Globetrotting drag icon and a long-time friend of this magazine, Queen Olivia III, has released their first book, the ingenious The Cat Operator’s Manual.
With their literary influence a 1982 Electrolux vacuum cleaner manual, The Cat Operator’s Manual is a clever book that describes, in useful technical detail, how a cat works. Considering they don’t come with instruction manuals, Olivia helps us out with what to do with unboxing, the cat’s features, its many modes, and warnings for the operator (from poo to scratches if touching the ‘danger zone’).
Those who have followed Queen Olivia III’s social media since the 2000s knows they have often referenced Cuddle Unit 5 (the cat) on board Space Station 1, and the book is dedicated to this cat’s operation—though the instructions are applicable throughout the feline world.
If the global launch at Unity Books is anything to go by, this is going to be the hit of the season, whether you’re a cat lover or not. It goes on sale in the US today, too (March 18), and it is published Stateside by Chronicle Books of San Francisco, after Kiwi publishers Olivia approached were too timid to take it on. To the victors go the spoils, and we hope to see translated editions before long.
The Cat Operator’s Manual retails at NZ$35 at Unity Books in Wellington; recommended price in the US is US$14·95, available directly from the publisher (and if you must make them richer, through Amazon). It also has a dedicated website.
Jack Yan is founder and publisher of Lucire.
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