Because of her amazing Dragonriders of Pern series and the fan world it has spawned.
All her books are wonderful, and the worlds she’s created are so vivid, and very unique. I love the Freedom’s series, and each and ever DRoP novel.
She’s given us friendships, and a home when RL gets to much.
Someone once asked what is Pern and this is what they were told. I agree 100%
Pern is a state of mind.
Pern is a reason to get confused when people win silver. Why would you want anything but gold, bronze, brown, blue, or green?
Pern is an escape.
Pern is a lifestyle.
Pern is love.
Pern is discovery of written knowledge.
Pern is a dosage of happiness in an empty world.
Pern is really cool.
Pern is the reason I read science fiction.
Pern is my second home.
Pern is the choice of the best generation.
Pern is reality.
Pern is fantasy.
Pern is a dream.
Pern is where I want to be.
Someone else said this which is also very true.
Pern is where you can suspend the idea that you are alone and, just for once, know that your dragon loves you completely – that someone out there cares.
Pern is where you go when all seems lost ‘cos everything always seems to turn right there – however big the problem might seem.
Pern is somewhere where you are accepted – whatever your race, gender or orientation – because the dragons will accept you.
Pern is the reality we go to when we dream, and when we find that this one is getting a little too much to take.
But most of all Pern is friendship. The people here, and in the many fan-fiction weyrs, will accept you without question. They’ll cheer you up when you are down. They’ll let you share it when you are sky-high (though most of us live there on dragonback anyway). That’s my definition of a friend.
On that note I think by writing Anne McCaffrey has proved herself a friend to all of us.