Cachalot [Mass Market Paperback]

Alan Dean Foster (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Foster's Cachalot is a "well-written story of a women biologist and her spoiled daughter who find love, adventure, and self-realization" (LJ 4/15/80). Severn House's version is the only hardcover edition available.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Del Rey (March 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345335953
• ISBN-13: 978-0345335951
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,555,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alan Dean Foster's work to date includes excursions into hard science-fiction, fantasy, horror, detective, western, historical, and contemporary fiction. He has also written numerous non-fiction articles on film, science, and scuba diving, as well as having produced the novel versions of many films, including such well-known productions as "Star Wars", the first three "Alien" films, "Alien Nation", and "The Chronicles of Riddick". Other works include scripts for talking records, radio, computer games, and the story for the first "Star Trek" movie. His novel "Shadowkeep" was the first ever book adapation of an original computer game. In addition to publication in English his work has been translated into more than fifty languages and has won awards in Spain and Russia. His novel "Cyber Way" won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990, the first work of science-fiction ever to do so.

Foster's sometimes humorous, occasionally poignant, but always entertaining short fiction has appeared in all the major SF magazines as well as in original anthologies and several "Best of the Year" compendiums. His published oeuvre includes more than 100 books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book that made me long for the sea..., October 11, 2008

By 

Storylover (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cachalot (Hardcover)

I went through a monumental Alan Dean Foster phase as an early teenager, reading all of his books that the local B. Dalton booksellers had. Cachalot was picked up merely because he wrote it. Lucky me. In typically ADF style, he swiftly creates a wonderful new world, one that you would long to explore yourself: in this case, a beautiful pearl of a water world, a world that we gave to the sentient whale species that we almost destroyed on earth. Now, because we are humans and we tend to take back what we give, we've been exploring their world...and suddenly, humans seem to be getting attacked by whales! Unthinkable. Well, of course, the truth is far more complicated than that, and what a wonderful time we have getting to the end. Like Voyage to the City of the Dead, the end is very creative, a twist almost out of nowhere, and in this case, it is marvelous.

This is right up there with Nor Crystal Tears or the Tar-Aiym Krang for my favorite ADF books, and is one that I have returned to with pleasure 3-4 times, and which I have also shared with my wife. We both still enjoy it--not bad for a book I read as a 12 year old originally. Oh, and every time I go scuba or snorkelling, every time I'm on a boat in Hawaii or at an aquarium, I think about this book. Cachalot and Startide Rising by David Brin both kindled my love for the sea, whales, and dolphins. ALso, pretty good for a sci-fi book. Four stars for the book, 5 stars for all the lasting pleasure it has given me over the years.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Human v Whale on Waterworld., November 14, 2001

By 

Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cachalot (Mass Market Paperback)

At one time (circa the 1970s when this novel was written) Humans had hunted the sea dwelling mammals to near extinction. When other worlds had been discovered they were given a planet of their own, Cachalot (shades of Camelot?), to colonize and live on unmolested. However humans are now colonizing the planet and rogue warrior whales seem to be attacking and destroying the floating cities. Recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars Cachalot, November 11, 2000

By 

"harmoniousrage" (TX, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cachalot (Hardcover)

Cachalot is set far in the future in a time when humans have for the most part mended thier ways and are trying to be a more patronly race than they had been in the past. The story takes place on Cachalot, a waterworld when the Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) of old earth have been given a new home. These magnificent creatures have been discovered to be intelligent and a weak truce has been forge between the humans and the whales. The Cetaceans still feel jilted and angry at the humans for the way they had been treated in the past, and old wounds still run deep.

When the whales begin attacking ships and port-towns, several investigators are called in to discover why the attacks are happening after so many years of peace.

What they find is something unprecedented and bizzare.

Cachelot was the first Foster novel I ever read and it made me a big fan of his. It is a truly unique story, told through many different eyes. I'd definitely recommend it to Foster fans and those who've never read him.