Conference noted::sf

	I just got and started reading last night.  

	It takes place concurrently with "All the Weyrs of Pern".  So far it's good, 
but I'm not really far enough into to really tell.

	A recent review in LOCUS said it was the best installment in the Pern universe
in a while.

Tracey

    argh !! i suppose us poor folks in the UK will have to wait months
    before we get it !!!

    re .2
    
    I don't think so. I saw it in Dillons bookstore in the Meadowhall
    Shopping Centre in Sheffield about a week ago.
    
    Clive

    review anyone ??
    
    ric

    I enjoyed it.   I felt that it assumes that you know about events on
    Pern.  It mentions other events in passing with no refresher of what
    really happened.
    
    I had to pause and recall the events a couple of times, but other than
    that enjoyed the read!
    
    						Chris

    This book isn't out yet here in europe. But as soon as I get a hold on
    it, I'll give a review.
    
    Wafing

It was an enjoyable book.  Not a lot of spoilers here, but just a general 
review with some references to the older books.  The time span here is
somewhat concurrent with All the Weyr's of Pern.  Robinson is alive 
at the beginning, but his death comes about half-way through the book
and we see the reaction of those at the Swift River (?) hold.  (Not sure
about the name of the hold here.  The one that Jayge and Aramina discovered
and built upon in The Renegades of Pern.)  We see the major characters 
of the other books in brief shots here and there.  But the main story 
concerns Readis (Jayge and Aramina's son) and his re-discovery of the
shipfish.  Mainly that dolphins can communicate with people in 
human speech and can be useful companions.  Readis is the first to 
uncover this, and drags a young dragonrider into it.  Readis himself,
though is forbidden by his mother Aramina to deal with the dolphins,
due to an accident that she blames on them, though they were really
instrumental in saving him. (She's also a dragon snob!)  He kind of
gets around this until a massive storm brings things to a head
and he takes off on his own in a way similar to Menollys (sp) escape
from her fish hold.  A good read in a familiar world with some
characters that are not as familiar (the dolphins mainly).  The dolphins
are handled with much the same love that the dragons are, and are 
themselves major characters in the story.

Recommended.

PeterT

    The Dolphins of Pern has been out in paperback for about a month
    or so, but it appears to be starting a new trend in DelRey pb
    science fiction/fantasy - A $6.99 price tag.  I've noticed the new
    $6.99 prices on the best seller list, something which mostly started
    in 1995.  I personally don't think they can do that with scifi
    because there are as many readers in the 12-18 range as over 18.
    
    It doesn't appear that the price increase in popular authors' books
    is going to sit well with the fans.  One of the clerks at the
    Cambridge Bookstop ordered 3 copies for my scifi shelf, and they
    haven't sold.  I don't blame people for balking at the higher price;
    I wouldn't pay $6.99 myself.  If anyone in the ZKO area is considering
    getting a copy of 'Dolphins', send me mail. I can use my store discount
    and get it at a reasonable price.
    
    In the meantime, I'm sending email to DelRey, which I believe is
    distributed by Ballantine.  Perhaps when they understand that the
    price ceiling is being exceeded, the next next McCaffrey book will
    return to a reasonable pb price.
    _Marty

From what I hear, the cost of paper is rising tremendously.  I would assume that
all printed books, no matter the topic, will increase in price.

joan

    Re. .9
    Of all the releases I've seen over the past year, Dolphins of Pern
    is the only $6.99 release.  Yes, I understand the cost of printing
    has increased, but I've just added new releases by Zahn, Pratchett,
    James Hogan, Clarke (Rama Revealed), Norton (Hand of Lyr), etc. and
    they are all $5.99 or less (and they're all the same size or thicker).
    
    It must have to do with the author negotiating higher paperback rights.
    I've seen some notes from people who are borrowing more from the
    library and frequenting used book stores, and I think higher prices
    will increase that trend.
    
    Interestingly, the independent bookstore is presently becoming extinct.
    Twenty years ago, Manchester (N.H) used to have a half dozen.  It now
    has one.  In ten years, I wonder if the superstores will crash and burn
    due to excessive costs (higher priced inventory), eroding sales, and
    competition from other superstores.  We might eventually see the return 
    of the independent bookstore.  Fun to speculate.
    _Marty
          

    Before someone calls me on it;  the new Robert Jordan books are
    also $6.99, but they run ~1000 pages each and must have extra
    production costs.  With 'Lord of Chaos' this series takes up a big
    chunk of my shelf space :-).