Anne McCaffery wrote some of the stories that introduced me to fantasy. I can say without any doubt that she was an influential figure in my early reading and writing. My heart goes out to her family, and, I'm sure, the fantasy community as a whole mourns her as one of their own.
Anne McCaffrey holds a special place in my heart. She's the writer who introduced me to fantasy. She's the first author I really got to know as a person. She is funny and witty and sometimes absurd. She always looks completely confused about what's going on around her but is always willing to play along. She can be the sweetest, kindest grandmother-type you'll ever know and she can be a cast iron bitch. I've spent many happy hours reading letters from and writing letters to her. She's played mom to me and mentor, and critic and cheer squad. Writing fanfic in her universe finally got me writing some of the stories that swirled around in my head, then convinced me to move on to other things. She was a truly great lady and will always have a place in my heart.