Joan D. Vinge Resident Scholar Profiles TOP SCHOLAR: cobweb SCHOLARS:
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Review Summaries
"
Tor, Dec 2002, 14.95, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0765303418
Though an orphan street punk, Cat used his psionic abilities to save the galaxy from a peer (see PSION), but his reputation formed that has traveled light years to earth. When someone tries to kill Lady taMing, head of the wealthy and powerful family that runs Centaur Transport, her supporters abduct Cat to provide psionic protection to her.
His kidnappers drug Cat, so that the half-breed cannot use psychic powers against them, but provide an antidote so that he can protect Assembly member Lady taMing. However, while doing his new job keeping his client safe, Cat uncovers secrets about powerful individuals including taMing family members who will kill him to keep their skeletons in the closet.
CATSPAW is a powerful science fiction that describes an astonishing New York City in a few centuries. The well-designed plot provides a complex multiple helix of a political and social futurology that will stun readers on its realistic but different outlook. However, in building her lush realm, Joan D. Vinge pays a price as the massive particulars that serve as the theme's center with its future's profundity also keeping the story line from attaining light speed. Still, this sequel will please the author's fans and anyone who relishes galaxy building as a key ingredient of a novel set several hundred years into the future.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Joan D. Vinge Scholar
"A young man who is half-alien and half-human and has telepathic powers is contracted by a powerful family of technocrats to protect one of their members.One of the enemy is within the family, waiting for the main character to fail. The main character goes on a search to find the truth about this family and its business associations. A lot of the search takes place in the seedy underworld of planet earth in the 23rd century. There is a lot of special technology used to enhance human abilities, and an incredible search through the planet's information system is one of the most exciting parts of the plot. The main character ends up allowing himself to become a victim to expose an evil character and ensure the success of the character he was hired to protect.
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 15% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 25% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Spying & Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- finding a killer (criminal)
Mental/magical powers focus
Yes
Inner Struggle
Yes
Plotlet:
- coping with mental/magical powers
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
- Male Alien
Profession/status:
- private investigator
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- diplomat
- mastermind
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- obsessed
- mentally ill
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
- wild
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
- an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Earth setting:
- medium future 22-24th century
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- explicit references to torture
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- a fair amount of scientific explanation
- a significant amount of technical jargon
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of touching personal anatomy
- actual description of sex
- description of breasts
- descript. of private male anat.
- descript. of non-breast female anat.
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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