{{Short description|1979 novel by Anne McCaffrey}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{infobox book | name = Dragondrums | image = File:Dragondrums.jpg | caption = First edition | author = Anne McCaffrey | cover_artist = {{plainlist| * Fred Marcellino (first) * Colin Saxton (UK) * and others{{efn|name=cover}} }} | country = United States | language = English | series = {{plainlist| * ''Dragonriders of Pern'' * Harper Hall Trilogy }} | genre = {{plainlist| * Science fiction * Young adult }} | publisher = Atheneum Books | release_date = March 1979 | media_type = Print (hardcover & paperback) | pages = 240 (first edition) | isbn = 978-0-689-30685-3 | oclc = 4498784 | dewey = | congress = PZ7.M122834 Dm<!-- really? See Talk:The White Dragon#LC Classification. --> | preceded_by = The White Dragon | followed_by = Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern }}
'''''Dragondrums''''' is a young adult science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. Published by Atheneum Books in 1979, it is the sixth book in the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' series.
Anne McCaffrey's son, Todd McCaffrey,<ref>{{isfdb series|482|''Dragonriders of Pern''}}. Retrieved 2011-10-09.</ref> started contributing to the series beginning in 2003 with ''Dragon's Kin''.
''Dragondrums'' completed the ''Harper Hall of Pern'' trilogy one year after ''The White Dragon'' completed the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' trilogy. Boxed and omnibus editions of both trilogies soon followed.
==Plot summary== ''Dragondrums'' is the coming of age story of Piemur, a small, quick, clever apprentice at Harper Hall. When Piemur's clear treble voice changes, his place among the Harpers is no longer certain. He is sent to the drum towers to learn drumming, the primary method of long-distance communication on Pern for non-dragonriders, while his voice settles. There he has to deal with the jealousy and bullying of the other drumming apprentices. When Masterharper Robinton secretly asks Piemur to be his apprentice, Piemur begins journeying through Pern, gathering information and running discreet errands for the Masterharper. In his adventures throughout Pern, Piemur has only his knowledge and wits to deal with a cruel Lord Holder and rogue dragonriders. He Impresses one of the coveted fire-lizards – a gold he names Farli – as a companion, discovers his place in the world, and earns journeyman status among the Harpers.
The events in ''Dragondrums'' take place after ''Dragonsinger'' and are contiguous with some events in ''The White Dragon'', which discusses characters and events elsewhere on Pern.
==Awards== The American Library Association in 1999 cited these first six Pern books, along with ''The Ship Who Sang'', when McCaffrey received the annual Margaret A. Edwards Award for her "lifetime contribution in writing for teens".<ref name="ALA-Edwards"/>
''Dragondrums'' placed eighth for the annual Locus Award for Best Novel and it won the annual Balrog Award in the Novel class.<ref name="locus-awards"/>
==Notes== {{notelist|notes= {{efn|name=cover|1= {{ISFDB title|2061}} identifies five cover artists for US editions and hosts at least thumbnail images of their front covers: Fred Marcellino, first edition; Elizabeth Malczynski, first paperback; Rowena Morrill, 1986 ppb; Greg Call, 2003 ppb; and Sammy Yuen, 2008 ppb. The first paperback did not credit Malczynski; the database cites her [http://www.thedragonstudio.com/html/paintings.html Elizabeth Malczynski Littman gallery] where the first six works present her three paintings for wraparound covers of ''Dragonsong'', ''Dragonsinger'', and ''Dragondrums'' (the Harper Hall trilogy). <br>• Official Pern Art maintained by Hans van der Boom identifies two cover artists responsible for all three books in French paperback editions, Didier Thimonier (Albin Michel, 1988/1989) and Wojciech Siudmak (Presses Pocket). The former earlier edition is entirely missing from ISFDB.<!-- today the three are individually listed in the online book trade --> Retrieved 2011-10-18. <br>• Those two paragraphs pertain to all three books in the so-called Harper Hall trilogy, as the US and French editions used artists who "covered" all three books. <br>• ISFDB identifies only Steve Weston among cover artists for UK editions.<!-- shows thumbnail image 1981 and names him 1993, both confirmed by Official Pern Art --> Official Pern Art identifies Colin Saxton (first UK), Weston (first UK paperback), and Les Edwards (later UK edition) and shows images of the Weston and Edwards cover paintings. Retrieved 2011-10-19.}} }}
==References== <references> <ref name="ALA-Edwards">{{cite web |title=1999 Margaret A. Edwards Award Winners |url=http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/margaretaedwards/maeprevious/1999awardwinner.htm |work=Young Adult Library Services Association |publisher=American Library Association |access-date=2011-11-13}}{{dead link|date=January 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
<ref name="locus-awards">{{cite web | title = McCaffrey, Anne | url = http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit88.html#3446 | work = Locus Index to SF Awards | publisher = Locus | access-date = 2011-10-09 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111015153146/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit88.html#3446 | archive-date = 2011-10-15 }} * The Locus Awards were voted by ''Locus'' magazine readers. The Balrog Awards (1979 to 1985) "were fan-voted awards for works of fantasy ... never taken very seriously".</ref>
</references>
==External links== * {{ISFDB title|2065}}
{{Pern stories}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1979 American novels Category:1979 science fiction novels Category:Atheneum Books books Category:Dragonriders of Pern books Category:Novels by Anne McCaffrey Category:Young adult fantasy novels