Skip to main content

novel - book identification scifi/fantasy with talking human intelligence cat


id needed for a Sci-fi/Fantasy novel....mid to late 1980's.
The only thing I can remember was the book was set in the future. There was a guy (main character) who was on a quest. He had several companions with him. The one that stands out in my memory was a cat who had been 'gene-spliced' 'manufactured' with human DNA and had the brain/intelligence of a human. The whole society was super into genetic modification.


the cat was a girl...and maybe the face of the cat was that of a woman and not a cat's face..



Answer



This might be James Kahns "World enough and Time" (which is 80s fantasy and has a cat/human hybrid). From an Amazon review:




Along the way, Joshua and Beauty make new allies and defeat many enemies. Among the former are Isis (part teenage girl, part black cat), Jasmine (a centuries-old Neuroman, essentially a robot driven by a human brain), Lon (a magnanimous and stately Vampire), and Sum-thin (another Neuroman with a taste for philosophy and opium). Among the latter are Jarl (a huge, talking bear king), Poseidon-worshipping religious fanatics, more Accidents, a genetically engineered dragon, some evil scientist Neuromans, and - of course - the three original villains who had kidnapped Rose, Dicey, and Ollie. Of these, Isis, Jarl, and all of the Vampire characters are sharply defined and interesting.



While this is the first part in a a trilogy ("New World Trilogy") you probably want to skip parts two and three ("Time's Dark Laughter" and "Timefall") which are just as clumsily written but miss the naive charme of the first installment.


Here is another fun review (don't read if you want to retain fond memories of the book) from a reader who wasn't particularly thrilled, either:



World Enough, And Time (1980) is the story of a post-Apocalyptic fantasy world, in which genetically-modified monsters threaten to wipe out the remaining population of humans.


[...]


Having chapter after chapter of lengthy, pseudo-scientific rationalization doesn't help me suspend disbelief, it merely bludgeons to death any lingering excitement I may have had.


[...]


As the book limped to its action-packed, yet ultimately meaningless, conclusion, I was stunned to find an ultimate reveal of... nothing. The big bad fizzled, the relationships built on the journey dissipated (there was a lot of shagging about for a pair of married men), and everything culminated in a lot of standing about and avoiding one another's gazes. Had I read this book backwards, it would've essentially been exactly the same story. I have no doubt that there's meaning in this - every leaf of every tree in World Enough, And Time is packed with meaning - but I have absolutely no desire to seek it out.



If there's one positive about this book it is that, although Kahn deluged the reader with world-building and philosophy, he spared us any poetry. I appreciate the self-restraint.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed....
Post a Comment
Read more

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...
Post a Comment
Read more