Customer Reviews (3)

great book(s)
This is a great book from begging to end. The characters are very well developed. The main characters `Cat,' is a deeply flawed person and the author dose a great job of showing that. The story held me the entire time, even through normally be the dull story building parts. I love the interactions between the characters, I think that is the meat of this book. The climax left me wanting something more, but then the whole bookis full ofgreat picks with few valleys. The people and events keep the tension that runs through out the book high and I really don't miss the classics single climax that completely ends the story-dead. Since it is really two books in one it is a great deal. I highly recommend this rook

Another intricate world from a favorite Sci Fi Author!
Before I begin into this review I will tell you that I read Catspaw (The second in this trilogy) first.Wholly hooked by Joan Vinge's intricate world, I HAD to go back and read the first.

Psion is a really poignant introduction to poor Cat, young man for the life of him cannot catch a break.

He is a street urchin for most of his years, unable to even remember the mother he was born to. He is a thief, a shill, and many other things that keep him alive, sometimes with out being beaten in the underground of Quarro.He is a half breed, half human, and half Hydran (only called that because the were found in Hydrae Centari).Hydrans are Psions by birth, able to perform feats that seem magic to dead head humans.Only they don't see it as magical, they see it as threatening.

Add to that the hydrans are incapable of violence and it is easy to see why the Hydrans ended up at the losing end of the Human expansion across the universe.(If this sounds like a parallel to the early West, you are probably in the right).

Cat's half-hydran geneaolgy has made him an outcast even amongst the dregs of the universe, and he doesn't even know why.

After an arrest for one in a long line of offenses, Cat is brougth to the attention of an institute for Psion's human and otherwise.It is a break of a lifetime, even if Cat can't use the talent they insist he has.

Eventually they break through to him, and his talent, fractured when he witnessed his mother's death, his talent dying with her.He only survived because of his human heritage.He finds that he is a good Psion, the best there is at reading minds.

He and the others in the institute are approached by Quicksilver, a human Psion who is also a notorious criminal.Before Cat can join the team he is expelled from the project because of difficulties with the scientist running the program.That program was the one thing keeping him from servitude, and the contract laborers are quick to pick him up.

He is sent to Cinder to work in the mines until he works off his sentence, or more likely until he dies.

Quicksilver and the team is there as well, and the plot gets all the more twisted from there.

Catspaw:

After his adventures, Cat earns enough credits to put himself through the university, and all he wants is a normal life.If there is one thing I have learned about Cat's life is that what he wants is almost never what he gets!

He is recruited to protect the TaMings, Elnear TaMing, who is to be selected for a place on the senate, if she can live through the assasination attempts.Cat, his gift burned out by his act to save the status Quo, is given it back, if only temporarily, to ensure that Elnear stays safe.

This is quite a politically charged book set on Old Earth, where only the wealthiest families still live.Cat must find the assassin and foil a plot to ursurp the TaMings.

Really an excellent read!Give it a go, you won't regret it!

Meet Cat....
This is actually a Trilogy with an extra story. Psion,Catspaw and Dreamfall.Alien Blood is Psion and Catspaw in one book. There is a short story in Phonix in the Ashes about Cat also.
That being said this is a fantastic trilogy that I would love to see continued.

Cat is a mixed breed psion that is thrust into a world he hates and doesn't want to understand. It is the story of the street tough tossed into the world of the rich-but that is only the baseline. Cat is an engaging character and the writing itself leaves you feeling like you are immersed in his world.

These are books that because of slightly mature themes I would recommend for anyone 13-100. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

welllll....
Not sure what Asimov has to do with this since the editor is a Shawna McCarthy. A couple worth reading, but overall... I remember thinking - now this is pretty politically incorrect- proof women write boring science fiction. And 20 mediocre science-fiction stories by women writers...Some I don't consider SF, rather more like fantasy. Sidon in the Mirror (a man who copies the personalities of others, saints or sinners), Sorceress in Spite of Herself (you know how you lose thing when you need them most?)almost had me closing the book in boredom. Night of the Fifth Sun (feed the Aztec Sun God)wasn't SF but it was the best up til then. Jarabon (the thief who could handle hyperspace without going insane)was quite a bit better and actually SF. Then it was back down to barely readable Horn of the Elfland (magical note will send you.. you know where- urghh) not-SF. Belling Martha, post-apocalyptic cannibalism, raised it back up with bleak SF.Back to not-SF w/ La Reine Blanche (cycle of expectation and punishment)- good story but not SF. Ancient Document - 2 paragraphs I wouldn't mind seeing a story around. Actually a 'like'. Miles to Go Before I Sleep- post-apocalyptic evil country hick villages vs cities. ehh.
My likes: Le Guin's story: Ascent of the North Face I found ooooh, intriguing... $CALL LINK4(CATHY)reminded me of an OUTER LIMITS episode and the upcoming series CAPRICA.
Then back to not-SF Exorcycle (ie. Ghost Actor and like Ghost Dad, it ain't so good-well to me at least. I am sure someone thought Ghost Dad was good). Stargrazing (poem, nebula as hungry animal).eck. Shadows from a Small Template. Not bad. Ghost in a box. In this case a child's ghost. Tissue material here. a 'like' on this one- worth reading... Packing Up (live-in psychologist for families. Everyone should have one). Blue Heart (you lose that special something when you transfer to an android body - and its not all that interesting). EXAMINATION OF EX-EMPEROR MING (who doesn't fear the merciless Intergalactic Revenue Korps?)was amusing. The Crystal Sunlight, the Bright Air ( religious censorship takes over the universe)was also pretty readable. MISSING was amusing (you'll never notice what's 'missing' until the last few sentences)as wasI almost forgot, Letter from the Clearys is sad and bleak post-apocalypse tale as is, to lesser extent, Heavenly Flowers. The last story is Fire-Caller calling a beaten slave race to their former wholeness and unique talents. ... Read more

Product Description
CAT:Street Punk, Psion, Telepath, Survivor. . .

Kidnapped by an interstellar corporation and dragged to Earth, Cat is forced to use his skills to protect those he most hates, those who most hate him . . . .

The taMings. A cyber-augmented, DNA-incestuous clan of such wealth and power that their family arguments change the destiny of worlds. Now one taMing is a killer's target. But which? And who would dare?

Seeking answers, Cat finds lies and savagery, passion and atrocity--trails that lead from crystal valleys to clubs for silver-skinned beauties. From the homicidal enclaves of drug kings to a fanatic's pulpit. From the halls of the Assembly to a cyberspace hell. Seeking assassins, Cat discovers a mystery that could cost him his future. His sanity. His life.

Because Cat is no longer a bodyguard . . .

He's bait.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Deeply Involving Science Fiction
This book is the sequel to Psion, but it's not necessary to read the series in order, since the main character, Cat, is the only character with a significant role in both books. I read them in order and thought that Catspaw was much more sophisticated and more interesting than the first book. In fact, it's now one of my all-time favorites.

There's a hefty amount of future technology in the book, enough that I would say it falls into the fringe territory of the cyperpunk genre. But its real strength is its character-driven story. Not only Cat but every single supporting character, from a 4-year-old girl to the corrupt chairman of Centauri Transport, to the real villain himself, is deeply drawn and realistically portrayed. They have intelligent conversations and feel complex, conflicted emotions and never do things just because the author needs them to to keep the plot moving.

But move it does, because there's enough going on and enough subtle connections between the different subplots that something is always happening. There's never a dull moment, and even if you, like me, are distracted by the book's technological fantasies (such as hyperspace travel or alien telepathy or the portrayal of cyberspace as a real place), Catspaw has such a strong plot line and a vibrant cast of characters that those things are easily overlooked. If you enjoy stories with frequent bursts of action, unusual telepathic powers, an original prediction of futuristic societies, and lots of personal and corporate politics, this one's for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The reason I read Scifi
When sorting my search results for science fiction books with telepathy as a subject, I was not a bit surprised to see Catspaw come up as readers' number 1 selection.I have a bookself with my all-time favorite scifi books, the ones I would lend to someone who hadn't read much scifi, and this book is the first I would pull out.It has a sympathetic character, great world-building, and a fabulous premis that starts you wondering about the future and possibilities beyond the everyday experience.

Great feminist cyberpunk
I'm re-reading some older science fiction lately & couldn't pass this by. Joan D. Vinge is a wonderful, feminist cyberpunk author - also an anthropologist. There are 3 books in this series - Psion (Cat), Catspaw, & Dreamfall (Cat). All worth the read (& frequently found in the Young Adults section of the library).

Vinge creates interesting worlds people with interesting people who do interesting things & what more can you want, eh?

Best of the best
This is quite possibly the best book I have ever read.Thought provoking, emotional, and exciting, the author draws the reader into a world that could easily be the real future.Cat's unique point of view illustrates the universe in such amazing clarity that his pain and wonder is completely tangible.He's moved from street rat to university student forced to do the dirty work for a huge conglomerate and each word of his experience resonates.

This second installment of the Cat books was the first I'd ever read from this author, all because I took a chance on a book in a library give away box.It's one of the most amazing treasures I've ever found.

Intrigue, adventure, exciting- you get it all
I loved this book. I've read the entire series of the main character, Cat, but Catspaw I believe is best in the series. What's more, the book can stand alone. The unique writing kept me interested the entire journey, with the 1st person view of the main character, but his abilities to read minds lets you have the perspective of other characters in the book as well. I liked Cat's personality. He's real, with flaws, and fears, and yet does the right thing without being a do-gooder. Even the villians in the book seem real, and you can almost- but not quite- understand why they are the way they are.
This story encompasses Cat being pressed into service to be a body guard for a political member of the very government he hates. You get political intrigue, a hint of romance, and a splendid view of a futuristic world with a well thought out plot. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Three excellent novellas
I first read this book in the 1970s I suppose.The title story has remained in my mind ever since.I found a copy this last summer, and was happy to find out that the stories are as fresh and involving as ever.

This seems to be a neglected book, for some reason.

The title story involves a 'superior' group of people who live in a ship orbiting the neglected world beneath.It tells of the heroine who comes to terms with those left on the planet's surface, and her fellow travellers who have forgotten the purpose of their life.Instead, they are almost constantly in a drugged stupor, perhaps to dull the realization that they have wasted generations of their lives.

I can still feel the cold, harsh wind that blows through the almost abandoned city on the surface, and the strange pool that may be a transport system, or simply a means to an easy death.

Update:I've re-read this book and have enjoyed it yet again.How this book can be so ignored is just a puzzle.A neglected masterpiece. ... Read more

Product Description
20 outstanding sf stories by women writers. ... Read more

Product Description
Brand new LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold. ... Read more

Product Description
The Robinson family is blasting off again, in an all-new version of the immortal SF classic starring Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc, Mimi Rogers and Heather Graham.The world they are fleeing has changed dramatically, and so has their deep space mission.

The Robinsons lift off from a dying Earth, sickened by pollution and overpopulation.They pilot a hyperdrive spaceship through quantum wormholes and across relativistic reefs in search of a new Eden, Alpha Primean unspoiled planet light-years away, where humankind will get its second and last chance.And they face enemies more awesome, more devious and more lethal than anything they ever faced before. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Interesting enough for an hour or so.
This review is for the ABRIDGED recording.

The story moved along at a nice clip and the imagery was vivid enough but it was pretty much all action and not enough character interaction for me (maybe it was edited out). Mimi Rogers did a decent enough job of reading but at times it was difficult to tell who was who.

Great book! saw the movie it was cool!
This is a 5 star book! it's great . the best book I READ SO FAR!!

description!
What a great book!I have rarely seen a novelization that so closely matches the movie.There was only one extra subplot that I could spot and it didn't detract in any way from the rest of the story.the author is very good at describing the action scenes, especially the dogfight at the begining.Overall, a really great book, except I think that the author dwells too much on the romance angle, but she does provide us with some nice background info on the pilot, Don West.If you liked the movie, read the book, and vice versa. ... Read more

Product Description
Collector's Edition bound in geniune leather ... Read more