Serpentoids in Science Fiction

Cover make-over by Mr. Wombo.

 In my previous blog post, I began a search for the most important science fiction story teller who was born in the year 1926. Here in this blog post, I turn my attention to Anne McCaffrey (born April 1, 1926). Full disclosure: in the distant past of the previous millennium, there were book stores that had distinct science fiction and fantasy sections and employees who knew the meaning of the words "science fiction". When shopping malls and chain stores arrived, all the pretense of separating the science fiction books from the fantasy books ended. When looking for science fiction stories, I learned to avoid books that had dragons and swords on the cover.

 Judging Books by their Covers. In fact, for many decades my motto was "there are no swords in science fiction". Take a look at the image below (Figure 1). Based only on the book covers, I was never tempted to buy a novel by McCaffrey.

Figure 1. Working hypothesis: there are no swords or dragons in science fiction.

Cover make-over by Mr. Wombo.

Having never read anything written by McCaffrey, it was with trepidation that I decided to read "Weyr Search" which was published in the December 1967 issue of Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact. The cover by John Schoenherr for that issue was an illustration for McCaffrey's story and there was also additional interior artwork by John Schoenherr for "Weyr Search" that I wanted to see. I also wanted to read Campbell's editorial in that issue of the magazine which was titled "The Nature of Intelligent Aliens".

Aliens on Earth.

Sadly, "The Nature of Intelligent Aliens" had nothing to say about aliens. That editorial was about Campbell stating the "fact" that humans are great and we got that by being aggressive warriors. And further more, with the world's human population exploding, Campbell told his readers that there was no substitute for war if we wanted to get population growth under control. Of course, that was nonsense. 

When women were allowed to have careers, population growth slowed all over the world. Campbell also made his case for prejudice as being the mark of an intelligent creature. Many science fiction story tellers including Isaac Asimov got so tired of Campbell's distasteful editorial  pronouncements and loony enthusiasms for pseudoscience that they stopped associating with Campbell.

Figure 2. Story page 1 interior art by John Schoenherr.

I was looking forward to seeing the internal art that had been created by John Schoenherr for "Weyr Search". However, the drawing at the start of the story is rather dismal. In "Weyr Search" there is a creature called a "watch-wher", apparently the Pern equivalent of a watchdog (see Figure 2). The watch-wher is kept chained up in the stable-yard of Hold Ruath (see the map in Figure 3, below) in Ruatha.

Maybe up there on the parapet is Lessa. The story starts with Lessa apparently having some sort of telepathic premonition about approaching danger.

Figure 3. Map of Pern. Interactive Map.

Serpentoid

 Me: Gemini, provide a dispassionate AI perspective analysis that both 1) explains the historical origins dragons in fiction and 2) their continuing popularity, even in science fiction.

Gemini: As a dispassionate AI, I will analyze the historical origins and continuing popularity of dragons in fiction, including their presence in science fiction.

1. Historical Origins of Dragon Archetypes

The historical origins of the dragon archetype can be traced to various ancient mythologies and folklores across the globe, suggesting a widespread, polygenic evolution rather than a single point of origin. This archetype is a cultural composite, amalgamating the perceived traits of various apex predators and natural phenomena.

Ruatha Hold

 Reptilian and Serpentoid Influences: The most fundamental root is the serpentine creature. In many ancient cultures, large snakes or serpents were potent symbols, often associated with both life-giving and destructive forces. In Mesopotamian mythology, figures like Tiamat, a primordial goddess often depicted as a sea serpent or dragon, represented the chaotic, untamed forces of nature. Similarly, in ancient Greek mythology, creatures like the Lernaean Hydra or the Python were monstrous serpents slain by heroes. These early reptilian forms often symbolized primordial chaos, mortality, or natural disasters like floods and plagues.

Avian and Predatory Influences: The addition of wings and the ability to breathe fire likely evolved from the awe and fear inspired by large birds of prey and volcanic activity. The eagle, a symbol of divine power and dominion in many cultures (e.g., Zeus's eagle), combined with the serpent, a symbol of primal earth power, created a hybrid creature embodying both celestial and chthonic forces. The fire-breathing attribute can be interpreted as a metaphor for volcanic eruptions, lightning, or the destructive power of fire itself. The Drakon of ancient Greece, a term that originally referred to any large snake or serpent, later absorbed these additional features.

Dragon visit.

 Cultural Dichotomy: East vs. West: A significant divergence in the archetype occurred between Eastern and Western cultures. In Western European folklore, particularly during the Middle Ages, dragons became predominantly malevolent symbols. They were often depicted as greedy hoarders of treasure, personifications of evil and temptation (as seen in the story of Saint George and the Dragon), or symbols of paganism to be conquered by Christian heroes. This portrayal reflects the human-centric narrative of good triumphing over evil and the conquest of nature. In contrast, East Asian dragons, particularly in Chinese mythology, are typically benevolent and wise. They are associated with water, rain, and storms, and are revered as divine creatures that bring fortune and good harvest. They symbolize imperial power, wisdom, and cosmic energy (qi). This contrast highlights how a single archetype can be culturally modulated to serve different societal values and narratives.

The red robe.

 2. Continuing Popularity, Including in Science Fiction

The enduring popularity of dragons can be attributed to their versatile symbolic power and their function as a potent narrative device.

A Primal Archetype: Dragons tap into a deeply ingrained human psychological response to powerful, non-human entities. They embody both our deepest fears (destruction, untamed nature) and our aspirations (power, wisdom, immortality). As a narrative shorthand, they can instantly establish a setting's tone—whether it's one of high fantasy, looming peril, or ancient mystery.

Symbolic Versatility: The dragon's symbolic flexibility allows it to be adapted to any genre. It can be a literal monster to be slain, a wise and ancient mentor, a metaphor for corporate greed, a representation of a natural force, or a technological marvel. This adaptability makes them a valuable tool for storytellers. For instance, in a fantasy context, a dragon might represent a physical obstacle to be overcome. In a more allegorical work, it could symbolize an internal struggle or societal flaw.

Telepaths of Pern.

 Integration into Science Fiction: The presence of dragons in science fiction is a testament to this versatility. While they may seem anachronistic in a genre typically focused on technology and the future, their inclusion is not a conceptual contradiction. Instead, the dragon archetype is re-contextualized through a science-fictional lens.

Biological Re-imagination: Science fiction often re-envisions dragons through the prism of xenobiology or genetic engineering. A "dragon" is no longer a magical creature but an apex predator from an alien world, a genetically engineered bioweapon, or a lifeform that has evolved to mimic a terrestrial dragon's form and abilities (e.g., using a symbiotic microorganism to produce fire-like plasma). This approach allows authors to explore concepts of alien evolution, biomechanics, and ecological niche.

Watching for approaching danger.

 Technological Manifestations: Consistent with the user's interest in advanced nanotechnology and telepathy, a science-fictional "dragon" could be a highly advanced construct. It could be a nano-technological swarm forming a dragon-like shape, a biomechanical war machine, or a being with technologically assisted telepathy that projects the image of a dragon into the minds of its victims. In this context, the dragon becomes a vehicle for exploring the consequences of runaway technology and the boundaries between artificial life and organic life.

Narrative Function: Regardless of their origin, dragons in science fiction retain their narrative power. They can serve as a non-human intelligence with a vastly different worldview, a symbol of a forgotten ancient civilization, or a test for a technologically advanced society. Their presence challenges the assumption that advanced technology eliminates the need for primal, mythological confrontations, instead suggesting that ancient archetypes can be re-born in new, futuristic forms.

In conclusion, the dragon archetype persists because it is not merely a creature but a potent and adaptable symbol. Its enduring popularity stems from its ability to embody core human anxieties and aspirations, while its successful migration into science fiction demonstrates its capacity to evolve from a creature of myth into a sophisticated and scientifically plausible entity.

Figure 4. Colorized page 1 illustration. Compare to Figure 2, above.

A watch-wher by WOMBO Dream.

  Oh how clumsy... I lost another planet. I've never been a fan of the "lost planet" story. Jack Vance loved the idea of people spreading out through the galaxy and then somehow "forgetting" about various colonized planets. In Vance's hands, this was a way to generate a "clean slate planet" with whatever culture he wanted to imagine (example: the planet Thamber in Vance's 1964 novel The Killing Machine). In the hands of McCaffrey, Pern is depicted as a "lost" human-colonized planet that is no longer linked in any meaningful way to Earth. This sort of lost planet reminds me of one of my favorite science fiction stories, Assignment: Nor'Dyren by Sydney Van Scyoc. Van Scyoc imagined a planet that was colonized by aliens, but then that alien interstellar civilization collapsed, leaving the people of planet Nor'Dyren to culturally evolve in strange new directions.

Figure 5. Page 1 illustration re-worked by WOMBO Dream. Compare to Figure 4, above.

Gemini-generated science fiction scene.

McCaffrey takes readers off to the Rukbat star system, somewhere in "Sagiattarian sector", where the planet Pern was settled by human colonists. For his story Marune, Jack Vance imagined a planet where only about once a month, and for only about one hour, did all of the suns leave the sky, allowing night to fall. Isaac Asimov became famous for his story Nightfall in which thousands of years passed on another planet between periods of night. McCaffrey imagined a star system where there is an Earth-like planet that can periodically (once every 200 years) interact with another planet (called the "Red Star" by the Pernese) that is in a weird eccentric elliptical orbit. That other planet is home to the Evil™ Threads, whose presence in the Rukbat system forced the human colonists of Pern to form a telepathic alliance with the native creatures who they genetically modified to create the fire-breathing dragons of Pern, all as a way to devise a biological defense against the Threads.

Gemini-generated science fiction creature.

 And telekinesis, too. The dragons of Pern, complete with wings and the ability to fly, make no biological sense. This was explained away by saying that the dragons had a form of telekinesis that allowed them to self-levitate. Some of the Pernese have telepathic abilities, which comes in handy when you have to defend Pern against the Evil™ Threads. It should also be obvious to science fiction fans, that if you need to defend your planet against Evil™ aliens, you need something more than just flying dragons and telepaths. In this case, it is a BIG PLUS that the dragons also have the magical ability to teleport.

 Gemini Knows the Look and Feel of Sci Fi. For the image shown to the left I asked Gemini to generate, "a science fiction movie still depicting an alien castle on a distant exoplanet. A very young dragon-like alien stands in the courtyard and is bound to the stone wall that is in the background by a glowing translucent force-field".

Figure 6. Page 1 illustration re-worked by Gemini. Compare to Figure 5, above.

All of that info dump about Sagiattarian sector and the history of Pern is provided to readers on the first page of "Weyr Search" and then Lessa appears and the story starts. The text of the story reads like something out of the year 1111 on Earth, except for the fact that Lessa has telepathic abilities.

Figure 7. Internal art for "Weyr Search".

 The "Weyr Search" Drinking Game. Try playing this game while you read "Weyr Search"... for every use of the term "Lord" or "Lady" take a drink. That's right, in a futuristic civilization on a distant exoplanet, there are slave-like commoners who are subservient to their ruling Lords and Ladies. Yes, that is exactly the kind of exciting future (~2525) existence waiting for Humanity out among the stars that I really want to read about in my science fiction. Sadly, I did not play the drinking game, so in order to preserve my sanity I started skimming the story. Full disclosure: I don't think it would be possible for me to read any Anne McCaffrey story in its entirety. McCaffrey embraced the label "science fiction", but the science fiction elements in "Weyr Search" are very few and far between. 

Lessa captured by the dragon, by ImageFX.

 Can't Get Off The Ground. In fact, I'd label McCaffrey style of fantasy fiction as being distinctly anti-science. For example, unless anti-gravity technology is built it into the dragons, I don't believe the big lumbering dragons of Pern could actually ever get off of the ground. When writing "Weyr Search", such technical issues do not concern McCaffrey who obviously had no training in science or understanding of science and was hell-bent on writing about dragons, regardless of whether those dragons made any kind of biological sense.

Figure 8. A larger dragon, by ImageFX.

 Panspermia. I despise the plot of War of the Worlds. Martians come to Earth to make war and take control of the planet. Ever since Herbert Wells made the first famous alien invasion story, other writers have endlessly depicted hordes of alien invaders traveling through space to wreak havoc on hapless humans. Yawn. Here is how McCaffrey created dramatic tension for the planet Pern: alien invaders (the "Threads") periodically arrive from the "Red Star". "The indigenous life of the wanderer sought to bridge the space gap to the more temperate and hospitable planet."

Dragon egg by Mr. Wombo.

 Lessa the Dragonman. The telepathic humans of Pern who ride on their dragons and defend the people of Pern against the invading Threads are "a breed apart", the "dragonmen". The titular "Weyr Search" constitutes dragonmen flying around the countryside of Pern in search of more telepaths who are needed to bond with newly hatched dragons and keep up the biological defense system of the planet as the "Red Star" again approaches. The telepathic Lessa is exactly what the roving dragonmen are looking for.

Many people compare McCaffrey's "Weyr Search" and her other Pern stories to Frank Herbert's Dune stories. Herbert's Dune and its biologically absurd alien sand worms made a big impact on the science fiction genre in 1966 after Dune was published as a paperback novel (having first been serialized in Campbell's Analog). If you wanted to get your fantasy story published by Campbell then a reasonable strategy was to include telepathy in your story. Campbell, who had training in physical science and a profound ignorance of biology, was not likely to care if your ginormous sand worm or your ginormous dragon was biologically absurd.

Weyrwomen of Pern.

The second piece of interior art for "Weyr Search" was placed 36 pages into the story (see Figure 7), just after readers are told that Lessa can be a weyrwoman. Lessa has spent ten years scheming to become the ruler of Hold Ruath, so at first she tries to run away from the "dragonmen" and their on-going "Weyr search", but she is captured by a dragon and returned to F'lar the dragonman, as shown in Figure 7. How large did McCaffrey imagine the flying dragons of Pern to be? In the text of the story, she states that the eye of a dragon is as large as a human head (see Figure 8, above).

Me: Imagine a creature that was like Quetzalcoatlus northropi but which had body proportions that were much larger, all body parts larger in proportion so that its eyes were 12 inches across. Could such a large animal fly? 

Gemini: That is a fascinating thought experiment, and it delves directly into the fundamental constraints of biomechanical scaling and aerodynamics—precisely the kind of interplay between biology and physics that makes for great science.

The short answer is No, such an animal would almost certainly be flightless. The scaling of the body to achieve a 12-inch eye would result in a colossal mass that would exceed the theoretical limits for powered flight in Earth's atmosphere.

Here is a breakdown using the principles of scaling and aerodynamics:

Dragon egg by Mr. Wombo.

 1. The Challenge of Isometrically Scaled Mass

The thought experiment specifies that all body parts, including the eyes, are larger in proportion—this implies isometric scaling from the already massive Quetzalcoatlus northropi.

• Mass Scaling: If the creature's linear dimensions (L) are increased to make the eye diameter go from a realistic 2 inches up to 12 inches , the linear scaling factor is 6.

• Mass Increase: Mass scales with the cube of the linear dimension. If the original Q. northropi mass is conservatively estimated at 200 kg, the new mass would be 45,200 kg far heavier than any known animal to have achieved powered flight.

 2. The Physical Limit of Powered Flight

The limit of animal flight is constrained by the maximum power the flight muscles can produce relative to the weight of the animal.

• Muscle Power Scaling: The power available from muscle tissue is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the muscle. As the animal size (L) increases, the power available per unit of mass rapidly decreases.

• Power Required: For an animal with a mass of 45 metric tons, the muscle mass required to simply lift the animal's weight (even before sustained flapping) would likely exceed its entire body mass. Current aerodynamic models place the upper limit for powered flight on Earth between 50 kg and 100 kg. Q. northropi itself (200 kg) is considered to have been at the absolute fringe of this limit, likely relying heavily on soaring, gliding, and a unique catapult-launch mechanism.

 3. Structural and Physiological Constraints

Beyond the power issue, the structure and physiology would fail:

• Bone Strength: The square-cube law dictates that as an animal scales up, its skeletal cross-sectional area is insufficient to support its mass. The bones would fail under the sheer load of the body, let alone the stresses of flapping flight.

• Respiratory Efficiency: The Q. northropi respiratory system was likely highly pneumaticized (filled with air sacs extending into the bones) to reduce density. Such a vast structure, when scaled up, would face critical issues in maintaining the structural integrity necessary for flight muscle attachment and for efficient gas exchange to power the immense energy demand.

In summary, the design constraint you imposed—a 12-inch eye due to proportional scaling—results in a creature so massive that it falls catastrophically outside the biomechanical and aerodynamic envelope for powered flight in the Earth's atmosphere. Such a spectacular organism would be confined to the ground.

Generated by ImageFX.

 Me: Why have story tellers like Anne McCaffrey written "science fiction" stories about giant dragons that are clearly too large to fly?

Gemini: The reason storytellers like Anne McCaffrey write about giant, implausibly large flying dragons, particularly in a context labeled "science fiction," stems from a deliberate literary choice: to use scientific rationalization to lend realism to a fantastic creature, while maintaining the narrative and emotional power that the fantastic creature provides.

In the case of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern, the storytellers' choice is justified by key narrative and pseudo-scientific elements:

1. The Blurring of Genre for Narrative Intent

 McCaffrey's work is often categorized as science fantasy or a blend of science fiction and fantasy. The core intent is to use the emotional and mythical resonance of dragons, but anchor their existence in a science fiction premise:

Genetic Engineering. The Pern dragons were not naturally evolved. They were genetically engineered from a smaller indigenous lifeform—the fire-lizard—by the original human colonists of Pern. This technological origin, done to combat the threat of the extraterrestrial Thread spores, is the central science fiction premise that allows the creation of a creature that defies natural evolution and terrestrial biomechanics.

Telepathic Bond. The unique, lifelong, telepathic bond (Impression) between dragon and rider creates the core emotional and social structure of the novels, which is a powerful narrative driver impossible with a purely naturalistic animal.

 2. Pseudo-Scientific Rationalization for Flight

McCaffrey provides in-world, though scientifically suspect, explanations to skirt the laws of physics that would prohibit the flight of such large, dense creatures (like the 40–45 foot Gold Queens):

Undersized Wings and Telekinetic Augmentation. The dragons are frequently described as having wings that are seemingly too small for their mass. One explanation developed in the later canon is that the dragons possess a subconscious form of telekinesis to generate additional lift, effectively cheating the required aerodynamic forces that mass-scaling would impose.

Instantaneous Travel (Teleportation). The dragons' primary method of long-distance travel is not powered flight but teleportation (Going Between space/time), allowing them to bypass the need for sustained, high-power, long-duration flight that would be metabolically impossible. Their wings are primarily for maneuvering in atmosphere and taking off/landing.

 3. The Centrality of Spectacle and Symbolism

Ultimately, the decision to write about giant, beautiful, flying dragons overrides strict adherence to the square-cube law because the story requires the spectacle.

The Heroic Image. The image of a human rider bonded to a massive, fiery, armored creature soaring through the sky is a powerful symbol of heroism and partnership. A small, flight-plausible dragon would diminish this grand, mythical quality.

The Scale of the Conflict. The dragons must be large enough to carry a human and fight the deadly, destructive incursions of Thread—a physical threat that rains from the sky and requires a large, destructive counter-force (phosphine flame) to be effective.

The science in Q. northropi's case gives you the absolute limit; the science fiction in McCaffrey's case gives you a justification for transcending that limit to tell the desired story, often by invoking advanced biotechnology or a subtle, power-enhancing ability, thus providing a narrative bridge between the laws of physics and the imagination.

Figure 9. Ramath and Lessa. Pages 58 & 59 internal art for "Weyr Search".

 

Hungry dragon.

The interior art shown in Figure 9 comes soon after the point in the story when Lessa watches several dragons hatch. Lessa instantly forms a telepathic link to Ramath, the new dragon queen.

 Short Attention Span. I confess that I did not read all of "Weyr Search". I skipped over the middle part of the story where the Evil™ ruler of Hold Ruath is killed. There is too much blood and sickening violence in "Weyr Search" for my taste. In the last part of the story, several dragons hatch out of their eggs and immediately kill several young boys and girls. Yes, that is certainly the way to encourage me to read your next "science fiction" story. It took me 50 years to get up the courage to try to read one of Anne McCaffrey's stories. That one will last me a lifetime.

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