Alex the Werecat by Anna Rosenrot
So andrewjpeterswrites.com has been looking more like andrewjpeterssleeps.com lately, but truly, I have been doing a lot of writing off-line. Over 30K words in fact. It’s a project that was inspired in part by Allison Moon’s tasty werewolf series TALES OF THE PACK.
Lesbian werewolves: meet gay werecats.
Some of my friends have been quick to point out the comic possibilities of such a theme: high strung, fastidious queens who perch above the world throwing shade at their “inferiors.” I’m not taking it from that angle, for better or for worse. The series that’s coming together is dark and sexy and aims to explore what might really happen if man and feline could be merged. Some of you have seen my posts on my beloved tiger-striped tabby Chloë. I’m fascinated by cat psychology, as well as human psychology, so I hope to delve into those aspects, while keeping the tone gothic, humid and romantic.
Werewolf stories have a pretty big fandom, but who likes werecats? The literature is rather sparse. A Barnes & Noble search of “werecats” turns up fifteen titles, three of which are studies of an array of demonic creatures – vampires, werewolves and the like. Jami Lynn Saunders has a werecat horror series that comprises four of the other titles. The rest are paranormal romance (Sally Bosco’s WERECAT CHRONICLES for example) from a female heterosexual point of view.
Werecat films are few and far between. The only one that has some notoriety, from thirty years ago, is CAT PEOPLE, with Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell and a title song by David Bowie.
Poster from the 1982 movie
Then of course, there are the comics and RPGs. Thundercats tends to be the major reference when I tell people I’m writing a werecat story. (Regrettably).
You’re a madman Andrew, werecats will never take off.
Thanks for stopping by, and chiming in Justin. I think you have history on the side of your argument. But I’m wondering if you’d care to elaborate?
“Regrettably” Thundercats? “REGRETTABLY” Thundercats?!? Do you not know the untapped market that is probably there?
That said, I have always wondered why it is wolves get the limelight (or would that be moonlight?) when there is a rich cultural heritage around the world of all kinds of animal shapeshifters. When did all become nothing but wolves?
I blame Little Red Riding Hood.
I think there’s also a werecat series with the title “Alpha” or something that. That said, I LOVE THIS IDEA. Perhaps I’m biased, but whatevs. I can dig your idea of getting deeper into cat-like traits beyond the obvious “shade-throwing” tendencies.
Oooh! and Lesbian Werewolf Gay Werecat book tour!!! Yes please!
@Boston – I confess I was not a Thundercats fan, but I am well aware that there’s a nostalgic pull there for many people. I remember it from the late 80s, and I’m shocked to see that the series lives on. But yeah, you’re absolutely right about the cultural heritage. Olmecs, Aztecs, Cherokee, Hindu, Africana (well beyond ancient Egypt) all have/had prominent cat deities or spirits. I love that stuff!
@Allison – What a delightful idea! Now, I can’t say my stories will have as much to say about social/political issues as Tales of the Pack, but hell yeah – queer shape-shifters unite!
I have to agree on werecats, i’m a huge fan of thse creatures and it saddens me that there aren’t as many of them in movies and tv shows.
I would so much enjoy reading your series. I do enjoy reading my share of werewolf shift story but I would love to read more werecat stories. I have read a couple of story of werecat story’s but they don’t seem to very much touch on the whole roles of what a werecat is. It more about just them trying to find their mate or partner in their human body. However I do enjoy to read romance here and there.
Hi Robyn!
Many thanks for stopping by. I agree that many werecat stories are in the romance/erotica genre, which tends to focus more on the relationship and sex rather than exploring the physical and mythological aspects of werecats. My hope with this series was to do more with the latter while still having a good amount of action, and some sexiness. You may have seen this on my other pages, but just in case you weren’t aware, Werecat, Book 1 is out at booksellers. The second book, Werecat: The Glaring will be released at the end of February. Here’s a link to Amazon FYI: http://www.amazon.com/Werecat-The-Rearing-ebook/dp/B00D1YPCIC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369762561&sr=1-1&keywords=andrew+j.+peters+werecat
The werecat, (or weretiger, werepanther, what have you), has a long, mysterious, and colorful history in South Asia.
Clearly, in those parts of the world it is the counterpart to the European werewolf.
American fiction and media dominates the western world and it’s fair to say that, in terms of horror, it’s much informed by European tradition. Hence, werewolves are far better known globally.
Even so, there’s nothing inherently less scary or interesting about werecats, they simply lack, at present, the cultural engine-drivers. The west first became aware of the depth of Asian werecat lore in the time of the white hunters.
Hi Joe! Thanks so much for stopping by. I came across that history in my research on werecats. Weretiger mysticism in India for example.
I think you’re absolutely right about the reason for werewolf vs. werecat popularity here in the west. Although in the Americas, Native or Amerindian peoples also have/had a long tradition of werecat mythology. Really, since cats can be found in almost every part of the world, as opposed to wolves, they ought to claim more attention. 🙂