Dragonquest by Michael Whelan, 1978

This painting depicts the book cover for Dragonquest: Volume 2 of Dragonriders of Pern. The illustration depicts the burning Threads that Anne McCaffrey visualized falling as straight strands resembling spaghetti, but here, Michael Whelan painted the Threads as twisting and wriggling ribbons that come down in clusters and knots. 

Dragonriders of Pern, a science fantasy series by Anne McCaffrey, began in 1967 and currently consists of 24 novels and two short story collections. In Dragonflight, the first novel, McCaffrey's novellas "Weyr Search" and "Dragonrider" (originally published in Analog magazine) depict events before and during the Ninth Pass, set 2,500 years after landing. Dragonquest (1970) and The White Dragon (1978) continue the saga, with the latter incorporating McCaffrey's story "A Time When." The trilogy was later released as The Dragonriders of Pern omnibus edition by Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club in 1978. Notably, McCaffrey became the first woman to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award for fiction writing with these stories. McCaffrey was honored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2005 as its 22nd Grand Master, inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2006, and was also presented with the Robert A. Heinlein Award in 2007 for her notable body of sci-fi work. 

Michael Whelan (b. June 29, 1950) is an American visual artist and illustrator known for his imaginative realism specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art spanning over 40 years. Whelan's journey began when he accepted his first book cover assignment, revolutionizing realism in sci-fi in the 1980s and 90s. His vivid color schemes have left a lasting impact on the field which led him to creating cover art for popular authors like Isaac Asimov, Stephen King, and Ray Bradbury. As the recipient of numerous accolades, Whelan won 15 Hugo Awards, 3 World Fantasy Awards, and 13 Chesleys. In 2009, Whelan achieved the distinction of being the first living artist inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, along with esteemed individuals such as H.G. Wells, Steven Spielberg and Rod Serling.