The Analog Cat comes fully loaded with sixteen fantastic pieces of animal fiction. Mind the ejector seat. I’ve been a fan of Alice Dryden’s humor, heart, and biting wit for a long time but THE ANALOG CAT AND OTHER ANIMALS is the first book of hers I’ve bought. As she wends her way through her short stories, Alice Dryden takes you on a trip worth experiencing. I wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone who likes Terry Pratchett, Spider Robinson, or Lois McMaster Bujold. The stories include fables, magical realism, historical fiction combined with mythology, humanist science fiction, urban fantasy, and others. Dryden puts her characters through the wringer, but her sympathy and respect for her characters shines through even in darker, more tragic stories like “Cold Scent,” “Midway,” and “A Blacker Dog.” The characters in lighter stories like “400 Rabbits” and “The Lion of the Low Countries” go through it some too, and that touch of bitter makes the sweet all the sweeter. Don’t miss “Gerbil 07”—Dryden knows exactly what makes kiss-kiss-bang-bang James Bond-ian spy thrillers work, and shows off her finely-honed comedy chops here.
- Robert Scully