In the distant future, a man downloads an ancient novel and instead of instantly transferring the novel into his brain, the man does something profound, he reads the text. As he reads the novel set in 1940s Townsville, he is involved in the story of Mr. Wilbur's immoral desires for Sam. 'The Cat' is perhaps Clarke's most daring novel: where innocence is betrayed, where reality is challenged, and where there is the possibility of moral redemption.