Fuzzy Nation

Jan 16, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, signed-first-or-limited-edition, 2011, science-fiction, alien-cultures

Friends...this here is a Fuzzy**:

**The tiny guy not the grunge rocker dude

Fuzzies are like intelligent, bi-pedal cats the size of a raccoon...which makes them just about as saturated in adorable and cuddle-worthiness as you can get. They are like ewoks only cute, smart, endearing, pleasant to be around, brave, noble, plot-enhancing and 100% non-assclowny:

Fuzzy Nation is a wonderfully successful reboot of H. Beam Piper’s popular, 1962 classic, Little Fuzzy.

With deep respect for Piper’s origin...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Wil Wheaton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

All this week, I'm reading Fuzzy Nation for the audio book. Once again, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to read a wonderful book, written by a wonderful author, and I get paid to do it.

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Aug 07, 2011 Dan Schwent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: funny, sf, 2011, the-scalz

On Zara XXIII, disbarred lawyer and current mineral prospector Jack Holloway finds an unimaginably valuable seam of sunstones, one that will make him unbelievably rich. Shortly thereafter, Holloway meets some of the world's native life, catlike creatures he names Fuzzys. Unfortunately, the Fuzzys appear to be sentient, putting Jack's, and ZaraCorp's, claim on the trillion credit sunstone seam in jeopardy. What's a prospector to do?

The Scalz does it again. Fuzzy Nation is a hilarious re-imagingin...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 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...more 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 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.

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
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Feb 02, 2013 Cheryl in CC NV rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars. Hollywood version of Piper's less-readable but somewhat richer provocation. Like the original, it explores questions like "Can mercenaries & other lawyers, who don't even like themselves, much less each other, ever do Something Good?" Of course, it is lucky for the Fuzzies that they're cute. And that's the twist - other SF of this sub-genre gets totally down on the (especially male*) humans for not recognizing until it's too late that the BEMs are sentient and worthy. However, thi...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Jeffrey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, science-fiction

Fuzzy Nation is an interesting concept. Scalzi's book has the same characters, and is basically the same novel as Little Fuzzy, H. Beam Piper's award winning novel, just re-imagined and retold. Think of it as Little Fuzzy 2.0

I have read Little Fuzzy and its sequels, including the well done book by William Tuning. Its interesting that Scalzi did not do a sequel or another book with similar aliens and similar events, but with his own characters.

Scalzi, I would guess, if asked would state that his...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Megan Baxter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hands up, everyone who read this and considered giving it an extra star just because of Carl the dog? Come on, be honest.

Because Carl is a truly great character, and I don't even like dogs. On the other hand, most of the characters in this book are entertaining, but Carl stands out.

Fuzzy Nation, a retelling of H. Beam Piper's classic Little Fuzzy, is a quick and fairly easy read, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would sit down, and fifty pages would fly by faster than it seemed they possibl...more Hands up, everyone who read this and considered giving it an extra star just because of Carl the dog? Come on, be honest.

Because Carl is a truly great character, and I don't even like dogs. On the other hand, most of the characters in this book are entertaining, but Carl stands out.

Fuzzy Nation, a retelling of H. Beam Piper's classic Little Fuzzy, is a quick and fairly easy read, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would sit down, and fifty pages would fly by faster than it seemed they possibly could. Here is not dense narrative prose. This is straightforward, moves along well, and is often funny and always entertaining.

Holloway is a surveyor on a distant planet, about to become extraordinarily rich due to a recent claim and a confusion of contracts. Under law, however, if a sentient species is found on a planet, the corporation exploiting its resources is required to close up shop and leave the planet immediately. Of course, this gives them a vested interest in not discovering a sentient species.

But these little creature, fuzzies, show up on Holloway's doorstep, eat his sandwiches, train his dog, and watch his computer screens. Holloway's old squeeze, a biologist who is still pissed off that Holloway betrayed her during a disciplinary hearing, is convinced that these aren't just really intelligent pets. They qualify as sentient. Joe is skeptical, not least because of that large amount of money he won't be making.

And the corporation in question acts about the way we'd expect a corporation faced with losing vast profits would act, with intimidation, veiled and open bribes, and finally, outright violence. Holloway has to decide where he stands - and if he doesn't stand with the fuzzies, who will?

The fuzzies themselves are delightful characters, Holloway is interestingly self-interested, the biologist honest, and her new lawyer boyfriend not a jackass.

I truly love a good courtroom smackdown scene. I really do. And Fuzzy Nation has a doozy. There's something incredibly pleasurable about reading about a person, group of people, or company, who think they can buy and sell justice the way they buy and sell everything else gets systematically and legally eviscerated. It's part of why I found the third book in Stieg Larsson's series so deeply satisfying.

Fuzzy Nation is not going to set the world on fire with its prose. But it is witty, amusing, easy to read, and lingers in the memory. Scalzi creates great, memorable characters and has them do intelligent, interesting things. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but it's not. (less)

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Jun 25, 2011 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Chris by: John Scalzi

Shelves: culture, humor, science-fiction, law, first-contact

Once upon a time, there was a man named H. Beam Piper, and he wrote a series of books that began with Little Fuzzy, a tale of space-going humans who have to learn to live on a world with an adorably cute, yet sentient, species. While I haven't read these books, my research tells me that they're the type of fun, optimistic science fiction that is so emblematic of the early 60s. They dealt not only with the issues of human expansion into space, but with what it means to be an intelligent, sentient...more

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May 28, 2012 The Holy Terror rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, stand-alone, male-protagonist, borrowed, aliens, animals, supportive-authors, 2011

I liked this book better than Old Man's War, but only marginally so. I feel like Scalzi's goal is to create a "worst case scenario" and then proceed to figure out how his characters can work their way through it. This process is formulaic and less than organic, and leaves me feeling like I'm reading a person's "what if" diary.

Scalzi doesn't rely on character development to tell his story, and by doing so I can't help but feel apathetic towards these peoples' plight. I felt more sympathy for the...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Laura by: Wil Wheaton

Shelves: alternate-history, hero-s-journey, law, monsters, politics, science-fiction, revenge, young-adult, fanfiction

Best use of a monkey in a science fiction reboot. Scalzi unabashedly reboots H. Beam Piper’s Fuzzy series. It’s been a long time since I read Little Fuzzy, but if memory serves, it was a charming exploration of our moral responsibility to those we can f*ck over and will materially benefit from doing so. Definitely got a little of Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” ticking in the background. And The Trail of Tears. With proto-Ewoks. Yeah, now that I type these words I’m getting a sense of why I enjoy...more Best use of a monkey in a science fiction reboot. Scalzi unabashedly reboots H. Beam Piper’s Fuzzy series. It’s been a long time since I read Little Fuzzy, but if memory serves, it was a charming exploration of our moral responsibility to those we can f*ck over and will materially benefit from doing so. Definitely got a little of Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” ticking in the background. And The Trail of Tears. With proto-Ewoks. Yeah, now that I type these words I’m getting a sense of why I enjoyed it but haven’t pulled off the shelf since I was a kid. Fear, baby. Fear of a fraught planet.

Scalzi revisits Piper’s universe but strips out at least some of the sentimentality. In Scalzi’s take, Earth has grown up and is importing oil and other vital resources from other planets now. Zarathustra Corporation has a corporate charter that lets it do a fair amount of planetary exploitation where it runs, though not all the way to Independence Day aliens’ levels. And it’s gotta obey the law. They even sent a judge and a couple of law clerks. Humans have found their squick line; actual genocide of sentient species. We probably did it once and we’re feeling bad about it, so as soon as an alien sentient is discovered, the law and the charter says exploitation has to stop and, if done, done at least in part for their benefit, with lots of eyes watching the work.

Which gets back to that probable genocide. Once the suspicion of sentience arose on that sad planet, the individual humans who were on the ground took it on themselves to wipe them out so exploitation could continue. Our main character here discovers a species just might may be sentient. He, like everyone else on the planet, stands to loose big if they are. But he kinda likes them. And the big evil corporation is big and kinda evil. It’s named Zarathustra after all. What to do?

As a lawyer, I found this book both charming and a little disturbing (not all the way to disturbing. That’s a different type of fuzzy). Our main character is a disbarred corporate lawyer. He pro ses it through most of the book (“I wasn’t disbarred for not knowing the law,” he says repeatedly) though he was smart enough to get another lawyer involved when he was actually arrested. Glad Scalzi had him model some good behavior there. Our hero was disbarred for doing something reprehensible. Probably. Scalzi does a masterful job of using the slightly distant point of view of the narrator to keep the reader just *slightly* in the dark about his protagonist’s moral motivations. Whether or not it was what he was disbarred for, he did something reprehensible, for which he is unrepentant. We find out he has done several things that were reprehensible, and he seems to be only slightly repentant about one. Which might only be because the girl is pretty. His heart is not made of gold; he does not save the princess, this adventure does not wholly redeem him. He remains a part of everything he indicts.

And yet . . . maybe he’s a good model for people living in an unjust world just trying to figure out where to go from here. He’s better than he could have been. Most of the time.

Definitely a book by an experienced and smart writer. He telegraphed the big reveal almost at the beginning, but I don’t know if I would have picked it up if I hadn’t read Little Fuzzy. Even so, when he springs it, everyone else is terribly surprised, and it feels natural. Good trick. I sorta regret not waiting until I could get hold of the audio book, read by Wil Wheaton, especially since I suspect Scalzi wrote this specifically to be read by Wesley Crusher. Unicorn Pegasus Kitten lives!

I got a soft spot for fan fiction, and this is unabashed fan fiction. Well, I have a soft spot for some fan fiction. Just realized as I type this that Cameron’s Avatar could be seen as Little Fuzzy fan fiction, only with more sex, violence, and the color blue. Hurm. Probably not. It’s all about the Trail of Tears, metaphorically speaking.

Good bus book.
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May 28, 2011 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, science-fiction, dogs

I was thoroughly skeptical. I'm a big fan of the original Little Fuzzy, having first read it as a teenager and many times since. In fact, it was one of the first books I tried as an ebook when I got my iphone, so I was aware that it was out of copyright. So when I saw that Scalzi had written this book, a "reboot" of the original, I just didn't get it. Sure, the original was kind of old fashioned, but it was still cute and the environmental and moral themes were still just as valid. What the heck...more I was thoroughly skeptical. I'm a big fan of the original Little Fuzzy, having first read it as a teenager and many times since. In fact, it was one of the first books I tried as an ebook when I got my iphone, so I was aware that it was out of copyright. So when I saw that Scalzi had written this book, a "reboot" of the original, I just didn't get it. Sure, the original was kind of old fashioned, but it was still cute and the environmental and moral themes were still just as valid. What the heck was a reboot and what was the point?

Well, I guess I was wrong, because I really enjoyed this book. I read a few of Scalzi's interviews about the book, and I think I understand a bit better now. He's just a huge fan. He was at a low point in his writing, feeling uninspired and out of sorts, and he wanted to do something just for fun, so he wrote this, basically as a piece of fan fiction. Kind of like people write Star Trek books (which I enjoy) or the way movies keep getting remade with updated casts and technology.

This is a bit of a combination of those ideas. It's not exactly the original story, in fact pretty much the only character who remains the same is the main character, Jack, and even he's petty different in appearance and personality than the original Jack. The fuzzles are somewhat different as well, with much less direct interaction with the other characters until the end of the book, making them much less of a fun feature in this book and my only real disappointment. But somehow the overall structure of the book, the scaffolding, is the same, and it's very fun and very effective. The book is a David a Goliath story, Jack vs. the company, that unfolds on several levels, and Scalzi plays it out like a master. Somehow the simple and straightforward storytelling, very much reminiscent of Piper's original style, turns into a masterful courtroom coupe de grace that I think would have made Piper proud.It had a lovely old-fashioned charm that felt timeless. His Jack may not be such a nice guy, but he's the guy the fuzzies need. I was entertained from beginning to end. (less)

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Jul 04, 2011 Carolyn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, science-fiction_first-contact

A quick read, but enjoyable. The banter between characters was quite amusing and it was fun to revisit the world of the Fuzzies, but with an entirely different take on it.
Definitely makes me want to go re-read the originals by H. Beam Piper - thank goodness I own them so it's a quick impulse to satisfy. = )

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Jun 19, 2011 Rich rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First: I like John Scalzi's stuff. This isn't me impugning him as a writer.
Second: I hated this book. I didn't just dislike it. I only finished it so I wouldn't have someone say, "Well, if you'd finished it you'd be allowed to have an opinion. It got better. You didn't finish so you don't know what you're talking about... etc." I finished it.
The ideas are good ones.
The people in the story are awful. They're argumentative, unlikable, bitchy, always at each other's throat literally as well as fi...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Jake Forbes rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a kid browsing the sci-fi shelves of my favorite used book store, I was fascinated by the covers of the original Fuzzy books but never actually purchased one to read. When I found out about this franchise reimagining, I was excited to visit the Fuzzy world at last.

The original Fuzzy books were thin, but then so were most sci-fi novels of that era. Fuzzy Nation is longer in page count by half, but it's a breezy read that feels padded at 300 pages. Scalizi's prose and his protagonist Jack Hall...more

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May 17, 2011 Jon Swanson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I've been a fan of Scalzi since reading Old Man's War. His stories are not remarkably deep, but are enjoyable and funny, and usually with some interesting ideas thrown in.

Fuzzy Nation was a bit of a disappointment though. It was enjoyable, but it was short and, well, fluffy. There were bits of humor, but nothing very interesting about the story that was being told. And much of the already short text was consumed by legal proceedings which made the protagonist out to be very capable and smart but...more

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May 14, 2011 Jeff Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel is a reboot of the H. Beam PIper "Little Fuzzy", a novel enjoyed by many and certainly one I have fond memories of. John Scalzi has actually taken up the premise and kicked it up a notch. This is masterful enjoyable reading with plenty of surprises.

The basic premise of Little Fuzzy is kept where Jack Holloway a Sunstone prospector discovers this new species and comes to suspect they are sapient. The Zarathustra Corporation which has rights to the planet have a vested interest that no...more This novel is a reboot of the H. Beam PIper "Little Fuzzy", a novel enjoyed by many and certainly one I have fond memories of. John Scalzi has actually taken up the premise and kicked it up a notch. This is masterful enjoyable reading with plenty of surprises.

The basic premise of Little Fuzzy is kept where Jack Holloway a Sunstone prospector discovers this new species and comes to suspect they are sapient. The Zarathustra Corporation which has rights to the planet have a vested interest that no sapients are found since they would lose their rights to the planet.

How this plays out and the confrontations take on new angels in this book. For one Jack Holloway is much more of a self-interested jerk in this one though while still likable screws up relationships around him. These tensions in his character play out throughout the novel where you are not quite certain about his character strengths and flaws. There is also more thinking out about the consequences of the corporation vs. little fuzzies. In particular case law relating to other human-sapients finds and how it affected this universe. Most of the plot elements ring true and the new characters introduced add to the novel. There is also some fine humor in the novel especially one scene involve the watching of one of the Star Wars movies.

John Scalzi said he wanted this book to be a reboot like the new Star Trek film and I think he succeeds at that. Old trekkies can love both the old trek and the new movie, the same can be said for fans of the original novel - at least in my case since I really liked both of them since they both have their strengths.

The original novel is in the public domain despite the fact that it was written in 1962 and is certainly recommended. The old and the new complement each other which is certainly what I believe the author hoped for.

As an author I have quite enjoyed John Scalzi's previous novels and I place Fuzzy Nation at the top of his works along with Old Man's War and I would really give this novel 4.5 stars.(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Ralph McEwen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book and hope many young adults read it. I have never read the earlier Fuzzy books, so I can not say how this book stands next to the original series. The story is pretty obvious but fun to read. The protagonist is clever and thoughtful. I enjoyed the clever way his capabilities were revealed. I also liked that there were no Evil Empires, just regular misguided people and those who had to bring them into the light of reason. I also find it unusual that the lawyers and judges...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Virginia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction, read-2011

I'm so surprised that I enjoyed this book to the extent that I did. :) Scalzi is in fine form (humor and otherwise) here, as usual. Although the first half of the book, I chugged along dutifully and absorbed the info, I must say, the latter half of the book is awesome. The courtroom scenes and all the intrigue had me zooming through the book as quickly as possible.

Is this book amazing and awesome? Probably not. But it is quite an enjoyable read and I'm glad I did. (Plus, I have an autographed co...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I never read the original story Scalzi drew inspiration from (H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy).

Despite the fact that I read this blind, I really enjoyed the book. It had all the pleasantly nostalgic feel of a classic golden-age sci-fi story, but without the ponderous description and opaque language that tends to make some of those older stories less than easy reading....

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May 31, 2011 Laurel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This should be on every summer "must read" list. It's an homage to a classic, while also being an astute commentary on our own times. It's witty, funny, heart-warming, and a bit heart-breaking at times. I'd say that's quite a feat! Read this book!

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Sep 04, 2011 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been handing out five-star reviews with much less frequency lately, but this one deserves it. About half-way through, this sci-fi legal thriller entered CSR (Can't Stop Reading) mode and I think I devoured the second half of the book yesterday.

In Fuzzy Nation, John Scalzi tells the story of Jack Holloway, a disbarred lawyer who's now a geological surveyor on a company-"owned" planet. He discovers history's largest seam of history's most valuable jewel and stands to come fabulously wealthy....more

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Jul 05, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: notable-reads-of-2011

Originally reviewed on: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/07/b...

Jack Holloway has always been the best at one thing: looking out for himself. With his latest contract with formidable intergalactic juggernaut ZaraCorp as a prospector on a class III planet hundreds of light years away from Earth, Jack and his trusty dog Carl (whom Jack has taught to detonate explosives) survey the planet for the next big mineral deposit to be explored and exploited for copious amounts of profit. When Jack accident...more Originally reviewed on: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/07/b...

Jack Holloway has always been the best at one thing: looking out for himself. With his latest contract with formidable intergalactic juggernaut ZaraCorp as a prospector on a class III planet hundreds of light years away from Earth, Jack and his trusty dog Carl (whom Jack has taught to detonate explosives) survey the planet for the next big mineral deposit to be explored and exploited for copious amounts of profit. When Jack accidentally blows up a cliff face – much to the frustration of the already PR-beleaguered ZaraCorp – he hits the jackpot. Jack has discovered a seam of the incredibly rare and precious gem sunstones, and as a disbarred lawyer that knows how to finagle his way into the best possible contract, Jack will soon become filthily, disgustingly rich. All that’s left to do is sit back and relax as the credits start rolling in.

Except there’s one small, slightly furry problem. When Jack returns to his makeshift home, he discovers that a strange feline-looking creature has broken in. Offering the admittedly adorable creature food and shelter, the little “fuzzy” soon leads his family to Jack’s outpost. In an attempt to get back on his ex-girlfriend’s good side, Jack invites Isabel (who also happens to be the resident biologist on Zarathustra XXIII) to check out the new, adorable mammalian species. Much to Jack’s chagrin, however, Isabel’s study of the fuzzies leads her to believe that the species is much more than just a new adorable species of intelligent pets. She believes they are sapient – which poses huge problems for ZaraCorp, and for Jack. Should the fuzzies turn out to be sapient creatures, capable of complex thought, reason and communication, ZaraCorp’s E & E license will be revoked immediately, leaving Jack’s potential fortune (and ZaraCorp’s billions of credits of financial security) in sunstone gems untouched. Jack’s got a big decision to make – but will he choose to look out for himself, once again? Or will he become champion of the Fuzzy Nation?

Well, color me impressed. Fuzzy Nation is flat-out fun. It’s the quintessential beach read for the geekish, for the lover of ewoks, for the champion of fanfic. As someone that loves all of these things (yes, even ewoks), reading Fuzzy Nation was a blast. The plot itself is simple and familiar – Big Bad Corporation wants to mine a relatively primitive planet for its incredibly rich resources. Species X – in this case, fuzzies – stands in Big Bad Corp’s way. A fringe group of humans, sympathetic to the fuzzies’ cause, also throw a wrench in the BBC’s machinations. At the end of the day, the greedy bad guys lose, the fuzzy-lovers win, and karmic balance is restored to the Force.1 Clearly, John Scalzi is pretty damn adept at plotting and storytelling, and Fuzzy Nation is no exception. Effectively playing on familiar tropes and somehow humanizing adorable furry creatures (there’s one section near the end of the book that seriously had me fistpumping in triumph for Papa Fuzzy), this novel completes the task it set out to accomplish by entertaining and emotionally engaging its readers.

But what about those tropes, you ask? You’re tired of reading about big bad ecologically corrupt corporations and righteous aliens and their human lovers, you cry!2 Even if you are tired of this particular type of story, rest assured true believers, that Fuzzy Nation holds a few unexpected and very welcome deviations from the norm. What differentiates this novel from the rabble lies with Mr. Scalzi’s ambiguously motivated protagonist, and in the unexpected courtroom drama aspect of the novel (yes, you read that correctly). Jack Holloway, our intrepid protagonist, is kind of a puzzle. Though he claims to have been disbarred for noble purposes, though he is kind to his dog Carl and a generally easygoing, smarmy type of dude, Jack has a selfish streak. More similar to, say, Han Solo or Sawyer (from Lost), Jack is best at looking out for numero uno, and there are many times over the course of this book where I personally had no idea what exactly Jack would do. Almost more than anything, money seems to motivate Jack Holloway – even the kind actions he performs for the Fuzzies are questionably tainted by the betterment of his own self-interests. This ambiguity is a welcome trait, especially for a protagonist in this type of story (because, let’s face it – the selfless hero type is never as much fun as the renegade with a heart that just might be bought with gold).

The other unexpected and completely welcome aspect to Fuzzy Nation is the courtroom intrigue that colors and determines the fate of the eponymous Fuzzies. As a former corporate lawyer, Jack knows his way around courtrooms and cases, and it’s intriguing that unlike almost every other book or film that uses the Big Bad Corporation vs. Primitive/Indigenous Creatures trope, Fuzzy Nation climaxes not on a battlefield, but in a courtroom. The winners of this war accomplish their feat through bureaucracy, not bloodshed. It’s a pretty cool conceit (even if it is almost completely, utterly unbelievable).

Overall, Fuzzy Nation is a solid, completely entertaining read. One can’t help but wonder if Mr. Scalzi will go the route of Mr. Piper before him, and expand on a fuzzy universe. I’d certainly be up for reading more. (less)

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Jun 21, 2011 Beth Dawkins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Jack Holloway, with his dog Carl is an independent contractor working on the plant Zarathustra. Jack happens upon a find while prospecting that could make him a fortune. When he goes home he finds that his cabin has been invaded by fuzzy cat-like critters. The problem is that if these cute fuzzy animals turn out to be more than just animals it could stop the money from rolling in, not just for Holloway, but for the super mega company he is contracted with.

Fuzzy Nation was a quick, enjoyable rea...more Jack Holloway, with his dog Carl is an independent contractor working on the plant Zarathustra. Jack happens upon a find while prospecting that could make him a fortune. When he goes home he finds that his cabin has been invaded by fuzzy cat-like critters. The problem is that if these cute fuzzy animals turn out to be more than just animals it could stop the money from rolling in, not just for Holloway, but for the super mega company he is contracted with.

Fuzzy Nation was a quick, enjoyable read. I am ready for some Fuzzy Nation fan gear. I want to sport Ewoks. I know they are never called, or considered Ewoks in the story, but that’s what I saw, little Ewoks! Alright, I have had my Ewok moment. The Ew—Fuzzies made this book for me. I cared about the little critters right away. It was purely enjoyable and fun to have them around. They had personality even without words, and they were cute!

Jack Holloway isn’t as loveable. Have you ever met one of those guys that are constantly screwing up? You think they mean well, but then at the last moment they disappoint? That’s Holloway. That was how he was written, as an underdog-screw-up. What makes Holloway worth your time is Carl, his dog. Everyone loves his friendly dog Carl, even me! Carl likes the Fuzzies just as much as Holloway.

I didn’t know what to expect from the story. I know this is a reboot of an old series, but I haven’t read the old ones. I want to now, after having enjoyed Fuzzy Nation so much. The story is about the little guy rising above the big company. I spent the entire book rooting for an alien species. Holloway with the help of his ex-girl friend, Isabel, and her new lawyer boyfriend spend their time entangled with company that will do everything they can to get to the minerals in the planet.

I usually like action, big epic fights, things blowing up and blood everywhere. There is not so much of this, and more pull on the heart strings. It made me care without realizing it. I would recommend it to most anyone between (maybe even younger than this, but I am attempting to sound responsible. I don’t think it has any naughty content.) 16-to dead! It has added a new writer to my TBR list, as well as the original series.
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May 18, 2011 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Fuzzy Nation is an excellent refresh of a good but very outdated book from the early 60's called "Little Fuzzy" by H. Beam Piper. Set on a planet being settled and mined for it's natural resources, the tale is about the prospector and his dog vs the company that has the monopoly on exploiting the planet. The characters are vastly improved so that it no longer reads like your grandparents in the distant future, and the science and technology are reimagined and much improved. I'm almost finished r...more

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May 12, 2011 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scalzi's modern day take on Little Fuzzy.

Scalzi talked quite a bit on his blog about this one. A longtime fan of Piper's work, he was re-reading Little Fuzzy and noted Holloway's mustache and the smoking of a pipe. It set him to wondering what the story written today might be like. He decided to do it for fun, admitting it was "fan fiction." A book deal had gone south and he had time on his hands.

When he'd finished, with no idea about ever publishing it, he showed it to his agent who thought he...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Gary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: atl-pocalypse, audiobooks

I first read H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy in the early 80s while I was in high school. I loved the Fuzzies and I wanted more. I found the second book of the trilogy (Fuzzy Sapiens), but got very frustrated with my book store when they did not have the third book available.

It was at this point that I discovered that Piper had died before publishing the third volume of the trilogy. GAH! I wanted to know how it ended!

Apparently, I wasn't the only one. Shortly after I read the first two, I discovere...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Jeffrey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, wishlist, own

This is one that I have eagerly anticipated ever since the author released the information about the book, and now, having read the book I can honestly say that the anticipation was not wasted. This is a book that will have to go in my permanent library.

Right from the start the characters fell into place, and the patterns are well remembered ones from books that I haven't read in years. Originally I had planned on reading the original H. Beam Piper copies prior to reading this book, but now I a...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Brian rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

I was hoping for a great book, expecting a good one. What I got wasn't either. Not Scalzi's best work, in fact, it's the worst Scalzi I've read.

You probably know it's what the authour likes to call a 'reboot' of a classic novel - Little Fuzzy. That book is a personal favourite, and much loved by a lot of sci-fi fans, so I'm sure there were many people concerned the outcome would be. I'm happy to report he didn't just try to 'update' or 'improve' it. Instead, he took some of the characters and ba...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ron by: Jon Moss

Shelves: science-fiction, ebook

I loved it! Truly great--and fun--storytelling. A much tighter, more dramatic, plausible (but who worries about plausibility in SF?) and funny telling that the original: Little Fuzzy. Nothing I can say about it isn't a spoiler. (Even the cover art is a spoiler.)

My biggest quandary is whether to recommend people read Nation or Little first. For the fun of the story, read Fuzzy Nation. but to really appreciate what Scalzi did, read--and enjoy--Little Fuzzy, which is a great little story.

Yeah, they...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Luann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, 2011, adult, gr-authors

If John Grisham were to try his hand at science fiction, the resulting book might be quite similar to this. I was surprised at how much legal/courtroom stuff this contained. Not that that's a bad thing. I just wasn't expecting it.

I loved the fuzzies! They really made the book for me. (The fuzzy on the cover was one of the main reasons I was drawn to read the book in the first place.) I will definitely have to read Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper sometime, since that is the original that this story...more

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