Zainal's appearance vs. Video Game Images

[catscrazy3]

I checked out the video game site for the sake of the images of a Catteni. I thought they were like Cats? On the cover of Freedom's Landing you can see a Man w/ Cat Ears and a woman seated below on the cliff. I understand the wide nose and the gray skin that is part of the video game image. The site claims that Anne McCaffrey approved and assisted with character images. If this is true are the Catteni not actually like Cats? It just blows the whole romance idea between Kris and Zainal out of the water. Since the creatures the video game uses are so vile.

I can't seem to find more info. Anne M's site only discusses Pern. Does anyone know of any discussions or comments she has made about the Freedom series?

[Cheryl]

I think those vague cat ears were purely artistic license. The cover artist probably assumed that an alien called Catteni was cat-like. There is nothing at all in the books to suggest that they are. They have grey skin, yellow eyes (IIRC), and on average big and beefy compared to the average human -- but not so different that humans can't pass as Catteni with some stage makeup.

The later books in the series are probably best at giving descriptions of the Catteni, as that's when the humans start disguising themselves as them. (Maybe just in the 4th book, it's been a while since I read them all.)

[Allana]

It never even occured to me to think of them as cat-like, that's certainly not the way I read the descriptions.

[Brenda]

They are only called "cats" as a derogatory form of the name "Catteni."
I think it's in "Freedom's Challenge" that they first start sneaking out in disguise, which involves grey powder makeup and hair color, and yellow contact lenses. Only people within a certain size range can go - some are too small, and a few are too tall. Apparently Catteni aren't necessarily tall, just big in general.

[catscrazy3]

The artist that made the front cover must have seen the quote that would be listed on the back cover of the first book. Including the line "He's like a great lion."

However the more I read I cant dismiss the images I saw. This makes the emotional expressions and grinning an even deeper view into Zainal's difference as an Emassi.

[Gwina]

OH! Learn something new every day. Actually, I agree catscrazy3. Um, didn't Zainal have... never mind, Brenda said it- about the yellow eyes, which are very cat-like (pardon my sketchy memory.) I always read him in the way you do though, catscrazy. Words are wonderful! They give such depth if played out in the right tempo.