Cats And Monkeys

One of my questions is answered. The question, in What Happened Long Ago, was:

"Did Kzin have evolutionary equivalents of monkeys to which the feline kzinti contemptuously compare human beings?"

The answer, in "The Asteroid Queen," Chapter III, is:

"...Claude's own superior habitually referred to humans as kz'eerkt, monkey. That was a quasi-primate on the kzinti homeworld. A tree-dwelling mammal-analog, as much like a monkey as a kzin was like a tiger, which was not much." (p. 73)

So kzinti are not much like big cats and human beings are compared to animals that are not much like monkeys. The back cover blurb of Man-Kzin Wars III proclaims:

"...all that stands between freedom and a feline-filled universe is the human race. Good luck, monkey-boys." (p. 73)

Cats versus monkeys in spaceships sounds cartoony and makes good paperback blurb but is not really what the stories are about. Pierre Boulle's La Planete Des Singes has genuine intelligent monkeys in space.

Accessing a Public Library is a new experience. It is necessary to make an appointment not only to make an inquiry but even to browse. It is impossible to order books from other libraries. Morecambe Library did not have any of the Known Space novels that I wanted. Other than that, I had a pleasant afternoon in Morecambe and conversed with the half-naked, tattooed, incredibly long-haired Andrea (scroll down) by shouting up to his balcony. He confirmed that the kzinti are in the Star Trek Role Playing Game. See here.

There is no direct connection between Star Trek and Poul Anderson. Nevertheless, a Star Trek fan might:

find references to kzinti in Star Trek;

see kzinti in action in an animated episode adapted by Larry Niven from a Known Space story;

read Niven's Known Space future history;

read Man-Kzin Wars stories, including those written by Poul Anderson;

go from there to Anderson's Technic History which has not kzinti but Merseians but also much more than that;

read other works by Anderson;

think, "I should have done this in the first place!"

I am advised that searching for "Emperor Josip" on this blog discloses some interesting posts and discussions so here goes: Emperor Josip. (Scroll down.)

This is probably the last post for this month since it will make a round number of posts for the month. Late in the evening here, I relax from enjoyable posting and resume enjoyable other reading. Chase The Morning (scroll down) is indeed intriguing in its different approach to interpenetrating parallel worlds but currently is losing out to competition from the severalth rereading of the incomparable Stieg Larsson.

I will see you all back here next month which means tomorrow.

May that happen which the gods will.