Martin H. Greenberg & Janet Deaver-Pack, Catopolis

Catopolis

Edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Janet Deaver-Pack

Daw, Dec 2008, $7.99

ISBN: 9780756405144

Feline fantasy fans will enjoy these seventeen tales of life in a magical "city of cats" that resides alongside our mundane world, but is kept hidden. Each tale is well written, but because the theme is somewhat limiting in terms of its catastrophic anthropomorphosis theme, readers should spread out enjoying the visit to Williams Lake, Wisconsin over a few weeks. The contributors are a nice blending of famous writers like Esther M. Friesner, Ed Greenwood, Richard Lee Byers, Jean Rabe and Donald J. Bingle with relatively newcomers; though some have had several short stories published. The tales range the spectrum from political to criminal to fantasy thrillers. Once again all seventeen are interesting with personal favorites being 'I Am King' by Edward Carmien which has relevancy in DC right now, Lee Martindale's 'Old Age and Sorcery' as 'the life of Free Cats was not without its dangers'. Readers will enjoy following the escapades of feisty felines like 'The Guardian of Grimoire Hall' (Christopher Welsh) and the 'Mentor of the Potala' (Bruce A. Heard) as 'Catopolis' is an entertaining compilation.

Harriet Klausner