Random House released a statement this afternoon confirming that fantasy author Anne McCaffrey has passed away at age 85. Reports say that she suffered a stroke in her home in Ireland.

McCaffrey is best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. She began her career in 1967 with the novel Restoree, and was rumored to be working on the 23rd installment in the Pern series to be released next year.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Mrs. McCaffrey in 2003 and am still struck by the memory of our meeting. Her love for the worlds she created was immense and she was alight when she talked about Pern and the characters that were like children to her. Though I think we spent more time talking about her horses and riding once we discovered a mutual love for the sport! She will be missed by many readers, this one included.