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Little Fuzzy (Fuzzy Sapiens #1)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 3,340 ratings · 241 reviews

The planet Zarathustra is listed as uninhabited -- which means that the entire planet can be owned by a corporation. That owner is the rich and happy Zarathustra Company -- rich and happy, that is, until a prospector named Jack Holloway comes across undocumented species -- a tiny, golden-furred little biped that he dubs "Little Fuzzy." Not only are the Little Fuzzies cute,...more

Mass Market Paperback, 252 pages

Published July 31st 2007 by Cosmos Books (first published 1962)

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Feb 13, 2013 Osho rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

Re-read in order to compare with Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation. I read Little Fuzzy sometime in my adolescence, and it's funny to see my highlighted paragraphs (all of which concern language as evidence for sapience). I enjoyed re-reading it, though as an adult reader I am somewhat chilled by (view spoiler) of the ending, (view spoiler)...more

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Aug 26, 2011 stormhawk rated it 4 of 5 stars

The only thing that makes Little Fuzzy a science fiction story is it being set on another planet. There are no rayguns, only occasional mention of spaceships, no otherworldly technology that keeps the story going (I'm pointing this out mainly to suggest that people who don't ordinarily read science fiction might like this tale). Okay, there are viewscreens, and alien lifeforms, and mysterious bioreactive gems, and a colorful lie detector, but they don't get in the way of what's really interestin...more

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May 20, 2013 Robyn Blaber rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-literature, science-fiction

Well, I'm giving this book perhaps more stars than it deserves. It asks the question "What is sentience?" When a new race of bipedal organisms on a foreign planet is discovered, this question becomes a lot more important than just a zoological evaluation of our friends the primates.

Does the question get answered? I don't think so. The author does answer it and everyone is happy with the answer, but I wasn't. I'm not sure the answer excluded our primate cousins here on Earth. We just simply don't...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Marie desJardins rated it 4 of 5 stars

A cute, light, fun science fiction read. It's definitely young adult (maybe even younger than young adult) level, but if you enjoy reading juvenile fiction and SF, this is a classic of the genre. I had never read it before, an odd omission since I read a ton of sf in middle school/high school.

The book is about a grizzled old prospector witha land lease on a Company-owned planet who discovers a "Fuzzy," a mammalian species never before seen. The Fuzzies are so adorable and appealing that they pen...more A cute, light, fun science fiction read. It's definitely young adult (maybe even younger than young adult) level, but if you enjoy reading juvenile fiction and SF, this is a classic of the genre. I had never read it before, an odd omission since I read a ton of sf in middle school/high school.

The book is about a grizzled old prospector witha land lease on a Company-owned planet who discovers a "Fuzzy," a mammalian species never before seen. The Fuzzies are so adorable and appealing that they penetrate his gruff exterior and quickly win him over. Soon it becomes apparent that they are more than just pets -- but if they are "sapient," then the planet would be reclassified as a Class IV world instead of a Class III one, and then the Company's charter would be null and void. Enter evil Company henchmen and... cue music! Predictable but still enjoyable and well paced.

It's interesting, in our era of climate change and ecological awareness, that the people in the book seem none to worried about massive ecological destruction, but they sure do want to protect intelligent species. Or no, maybe not protect -- maybe patronize, treat as cute pets, and take over their world in a different way than the Company has, but take it over nonetheless. But they'll at least make sure that people don't kill all the Fuzzies, so that's something.

As with many books written around that time (1960s), the book dates itself not just with the old-fashioned view of futuristic technology (telephones are giant stationary screens; video is sent via a screechy "60x speedup" process; recordings are on tapes) but with its overt and obnoxious sexism. (There is exactly one female character in the book, and although she plays a key role, it's obvious that you're supposed to be surprised and startled that a woman could play a key role. Every other female is either a Fuzzy (but not the main Fuzzy, of course) or a "girl" (secretary/assistant). Bleah. If you can get past that, though, it's still a pretty good story.(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Tomek Piorkowski rated it 4 of 5 stars

Little Fuzzy is an old-school sci-fi novel which still has relevant things to say about corruption, bureaucracy, and bending the rules to your own ugly favour.

The planet Zarathustra, at first thought nearly worthless, was sold by the interstellar government to a corporation, which discovered that Zarathustra had amazing mineral and natural wealth. The catch is, that if intelligent self-conscious life is discovered, then the corporate lease on the planet cancels with immediate effect. And that's...more

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Dec 22, 2011 J K rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sweet story, has the harder grown up aspects, involving the humans and contrasts the innocence of the Fuzzy population, with the grittier and mercenary aspects of humanity in space. I loved how the 'Fuzzies' get the best out of the humans and few characters in this are really hateable, they're all just trying to find the best solution. I've marked it 3/5 as it's a great story but, for modern tastes, a little too talky in places and some may find it a bit slow moving. But if you're willing to giv...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Pepper Thorn rated it 4 of 5 stars

First I'd like to say that this isn't really a review of Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation. It's a comparison of Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation and Piper's original Little Fuzzy. I came to both of these books clean, with no previous knowledge or biases. Although, in honor of full disclosure, I have read the majority of Sclzi's previous work and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is my first exposure to Piper but I plan to seek out more of his work as a result of this book.

I really enjoyed both books and if pressed I don't...more First I'd like to say that this isn't really a review of Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation. It's a comparison of Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation and Piper's original Little Fuzzy. I came to both of these books clean, with no previous knowledge or biases. Although, in honor of full disclosure, I have read the majority of Sclzi's previous work and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is my first exposure to Piper but I plan to seek out more of his work as a result of this book.

I really enjoyed both books and if pressed I don't think I could choose a favorite between them. In many, many ways they are nearly the same and completely equal. No shock there since one is a reboot of the other. But in others they are very different. Scalzi's Fuzzy planet is a much more dangerous place than Piper's. This adds tension in some key places and makes both the evolution of the Fuzzies and the fact that they haven't been discovered earlier make more sense. Facts and situations in general seem better thought out in Scalzi's version. On the other hand, Piper's soft hearted space cowboy is a much nicer person and an easier character to identify with. Scalzi's Jack Holloway is, in his own words, not a good man but he is more interesting for it as are his relationships with the rest of the scaled down cast. Piper fits an amazing host of characters in such a short novel.

Piper's Little Fuzzy exudes an almost literal haze of the late 50's and early 60's. This is where Scalzi has an advantage and is the reason for his reboot. Sure people write in paper diaries, watch film strips on actual projectors and record on tape recorders but it's not just about the tech. The characters in Piper's novel drink like fish and smoke like chimneys. Many of them would, by today's standards, be considered alcoholics but it's expected behavior here. There is only a single female character among a sea of males and the first of the two times we see from her viewpoint it says, "She ought to have known this would happen. It always did. A smart girl, in the business, never got involved with any one man; she always got herself four or five boyfriends, on all possible sides, and played them off against one another." Sorry, that just doesn't cut it today. And then there's the treatment of the Fuzzies. Even though they spend the book trying to prove that the creatures are sentient, they treat them like they're somewhere between a mentally retarded child and a well trained dog. That, I think bothered me the most.

That's not to say that Piper doesn't have some points over Scalzi. Little Fuzzy has a more richly complex plot that makes it feel like it's the longer book (it's not) and left me feeling more replete. It gave the satisfaction of a complete meal where Fuzzy Nation left me wanting dessert.

Overall, they are both excellent book and both worth the read. Scalzi does a great job of piquing interest in Piper's work, fuzzy and not fuzzy. For fresh readers, especially ones who didn't experience the 50's and 60's personally, I world recommend starting with Scalzi's reboot. This perspective, I think, would allow them to appreciate Piper's work for what it is instead of what it is not.(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Radella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Little Fuzzy is a wonderful little book. I found it interesting to see how the major themes in this book both relate to the modern times and how much those themes have been used in other science fiction.

Jack Holloway is an elderly prospector mining for the valuable sunstone on the planet Zarathustra. He comes home one day to find a strange creature in his bathroom. He names them fuzzies, and quickly begins to realize they are not mere animals. Soon, many scientists are camped out on his grounds...more

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May 15, 2011 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book following the advice of other readers: If you're going to read both "Little Fuzzy" and "Fuzzy Nation", read them in that order so as to be delighted twice rather than delighted once and disappointed once. I have not read the latter, but having read John Scalzi's other works, I can understand the advice.

"Little Fuzzy" is an enjoyable, simple story simply told. It has a science fiction feel without focusing on the technology. Rather, it focuses on cultural, economic, and ethical...more

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May 07, 2011 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember this book from my childhood (I think it started my fascination with stones and gems, especially those that glow) and I was on the verge of posting an Ask Metafilter about it to try and get its name, and then someone mentioned it by name before I even had a chance to. Turns out it's available on Project Gutenberg so I had my copy before an hour had passed.

It's more complex than I remember, and I know that my grade-school self probably missed the meanings (or at least Latin roots) to a...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Trice rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, scifi-fantasy

***1/2 How is 'sapience' defined? This smoothly reading narrative was a too-good-to-be-true story of good triumphing over evil, of honesty and benevolent interest conquering greed's machinations in the discovery of a sapient native species on a planet rich in resources, the entirety hinging on everyone's attempts to define sapience and to discern its presence or absence in the species concerned. This was a very interesting debate concerning conscious versus unconscious thought, the use of symbol...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Raj rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

On a newly colonised word on the edge of human space, Jack Holloway is a sun-stone prospector. Searching for the rare jewels that are worth a fortune back on Earth he finds a small, furry humanoid creature in his homestead that he soon makes friends with, and discovers can use tools and and has a family that he moves in as well. However, when he informs the Company that runs the colony that a sapient native species exists, that would invalidate the Company's charter for the world so they try to...more

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May 21, 2013 Herman Gigglethorpe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: h-beam-piper

This book is not what you might expect. "Little Fuzzy" sounds like a children's book about Ewok-like aliens, but it's more of a political and legal thriller. The main plot of the book begins with the Zarathustra Company developing land at the expense of the environment. Land-prawns, a common pest, come out when the climate starts drying out, and the Fuzzies who hunt them come as well. Jack Holloway observes the Fuzzies' behavior such as their use of tools, learning to separate television from re...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, science-fiction

I listened to this back-to-back with Fuzzy Nation, the reimagining by John Scalzi. That was perhaps not ideal. The reason that Scalzi reworked Little Fuzzy was because Little Fuzzy is showing its age. Fuzzy Nation is faster-paced, more cynical, and more complex. Scalzi's Jack Holloway is a thousand times more interesting. Little Fuzzy is a bit colonial without realizing it. Fuzzy Nation is a lot colonial and is completely aware of it.

I can't recommend reading Little Fuzzy first, though, because...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Alan Zendell rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Little Fuzzy" follows a debate on an alien planet over whether a lovable, furry species mammal discovered by a prospector is entitled to the rights of sapient beings. Taken simply as a story, I probably would have rated this book 3 stars. The fourth star reflects the power of good science fiction as relevant social commentary.

Written 50 years ago, "Little Fuzzy" has the expected dated technology flaws, but it's greatest weakness, which lies in stark contrast to its greatest strength is the por...more

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May 18, 2012 Rk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Little Fuzzy is a wonderful story about some of the most endearing aliens in all of science fiction. It was a Hugo award finalist in 1962, losing to the magnificent Canticle for Leibowitz.

The book could be described as being for young adults (teenagers) but it has a very adult theme: how do we know that an alien race is sapient? Are they intelligent like us, or just very smart animals?

The Fuzzies are the alien race in question and the book's main theme is the fight to have the Fuzzies recognized...more

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Aug 07, 2011 terpkristin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, audiobook, kindle, sci-fi, sword-and-laser

Having read this book after reading Fuzzy Nation, this one felt pretty antiquated. I think I liked this one better than Fuzzy Nation, though. I liked how the story really developed the concept of sentience. I have to wonder where Piper got his definition of sentience (a topic not covered to the same extent by Fuzzy Nation); it was pretty interesting to read. Still, it was kind of drawn out. I listened to this one because it came free with the Audible version of Fuzzy Nation. The narrator was par...more

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Jun 18, 2013 Hilary Bush rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

I wish you could give it half stars. I really did like this book, but my only qualms were related to it as a work of literature. It was very cute, very easy to read, and definitely science fiction and considering it was written in the 60s, a lot of the technology mentioned is very accurate for today, and the background of a nuclear holocaust seemed like a sign of the times, but also as possible.

The idea being put into question though was what defines sapience, and essentially what makes us diffe...more I wish you could give it half stars. I really did like this book, but my only qualms were related to it as a work of literature. It was very cute, very easy to read, and definitely science fiction and considering it was written in the 60s, a lot of the technology mentioned is very accurate for today, and the background of a nuclear holocaust seemed like a sign of the times, but also as possible.

The idea being put into question though was what defines sapience, and essentially what makes us different from animals, because they use the fuzzies to attempt to define this question.

My only problem was with how they were treated, and the writing.

Spoilers!
The fuzzies are sapient, and thus on the same category as humans. But, I wish that they would have had MORE conflict, if that even makes sense. Everything seemed too easy, and problems were resolved too quickly. Obviously this book is only 250 pages long, so things had to happen much more quickly than in a thousand page novel. But. I feel like there would have been far more conflict within the interplanetary government, and that they were un-ideally distant. I mean, we can send transmission to a satellite floating past Pluto within hours (they didn't know this in the sixties, but granted) so why not notify the government using the same technology as radio waves, or those screens that the author mentions so much? It didn't make sense to me in that aspect.
Also, I would have really enjoyed it if more the background information about the sort of universe in which the novel takes place. I liked the nuclear holocaust idea, and the extra planets as having been defined differently, but the government that had taken over was still a mystery.

But the thing that annoyed me, nonetheless, was the treatment of the fuzzies. At the end of the novel they determined them to be sapient and all, which was great, their planet would no longer be mined unnecessarily and at the expense of their ecosystem. However, the characters still talked about adopting them like they were cats and dogs, and still treated them like they were PETS to be given to people, and even the thoughts that were written to be coming from the fuzzies were very servile to humans. So, it upset me essentially that they were still being treated like slaves.

Lastly, the thing that was annoying was the writing, because it was very dumbed-down than how ti could have been written, and much of the events were rather melodramatic compared to how it would have happened in real life. And, the characters were rather flat and were sort of archetypes that didn't have much personality to them.(less)

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May 31, 2012 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

What is sapience? That is what this book tries to answer. The accepted definition is if it talks and builds fire, it's sapient. Then along comes a species which seems to do neither, yet it IS smart. But is it sapient smart? There are supporters for both sides of the argument, and they end up going to court to duke it out.

(view spoiler)...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was included in the "Fuzzy Nation" Audible download. Scalzi's book, which came first in the download, was essentially a modernized reboot of the original "Little Fuzzy", or at least that was what Scalzi saw it as. The story was essentially the same with significant differences in characters (Holoway was significantly different and all other characters were different, though there was a Baby Fuzzy who was different) and other setting-ish kinds of things. The basic plot of a prospector o...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Vincent Wood rated it 3 of 5 stars

All right, I have learned my lesson. I should not have read this book right after reading Fuzzy Nation as I feel overly tempted to compare the two books rather than rate each on its own merits. One book was written very recently and the other was written nearly a half century ago.

It is rather obvious in some areas that this book was written in a different time. Mentioned within this alien world in a futuristic time are record players, slide rules, and having to develop film. What is all this stu...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Greg Curtis rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a simple young adult novel which I read many years ago and still have on my shelves and read again occasionally along with the other fuzzy books. The plot is simple, people living on an alien world slowly find friendly little furry people (I always think of Ewoks for some reason) slowly migrating to their lands. After that its a simply question of whether or not they're intelligent - they don't seem to follow the rule of thumb for intelligence of 'talk and build a fire', and if they are...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Delilah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, 50-2012

This book, though I really liked the premise of the story with the whole "let's show the world that these totally different but dreadfully cute aliens are as much thinking people as us humans are" thing, left a very bad feeling in my head.

You see, there are these little aliens. Cuddly, cute, very affectionate, little aliens. They remind me a bit of the Ewoks just without the pseudo-cannibalistic tendencies and clothes. On the other hand, George Lucas probably got the idea for his battle-teddies...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-books, read-in-2012, science-fiction

I listened to Fuzzy Nation, written by John Scalzi, a couple of months ago. It is the re-imagining of Piper's Little Fuzzy. I thought it was a great story. I was surprised and pleased to find that my audiobook also included the recording of Little Fuzzy.

It was fascinating to see the differences in the two books, the same story but with some different twists and turns and some definite changes in the characters. I can see why Little Fuzzy is considered a classic. Both books are good and have thei...more

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Mar 20, 2010 Tom Rowe rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an entertaining book about whether a species called the fuzzies are sapient or not. Even though it is dated, the story is still enjoyable. For instance, they still film things and the film has to be developed. The fuzzies are fun, the characters are rather flat. I listened to this on audible, and the narrator made some odd voice decisions. The main character sounds like an old miner from a western. The police sound like NYC cops. There is even one character that sounds like a NYC Jew. Ot...more

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May 06, 2010 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf, audio

When John Scalzi mentioned this book on his blog, I knew it would be classic and quaint. But I expected it to be a little more timeless. I look forward to seeing what Mr. Scalzi does to update it.

In the meantime, I listened to the audiobook to see what the hubbub was about. Wow. Piper wrote a future that is just like our present, except we have travel to other worlds, contra-gravity, and verdicators (advanced lie detectors). I think I would like to have air cars, but only in rural settings like...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Brian Layman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

Little Fuzzy provides an excellent case study on the meaning of sentience. It has recently regained popularity due to the release of a "reboot" novel called "Fuzzy Nation". There are many subtle differences between the two. One person's "Delves deeper into the debate around sentience" is another's "boring old fashioned wording". One person's "Cheap and blatantly obvious foreshadowing and petty sqabbling" are another's "Fast pace and fresh dialog". You all can decide which you prefer, but I like...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Greg Webb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, fantasy, fiction, science-fiction

I wish I had seen Regina Petty’s review and advice sooner - to read them in order so that you 'enjoy two books, rather than enjoy one and be disappointed by the other' - because that's what happened to me. I wouldn't say I was *disappointed* by this original version, but I didn't find it as interesting and engaging as Scalzi's reboot. Nor did I find Piper's tale to develop a deeper or stronger relationship between the Fuzzies and the reader. In fact, when reading Scalzi's, I had a tough time get...more

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Feb 23, 2011 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sci-fi fans

Recommended to Darlene by: Cherylllr and Yvensong

Shelves: audio, sci-fi

This is what I cross-posted to the BookCrossed paperback, the Kindle edition and to BookCrossing.com:

What a delightful story. I didn't much care for the stilted dialogue but I got used to it. The plot thickened enough to make me forget about it. Now I am hooked and have to read the other Fuzzy books.

I read this kindle copy while listening to the audio from audible. I found that the one narrated by Peter Ganim was better than the newer one listed. Both gave me the feeling I was listening to annou...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a delightful book! I am so happy I stumbled onto it. This is the novel John Scalzi re-worked for Fuzzy Nation. It's about an old sunstone prospector, Jack Holloway, on a Class-III uninhabited planet being mined by Zarathustra Corporation, who is befriended by a small fuzzy mammal with unusual dexterity and reasoning skills. He calls the little thing a "Fuzzy."

When the Fuzzy introduces Jack to his entire family, Jack readily adopts them all and settles down to happy home life. Jack introduc...more

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About H. Beam Piper

Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.

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“Take a drink because you pity yourself, and then the drink pities you and has a drink, and then two good drinks get together and that calls for drinks all around.” — 14 people liked it

“It was a bland, tranquilized, life-adjusted, group-integrated sort of face -- the face turned out in thousands of copies every year by the educational production lines on Terra.” — 3 people liked it

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Little Fuzzy (Fuzzy Sapiens #1)

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