Star Ka`at World

~ 2 Novel in the Star Ka`at Series by Andre Norton

Written with Dorothy Madlee

star.kaat.world

 

Synopsis ~

Write-up from the front flap of the 1978 dustjacket ~

Jim Evans and Elly Mac Brown expand their relationships with a super race of cats — rather, ka'ats — by traveling with them to Zimmorrah. The special world of the ka’ats. Elly Mae is fascinated by their surroundings; Jim is cautious and uncertain. On Zimmorrah all work is done by machines and robots that are controlled by mind-communication from the ka’ats. Machines make clothes and ready—to-eat food, give baths, build buildings, teach school and mind-communication lessons.
Who made these machines in the first place? What about the city of the Hsi? Who lives there? The ka’ats call it the trap of death and forbid going there. Jim begins to feel more a prisoner than a guest, and wonders if the ka’ats think of him and Elly Mae as pets. He doesn’t like the ka’ats tuning into his thoughts. An absorbing and thought-provoking adventure for young readers.

 

Write-up from the back of the paperback edition ~

Jim and Elly Mae travel to a distant planet as guest of Tiro and Mer. Members of a super intelligent race of Ka`ats. On this strange world, work is done by machines, which are controlled by thoughts from the Ka`ats. But Jim and Elly cannot learn this power and become dependent on their hosts for everything, even meals. Determined to find their own food, Jim and Elly explore a nearby city where human like beings once lived. But fierce robots now march down the streets. Tiro and Mer rush in to protect their human friends and are kidnapped by the robots. Jim and Elly must use all their courage and wits to find a way to rescue the Ka`ats.

Write-up from the back of the UK paperback edition ~

“I can’t do it” Jim pounded his fist on his knees as he squatted before the food machine.
Jim and Elly Mae had both tried to get meals from the food machine but usually it meant that they just sat there getting hungrier and hungrier.
Jim’s frustration and dependence on the Ka`ats – the telepathic race of supercats who rescued him and Elly Mae from doomed Earth – increases and drives him to the forbidden city, unknown and dangerous…

 

Write-ups from fans ~

Intelligent alien cats came to Earth to rescue the descendants of a colonization attempt, and incidentally take two orphaned kids to their world. Unable to adapt well, the kids run away to the last city of the humanoids who formerly held the place and proceed to save everything that needs it. ~ SL

 

This book starts where Star Ka'at ends. Jim and Elly Mae have been taken to Zimmorah, the home planet of the Ka'ats, a telepathic race of highly intelligent cats. The Ka'ats have a high-tech civilization and use telepathy to control their robots and other machinery. They try to teach Jim and Elly Mae how to control the machines, but with limited success. Worst of all, they cannot master the food replicators. They went on field trips an on one were shown a forbidden city where once dwelled a humanoid race who were enemies of the Ka'ats. Fear of being too dependent on the Ka'ats for food and other necessities causes Jim to seek out the Forbidden City. He and Elly Mae stole a flyer and entered the city. They saw bunches of robots running around cleaning and guarding and other things. Tiro and Mer go to look for the kids and are captured by the robots who try to kill them. Jim and Elly Mae in an attempt to rescue them wind up shutting down the power plant for the entire city. The Ka'ats proclaim them to be heroes and kin-friends to the Ka'at race. ~ PG

 

Reviews ~

Kirkus Reviews ~ Issue: April 1st, 1978
The two children adopted by alien felines in Star Ka'at (1976) now find themselves on the Ka'ats' green-skied planet--of which black Elly Mae declares "I do believe this here must be some sorta dream! I never no ways 'spected we would come to such a fine, fine place as this!" But Jim, unhappy about their dependency on their Ka'at hosts and their difficulties in learning to mind-send, drags her off to the forbidden city once occupied by manlike Hsi and still somehow deadly to the Ka'ats. The robots who still maintain the deserted city (and whom Elly calls "them tin can people") don't touch Jim and Elly but set out to kill the two Ka'at friends who have followed them there; however, the courageous children destroy the city's power source, making it safe for Tiro, Mer, and all future Ka'ats--and thus return to the Ka'at town as heroes. The silly story is impeded by long Ka'at summaries of past events and half-explanations of how their machinery works (nothing is ingenious by sci-fi standards) -- and further bogged down by every sort of stereotype.

 
Various reviews ~ For more info and other listings see Articles Over the Years

1979 by H. Flick Jr. in Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide, September
2020 by Judith Tarr

 

Bibliography of English Editions ~

  • (1978) Published by Walker, HC, 0-802-76300-6, LCCN 77079268, $6.95, 130pg ~ cover & illustrations by Jean Jenkins Loewer {Orange Paper Boards}
  • (1979) Published by Pocket (Archway), PB, 0-671-29910-7, LCCN 77-79268, $1.50 ~ cover by Milo ~ illustrated by Jean Jenkins Loewer
  • (1981) Published by Black Knight, PB, 0-340-26459-4, £0.85, 128pg ~ UK printing ~ cover by Phillip Hood
  • (2017) Published by Worldbuilders Press, DM, no isbn, $2.99, ~ cover by Matt Forsyth

 

Non-English Editions ~

  • (1983) Published in Copenhagen, Denmark; by Tellerup, PB, 87-588-0029-8, 79pg ~ translation by Bjarne Skovlund ~ Danish title Telekattenes Planet [The Planet of the Telecommunications]

 

Russian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (1994) Published in Moscow, by Sigma Press and Zelenograd, by Zelenogradskaya Books, 5-863-14031-3, HC, 416pg ~ cover by D. D. Avvakumov ~ Russian title Семь чудес к воскресенью [Seven wonders by Sunday]

Contains:

    • "Star Ka'at Series" as "The World of Star Co'ot" ~ pp. 3-166
      • "Star Ka'at" as "Star Co'ot" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 4-56
      • "Star Ka'at World" as "The World of Star Co'ot" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 56-117
      • "Star Ka'ats and the Plant People" as "Star co'otes and intelligent plants" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 117-166
    • "Seven Spells to Sunday" as "Seven Wonders by Sunday" ~ translation by T. Korobkova, pp. 167-270
    • "Octagon Magic" as "The Magic House" ~ translation by M. Shamray, pp. 271-413

 

  • (1995) Combined with "Star Ka'at World" "Star Ka'ats and the Plant People" and "Star Ka'ats and the Winged Warriors" ~ Published in Moscow, by Sigma Press and Zelenograd, by Zelenogradskaya Books, 5-859-49054-2, HC, 320pg ~ translation by Dmitry Arseniev ~ Russian title Мир звёздных ко'отов [Star Ka'at World]

Contains:

    • "Star Ka'at" as "Star Co'ot" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 3-76
    • "Star Ka'at World" as "The World of Star Co'ot" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 76-160
    • "Star Ka'ats and the Plant People" as "Star co'otes and intelligent plants" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 160-229
    • "Star Ka'ats and the Winged Warriors" as "Star co'ots and winged warriors" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 229-318

 

Ukrainian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (2017) Published in Kyiv, Ukraine by Globe (Fanzine) ~ cover by Sandara Tang ~ Russian title Прославляя Короля. Звёздные ко’оты [Praising the King. Star Co'ot] ~ Limited to 10 copies

Contains:

    • "The Shadow of Albion" as "Shadow of Albion" ~ translation by O. Stepashkina, pp. 5-295
    • "Leopard in Exile" as "Leopard in exile" ~ translation by N. Nekrasova, pp. 297-566
    • "Star Ka'at" as "Star Co'ot" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 567-608
    • "Star Ka'at World" as "The World of Star Co'ot" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 609-657
    • "Star Ka'ats and the Plant People" as "Star co'otes and intelligent plants" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 659-699
    • "Star Ka'ats and the Winged Warriors" as "Star co'ots and winged warriors" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, pp. 701-752

View the Original contract

View the 2004 Russian contract ~ no publishing data at this time

For information on editions currently available visit the Book Store

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Interior Illustrations;

View the embedded image gallery online at:
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