title: Smoky, the Ugliest Cat in the World: And Other Great Cat Stories (Good Lord Made Them All)
author: Joe L Wheeler PH.D. Ph.D.
description: Joe L. Wheeler, Ph.D., I the compiler/editor of the popular Christmas in My Heart books. Dubbed Americas Keeper of the Story by Focus on the Familys James Dobson, Wheeler has also served as editor-compiler of the Great Stories Remembered, Heart to Heart, and Forged in the Fire collections. Dr. Wheeler is professor emeritus of English at Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland; senior fellow for cultural studies at the Center for the New West in Denver, Colorado; and founder and executive director of Zane Greys West Society. He and his wife, Connie, reside in Conifer, Coloradio.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  `Big Cat`
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  `Big Cat`
  
  `& Other Stories `
  
  `2007 – 2019`
  
  Gwyneth Jones
  
  ![](images/00002.jpg)
  
  NewCon Press
  
  England  
  First edition, published in the UK April 2019
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  by NewCon Press
  
  NCP 188 (hardback)
  
  NCP 189 (softback)
  
  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
  
  This collection copyright © 2019 by Ian Whates
  
  Cover art © 2019 by Vincent Sammy
  
  All stories copyright © Gwyneth Jones
  
  “Big Cat” copyright © 2007, a version first appeared in Interzone, April 2007
  
  “The Flame Is Roses, The Smoke Is Briars” copyright © 2011, first appeared in
  
  TRSF the Best New Science Fiction
  
  
  “A Planet Called Desire” copyright © 2015, first appeared in Old Venus (Bantam
  Books)
  
  “The Old Schoolhouse” copyright © 2016, first appeared in Gothic Lovecraft
  (Cycatrix Press)
  
  “The Kianna” copyright © 2011, first appeared in Engineering Infinity
  (Solaris)
  
  “The Vicar Of Mars” copyright © 2011, first appeared in Eclipse Four
  (Nightshade Books)
  
  “Bricks, Sticks Straw” copyright © 2012, first appeared i