It always seemed to me that Coney was one of those writers whose work was out there, but who was often ignored by the Powers That Be in the science fiction world (and, perhaps, by the readers as well). I find that a pity---he seemed as good as anybody.

In particular, I am fond of his "Cat Karina." I picked up a used copy, attracted by the cover---and found the book inside the covers much better. After that, I sought out more of his books, most of which weren't easy to come by.

"Cat Karina" is set in a far-future Brazil, where there are different strains of humans called Specialists, whose genetic ancestry also includes assorted animals. Karina is one such, derived from cat stock. She goes through a series of episodic adventures and ultimately sets out on the road of reconciliation between Specialists and True Humans.

But there's more. Karina's story is a told story, from the outside. Multiple viewpoints abond and we meet and get to know many of the people and see the world from their viewpoint.

The far-future setting has a few different knobs and buttons. Humans once traveled between the stars but gave it up and reduced their technology: their descendents in the story's setting feel these restrictions keenly and work on ways to get around or defy them.

Then there's the angle of superior creatures, who might as well be gods to those on the level of Karina and her friends, one of who is trapped (by ancient human agency) and works tirelessly to find the right happentrack to secure his release.

"Happentracks." That's Coney's take on alternate universes, what will happen if such-and-such isn't done. Here, Coney will linger on the what-would-happen-if of it, often at length. He'll also stop and outline the history that lead to the story's present-day.