The Katurran Odyssey
The Katurran Odyssey is a fantasy book conceived and illustrated by Terryl Whitlatch, with writing credits attributed to David Michael Wieger. It takes place in the fictional world of Katurrah, which is inhabited by sapient versions of Earth animals. The first book of The Katurran Odyssey was published in 2004 by Simon & Schuster through the transmedia company Imaginosis, and it has been nominated for the 2005 Chesley Awards.[1] Terryl Whitlatch has expressed the intention of creating a sequel.[2]
Synopsis[edit]
The book details the journey of a young ring-tailed lemur called Katook, who discovers the truth behind his tribe's religious system and is granted by eyes by its deity, the Fossah. This is interpreted as curse, so he is banished. Leaving his home island of Bo-hibba, he travels the world, meeting several other primate cultures.
Animals[edit]
All species featured in the novel are real-life species, aside from a solitary example.[3] However, following fantasy conventions, a majority of these have original names. An odd few possess inaccurate names, such as elephant birds being labelled as "moa".
- The Lemurs form a theocratic society in the island of Bo-Hibba, worshipping the Fossah in a manner similar to how historical malagasy peoples venerated Zanahary.[4][5] They are composed of multiple species that appear to operate on a caste system, with the majority (Lemuridae species such as the ring-tailed lemur and the greater bamboo lemur) forming the basic citizens and farmers, indris the law enforcement and aye-ayes the clerical caste. Both indris and aye-ayes are corrupt and exploit the lemur proletariat through religion.
- The Quagga are nomadic residents of the Katurran steppes. They take pride in their ability to navigate themselves. The sole quagga observed in the story, Quigga, is highly elitistic.
- The "Kollobooh" form an intellectual and artistic society, possessing vast libraries to archive their knowledge and art studios to dissect anatomy. Terryl Whitlatch claims that these express her personality more vividly.
- The "Patah" form a nomadic, possibly theocratic society in Katurrah's deserts. They have a symbiotic relationship with glyptodonts, which they use as mounts and as barriers against predators such as the "Phorcus". They occur in the range of a former baboon empire, which destructed itself and created the deserts in the process.
- The "Boskii" are shamanic mangrove dwellers.
- The "Dourahnah" are a highly malevolent atheistic empire that maintains a system of slavery.
- Acco is a commercial city where all sorts of species perform trade.
Soundtrack[edit]
A soundtrack composed by Jeff Johnson and Brian Dunning has since been released to accompany the story.[6]
Track listing[edit]
All music composed by Jeff Johnson and Brian Dunning, with uncredited female vocals.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Another Time" | 7:01 |
| 2. | "Behind The Water Wall" | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Shifting Sands / A City Dead" | 5:01 |
| 4. | "The Fire Inside The Flame" | 3:11 |
| 5. | "Wishes And Songs" | 3:17 |
| 6. | "Following Butterflies" | 3:57 |
| 7. | "Golden Image" | 1:49 |
| 8. | "Fossah Dreams" | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Finding Heaven" | 4:14 |
| 10. | "The Beautiful Sky" | 6:28 |
| 11. | "Silent As The Sun" | 3:52 |
References[edit]
- ↑ "sfadb : Terryl Whitlatch Awards". www.sfadb.com.
- ↑ carlhaering (2 July 2012). "Terryl Whitlatch Interview @ Anomaly 2012, UBC Vancouver" – via YouTube.
- ↑ [1][dead link]
- ↑ Lee Haring, Stars and Keys: Folktales and Creolization in the Indian Ocean, Indiana University Press, 19/07/2007
- ↑ Virginia Thompson, Richard Adloff, The Malagasy Republic: Madagascar Today, Stanford University Press, 1965
- ↑ "The Katurran Odyssey – A Musical Journey, by Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning". Jeff Johnson.
External links[edit]
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