Review: Feel-good fiction for cat lovers, sci fi fans and anyone
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 6, 2013
The stories in this volume range from sophisticated, professional and classical to amateurish. Erin Lale's "Long Time I Hunt" steals the show, setting a standard that even the best of the other authors do not rival. With a Native American folk tale feel, Lale's story unfolds with elegance from a sun-god of a cat, a Mountain Lion who is embodied and re-embodied while generations of humans revere him. He watches "you clever humans" with a curious mix of fondness and cat-like detachment. Over time, he changes along with the humans in his world, until his final form, which is a pleasing surprise with an unforgettable final image. If all the stories were as well written as this one, I'd five-star the whole anthology."Locard's Tale" by Candy Korman is a glorious testament to my favorite cat breed, the Maine Coon. I am owned by one, too, spell-bound and hypnotized as helplessly as Kormon's Jeremy. The simmering plot of forensics, fibers, hair and murder make the story even more engaging, especially when Locard the Maine Coon leads Jerry to the real reason he was ever blessed with this cat's presence in the first place.Don Nelson's "The Sleepy Cat's Treasure Hunt" brings back fond memories of my favorite childhood book, "Captain Kitty." A sleepy narrator drifts into a dream with his feline companion, sailing with a crew of kitties as they dodge the clumsy cannon balls of Captain Yapper and his ship of Pirate Dogs. It's charming, comical and dreamy... but was it just a dream?In "Tomcat's True Story," Lara Biyuts's descriptions of cat behavior ring true. The prose is rather pedestrian, or high-school, but the cats are fun to read about. The old tom, King Basil, mysteriously vanishes. A new top-cat rises on the neighborhood wall: King Innkentius, aka Ken. (Love these names!) He is outsmarted by the cleverness of a newcomer named Barrwick, which leads to the ultimate throne for that little cat."Punky" is a sweet tale of a homeless cat finding a human mommy. Monica Brinkman's prose could use some polish and style, but it's a readable story."The 13th Time" by Carol Sumilas Boshears is sci-fi tale about an annual Halloween visitor. Too much "tell" versus "show" here, and the clunky feel of high school writing, kept me from feeling engaged in the story.Scientist Tony Thorne's "Night Prowlers" opens this collection. The premise is charming, a "cat burglar" who'd be at home in a steam punk novel, but the prose is not what I'd expect from someone who's written more than a dozen novels. The plot was choppy, and the suffered a certain lack of pacing, tone, suspense, and narrative grace.But for all its weaknesses, the anthology as a whole is a pleasing read.