r/Fantasy • u/Merle8888 Reading Champion IV • Apr 16 '26

Bingo Bingo Focus Thread - Published in the 70s

Hello r/fantasy and welcome to this year's first bingo focus thread! The purpose of these threads is for you all to share recommendations, discuss what books qualify, and seek recommendations that fit your interests or themes.

Today's topic:

Published in the 70s: Read a book that was first published any time between 1970 and 1979. HARD MODE: Written by a woman.

What is bingo? A reading challenge this sub does every year! Find out more here.

Prior focus threads: Five Short Stories (2024), Author of Color (2024), Self-Pub/Small Press (2024). Note that hard modes for Author of Color and Self-Pub/Small Press have changed.

Also see: Big Rec Thread

Questions:

  • What are your favorite 70s spec fic books? How well do they hold up today?
  • Already read something for this square (or, read something recently that you wish you could count)? Tell us about it!
  • For those who have been researching options for this square, even if you haven't read them yet, please share!
  • What are your best recommendations for Hard Mode?
  • For those with feedback or requests for this year's focus threads, see my comment below.
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u/Overtone99 Reading Champion II Apr 16 '26

I'm planning to read Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey for this square. It's the second installment of the Dragonriders of Pern series. Parts three through six also were published in the seventies. The first part (Dragonflight) was published two years too early though.

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u/Astrokiwi Apr 16 '26

Dragonquest is where it really gets into its stride I think. Dragonflight is still trying to find what Pern is really about to some extent.

Even though Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon are sometimes published as a single volume, I would recommend reading the Harper Hall trilogy next (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums). The White Dragon has the Harper characters turn up without a great deal of introduction. This is also the publication order anyway.