Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Tor (New York, 2012). 1st mass market edition, 2nd printing. 368 pages. $7.99.
Description
Jack Holloway, prospecting on Zara XXIII for ZaraCorp, finds an immensely valuable stream of sunstone. But when he forwards footage of the planet's catlike, native "fuzzies" to a biologist friend --who believes the "fuzzies" are sentient--hired company thugs, murder, and arson soon follow to protect ZaraCorp's mining interests.
User reviews
LibraryThing member snat
I have never read a John Scalzi novel before, but I certainly don't think this will be my last. Fuzzy Nation is apparently a "reboot" of an earlier science fiction classic, although that's a novel with which I am unfamiliar (so I can't offer any comparisons to how Scalzi's reimagining of the novel
Fuzzy Nation is set in a future where mankind has successfully managed deep space exploration to the point where we colonize other planets. Of course (and I don't think this is too far off the mark here because we are avaricious bastards), our only interest in other planets is purely economic--we strip these planets of the natural resources we've depleted from earth and then we toss the planet aside like a banana peel and move on. This has led to the creation of mega-corporations, Zarathustra and Blue Sky, which make trillions off of their outer-planet mining industries. But ecologists have begun to take note and these corporations find their greedy little hands inconveniently bound by an ever-broadening range of EPA style rules and regulations, the most significant of which is that mining may not take place on planets that have been proven to have sentient life--at any stage in the evolutionary process.
Those who colonize these planets are migrant contractors and surveyors who move where the work is. Jack Holloway is one such contractor. Working for ZaraCorp, Jack is a misfit who seldom responds to anything appropriately, is purposefully antagonistic, and speaks sarcasm as if it's a second language. Jack is an asshole, a quality which I find endearing because he's amusing and you get a sense that, for all of his self-centered swagger, he's actually a moralistic asshole when it matters. The conflict of the novel centers on Jack, who has just discovered a seam of sunstone that could make him (and the generations who come after him) ridiculously wealthy. The problem? He has also just discovered the fuzzys, a cat-like animal that, as the novel goes on, may prove to be sentient. This pits Jack against his former girlfriend (the on-planet biologist), the corporation that must share the wealth with Jack (and whose ruthlessness may imperil Jack's life), and against his own self-interest.
Where the novel goes depends upon whether Jack really is a good guy or not, a point that always seems debatable, which is why the use of an anti-hero as the main character is a stroke of genius. The reader hopes Jack will do the right thing, but can never be definitively certain that he will. The other bit of genius is that the evidence suggesting the fuzzys may be sentient is doubtful at best and this ambiguity also calls into question when and how do we decide that life is expendable and when it is not. Overall, I think Scalzi pulls off something very rare in fiction: a novel that makes you think about important issues without being overly preachy and also allows you to laugh along the way.
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measures up to the original). What I can say is that Scalzi's novel is both humorous and thought-provoking.Fuzzy Nation is set in a future where mankind has successfully managed deep space exploration to the point where we colonize other planets. Of course (and I don't think this is too far off the mark here because we are avaricious bastards), our only interest in other planets is purely economic--we strip these planets of the natural resources we've depleted from earth and then we toss the planet aside like a banana peel and move on. This has led to the creation of mega-corporations, Zarathustra and Blue Sky, which make trillions off of their outer-planet mining industries. But ecologists have begun to take note and these corporations find their greedy little hands inconveniently bound by an ever-broadening range of EPA style rules and regulations, the most significant of which is that mining may not take place on planets that have been proven to have sentient life--at any stage in the evolutionary process.
Those who colonize these planets are migrant contractors and surveyors who move where the work is. Jack Holloway is one such contractor. Working for ZaraCorp, Jack is a misfit who seldom responds to anything appropriately, is purposefully antagonistic, and speaks sarcasm as if it's a second language. Jack is an asshole, a quality which I find endearing because he's amusing and you get a sense that, for all of his self-centered swagger, he's actually a moralistic asshole when it matters. The conflict of the novel centers on Jack, who has just discovered a seam of sunstone that could make him (and the generations who come after him) ridiculously wealthy. The problem? He has also just discovered the fuzzys, a cat-like animal that, as the novel goes on, may prove to be sentient. This pits Jack against his former girlfriend (the on-planet biologist), the corporation that must share the wealth with Jack (and whose ruthlessness may imperil Jack's life), and against his own self-interest.
Where the novel goes depends upon whether Jack really is a good guy or not, a point that always seems debatable, which is why the use of an anti-hero as the main character is a stroke of genius. The reader hopes Jack will do the right thing, but can never be definitively certain that he will. The other bit of genius is that the evidence suggesting the fuzzys may be sentient is doubtful at best and this ambiguity also calls into question when and how do we decide that life is expendable and when it is not. Overall, I think Scalzi pulls off something very rare in fiction: a novel that makes you think about important issues without being overly preachy and also allows you to laugh along the way.
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LibraryThing member AwesomeAud
John Scalzi calls his a 'reboot' of the novel "Little Fuzzy", first published in 1962 by H. Beam Piper. There are some similarities between the two books; they are both rather short, and the plot hinges on whether a small furry creature discovered on the planet Zarathurstra, is intelligent or not.
It's an interesting book, but lacks the charm of the earlier work. This Jack is not a nice man, as he is in the old novel, and the two works have virtually no other characters in common. It's more realistic from a modern viewpoint, and in that way I'd say it was a successful reboot, but my heart will always be with H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy.
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The main character, Jack Holloway, is a younger man in this new book, and Zarathustra is a much more dangerous place. Jack is a sunstone prospector who discovers a potentially enormous cache of the valuable sunstones. Like virtually everyone else on the planet, he is under contract with the Zarathustra Corporation, which has a charter to exploit the planet as they see fit. Jack is a debarred lawyer, and skips around the edges of his contract with ease. But one night he comes home to his compound and finds a fuzzy little critter in his house. Jack tells his ex-girlfriend, who is a biologist, about it, and that sets the whole train in motion. Jack was unscrupulous as a lawyer, and remains so. He has no problems lying and cheating to get what he wants, and when ZaraCorp offers him unimaginable amounts of money to make sure the Fuzzies are not declared sapient, he considers it. Even though the book is told mostly from the POV of Jack, you never really get into his head. What motivates him is unclear, and you're never sure what side of the line he's going to come down on. It's an interesting book, but lacks the charm of the earlier work. This Jack is not a nice man, as he is in the old novel, and the two works have virtually no other characters in common. It's more realistic from a modern viewpoint, and in that way I'd say it was a successful reboot, but my heart will always be with H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy.
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LibraryThing member DWWilkin
A few months back I did a look for Piper related writings and saw that Scalzi was doing his reboot. I had reread Little Fuzzy which is now in the Public Domain through Project Gutenberg for Xmas 2010. Finally, receiving this for my birthday, I devoured it.
Not that it is a great book. It is a pretty
Scalzi's writing will not make you love Fuzzies like Pipers does. For everyone who says in their reviews that they have not ready the original and think that this book stands on its own, well it can't. Scalzi did not think of the characters, or the situation, the plot. He had that handed to him. He changed things up and he had a good book. A great book though is the Piper books, and though Mayhar's addition is alright, i like Tuning's better.
If we get into the heart of what is good, and what is not about Scalzi alone, then let us like at Jack Holloway who has been on Zarathustra 23 for 8 years. Along with a great many other miners. Big coincidence that he discovers a great find, wait it is better than great, it is better than anything for 50 years for a multi-planet spanning business conglomerate. He does this when he discovers Fuzzies as well. And the heir to the conglomerate happens to also be on planet. A lot of coincidence.
Then the matter and heart of the story, is the discussion of new sentience discovered by man, and what we would do with/against it. Well the mercenary aspects become Machiavellian and making Jack a lawyer to wiggle through them, very convenient again. (I don't want to compare the original, but Scalzi blew this making it too pat. Making his hero uber hero instead of concentrating on the Fuzzies.)
To play off uber hero, another lawyer is brought in replacing some of the original story characters with making all our loners on the outskirts of human space all young enough to have active libidos. Libidos that get them in trouble and entangle the story further. So now I could have accepted some of the things. I can't accept all of them. Least of all the mineral find. Using a relation so we think of a credit in the novel as it was a dollar today, Scalzi plays fast and lose with numbers that you might expect, a few million credits for the claim, to 1.2 Trillion (with a T) credits.
Having our hero think on such wealth (No man alive now has been worth even 100 Billion with a B) makes the entire thing that far out of joint.
Some of the sequencing here is better than the original, some is not. But the hyperbole that Scalzi's Jack would be make the entirety weaker than it should be. And the great elements that Piper saw 50 years ago that such a story needed, are missing.
In the end, Scalzi writes a good story. One not worthy of a reread, since Piper wrote a better one. And that is worthy of many rereads.
Not that it is a great book. It is a pretty
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good book. But it is Fuzzy and I loved Fuzzies. Scalzi's writing will not make you love Fuzzies like Pipers does. For everyone who says in their reviews that they have not ready the original and think that this book stands on its own, well it can't. Scalzi did not think of the characters, or the situation, the plot. He had that handed to him. He changed things up and he had a good book. A great book though is the Piper books, and though Mayhar's addition is alright, i like Tuning's better.
If we get into the heart of what is good, and what is not about Scalzi alone, then let us like at Jack Holloway who has been on Zarathustra 23 for 8 years. Along with a great many other miners. Big coincidence that he discovers a great find, wait it is better than great, it is better than anything for 50 years for a multi-planet spanning business conglomerate. He does this when he discovers Fuzzies as well. And the heir to the conglomerate happens to also be on planet. A lot of coincidence.
Then the matter and heart of the story, is the discussion of new sentience discovered by man, and what we would do with/against it. Well the mercenary aspects become Machiavellian and making Jack a lawyer to wiggle through them, very convenient again. (I don't want to compare the original, but Scalzi blew this making it too pat. Making his hero uber hero instead of concentrating on the Fuzzies.)
To play off uber hero, another lawyer is brought in replacing some of the original story characters with making all our loners on the outskirts of human space all young enough to have active libidos. Libidos that get them in trouble and entangle the story further. So now I could have accepted some of the things. I can't accept all of them. Least of all the mineral find. Using a relation so we think of a credit in the novel as it was a dollar today, Scalzi plays fast and lose with numbers that you might expect, a few million credits for the claim, to 1.2 Trillion (with a T) credits.
Having our hero think on such wealth (No man alive now has been worth even 100 Billion with a B) makes the entire thing that far out of joint.
Some of the sequencing here is better than the original, some is not. But the hyperbole that Scalzi's Jack would be make the entirety weaker than it should be. And the great elements that Piper saw 50 years ago that such a story needed, are missing.
In the end, Scalzi writes a good story. One not worthy of a reread, since Piper wrote a better one. And that is worthy of many rereads.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I listened to this book on audiobook. The audiobook was very well done. This is a great story that is fast-paced, fun, and deals with serious environmental and societal issues.
Jack Holloway is an independent contractor on a ZaraCorp planet. When Jack finds a huge vein of very valuable Sunstone
This book is very well written and very well read. It's fast paced, funny, and talks about a lot of serious issues while providing a very engaging story.
Jack Holloway is a great character. At some points he is selfish and is just looking out for himself; but as the story progresses you find out that deep down he wants to do what is morally right...kind of. Jack legal speaks a lot and worms his way out of a lot of tight situations by referencing various cases and laws; he is an ex-lawyer with a chip on his shoulder so this comes naturally to him. In general I found it amusing and fun. Jack is really part of what makes this story great, as a reader you aren't sure where his loyalties lie; Jack is flat out unpredictable.
The other characters that really makes this book are, of course, the Fuzzys. There are described as adorable, very intelligent animals in the beginning. As the story continues you see they are so much more than that.
There really aren't any badly done characters in this book. Everyone from Jack's ex-girlfriend biologist, to ZaraCorp's lawyer and security staff are well-fleshed out and interesting to read about. There is a large court room drama type scene towards the end of the book, I know a bit crazy, but it was very well done and held some of the biggest surprises in the book.
Now you are thinking...yeah but is this just another story about a big bad corporation trying to take over the world? In many ways it is. ZaraCorp is trying to keep up a face of corporate responsibility while stripping planets of their minerals. They go to great lengths to make sure there get their money's worth out of a place. So yeah, issues about environmental responsibility are addressed, as are issues about a corporation basically owning a planet. For the most part ZeraCorp reacts how you would expect it to when a large portion of its income is threatened. That being said there are a lot of twists and turns to the story that are surprising and unexpected. There are a lot of different story elements being brought together here that make this a lot more than a story about an evil corporation taking over an alien world.
The story ends well and is complete. I would love to hear about more adventures between Jack and the Fuzzys in the future. The audiobook version actually has a version of the story that this book is based off of, Little Fuzzy by Henry Beam Piper, recorded after Fuzzy Nation. I have not listened to this original novel yet.
Overall I really, really enjoyed this novel. It was a fun, fast-paced novel, full of unexpected twists. The audiobook version was incredibly well done, so I recommend listening to it on audiobook if you like audiobooks. The book manages to address some serious issues but in a way that is interesting, incredibly engaging, and fun. Jack Holloway is a wonderful character he is so unpredictable, funny, and smart...it was a lot of fun watching him navigate his way through the story. The Fuzzys were adorable and much more than they initially appear to be. I highly recommend this book for all young adults and older. I especially recommend it if you are a fan of fast-paced sci-fi or interested in the "corporations in the future" type of story.
Jack Holloway is an independent contractor on a ZaraCorp planet. When Jack finds a huge vein of very valuable Sunstone
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material (after causing a major cliff collapse) he thinks his future is set. This all gets more complicated when the Fuzzys enter his life. Jacks ex-girlfriend is the ZaraCorp biologist and she thinks these Fuzzys might be sentient. If that ends up being the case then all bets are off for ZaraCorp's mineral claims and Jack's fortune.This book is very well written and very well read. It's fast paced, funny, and talks about a lot of serious issues while providing a very engaging story.
Jack Holloway is a great character. At some points he is selfish and is just looking out for himself; but as the story progresses you find out that deep down he wants to do what is morally right...kind of. Jack legal speaks a lot and worms his way out of a lot of tight situations by referencing various cases and laws; he is an ex-lawyer with a chip on his shoulder so this comes naturally to him. In general I found it amusing and fun. Jack is really part of what makes this story great, as a reader you aren't sure where his loyalties lie; Jack is flat out unpredictable.
The other characters that really makes this book are, of course, the Fuzzys. There are described as adorable, very intelligent animals in the beginning. As the story continues you see they are so much more than that.
There really aren't any badly done characters in this book. Everyone from Jack's ex-girlfriend biologist, to ZaraCorp's lawyer and security staff are well-fleshed out and interesting to read about. There is a large court room drama type scene towards the end of the book, I know a bit crazy, but it was very well done and held some of the biggest surprises in the book.
Now you are thinking...yeah but is this just another story about a big bad corporation trying to take over the world? In many ways it is. ZaraCorp is trying to keep up a face of corporate responsibility while stripping planets of their minerals. They go to great lengths to make sure there get their money's worth out of a place. So yeah, issues about environmental responsibility are addressed, as are issues about a corporation basically owning a planet. For the most part ZeraCorp reacts how you would expect it to when a large portion of its income is threatened. That being said there are a lot of twists and turns to the story that are surprising and unexpected. There are a lot of different story elements being brought together here that make this a lot more than a story about an evil corporation taking over an alien world.
The story ends well and is complete. I would love to hear about more adventures between Jack and the Fuzzys in the future. The audiobook version actually has a version of the story that this book is based off of, Little Fuzzy by Henry Beam Piper, recorded after Fuzzy Nation. I have not listened to this original novel yet.
Overall I really, really enjoyed this novel. It was a fun, fast-paced novel, full of unexpected twists. The audiobook version was incredibly well done, so I recommend listening to it on audiobook if you like audiobooks. The book manages to address some serious issues but in a way that is interesting, incredibly engaging, and fun. Jack Holloway is a wonderful character he is so unpredictable, funny, and smart...it was a lot of fun watching him navigate his way through the story. The Fuzzys were adorable and much more than they initially appear to be. I highly recommend this book for all young adults and older. I especially recommend it if you are a fan of fast-paced sci-fi or interested in the "corporations in the future" type of story.
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LibraryThing member pmwolohan
Note: This review was originally posted on my review blog - yetistomper.blogspot.com. Stop by if you're interested in reviews about similar books.
In A Few Words: A compulsively readable collision of tightly plotted legal thriller and idea-centric science fiction, Fuzzy Nation evokes fond memories
Pros:
-Light-hearted adventure appropriate for all ages.
-Holloway shines in a revamped, more cohesive cast
-Story moves quickly and continues to surprise even if you've read Piper's original Little Fuzzy
-Full of Scalzi's trademark humor, Fuzzy Nation is eminently entertaining and impossible to put down for the last 2/3 of the book
Cons:
-Jack Holloway is the same character we've seen from Scalzi multiple times before
-Ending wraps up a little too cleanly
-Antagonists are borderline archetypal, albeit very fun to hate.
The Review: Ladies and gentleman of the jury, Fuzzy Nation is a strange amalgamation of a book. The facts are clear: 1) It's a science fiction novel written by notorious internet troublemaker John Scalzi. 2) It's a more complex re-imagining of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy. 3) It was originally fan fiction, written for personal pleasure and without the intention of ever being published. 4) It's revenge fantasy, allowing the reader to revel in the pain of a corporation too concerned with the bottom line and too willing to look the other way. And 5) as cliché as it is to say, Fuzzy Nation is also compulsively readable; a reminder that SF doesn't have to be as sterile as the vacuum of space.
Like so many space age novels, the original Little Fuzzy is a novel of ideas. Character and prose take back seat to the thought experiment of the Fuzziess, a newly discovered species that seems sentient but not undeniably so. After all, how do you define sentience? Scalzi returns to this same question half a century later but he does so within a genre that has matured significantly in the mean while. The once novel ideas of space exploration and alien encounters are fifty years played out, and it's no longer enough to simply wonder "what if?"
To that end, Scalzi gives Piper's original account of adorable aliens a welcome reboot and in the process manages to modernize the tale without sacrificing the optimistic heart at its core. Jack Holloway's persona might have been passed for "gritty" back in the space age but he'd be squeaky clean amongst the anti-heroes of today's fiction. Holloway 2.0 remains a prospector digging for sunstones on ZaraCorp's newest colony but now touts a law degree, a checkered past and a less than healthy affinity for Schadenfreude Pie. The other supporting players aren't so lucky - even though the story follows the same general arc as the original, Scalzi more or less replaces the cast in its entirety. The end result is an ensemble that feels more cohesive than its largely two dimensional progenitor (not to mention considerably less sexist).
It's this cohesion which allows Scalzi to deliver his revamped plot at a breakneck pace, pulling new readers in quickly while establishing that Fuzzy Nation is much more than a page-by-page remake of the original. The book starts with a bang - literally - and it's not much longer until Holloway discovers the titular Fuzzies, Scalzi's versions of which feature a little less prominently than Piper's critters. If Little Fuzzy depicts Holloway's relationship with the Fuzzies as impaired by ZaraCorp, Fuzzy Nation depicts Holloway's relationship with ZaraCorp as complicated by the Fuzzies. The difference is minor but nontrivial as Scalzi refines Piper's idea-centric explorations into a superiorly plotted story.
Either way, Holloway and his new-found furry friends are soon inextricably tied to ZaraCorp's financial future and it's employees start to test those links anyway they can, without regard to those silly things called laws. As the story races toward it's epic courtroom conclusion, those tightly wound threads begin to snap in unexpected places, much to the delight of anyone tired of the gross corporate malfeasance which plagues the world today.
Pleasantly distracting as it may be to see a corporation get what's coming to it, fans of Scalzi's popular blog will have no trouble recognizing his particular brand of biting rhetoric (and a penchant for pet anthropomorphism) in the ever-sarcastic (and dog owning) Holloway. The delicate balance of intelligent commentary and unrelenting snark has always been Scalzi's trademark and it's clear he knows what his audience has come to expect. Part of me worries that he isn't stretching himself enough narratively and as such risks overexposure of his primary voice. I'd hate to see him become the literary equivalent of a one hit wonder, stuck playing the same tune when he wants to diversify his sound. Fortunately, the other part of me isn't paying attention, he's two nostrils deep in the book and isn't coming up for air any time soon.
Ultimately, it's this hard to pinpoint "unputdownability" which really defines Fuzzy Nation. Like Little Fuzzy and so many of its space-age counterparts, the focus is less on the science itself, and more on the ideas and questions that science might one day allow us to explore. No advance theoretical physics degrees or quantum mechanics textbooks required. But that's not to say he ignores his physics; Scalzi clearly understands that the heavier something is, the more energy it takes to move it at a given speed. In support of this hypothesis, the prose is kept light and lean, allowing the reader to rocket through the book in just a few sittings.
After all, the key to a successful reboot isn't originality, it's execution - whether or not the changes you make result in a story worth reading, regardless if you've read the original. In Fuzzy Nation, Scalzi executes flawlessly, proving that Piper's core concept is just as relevant today as it was fifty years ago with a pitch perfect summer sci-fi novel that both embraces and enhances the source material. While there's still the lingering question of whether or not John Scalzi needs to write something outside his comfort zone, as long as his books are this entertaining, it's going to be difficult to prove that case in court.
In A Few Words: A compulsively readable collision of tightly plotted legal thriller and idea-centric science fiction, Fuzzy Nation evokes fond memories
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of a simpler era of storytelling.Pros:
-Light-hearted adventure appropriate for all ages.
-Holloway shines in a revamped, more cohesive cast
-Story moves quickly and continues to surprise even if you've read Piper's original Little Fuzzy
-Full of Scalzi's trademark humor, Fuzzy Nation is eminently entertaining and impossible to put down for the last 2/3 of the book
Cons:
-Jack Holloway is the same character we've seen from Scalzi multiple times before
-Ending wraps up a little too cleanly
-Antagonists are borderline archetypal, albeit very fun to hate.
The Review: Ladies and gentleman of the jury, Fuzzy Nation is a strange amalgamation of a book. The facts are clear: 1) It's a science fiction novel written by notorious internet troublemaker John Scalzi. 2) It's a more complex re-imagining of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy. 3) It was originally fan fiction, written for personal pleasure and without the intention of ever being published. 4) It's revenge fantasy, allowing the reader to revel in the pain of a corporation too concerned with the bottom line and too willing to look the other way. And 5) as cliché as it is to say, Fuzzy Nation is also compulsively readable; a reminder that SF doesn't have to be as sterile as the vacuum of space.
Like so many space age novels, the original Little Fuzzy is a novel of ideas. Character and prose take back seat to the thought experiment of the Fuzziess, a newly discovered species that seems sentient but not undeniably so. After all, how do you define sentience? Scalzi returns to this same question half a century later but he does so within a genre that has matured significantly in the mean while. The once novel ideas of space exploration and alien encounters are fifty years played out, and it's no longer enough to simply wonder "what if?"
To that end, Scalzi gives Piper's original account of adorable aliens a welcome reboot and in the process manages to modernize the tale without sacrificing the optimistic heart at its core. Jack Holloway's persona might have been passed for "gritty" back in the space age but he'd be squeaky clean amongst the anti-heroes of today's fiction. Holloway 2.0 remains a prospector digging for sunstones on ZaraCorp's newest colony but now touts a law degree, a checkered past and a less than healthy affinity for Schadenfreude Pie. The other supporting players aren't so lucky - even though the story follows the same general arc as the original, Scalzi more or less replaces the cast in its entirety. The end result is an ensemble that feels more cohesive than its largely two dimensional progenitor (not to mention considerably less sexist).
It's this cohesion which allows Scalzi to deliver his revamped plot at a breakneck pace, pulling new readers in quickly while establishing that Fuzzy Nation is much more than a page-by-page remake of the original. The book starts with a bang - literally - and it's not much longer until Holloway discovers the titular Fuzzies, Scalzi's versions of which feature a little less prominently than Piper's critters. If Little Fuzzy depicts Holloway's relationship with the Fuzzies as impaired by ZaraCorp, Fuzzy Nation depicts Holloway's relationship with ZaraCorp as complicated by the Fuzzies. The difference is minor but nontrivial as Scalzi refines Piper's idea-centric explorations into a superiorly plotted story.
Either way, Holloway and his new-found furry friends are soon inextricably tied to ZaraCorp's financial future and it's employees start to test those links anyway they can, without regard to those silly things called laws. As the story races toward it's epic courtroom conclusion, those tightly wound threads begin to snap in unexpected places, much to the delight of anyone tired of the gross corporate malfeasance which plagues the world today.
Pleasantly distracting as it may be to see a corporation get what's coming to it, fans of Scalzi's popular blog will have no trouble recognizing his particular brand of biting rhetoric (and a penchant for pet anthropomorphism) in the ever-sarcastic (and dog owning) Holloway. The delicate balance of intelligent commentary and unrelenting snark has always been Scalzi's trademark and it's clear he knows what his audience has come to expect. Part of me worries that he isn't stretching himself enough narratively and as such risks overexposure of his primary voice. I'd hate to see him become the literary equivalent of a one hit wonder, stuck playing the same tune when he wants to diversify his sound. Fortunately, the other part of me isn't paying attention, he's two nostrils deep in the book and isn't coming up for air any time soon.
Ultimately, it's this hard to pinpoint "unputdownability" which really defines Fuzzy Nation. Like Little Fuzzy and so many of its space-age counterparts, the focus is less on the science itself, and more on the ideas and questions that science might one day allow us to explore. No advance theoretical physics degrees or quantum mechanics textbooks required. But that's not to say he ignores his physics; Scalzi clearly understands that the heavier something is, the more energy it takes to move it at a given speed. In support of this hypothesis, the prose is kept light and lean, allowing the reader to rocket through the book in just a few sittings.
After all, the key to a successful reboot isn't originality, it's execution - whether or not the changes you make result in a story worth reading, regardless if you've read the original. In Fuzzy Nation, Scalzi executes flawlessly, proving that Piper's core concept is just as relevant today as it was fifty years ago with a pitch perfect summer sci-fi novel that both embraces and enhances the source material. While there's still the lingering question of whether or not John Scalzi needs to write something outside his comfort zone, as long as his books are this entertaining, it's going to be difficult to prove that case in court.
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LibraryThing member JGolomb
John Scalzi has set a very high bar for himself. While I've never read the H. Beam Piper book upon which "Fuzzy Nation" is based, I've read a lot of John Scalzi, and his other tremendous work which form the basis of my opinion on his latest short novel.
Make no mistake; ANYTHING from Scalzi is
It's a given that Scalzi's stories will be well-written, have solid characters, good science, and great dialogue. His "Old Man's War" series combine all of that with a deep multi-layered plot which, in total, delivers the best science fiction being written today. "Fuzzy Nation", however, falls short of the standard he's set for himself. The characters, with a few exceptions, aren't as vibrant, the plot is more predictable, and the multi-layered threads of the story are thinner.
Scalzi always writes very smooth and witty dialogue. The protagonist, Jack Halloway, is purposefully only sort of likable. Every interaction he has is laced with snide, biting dialogue - funny in spurts, but frustratingly unrelenting throughout.
It becomes clear, early on in "Fuzzy Nation", who wears white hats and who wears black. The baddies are too clichéd. I'm usually pretty dense when it comes to predicting plot routes and destinations, but they're fairly obvious here.
Despite those shortcomings, I highly recommend this book and am considering having my 6th grader read it as well. It’s a short simple story, with clear themes of good v. bad, smart environmentalism, with a story arc that concludes satisfactorily (if not unexpectedly). If you consider Scalzi's "Old Man's War" as movie-grade entertainment with large scale, cross-universe, sweeping scifi themes, then consider "Fuzzy Nation" as a high quality TV Movie or Mini Series.
Make no mistake; ANYTHING from Scalzi is
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better than 90% of what's being produced today. The story of the discovery of a new alien species is deliberately light-weight, fun and funny. The fuzzys, small cat-like beings who have a mysterious intelligence about them, are wonderfully written. Scalzi's at his absolute best in piecing together interactions between fuzzys and humans and fuzzys amongst themselves. It's a given that Scalzi's stories will be well-written, have solid characters, good science, and great dialogue. His "Old Man's War" series combine all of that with a deep multi-layered plot which, in total, delivers the best science fiction being written today. "Fuzzy Nation", however, falls short of the standard he's set for himself. The characters, with a few exceptions, aren't as vibrant, the plot is more predictable, and the multi-layered threads of the story are thinner.
Scalzi always writes very smooth and witty dialogue. The protagonist, Jack Halloway, is purposefully only sort of likable. Every interaction he has is laced with snide, biting dialogue - funny in spurts, but frustratingly unrelenting throughout.
It becomes clear, early on in "Fuzzy Nation", who wears white hats and who wears black. The baddies are too clichéd. I'm usually pretty dense when it comes to predicting plot routes and destinations, but they're fairly obvious here.
Despite those shortcomings, I highly recommend this book and am considering having my 6th grader read it as well. It’s a short simple story, with clear themes of good v. bad, smart environmentalism, with a story arc that concludes satisfactorily (if not unexpectedly). If you consider Scalzi's "Old Man's War" as movie-grade entertainment with large scale, cross-universe, sweeping scifi themes, then consider "Fuzzy Nation" as a high quality TV Movie or Mini Series.
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LibraryThing member chrisod
In Fuzzy Nation, Scalzi combines his usual quick witted take on sci-fi with a legal thriller to produce a totally fun book to read. Even though the book is loads of fun, it takes on a very serious issue. What would happen if corporate America were mining a distant planet and stumbled into a
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sentient life form whose existence threatened its investment in the planet? Also, Fuzzy Nation gets the honor of being the first book I ever read on a Kindle. I enjoyed the experience more than I expected to. Show Less
LibraryThing member Queensowntalia
Jack Holloway is a rather ethically questionable contractor employed by a mega corporation to search an alien world for valuable minerals. One day some rather remarkable visitors come by his forest abode, and he finds himself in a bind: great fortune and personal success, vs. doing the right thing.
John Scalzi's updating of H. Beam Piper's 1962 novel 'Little Fuzzy' is slight, and a fast read. It's probably not destined to become a classic in its own right. However, it is VERY fun, with a likeable and well-fleshed out cast of characters complete with good guys who are maybe not so good, and intrapersonal conflicts that feel real and more honest than in many books. I really enjoyed Holloway's moral ambiguity; its refreshing in a protagonist. I was also intrigued by the fact he spends a good deal of time with his ex-girlfriend's new beau, and that the two actually get along, whereas 99% of the time such a scenario would end in blows and/or tears (at least in literature..).
Scalzi has a snappy writing style that, while it doesn't lend much depth to his tales, is quite fun to read, and 'Fuzzy Nation,' like most of his previous novels, is infused with his sharp sense of wit. The end result is an engaging, periodically amusing jaunt into a colorful world that for all its alien-ness, is surprisingly easy to relate to. Enjoyable and recommended to anyone who likes sci-fi, particularly those who have enjoyed Scalzi's other novels.
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His employers are not about to make the choice easy for him.John Scalzi's updating of H. Beam Piper's 1962 novel 'Little Fuzzy' is slight, and a fast read. It's probably not destined to become a classic in its own right. However, it is VERY fun, with a likeable and well-fleshed out cast of characters complete with good guys who are maybe not so good, and intrapersonal conflicts that feel real and more honest than in many books. I really enjoyed Holloway's moral ambiguity; its refreshing in a protagonist. I was also intrigued by the fact he spends a good deal of time with his ex-girlfriend's new beau, and that the two actually get along, whereas 99% of the time such a scenario would end in blows and/or tears (at least in literature..).
Scalzi has a snappy writing style that, while it doesn't lend much depth to his tales, is quite fun to read, and 'Fuzzy Nation,' like most of his previous novels, is infused with his sharp sense of wit. The end result is an engaging, periodically amusing jaunt into a colorful world that for all its alien-ness, is surprisingly easy to relate to. Enjoyable and recommended to anyone who likes sci-fi, particularly those who have enjoyed Scalzi's other novels.
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LibraryThing member barbgarcia1987
I will start this our saying that I have been a fan of H. Beam Piper for many years. I started loving his stories by reading Little Fuzzy (probably the same as many others) and then went on to read the other stories that he wrote. When I saw this book advertized on the Science Fiction Book Club
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website I did not know what to think at first. I decided to order the book. I am very glad that I did. I enjoyed the book very much (just finished reading it a few minutes ago). Show Less
LibraryThing member smileyman
Well told, engaging story. Not much of a plot, but the protagonist is an entirely likeable guy and the story zips along.
LibraryThing member jenreidreads
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had not read (or even heard of) the novel Little Fuzzy, of which this is a "reboot." This is also my first experience reading Scalzi - but it won't be my last! What seemed like a pretty predictable plot ends up more clever than I would have thought - valuable
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jewels are found which will make everyone rich, provided there are no sentient beings on the planet. Enter the Fuzzys - adorable ( and I mean ADORABLE - I want to snuggle one!) cat-sized mammals who are clearly very smart, but not obviously sentient. Jack Holloway is a great character. He's kind of an asshole, with morals only when they serve his best interest. He manages to be likeable, though, mostly because he's so funny. I laughed out loud through a lot of the book, and even shed a few tears near the end. Highly recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member SR510
The theme of this book is roughly the inverse of that of the original. Namely: "Everybody's a bastard. Even good people can be trusted to betray their principles if manipulated well enough, and sometimes that's just what the nominal 'good guys' need."
It's a fun read while it lasts, but when you hit
It's a fun read while it lasts, but when you hit
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the end and realize that there are no more reversals waiting in the wings, it becomes more problematic. At least for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member bluesalamanders
With permission from the estate of H. Beam Piper, John Scalzi reimagines the story of Jack Holloway and Little Fuzzy.
This is the first book by Scalzi that I think is unevenly written. I love the beginning and the end, but I didn’t care for middle, when Jack is an ass to everyone for different
This is the first book by Scalzi that I think is unevenly written. I love the beginning and the end, but I didn’t care for middle, when Jack is an ass to everyone for different
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(and apparently fluctuating) reasons. But it’s a very quick read and both the beginning and end are great. I also recommend Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper, which has been a frequent reread for years. Show Less
LibraryThing member SunnySD
When a somewhat self-centered ex-lawyer turned contract explorer stumbles across what may be the find of a lifetime, discovering a sentient species may take a back seat to corporate greed. The Fuzzies are depending on him, but Jack Halloway's made a career of doing the wrong thing for personal gain
Haven't read the inspiration for this, Fuzzy Sapiens, but I may just have to track it down. Some great court-room moments.
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- why should this time be any different?Haven't read the inspiration for this, Fuzzy Sapiens, but I may just have to track it down. Some great court-room moments.
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LibraryThing member Guide2
More a court of law book than real sci-fi and the big surprise is a bit too obvious, but once again a very enjoyable Scalzi book.
LibraryThing member 2wonderY
I was delighted. This was a more fun read than anything else tried lately. It is well paced, and it had the taste of real in personal interactions, conversations and little daily things. I will read more Scalzi.
LibraryThing member tottman
Fuzzy Nation is a reboot, or reimagining, of H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy. I have not read Piper’s work (yet) so I came into the story fresh. This book is everything I have come to expect from John Scalzi. The story was fast-paced, featured engaging characters and an interesting plot.
Fuzzy
This was a very fast read, mostly because there is no good place to stop and catch your breath. Jack Holloway is perhaps the most complicated character I’ve come across in a Scalzi novel. He is generally likeable even though he is incredible self-serving and of highly dubious morals. Every time you think he’s done a good deed, he reveals a selfish motive. This time though, the rights and lives of the fuzzies and the future of a planet rest on his shoulders. He’s learning about himself as much as you are learning about him. This complicated characterization makes him riveting and keeps the plot from becoming too predictable.
The supporting characters, good and bad, are well drawn. The fuzzies themselves are wildly entertaining, as is Carl the dog. The story wouldn’t work if you didn’t care about all of them. There are honest-to-goodness laugh out loud moments in this book, as well as deeply moving, poignant scenes. By the time you get to the last page, you’ll want to flip to the beginning and read it all over again. I hope he returns to this world, because I’d love to revisit these characters. Highly recommended.
Fuzzy
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Nation is the story of Jack Holloway, a surveyor (and disbarred lawyer) on the distant planet Zara XXIII. He discovers an unbelievably rich deposit of a diamond-like mineral that will make him and the corporation mining the planet very wealthy. Shortly after that, his tree-top home is visited by a small, cute, furry and intelligent creature. If the creatures prove sentient, his wealth, and the corporation’s claim on the planet, could disappear.This was a very fast read, mostly because there is no good place to stop and catch your breath. Jack Holloway is perhaps the most complicated character I’ve come across in a Scalzi novel. He is generally likeable even though he is incredible self-serving and of highly dubious morals. Every time you think he’s done a good deed, he reveals a selfish motive. This time though, the rights and lives of the fuzzies and the future of a planet rest on his shoulders. He’s learning about himself as much as you are learning about him. This complicated characterization makes him riveting and keeps the plot from becoming too predictable.
The supporting characters, good and bad, are well drawn. The fuzzies themselves are wildly entertaining, as is Carl the dog. The story wouldn’t work if you didn’t care about all of them. There are honest-to-goodness laugh out loud moments in this book, as well as deeply moving, poignant scenes. By the time you get to the last page, you’ll want to flip to the beginning and read it all over again. I hope he returns to this world, because I’d love to revisit these characters. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
When I first heard about Fuzzy Nation several months ago I had some doubts about it. I like John Scalzi as a writer, but the idea of a reboot of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzies series seemed odd. I mean, why mess with a good thing? Luckily my doubts were put to rest with an actual read of Fuzzy
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Nation. I enjoyed the novel a lot. It was fun, fast paced, and had a few turns to make it a little unpredictable. In many ways it was just an old fashioned science fiction adventure without much reliance on high tech science and grounded more in characters and plot. Whether one has read a Fuzzy novel before or not (it was nearly 30 years since I last read one), I think a fan of science fiction adventure is going to enjoy this novel. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member suedutton
Retelling of the h beam piper classic. I enjoy salzi's writing and this was no exception. As a remake, this was pretty faithful to the original - plot was streamlined and updated, but not reinvented.
LibraryThing member Fledgist
Scalzi calls this a 'reboot' of H.Beam Piper's (1962) Little Fuzzy, and that's a good enough way of putting it. This is a very much updated version of the story of the encounter with the Fuzzies told in a way that befits early twenty-first century sensibilities (inflected by feminism, sensitivity
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to race and cultural difference, and to ecology). It's also a tale that focuses on human motivations, political choices, law, and economics. This is Scalzi marching deep into Heinleinian territory and telling a story that Heinlein (or, for that matter, Anderson) could not have. As a tribute to Piper it is magnificent, as a science fiction action story, I'd say it nails it. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Fun. I still prefer Piper's story - this one veers away from that very quickly, starting with Carl. The biggest difference, I think, is Jack himself - in Piper's Little Fuzzy, he's elderly (though a long way from old!), and while he's often a curmudgeon he's more or less earned it. In Scalzi's
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it; I suspect I will read it again. However, I didn't like it as well as I like Little Fuzzy (there are too many manipulative b***ds in Fuzzy Nation, and that's something I really dislike). I don't know if Scalzi is considering a sequel - it might be fun to read that, too. I'd say there weren't enough loose ends left to make a new story, but that's what I thought for Little Fuzzy too, so I suspect Scalzi could come up with plenty.
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story, Jack is younger - adult but not even middle-aged, or just barely middle-aged (early forties or late thirties is the feeling I get - younger than me) and is a curmudgeon just for the fun of it. The Fuzzies are a lot more...active? in their own defense, though the books were awfully convenient. The ZaraCorp squad is much nastier, and Jack's allies much less - able? Less powerful in their own rights - in Piper's book, the primary exobiologist is independent, and Jack is also much more independent of the corporation. And despite more lawyers in this book - Jack himself plus Sullivan, plus the ZaraCorp ones - it's less of a legal drama and more of an ecological one. I don't think Piper wrote anything about resource exhaustion in Little Fuzzy (possibly because when he was writing that wasn't a subject on anyone's mind, unlike now), while it's a major sub-thread, at least, in Fuzzy Nation.Overall, I enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it; I suspect I will read it again. However, I didn't like it as well as I like Little Fuzzy (there are too many manipulative b***ds in Fuzzy Nation, and that's something I really dislike). I don't know if Scalzi is considering a sequel - it might be fun to read that, too. I'd say there weren't enough loose ends left to make a new story, but that's what I thought for Little Fuzzy too, so I suspect Scalzi could come up with plenty.
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LibraryThing member alphasunrise
This reads quick and easy like many single-character POV novels do, and in some places Jack's actions are well concealed in the narrative—as in when he starts manipulating the video footage, where the reader is not sure if he's doing the Evil Corporate Bidding or not. In the final court scene,
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though, Jack delivers a surprise for the prosecution—and also the readers. This was not a good kind of surprise for me--too tricksy. And there's also the Evil Corporate Interests. I'd love some sci-fi where Corporate ≠ Evil. But I liked this anyway, probably because it had a familiar storyline where the underdog wins, and who doesn't love one of those? Show Less
LibraryThing member Mardel
Fuzzy Nation is a book about Jack Holloway, his dog Carl, and a previously undiscovered animal on a mining planet. Jack Holloway is a prospector of the future, a prospector who prospects on planets owned by a huge conglomerate. He gets a small percentage of whatever finds according to whatever
Jack Holloway is also an a**hole. He's a former lawyer turned prospector. He also happens to be a former boyfriend of the company biologist - there is bad history there. This is important later on. Holloway also lets his dog set off explosives...
One day, while he and his dog Carl are setting explosives, looking for something to mine, he accidently blows up too much of a mountain, gets fired, then right after he's fired he discovers a rich vein....gets a new contract...things get complicated here. But bottome line - he stands to make a lot of money and the conglomerate stands to make trillions.
Later he goes home and finds out his treehouse has been broken into. Only there's no person there - but a small fuzzy cute little animal. For some reason, instead of letting his dog chase the little thing out of the cabin, he ends up feeding it, then over the next few days becomes a sort of acquaintance of this fuzzy. His dog makes great friends. He also thinks maybe there's more to this being than meets the eye, so he lets his ex-girlfriend know it might be sentient...which sets off a whole slew of problems and adventures.
I had lots of fun reading this book. Holloway went from selfish a**hole to champion within this book. Where another author might have had the character win the girlfriend back, this doesn't happen in this book. Instead he meets the woman's new boyfriend and they sort of become friends. Interesting. This book is flowing right along, some funny situations, Jack is being an ass and then suddenly - BOOM! tragedy. I became SAD! I don't like to get sad, but I forgive Scalzi, because this is, afterall a good book. And Holloway made quite a transition....
So - evil conglomerate, driven bigwigs (another name for CEOs), possibly new sentient being, horrible evil badguy employees, asshole main character turned okay guy, and other decent characters all combined to make an outstanding book with great interactions and a very satisfying ending. Scalzi notes that he got the idea for this novel from a novel by H.Beam Piper called Little Fuzzy. Now I want to read this. Hope it's as good as Fuzzy Nation. :)
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contract he's able to wrangle out of this huge conglomerate...Jack Holloway is also an a**hole. He's a former lawyer turned prospector. He also happens to be a former boyfriend of the company biologist - there is bad history there. This is important later on. Holloway also lets his dog set off explosives...
One day, while he and his dog Carl are setting explosives, looking for something to mine, he accidently blows up too much of a mountain, gets fired, then right after he's fired he discovers a rich vein....gets a new contract...things get complicated here. But bottome line - he stands to make a lot of money and the conglomerate stands to make trillions.
Later he goes home and finds out his treehouse has been broken into. Only there's no person there - but a small fuzzy cute little animal. For some reason, instead of letting his dog chase the little thing out of the cabin, he ends up feeding it, then over the next few days becomes a sort of acquaintance of this fuzzy. His dog makes great friends. He also thinks maybe there's more to this being than meets the eye, so he lets his ex-girlfriend know it might be sentient...which sets off a whole slew of problems and adventures.
I had lots of fun reading this book. Holloway went from selfish a**hole to champion within this book. Where another author might have had the character win the girlfriend back, this doesn't happen in this book. Instead he meets the woman's new boyfriend and they sort of become friends. Interesting. This book is flowing right along, some funny situations, Jack is being an ass and then suddenly - BOOM! tragedy. I became SAD! I don't like to get sad, but I forgive Scalzi, because this is, afterall a good book. And Holloway made quite a transition....
So - evil conglomerate, driven bigwigs (another name for CEOs), possibly new sentient being, horrible evil badguy employees, asshole main character turned okay guy, and other decent characters all combined to make an outstanding book with great interactions and a very satisfying ending. Scalzi notes that he got the idea for this novel from a novel by H.Beam Piper called Little Fuzzy. Now I want to read this. Hope it's as good as Fuzzy Nation. :)
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LibraryThing member revslick
Scalzi writes a catchy, fun, snarky, modern update of the novellette Little Fuzzy. If you're not familiar with Little Fuzzy, the imagine Han Solo as an ex lawyer and galactic miner finding cute sentient fuzzies. As an added bonus, he includes the original Little Fuzzy after Fuzzy Nation!
LibraryThing member RobinMichel
A wonderful update of a great story
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2011-05-11
Physical description
368 p.; 4.12 inches
ISBN
9780765367037