A Constellation of Cats

Fantasy's finest tale-spinners present a brand-new collection of four-legged fiction that will catapult our favorite felines into space, time, and the many realms of the fantastic.

From those regal beauties with impeccable pedigrees to the scruffy scavengers who sometimes prove the most noble of all, cats have staked their claims to virtually all territories containing humans as well as many where humans wouldn't even dream of venturing. They amuse us, fascinate us, protect us, and offer the companionship of equals to those they find deserving. Those of us who've fallen to their magic spell couldn't dream of living without them.

Now some of fantasy's finest tale-spinners have once again risen to the challenge, creating cat adventures and legends sure to captivate anyone who's ever had their home and heart taken over by a cat. Here are tales of such brave defenders as: the astrologer's familiar who made prophecy come true when an evil lord threatened all he held near and dear; a spaceship's feline protector who alone stood a chance when matched against a life-form inadvertently released aboard the ship by her human; a guardian called up by the request of ten thousand cats to defend Egypt from seemingly unstoppable foes; and a modern-day feline ready to brave any trials for the woman she'd chosen as her own...

KLIATT

This is a collection of short stories, 13 in all, about cats. If the reader is versed in SF or fantasy, many of the authors will be familiar. One of my favorites was "Mu Mao and the Court Oracle" by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. It concerns the passing of the torch from the king of cats to the next in line and the part a kitten and an older cat have in the line of succession. I also enjoyed Andre Norton's "Three-Inch Trouble," in which an entire space ship is saved by the efforts of a cat to contain small aliens who would take over. A couple of the stories dealt with Wicca. Category: Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2001, DAW, 308p., $6.99. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Stacey Conrad; Middle School Reading Teacher, Palmyra, MO SOURCE: KLIATT, March 2002 (Vol. 36, No. 2)

Denise Little worked for Barnes & Noble/B. Dalton Bookseller for many years, first as a bookstore manager, then as their national book buyer for romance, science fiction, and fantasy fiction. She then joined Kensington Publishing, where she edited her own line of romance, Denise Little Presents. She's currently executive editor at Tekno Books.