I didn’t invent the fippokat, a small, green, intensely cute creature that plays an important role in the Semiosis trilogy. As it says in the acknowledgements in Semiosis, my sister-in-law lent me her childhood imaginary animal to use in the novel.
Kathy conceived of the fippokat in grade school, when she also named it. She no longer recalls why — the reason is one of those things lost to childhood. I first learned about it one Christmas when she made a cookie in the shape of a fippokat, sprinkled with green sugar. At my request, she graciously gave me permission to use and abuse the animal in my writing.
She said, “Please remember that according to their crayon biography, they hop and glide and have curly tails and little pink noses.” She asked if they would be eaten.
Yes, they have been eaten and worse. Sorry. When I start writing, bad things tend to happen. In addition, the fipp family has grown. Now there are fippolions, tree fippokats, and in Interference, the sequel to Semiosis, carnivorous fippokats. Watch out!
Kathy has remained gracious throughout it all. One year, for Christmas, I commissioned a friend who is a fiber artist to create a fippokat for her as a gift (see photo). The artist did a fine job. Fippokats are cute, cute, cute.
My sister-in-law was delighted — especially by the curly tail, which is canon, after all. She said the little stuffed animal was like imagination come to life.
Semiosis 