Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing Owes A Huge Debt To 1 Epic 58-Year-Old Dragon Series

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The Fourth Wing graphic novel cover shows Violet holding daggers with dragons in the background

Published Oct 5, 2026, 6:02 PM EDT

Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Fourth Wing is the most celebrated ongoing dragon book in recent years, but Rebecca Yarros’ The Empyrean series owes a huge debt to a sprawling dragon series that began publishing 58 years ago. Yarros made the shift from contemporary romance to romantasy, and her first book in the genre became a worldwide phenomenon thanks to BookTok. This book truly deserves the hype.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing has been translated into around 30 languages and has international publishing deals worldwide. The book sold over 2 million copies in its first six months and spent more than 18 years at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The franchise has a tabletop game, multiple books, and upcoming graphic novels. Plus, Prime Video optioned the rights to all five books and is moving forward with development of the Fourth Wing TV show.

Ultimately, the franchise's success comes back to Rebecca Yarros, who created the compelling, spicy romantasy series. It is her brainchild, and she’s doing great things with the story. However, credit must also go where it is due. Fourth Wing and The Empyrean series likely wouldn’t exist without the 58-year-old Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, to which it owes a huge debt. Spanning around two dozen novels and novellas and two short story collections, the sci-fantasy series laid the foundation for Yarros’ books and the wider dragon-fantasy subgenre.

Much like The Empyrean series is colloquially called Fourth Wing, the Pern books are called The Dragonriders of Pern, even though that's technically the name of the first trilogy.

Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders Of Pern Pioneered Modern Dragon Mythology

The Pern book series began with the novellas Weyr Search and Dragonrider. Weyr Search won a Hugo and Dragonrider won a Nebula, making McCaffrey the first woman to win both awards for fiction. They were combined into the first book, Dragonflight. The series centers on humans living in a feudal, medieval society on a foreign planet. Faced with a space-borne threat, they genetically engineer native lizards into telepathic, intelligent dragons that humans can ride. They become Pern’s aerial military defense. The loose story doesn't resemble The Empyrean series, but the dragon lore does.

Dragonriders of Pern revolutionized how media presented dragons. Some ancient mythologies, including Chinese and Japanese, portray dragons as benevolent, intelligent beings, though they obviously differ based on cultural influence. However, until the 20th century, Western folklore prevailed, depicting dragons as mindless, treasure-hoarding monsters that destroy things with fire. J.R.R. Tolkien gets some credit for changing that view, as Smaug is intelligent and manipulative. However, Anne McCaffrey wrote them as intelligent, telepathic beings that can help humanity, rather than just destroying everything. Additionally, the dragons exist in a hierarchy dictated by color.

Anne McCaffrey’s dragon lore and abilities had such a profound impact that its influences touch some of the biggest franchises. Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle series, which starts with Eragon, borrows elements from McCaffrey’s iconic series. Like Fourth Wing, that dragon series is getting a new onscreen adaptation. Naomi Novik's alternate-history series Temeraire, starting with His Majesty’s Dragon, has similar dragons. Additionally, Rebecca Yarros borrowed elements for Fourth Wing. These connections aren't just tangential. All three celebrated authors confirmed their love for Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern over the years.

The Pern books by Anne McCaffrey can be purchased at this link.

Dragons & Humans Have Telepathic Connections In Dragonriders Of Pern & Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm book covers

She Reads Magazine participated in the Onyx Storm pre-release party and confirmed Yarros is a fan of Anne McCaffrey's books, something readers have guessed at since Fourth Wing was released. This appreciation for the predecessor shows up in the dragon hierarchies, which is much more common, and the shared telepathic framework, which is a little more unique. The dragon-rider connection is imperative in both dragon book series, though dragons select their riders at different points. In Fourth Wing, adult dragons choose riders on Threshing Day. In Dragonriders of Pern, it’s when the dragons hatch.

Dragonriders of Pern also features riders that develop a mental connection with their dragons, creating a symbiotic relationship. They can speak to each other. Linked humans' emotions influence the dragons, and the dragons' emotions influence the humans. The dragons have unique personalities that often align with their riders, making them a powerful duo.

Additionally, the mythological creatures undergo mating flights that affect both them and their riders. In Fourth Wing, the riders of two mated dragons are drawn together. Meanwhile, dragon mating in Dragonriders of Pern causes a bond so strong between the riders that they become uncontrollably sexually and romantically attracted to each other. Despite those similarities, the mating ceremonies are common in Pern, while they’re rare in Navarre.

Ultimately, Rebecca Yarros found inspiration from a series she loved. This isn't anything new. Books influence books, which influence books. That's been the nature of literature since its inception. Still, the connection between The Empyrean series and Dragonriders of Pern deserves a nod, and it also gives Fourth Wing fans their perfect next read.