The Cat's Pajamas and Other Stories

by James Morrow

Overview

Terminal baptism, erotic performance art, and voodoo economics with actual voodoo.

An integrity gene is harvested from the brain of an unwilling schoolteacher. Christopher Columbus lands in modern-day Manhattan. John Wayne seeks treatment from a cinematic oncologist. Sports fans save the universe every day.

The Cat’s Pajamas is a provocative collection of satiric short fiction from Nebula and World Fantasy award—winning author James Morrow. Included is “Auspicious Eggs,” in which ritual procreation and compulsory abortion are mandated by the Catholic Church. Two original pieces were written specifically for The Cat’s Pajamas: the play “Come Back, Dr. Sarcophagus,” and the short story “Fucking Justice.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781892391407
Publisher:	Tachyon Publications
Publication date:	10/31/2006
Pages:	209
Product dimensions:	5.14(w) x 8.24(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

James Morrow is the author of the World Fantasy Award—winning Towing Jehovah, the New York Times Notable Book Blameless in Abaddon, the Nebula Award—winning Bible Stories for Adults, and the Theodore Sturgeon Award—winning Shambling Towards Hiroshima. A master of satiric and the surreal, he has enjoyed comparison with Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, and John Updike. He has a collection of Lionel trains and a rapidly growing library of DVDs of questionable taste.

Editorial Reviews

Praise forThe Cat's Pajamas and Other Stories

“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.”
—Booklist

“Morrow’s shorter tales possess...a keen sense of folly and morality, a witty inventiveness....”
—SciFiction.com

“Amply displays [Morrow’s] ability to juggle absurdity, tragedy, irony, and outrage....”
—Locus

“...darkly delightful satire.”
—Cemetery Dance

From the Publisher