The Cat's Pajamas: and Other Stories [Paperback]

James Morrow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2006

Erotic performance art, terminal baptism, and voodoo economics with actual voodoo highlight this provocative collection of satiric short stories. These sharp, humorous tales detail the disastrous results of engineering an integrity gene, a bewildered Christopher Columbus landing in modern-day Manhattan, and sports fans revealed as the true heroes of our times. Original pieces include the play, "Come Back, Dr. Sarcophagus," and the short story, "Fucking Justice." Also featured is an original introduction by Terry Bisson, author of Numbers Don't Lie.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Arguably sf's reigning master of satire, Morrow has already blessed the genre with two previous volumes of short fiction and the monumental Godhead trilogy, in which a deceased Jehovah literally falls to Earth. His latest collection demonstrates that his rapier wit has lost none of its edge as it encompasses twisted scenarios ranging from Martians invading Central Park to having the fates of other worlds rest upon the scores of American football games. In "Auspicious Eggs," global warming forces the Catholic Church to enact rites of "terminal baptism," in which the souls of infants deemed infertile are immediately sent heavenward. In a shorter tale, King Kong and Godzilla pay their respects to 9/11 victims. During the title story, a crazed genetic scientist kidnaps a hapless do-gooder and harvests his altruism genes. All the stories manifest Morrow's penchant for exploring the dark underbelly of technological promise and extracting quirky moral conundrums. Morrow's fans will revel, and first-time readers may find his grim humor making fans of them, too. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Amply displays [Morrow's] ability to juggle absurdity, tragedy, irony, and outrage."  —Locus

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 209 pages
• Publisher: Tachyon Publications (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892391406
• ISBN-13: 978-1892391407
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,236,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars James Morrow resumes!, August 18, 2004

By 

Brian Rose (West Bend, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cat's Pajamas & Other Stories (Hardcover)

After an agonizing abscence from the bookshelves James Morrow returns in force with a second collection of short stories. With both previously unprinted, hard to find and uncollected stories Jim has put together a fantastic collection of stories that can find any audience.

From his short plays to his fantastic imaginative narratives to his well disguised social commentaries and unyeilding satire this collection is a very worthy addition that will contribute to the cult legend of James Morrow.

the collection is a welcome sight to any Morrow hardcore fan that has been anxiously awaiting a new full length novel from him, and something in which the book jacket teases us and tempts our palette with the bombshell news that he has TWO novels waiting in the wings!

Until then, there's The Cat's Pajama's and other stories to abide our time.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand Satire, January 11, 2005

By 

H.L. Mencken (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cat's Pajamas & Other Stories (Hardcover)

Jim Morrow is one of the few writers consistently writing effective satire in science fiction and fantasy. Fans of his novels will be delighted by this collection of his short work. If anything Morrow's grand conceits play better at shorter length: Alien races battling over philosophical differences; Columbus landing in a newer world than the one he discovered; sports fans who control the fate of nations. Morrow's work is not for the humorless or the unimaginative. He is science fiction's Swift; as a writer he is Gulliver among Lilliputians.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a book for book lovers, August 31, 2005

By 

madmanwithabook (Newark, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cat's Pajamas & Other Stories (Hardcover)

Everything about the Cat's Pajamas by James Morrow is first rate, from the teriffic stories to the exceptional cover art to the maroon and gold binding. I particularly enjoyed Morrow's sendup of shlocky horror movies shown late at night on weekend television, "Come Back, Dr. Sarcophagus" (an original to this collection). Fun fun fun.