“Dragonrider,” which was first released as a two-part Analog serial (December 1967 and January 1968), was the second Pern story, appearing after the shorter novella “Weyr Search” (October 1967). Together, the two stories formed the first Pern novel, Dragonflight (1968). When the online version of the ITTDB was in a nascent stage, my friend Allison Thompson-Brown reminded me that the dragons can travel to a new when as well as a new where, and that time travel first appeared near the end of “Dragonrider.” Time travel on Pern occurs in a single, static timeline, so the dragons and their riders can never change anything known to be certain in the past.
Robinton’s eyes widened as he digested this astonishing news.
“That is how we forestalled the attack on Nerat yesterday morning. We jumped back two hours between times to meet the Threads as they fell.”
Allison Thompson-Brown reminded me that dragons can go when as well as where, and the travel through time always results in a stable time loop, so that dragon travel can never change anything known to be certain in the past. The actual whening part (or going between time, as it’s called) didn’t come until the third installment (Part 2 of “Dragonrider” in the Jan 1968 Analog), but I’ll date the concept back to the slightly earlier appearance of the first story (“Weyr Search” in Oct 1967). The two stories were fixed up into the first Pern novel, Dragonflight, in July of 1968, but it was another ten years before I discovered it.
Robinton’s eyes widened as he digested this astonishing news.
“That is how we forestalled the attack on Nerat yesterday morning. We jumped back two hours between times to meet the Threads as they fell.”
The story incorporates the novella, “A Time When” (1975), which appeared only as a limited edition at Boskone where McCaffrey was the Guest of Honor.
Traveling between times does not play a big role in the story, but there are small uses: K’lon stumble upon the chronoability of his dragon, using it to spend more time with his love A’murry; later, Moreta hatches a plan to bring more of the needed needlethorn from the future
Also in November of 1989, Jody Lynn Nye (with help from McCaffrey) released The Dragonlover’s Guide to Pern. No dragonreader should leave home without it.
“What else?” F’lessan asked, right behind her, hauling Tai along beside him.
“How else could we do what is to be done?” T’gellan added as he dragged his weyrmate into a near run. “Yes, Ramoth just confirmed it to Monarth.”
“But what do we do first?” Mirrim demanded in a scared voice.
“Monarth’s bespeaking Talina’s Arwith. I’ve told her to take four wings at once to Monaco Bay, to warn Partmaster Zewe and to start moving people to safety.”
“Yes, they do, I saw Dask do it,” Kindan corrected.
Somber M’hall startled at the sound of his own voice coming to him. “You’re from the future?”
He scanned the line, looking for someone who might answer.
“We were on an important mission,’ J’trel said finally. The others looked at him and nodded in relief.
“Very important,” K’nad added with a confirming nod.
“So important that I didn’t know about it?” J’lantir asked in scathing tones.
K’nad gave him a confused look and was about to answer when J’trel nudged him, shaking his head.
“He said he wouldn’t believe us, remember?” J’trel whispered to K’nad in a voice not so quiet that J’lantir didn’t hear him.