye, The Dragonlover’s Guide to Pern (1989)
  • Princess Gwenever and the Jewel-Riders aka Starla and the Jewel-Riders (1995-1996)
  • the ’90s Star Trek:
    • Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
    • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
    • Star Trek: Generations (1994)
    • Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
    • Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
    • Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
  • David Weber, Honor Harrington series (1992-2018, not counting spinoffs)
  • Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)
• Bonus Episode #17: “Ever the Twain” (2001)
  • This one is self-contained!
• Bonus Episode #18: “Beyond Between” (2003)
  • Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)
  • Tom Stoppard, Arcadia (1993)
  • J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955)