Cat-a-Lyst [Paperback]

Alan Dean Foster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 4, 1991

While on vacation in Peru, movie star Jason Carter discovers a lost civilization of extra-dimensional Incas intent on conquering the entire world. By the author of For Love of Mother-Not.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Reading Foster ( Quozl ) is like eating a meringue: it's not very filling, but it tastes just fine. Foster likes to put silly twists on old stories. In this case, he has a race of guardians (called Monitors) whose function is to guide the races of different planets through their evolution--the twist being that the Monitors take the form of cats. The plot involves a Renegadeuppercase ok?/yes/pk Monitor who tries to disrupt Earth by bringing about the return of a lost tribe of South American natives. The natives, now called Contisuyuns, live on another world, which they landed on by way of transmitters left by a group of aliens called Boojums, who look like trees and speak with British accents. The Contisuyuns plan to take long overdue revenge for the conquistadores' 15th-century ravaging by creating a TV show that broadcasts subliminal anti-Spain messages. The main characters, who encounter these variously fey creatures, include a pretty-boy actor, a wardrobe designer, their faithful Indian guide, an aspiring archeologist, a pair of Peruvian capitalists, a tabloid reporter and a large and power-hungry Peruvian woman.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Actor Jason Carter travels to Peru to follow up on a stolen treasure map showing the location of the lost gold of the Incas. Instead, he locates the lost Incas themselves--in an alternate dimension from which they plan to reconquer the world--and joins with an ever-increasing and bizarre array of allies and antagonists (including a race of sentient cat-like beings) to stop them. Veteran sf author Foster ( The Last Starfighter , LJ 5/15/84; Cyber Way, LJ 5/15/90) strings together a number of conventions from his many movie novelizations in an affectionate tribute to bad sf films. Though entertaining, this is not an essential purchase.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 325 pages
• Publisher: Ace; First Edition edition (July 4, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441646611
• ISBN-13: 978-0441646616
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,705,149 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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Feline focused fantasy laugh fun out loud funny..., June 5, 2002

By 

Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cat-a-Lyst (Paperback)

...for me at least. While it is true that Alan Dean Foster has crafted some fine, entertaining adventure stories in his long and distinguished career, Cat-A-Lyst isn't really one of them. Words like cartoonish and juvenile descibe it best, but there is no doubt that this outlandish comedy will offer some fun for the feline fancier, but those looking for a more serious tale better give this one a very wide berth, it's as silly as they can get. It reads as if Foster just jotted down some whimsical ideas while on a Peruvian vacation and then stitched them together with some book ended axe grinding at the movie and television industry (perhaps his stint as a Star Trek writer left him with some scars?). Ostensibly it is the tale of one Jason Carter, a reluctant Hollywood Heartthrob who just wants to be taken seriously as an actor. While filming a Civil War epic Carter finds a computer disc. Said disc contains hints of Peruvian treasure. Thanks to a somewhat enigmatic and salty tongued costume matron (who isn't what she appears to be) and some convoluted research on her part Carter and Company are soon enough in the wilds of Peru, searching for the hinted at treasure and finding something quite different, thanks to a mysterious cat that pops up out of nowhere and tags along. Things go from the comedic to the downright silly in no time flat as alternated dimensions are discovered and intellectual carrots arrive on the scene. Needless to say that, if you are in the mood for frenetically paced, feline focused cartoon fantasyu fun, then check Cat-A-Lyst out, you just might like it. Recommended, believe it or not.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very fun and light - but the plot is infantile at times, March 26, 2001

By 

Dr. Zoidberg (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat-a-Lyst (Paperback)

I don't know about you, but sometimes I'm in the mood for a real "heavy" book which will stimulate thinking and linger in my brain for weeks. Other times, I just want a light and fun book. Cat-A-Lyst started as one of the lighest novels I have ever read: an actor, Jason Carter, goes on a trip to Peru in search of hidden Inca treasure. While there, he encounters interesting characters and strange situations (funny aliens, An Inca colony on another planet which is determined to avenge the demise of their empire done by the Spanish centuries ago, and more). I read two thirds of the book and really had lots of fun - this was exactly what I wanted at the time, very very fun plot - even if it wasn't really a believable one. But then the book became *really* ridiculous.. so I forced myself to finish it just to know how the story ends.
Overall, I think this book would be perfect for times of real boredom (such as a long flight).. but don't get it expecting a masterpiece, because this is nearly the exact opposite.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rather silly, October 9, 2000

By 

Kathleen Cobcroft (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat-a-Lyst (Paperback)

This is *not* serious sci fi - quite the opposite. I actually really enjoyed it. There's missing Incan civilisations, inter-dimensional energy beings (that look like suspiciously like housecats) battling for Earth, good vs evil, etc, and then there's the odd stuff...

Maybe I'm a bit biased (due to being a mad cat-lover), but I found it quite interesting and funny. Better than Cogerspace, but not as good as Quozl.