My friend sent me a copy of this link today. I don't know if you have already heard this news, but author Anne McCaffrey passed away this week, aged 85.
http://sf-fantasy.suvudu.com/2011/11/anne-mccaffrey-april-1-1926-november-21-2011.html I first discovered her books as a teenager, when my mum used to take me and my brother to the book shops in Bristol at the weekend. The first book I bought was Dragonflight, which is the first in the Dragonriders of Pern series.
Since then I have collected a large number of her novels, which take pride of place on my bookshelf next to my Terry Pratchett collection.