ABOUT
THE BOOK

Tonguecat tells the story of a city’s decline into chaos and violence upon the arrival of Prometheus, the Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. As the novel opens, Prometheus abandons a violent primeval world for a cold, earthly city that is perpetually in renewal-and is, in many ways, an emblem of contemporary urban life.
Once descended, Ulrike, an orphaned girl whose body produces music, guides Prometheus though the slums of the city. Prometheus finds himself in a counterculture of squatters, junkies, and storytelling whores-called tonguecats. The fire of resistance is smouldering all through the city; although the court continues to function, opposition to the monarchy mounts, and the king leaves his palace in search of human warmth.