Image caption Anne McCaffrey was named a Grand Master of science fiction in 2005

Author Anne McCaffrey, who penned the Dragonriders of Pern series of fantasy novels, has died at her home in Ireland at the age of 85.

The US-born writer became one of the first women to break into the male-dominated world of science fiction, winning two major prizes in the 1960s.

Much of her work was set on the planet of Pern, where humans and dragons are united against a common threat.

In later years, McCaffrey's books were co-written with son Todd.

The most recent instalment came out in June, with a further joint novel, Sky Dragons, due for publication next year.

Her son also wrote three of the series in his own right.

The opening two books in the Pern series were published in the late 1960s, winning McCaffrey the Hugo and Nebula literary prizes for science fiction.

She was the first woman to collect each of those honours.

The third book in the original trilogy, The White Dragon, was published in 1978 and made the New York Times bestseller list.

In 2005, she was named a Grand Master of science fiction.

McCaffrey emigrated to Ireland in 1970, building a home in County Wicklow which she named Dragonhold.