Tomorrows Sphinx [Hardcover]

Clare Bell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1986

Two unusual black cheetahs share a mental link, one cat coming from the past to reveal scenes from his life with the young pharaoh Tutankhamen, and one struggling to survive in a future world ravaged by ecological disaster.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As a rare black cheetah, Kichebo's color has always created problems. She was only reluctantly accepted by her kin when she was a cub and later, it was almost impossible for her to hunt without the camouflage of a cheetah's usual coloring. What's more, she is singled out for pursuit by humans in helicopters. Her one benefit is a heightened power of mental communication. While all of her species are telepaths, she can go back in time and enter the mind of Asu-Kheknemt, a favorite cheetah of young pharoah Tutankhamen. Although Kheknemt can sometimes share his thoughts with Tut, he is unable to prevent Tut's assassination. Kichebo uses that knowledge of human beings to protect an infant, the survivor of a car crash, whom she has adopted. Bell slowly weaves her exotic subjects into a tantalizing tapestry. However, a too-neat conclusion may be a letdown for readers who might expect a really grand finale to an unusual book.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up In this striking and boldly original blend of science fiction and fantasy, Bell creates another race of large sentient cats struggling to survive in a primitive environment. Unlike the intelligent beasts in Clan Ground (1984) and Ratha's Creature (1983, both Atheneum), who live in a world 25 million years in the past, the cheetahs in this new tale are fighting against extinction on a future world ravaged by ecological disaster and abandoned by humanity. The young Kichebo, rejected by her fellows because of her solid black coat, adopts a very young child after rescuing her from the burning wreckage of a crashed spacecraft and soon finds herself pursued by more of these strange human visitors from the sky. She establishes a mental link with another black cheetah, one sending messages from many centuries in the past to reveal scenes from his life with the young pharaoh Tutankhamen. As the stories alternate between Kichebo's actions and those of the distant past, it becomes likely that this long-dead cheetah may be able to explain both Kichebo's genetic heritage and her unusual empathy for the human child. Bell's inclusion of many physical details of appearance and behavior, combined with good dialogue, create a vivid society of animals who speak with almost human voices while retaining the limitations of their natures. Although the alternation of past and present sometimes slows down the pace, readers will enjoy such rich and wondrous details as the training of hunting cheetahs in ancient Egypt and some superb action scenes. The resolution ties together the two plot lines in an unexpected and satisfying way. Lyle Blake Smythers, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 292 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry; 1st edition (November 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689504020
• ISBN-13: 978-0689504020
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in England in 1952, I moved to the US with my family in 1957. I worked in oceanography, electrical engineering, test equipment design and mechanical engineering before I wrote my first book, Ratha's Creature (Atheneum-Argo Margaret K .McElderry 1983) , the story of a prehistoric wildcat who learns to tame fire.

Since then I have continued to write fantasy and science fiction for children and adults. I continue to be fascinated by big cats, as showcased in Tomorrow's Sphinx (cheetahs in Tutanhkmen's Eygypt) and Jaguar Princess (were-jaguars in Aztec and Olmec Mexico).

My stories tend to show sociological themes as well, exploring the changes that are brought about in culture through technology. I also enjoy creating plausible and workable alien critters ( the aronan fliers in People of the Sky). The central theme of my fiction is evolution, having been influenced early by the works of C.S. Lewis, Olaf Stapledon , and Arthur C. Clarke.

I have degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering, biology and chemistry and have continued working in technical areas in addition to writing fiction. I became involved in building and designing electric vehicles and spent a year in Norway working on a production EV. I have also participated in electric vehicle racing in the Arizona Public Service Company-sponsored Solar and Electrics competitions, held from 1991 to 1998. My electric Porsche 914, known by her racing number, 13, was a well-known competitor in these races. I was also involved with the Women's Electric Racing and Educational Team (WE'RE-IT) when we raced the Porsche and our converted race-Rabbit, #6 Hop-along.

After moving to a remote site in California's coastal mountains, I and my partner put together our own solar and wind systems and experimented with a power-generating waterwheel. A naturalized citizen of the US, I now live with my partner-become-husband, Chuck Piper, in the hills west of Patterson, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cats and Time Travel Just Seem to Go Together!, January 16, 2004

By 

Shanshad "shanachie_shadowfax" (Discworld) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tomorrow's Sphinx (Mass Market Paperback)

Kichebo is a black cheetah, born in a far-flung future. Unlike the gold-coated, black spotted cheetahs around her, her coat is sable with gold markings. Everywhere she goes, she is hunted by strange creatures in sky vehicles that try to capture her. Unable to find acceptance or safety among her kind, she makes contact with another--amazingly like herself. Kehknemt lived thousands of years ago, the companion of an Egyptian Prince. Through these shared memories across time, and the strange friendship Kichebo strikes up with small two-legged creature, the black cheetah hopes to find the answers to the questions of why she is so different, and what her future might hold.

Clare Bell has a real love of the big cats, and provides an insightful look into the lives of these large hunters. Her depiction of the cheetah society does not try to over-anthropomorphize the cats into human beings. Although they communicate in a sentient manner and are provided with personality and purpose, their behaviors and lifestyles remain those of powerful semi-solitary predators. It makes for an interesting glimpse into how an intelligent society of cats might develop. Beyond this, Kichebo's story is one coming of age and discovery of self. The questions Kichebo most seeks an answer to are: "Why am I so different?" and "What is the meaning of my life?" Questions that are universal and easy to understand, if not easy to answer. Kichebo is destined to take her people in a new direction, one she never imagined. The time travel aspect of this book gives us a fascinating look into what might have been in the days of King Tutankhamen, and the reasons behind the young King's early death.

This book is written with young readers in mind, much of Kichebo's search for self and struggle to become who she is will echo with adolescents who are going through the same struggle. I read this book in my teens and have reread it several times since. I think adult readers will find the story lacks the kind of mature sophistication they might be used to in adult science fiction, but it fits the intended readership well. For those who enjoy this book, see if you can find Ratha's Creature, also by Clare Bell.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Clare Bell Fans, August 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Tomorrow's Sphinx (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book. Kichebo was so... realistic. Torn in a way many of us feel. The flashbackas and backgrounds of Ancient Egypt as well as future Egypte were astounding and thorough in thier description This is a wonderful book by a wonderful author. I don't understand why all her books are out of print!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tomorrow's Sphinx, March 21, 2007

By 

Tina Drucker "Kenosha Quinn" (Over the Hills and Far Away) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tomorrow's Sphinx (Mass Market Paperback)

Tomorrow's Sphinx is an extremely imaginative and thought provoking read. With wonderful characters and beautiful descriptions, Clare Bell has created an exquisite world like no other.
Kichebo, a cheetah who's lucky to have survived past year one, is not like the rest of her kin. She is unique in the sense that she is black with gold tear lines, gold ear tips, and a gold tail tip, and that she is mentally different from her brethren. Shunned because of her differences, Kichebo is destined to find out that she is different in a way that she could never have fathomed. Through the guidance of Asu-Kheknemt, a long dead cheetah who protected and befriended Tutankhamen, a wise, grayed cheetah named Gray Cape, and the affectionate human child, Menk, Kichebo will soon discover what her place in the world is, and find herself.
I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants a fresh original fantasy read, you will not be dissapointed!!