
Dragonflight
Anne McCaffrey · 1968
McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern established the template for dragon-bonding fantasy, and she fought the classification debate herself, insisting it was SF because the dragons are genetically engineered. Whatever the category, it remains the most beloved dragon book in genre fiction.
Science Fiction & Fantasy · the Pro canon
The case for it, the case against, and the rest of the canon open with Pro.