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Fuzzy Sapiens #1
Little Fuzzy
The chartered Zarathustra Company had it all their way. Their charter was for a Class III uninhabited planet, which Zarathustra was, and it meant they owned the planet lock stock and barrel. They exploited it, developed it and reaped the huge profits from it without interference from the Colonial Government. Then Jack Holloway, a sunstone prospector, appeared on the scene with his family of Fuzzies and the passionate conviction that they were not cute animals but little people.
252 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
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7363 people want to read
About the author
H. Beam Piper
302 books242 followersHenry 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 728 reviews
July 4, 2017
First published in 1962 and good enough to be nominated for the Hugo Award for best novel in 1963 (Philip K. Dick won that year with The Man in the High Castle) Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper makes me wonder how influential this book was in the 60s, not just in science fiction or even in literature, but in the 60s culture.
Working well on many levels, this is a fun story about Earth colonists coming into contact with cute little fuzzy bipeds, but also a serious discussion about what it means to be a sentient, thinking individual. And more than that, this may also be read as either an allegory for an individual’s relationship between big business and big government; also for a statement about indigenous people's rights.
Many critics have noticed the libertarian themes to this work (Piper was nominated posthumously for the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award for Best Classic Libertarian SF Novel in 1997), but I must observe that big business was cast as the villain early in and it was big government that came in to save the day. Of course, there are plenty of examples of individuals standing up for each other, and doing what's right in spite of possible negative consequences.
This has been described as a young adult or juvenile novel. I cannot agree as the characters step out of the 60s drinking like fish and smoking like chimneys, and there is some nefarious suggestions and brutal violence. Perhaps the cute little fuzzies are the origin of this classification, and this makes me wonder about influences on Gremlins and / or the Ewoks.
Finally, this could have been an even greater classic. Several times while reading, I thought I had a 5 star vote, but Piper's villains are one dimensional straw men and the denouement is watered down. For these reasons, I will likely read John Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation and check out his Fuzzy "reboot".
Even that said, this is a fun book and a must read for classic sic-fi fans.
Working well on many levels, this is a fun story about Earth colonists coming into contact with cute little fuzzy bipeds, but also a serious discussion about what it means to be a sentient, thinking individual. And more than that, this may also be read as either an allegory for an individual’s relationship between big business and big government; also for a statement about indigenous people's rights.
Many critics have noticed the libertarian themes to this work (Piper was nominated posthumously for the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award for Best Classic Libertarian SF Novel in 1997), but I must observe that big business was cast as the villain early in and it was big government that came in to save the day. Of course, there are plenty of examples of individuals standing up for each other, and doing what's right in spite of possible negative consequences.
This has been described as a young adult or juvenile novel. I cannot agree as the characters step out of the 60s drinking like fish and smoking like chimneys, and there is some nefarious suggestions and brutal violence. Perhaps the cute little fuzzies are the origin of this classification, and this makes me wonder about influences on Gremlins and / or the Ewoks.
Finally, this could have been an even greater classic. Several times while reading, I thought I had a 5 star vote, but Piper's villains are one dimensional straw men and the denouement is watered down. For these reasons, I will likely read John Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation and check out his Fuzzy "reboot".
Even that said, this is a fun book and a must read for classic sic-fi fans.
March 15, 2022
“Well, if a Little Fuzzy finds a door open, I’d like to know why he shouldn’t come in and look around.”
H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy has all the features of a feel-good science fiction tale. It has cute, sentient (almost childlike) aliens, a struggle for their survival as well as villains and corporate greed to root against. So it might have been a bit predictable, but I don't regret picking it up in the least. 3.5 stars
H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy has all the features of a feel-good science fiction tale. It has cute, sentient (almost childlike) aliens, a struggle for their survival as well as villains and corporate greed to root against. So it might have been a bit predictable, but I don't regret picking it up in the least. 3.5 stars
August 26, 2015
I remember loving this when I first read it as a teen, rereading it decades later I can see why I loved it then and why I am a little less keen on it now. The “Fuzzy” aliens are very cute, as shown on the various book covers, or if you visualize them from H. Beam Piper’s descriptions. They look cute and the act cute, they must be one of sci-fi’s most charming alien species. My teen self was indeed very charmed, my current self was reminded to make an appointment for my annual dental checkup.
Even with all the cuteness overload Little Fuzzy only reads like a children’s book half the time, the other half is a more mature exploration of the meaning of sapience* and a theme of understanding and compassion toward less civilized, sophisticated or educated folks. I enjoy both the juvenile and the mature facets of the book though I have to confess I do find much of it too calculatedly cute, especially with names like Pappy Jack (nickname for Jack Holloway) for the main character, Goldilocks, Cinderella, Ko-Ko etc. for the aliens. I find the aliens too cute and too anthropomorphized to be believable, for example they think of humans as “the Big Ones” who are mostly good and want to live with them for comfort and protection. A lot of humans are of course very keen on them on account of their extreme cuteness, the situation just seems too pat and overly idealistic to me.
The theme of “what is sapience?” is – for me – the best aspect of this book. It starts with a simplistic definition of “anything that talks and build a fire” to more rigorous tests of language, communication, problem solving, social interaction etc. Here is an example passage:
“It isn’t communication, it’s symbolization. You simply can’t think sapiently except in verbal symbols. Try it. Not something like changing the spools on a recorder or field-stripping a pistol; they’re just learned tricks. I mean ideas.”
I like how Little Fuzzy developed into a courtroom drama where the aliens’ sapient status is at stake. The arguments are very interesting though the antagonists who oppose to recognizing the Fuzzies as sapient never become much of a threat. The human characters are all forgettable including Jack Holloway himself. The Fuzzies are of course very well-conceived and vividly described, though too deliberately cute for my taste.
The Fuzzies are likely to be the inspiration for the Ewoks in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (an observation made in many other reviews of this book). The plotline also remind me a little of the Athsheans from Ursula Le Guin’s excellent and more serious The Word for World Is Forest, though Little Fuzzy predates Le Guin’s book by many years.
The most obvious book inspired by Little Fuzzy is of course John Scalzi’s popular “reboot” Fuzzy Nation. I have not read Fuzzy Nation but in general reviews tend to be very positive, the book is a commercial success, and having read some of his other novels I believe he probably did a very good job. My only reservation is that I don’t like the idea of rebooting books, I think we have enough of that sort of thing in movies and I hope it does not become a trend for authors.
In any case Little Fuzzy is something of a minor classic and I highly recommend it to the young and old alike. It is also in the public domain so you can legally grab a free e-book from Project Gutenberg, or a free audio book from Librivox (quite nicely read actually).
________________________________
Note:
* For some reason H. Beam Piper prefers "sapience/sapient" over the more common "sentience/sentient" often used in science fiction. If I understand correctly “sentience” is more related to responses to or consciousness of sense impressions, whereas “sapience” places more emphasis on the ability to think, and to reason. If this is wrong please enlighten me in the comments.
Even with all the cuteness overload Little Fuzzy only reads like a children’s book half the time, the other half is a more mature exploration of the meaning of sapience* and a theme of understanding and compassion toward less civilized, sophisticated or educated folks. I enjoy both the juvenile and the mature facets of the book though I have to confess I do find much of it too calculatedly cute, especially with names like Pappy Jack (nickname for Jack Holloway) for the main character, Goldilocks, Cinderella, Ko-Ko etc. for the aliens. I find the aliens too cute and too anthropomorphized to be believable, for example they think of humans as “the Big Ones” who are mostly good and want to live with them for comfort and protection. A lot of humans are of course very keen on them on account of their extreme cuteness, the situation just seems too pat and overly idealistic to me.
The theme of “what is sapience?” is – for me – the best aspect of this book. It starts with a simplistic definition of “anything that talks and build a fire” to more rigorous tests of language, communication, problem solving, social interaction etc. Here is an example passage:
“It isn’t communication, it’s symbolization. You simply can’t think sapiently except in verbal symbols. Try it. Not something like changing the spools on a recorder or field-stripping a pistol; they’re just learned tricks. I mean ideas.”
I like how Little Fuzzy developed into a courtroom drama where the aliens’ sapient status is at stake. The arguments are very interesting though the antagonists who oppose to recognizing the Fuzzies as sapient never become much of a threat. The human characters are all forgettable including Jack Holloway himself. The Fuzzies are of course very well-conceived and vividly described, though too deliberately cute for my taste.
The Fuzzies are likely to be the inspiration for the Ewoks in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (an observation made in many other reviews of this book). The plotline also remind me a little of the Athsheans from Ursula Le Guin’s excellent and more serious The Word for World Is Forest, though Little Fuzzy predates Le Guin’s book by many years.
The most obvious book inspired by Little Fuzzy is of course John Scalzi’s popular “reboot” Fuzzy Nation. I have not read Fuzzy Nation but in general reviews tend to be very positive, the book is a commercial success, and having read some of his other novels I believe he probably did a very good job. My only reservation is that I don’t like the idea of rebooting books, I think we have enough of that sort of thing in movies and I hope it does not become a trend for authors.
In any case Little Fuzzy is something of a minor classic and I highly recommend it to the young and old alike. It is also in the public domain so you can legally grab a free e-book from Project Gutenberg, or a free audio book from Librivox (quite nicely read actually).
________________________________
Note:
* For some reason H. Beam Piper prefers "sapience/sapient" over the more common "sentience/sentient" often used in science fiction. If I understand correctly “sentience” is more related to responses to or consciousness of sense impressions, whereas “sapience” places more emphasis on the ability to think, and to reason. If this is wrong please enlighten me in the comments.
December 14, 2021
I was expecting to come here and find an overwhelming number of 5-star ratings. Little Fuzzy is a bit of a Science Fiction classic and was nominated for the Hugo Award for best novel in 1963.
Turns out reading is still a subjective experience after all.
Perhaps it is just a question of the right book at exactly the right time.
Or, perhaps I just like critters more than people.
Or, perhaps it is because I have a little fuzzy of my own at home.
In all honesty, I don’t think I can remember the last time a book held me quite as captive as Little Fuzzy. I could.not.put.this.book.down! I absolutely had to know what was going to happen next and how things were going to pan out.
Frontier planet with gun-slinging elements? Check.
Grizzled frontier prospector type protagonist? Check.
Big corporation executive types as the villains of the piece? Check.
Fuzzies? Check.
I would argue that the only weakness of Little Fuzzy is the rather humdrum nature of (some of) the opening chapters. This is where the bureaucratic ne’er do wells are introduced, and some background is established. This all serves a purpose, of course, and the novel picks up considerably around page 20 (give or take).
In fact, this little book generates a surprising amount of tension. I found it to be Edge of the Seat stuff (you will have to fight the impulse to sneak a peek at the last page of the story once you are invested in the fate of Fuzzy Fuzzy Holloway Zarathustra).
The story does have some bitter sweet elements, but this seems inescapable. How else to tell a story like this?
It is a fairly quick read, though, which weighs heavily in its favour. As much as I enjoyed the book, there would have been no point in dragging the story out. H. Beam Piper seems to have hit a bit of a sweet spot here, as far as this is concerned. It is not an overly complex story with overly complex characters, but it doesn’t need to be. It gets the job done just fine.
Then of course, there is the big question that the story concerns itself with: when is a species “sapient”? That’s to say, when is a being truly self-aware (sentient)? What might trigger this (from a purely scientific point of view – there isn’t much of a religious viewpoint here)? Can it be defined and measured? Etcetera.
Highly recommended.
Added to Favourites.
5 stars.
Turns out reading is still a subjective experience after all.
Perhaps it is just a question of the right book at exactly the right time.
Or, perhaps I just like critters more than people.
Or, perhaps it is because I have a little fuzzy of my own at home.
In all honesty, I don’t think I can remember the last time a book held me quite as captive as Little Fuzzy. I could.not.put.this.book.down! I absolutely had to know what was going to happen next and how things were going to pan out.
Frontier planet with gun-slinging elements? Check.
Grizzled frontier prospector type protagonist? Check.
Big corporation executive types as the villains of the piece? Check.
Fuzzies? Check.
I would argue that the only weakness of Little Fuzzy is the rather humdrum nature of (some of) the opening chapters. This is where the bureaucratic ne’er do wells are introduced, and some background is established. This all serves a purpose, of course, and the novel picks up considerably around page 20 (give or take).
In fact, this little book generates a surprising amount of tension. I found it to be Edge of the Seat stuff (you will have to fight the impulse to sneak a peek at the last page of the story once you are invested in the fate of Fuzzy Fuzzy Holloway Zarathustra).
The story does have some bitter sweet elements, but this seems inescapable. How else to tell a story like this?
It is a fairly quick read, though, which weighs heavily in its favour. As much as I enjoyed the book, there would have been no point in dragging the story out. H. Beam Piper seems to have hit a bit of a sweet spot here, as far as this is concerned. It is not an overly complex story with overly complex characters, but it doesn’t need to be. It gets the job done just fine.
Then of course, there is the big question that the story concerns itself with: when is a species “sapient”? That’s to say, when is a being truly self-aware (sentient)? What might trigger this (from a purely scientific point of view – there isn’t much of a religious viewpoint here)? Can it be defined and measured? Etcetera.
Highly recommended.
Added to Favourites.
5 stars.
March 13, 2017
I read this before! Actually, I might have many years ago, but my main memories are from Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi. It's been a while since I read that, but I'm wondering just how close a homage should be to the original. I'm also wondering why Scalzi bothered.
I thought this aged well. Sure, there were a few outdated elements such as typewriters, tapes, & developing movie film, but they weren't bad - just gave it a bit of flavor. I don't recall the discussions of sapience as any better, either. That was quite well done, especially for the time. I don't think we've crowded sapience into any tighter of a corner since this was written, even with all our work on artificial intelligence. Surprising & a bit sad.
The court scenes caught my attention. There was definitely a McCarthy era ("1984", Cold War or CIA?) flavor to them with the pre-signed warrants, surveillance, & spies. There was also an old west flavor to them which was fun.
I'm sure some will knock this for the lack of female characters, but the one it did have was very well done. Only having one made sense given the frontier, the almost western flavor, of the novel & the times. Jack's character would certainly be at home prospecting in the Rockies. I loved his reputation. He was a hoot.
I highly recommend reading this before Scalzi's book. It was good, but this was the masterpiece from which it was copied.
I thought this aged well. Sure, there were a few outdated elements such as typewriters, tapes, & developing movie film, but they weren't bad - just gave it a bit of flavor. I don't recall the discussions of sapience as any better, either. That was quite well done, especially for the time. I don't think we've crowded sapience into any tighter of a corner since this was written, even with all our work on artificial intelligence. Surprising & a bit sad.
The court scenes caught my attention. There was definitely a McCarthy era ("1984", Cold War or CIA?) flavor to them with the pre-signed warrants, surveillance, & spies. There was also an old west flavor to them which was fun.
I'm sure some will knock this for the lack of female characters, but the one it did have was very well done. Only having one made sense given the frontier, the almost western flavor, of the novel & the times. Jack's character would certainly be at home prospecting in the Rockies. I loved his reputation. He was a hoot.
I highly recommend reading this before Scalzi's book. It was good, but this was the masterpiece from which it was copied.
June 20, 2011
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.
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.
May 25, 2018
Great story
Little Fuzzy is a story that got me thinking, kept me entertained, had a happy ending, and reminded me of old fashion sci-first books.
Little Fuzzy is a story that got me thinking, kept me entertained, had a happy ending, and reminded me of old fashion sci-first books.
January 3, 2022
4.0 Stars
I read this after reading Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi… which was inspired by this novel so my reading experience was largely swayed by that initial read. I was surprised how closely Scalzi followed the original plot. The original novel was quite strong in of itself, although with much less humour than Scalzi's remix. I would recommend checking out this classic story, which certainly held up to modern reading.
I read this after reading Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi… which was inspired by this novel so my reading experience was largely swayed by that initial read. I was surprised how closely Scalzi followed the original plot. The original novel was quite strong in of itself, although with much less humour than Scalzi's remix. I would recommend checking out this classic story, which certainly held up to modern reading.
November 9, 2023
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while. It took the group SpecFic Buddy Reads reading Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi this month (Nov23) and my buddy Cathy being up for reading it too.
It’s a short novel, so I whizzed right through it. I loved it. These old classic SF books are so gleeful in their depictions of space exploration and planet colonization or exploitation and the like. It all feels fresh, because it was. Of course the background set up is just an extrapolation of what life was like in 1950s/60s USA, but the rest was pure imagination. It’s the mention of recording tape, developing film (did no one have any inkling of digital?!?), smoking and similar things that remind you that this book is slightly dated.
I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion of sapience; what it is, how to define it and then how to apply it. After all, the Star Trek TNG episodes regarding Data’s sentience are favorites.
I wonder if the sequels are as or any good?
It’s a short novel, so I whizzed right through it. I loved it. These old classic SF books are so gleeful in their depictions of space exploration and planet colonization or exploitation and the like. It all feels fresh, because it was. Of course the background set up is just an extrapolation of what life was like in 1950s/60s USA, but the rest was pure imagination. It’s the mention of recording tape, developing film (did no one have any inkling of digital?!?), smoking and similar things that remind you that this book is slightly dated.
I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion of sapience; what it is, how to define it and then how to apply it. After all, the Star Trek TNG episodes regarding Data’s sentience are favorites.
I wonder if the sequels are as or any good?
December 9, 2017
This one those special classic sf books that you look for because people have told you how good it is.
Do know what ? they were 100% right too.So if can find these books even if there taty don't put it back buy it .
Do know what ? they were 100% right too.So if can find these books even if there taty don't put it back buy it .
June 20, 2021
This is a book I have read many, many times. I actually first discovered it in my early teens and loved it beyond measure I still have that same copy and I re-read it every year or two with great enjoyment.
It was apparently nominated for the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel, I think it should have won.
We start on the planet Zarathustra, a Class-III uninhabited planet where the chartered Zarathustra Company, with Victor Grego at the helm is happily striping the planet of resources and making lots of money. We then jump to Jack Holloway, a geological prospector happily living his life in the wilderness far from civilisation. Then one day, a small, golden-furred, humanoid, bipedal furry animal walks into Jack's house and is named by him little Fuzzy. When news of the Fuzzies spread, Victor Grego and the Company realise the danger - if these little Fuzzies can do everything claimed for them, they may well be sapient and that would be the end of their charter.
This little known (and in my opinion, far FAR underrated book) wowed me when I first read it and it continues to do so with every re-reading. I loved the gentle touch with which geology, planetology and a brand new planet are described. When I read it the sci-fi books had a lot of exciting space romps, a lot of human-o-centric adventures and a lot of social speculation in science fiction but I had never before come across such a beautifully written, vivid book which took biological science and geology and made them into such an exciting, vivid story.
The description of sunstone mining on Zarathustra, where "Some fifty million years ago...there had existed a marine life form, something like a jellyfish..." some of which by an accident of fossilisation were thermoflurecent and were enormously expensive as jewels just made me want to run away to the stars and become a fossicker. There was a problem with this career plan which I later spotted. I had to make do with some fossicking in outback Australia instead.
I loved Little Fuzzy and his family, I was charmed by the way in which Jack Holloway related to them. The whole plot plan though fascinated me. The Charter Zarathustra Company, while certainly the bad guy in the plot, was very level headedly described; it was there to make money. It's executives kind of talked themselves into believing what their career path needed for them to believe, it all seemed so rationally and so very human.
I enjoy court dramas, of which there is an abundance in this book, complete with precedents from many worlds some of them quite fascinating. Also I loved the exploration of what was and what was not sentience and the exploration of sentience and exo-biology.... Well, I am not going to say that was why I ended up doing an honours, in animal behaviour, but I am willing to consider it as a contributing factor.
Something that always amazes me when I re-read this book is how much is packed in! It is a shortish book, 174 pages, yet within those pages a whole planet comes to life, many individuals all distinct and unique are described. A whole new sentient -no spoilers- race, it's discovery and recognition is outlined. All that while giving us an excellent, fast paced adventure. Marvellous book, far underrated and unrecognised.
This is definately one of my all time favourite classic science fiction books.
It was apparently nominated for the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel, I think it should have won.
We start on the planet Zarathustra, a Class-III uninhabited planet where the chartered Zarathustra Company, with Victor Grego at the helm is happily striping the planet of resources and making lots of money. We then jump to Jack Holloway, a geological prospector happily living his life in the wilderness far from civilisation. Then one day, a small, golden-furred, humanoid, bipedal furry animal walks into Jack's house and is named by him little Fuzzy. When news of the Fuzzies spread, Victor Grego and the Company realise the danger - if these little Fuzzies can do everything claimed for them, they may well be sapient and that would be the end of their charter.
This little known (and in my opinion, far FAR underrated book) wowed me when I first read it and it continues to do so with every re-reading. I loved the gentle touch with which geology, planetology and a brand new planet are described. When I read it the sci-fi books had a lot of exciting space romps, a lot of human-o-centric adventures and a lot of social speculation in science fiction but I had never before come across such a beautifully written, vivid book which took biological science and geology and made them into such an exciting, vivid story.
The description of sunstone mining on Zarathustra, where "Some fifty million years ago...there had existed a marine life form, something like a jellyfish..." some of which by an accident of fossilisation were thermoflurecent and were enormously expensive as jewels just made me want to run away to the stars and become a fossicker. There was a problem with this career plan which I later spotted. I had to make do with some fossicking in outback Australia instead.
I loved Little Fuzzy and his family, I was charmed by the way in which Jack Holloway related to them. The whole plot plan though fascinated me. The Charter Zarathustra Company, while certainly the bad guy in the plot, was very level headedly described; it was there to make money. It's executives kind of talked themselves into believing what their career path needed for them to believe, it all seemed so rationally and so very human.
I enjoy court dramas, of which there is an abundance in this book, complete with precedents from many worlds some of them quite fascinating. Also I loved the exploration of what was and what was not sentience and the exploration of sentience and exo-biology.... Well, I am not going to say that was why I ended up doing an honours, in animal behaviour, but I am willing to consider it as a contributing factor.
Something that always amazes me when I re-read this book is how much is packed in! It is a shortish book, 174 pages, yet within those pages a whole planet comes to life, many individuals all distinct and unique are described. A whole new sentient -no spoilers- race, it's discovery and recognition is outlined. All that while giving us an excellent, fast paced adventure. Marvellous book, far underrated and unrecognised.
This is definately one of my all time favourite classic science fiction books.
October 25, 2021
Little Fuzzy is a classic science fiction novel with a feel-good theme about virtuous individualists triumphing over corporate greed. It has some excellent, early thoughts about anthropology, colonial responsibility, and the nature and definition of sapience. I first read it many years ago, enjoyed the John Scalzi re-imagining when it appeared a decade ago, and have just finished listening to this fine reading via Librivox. It's fun to compare the Scalzi and Piper novels, and leads to speculation about what a re-re-imagined iteration would change forty years from today. Piper's book has a remarkably diverse cast of characters for a novel of its time. Taking it to task for not doing better along those lines makes no more sense to me than faulting any 19th century novelist for not having 20th century values and sensibilities. It's a fine, fun read, totally warm and Fuzzy.
November 10, 2023
My re-read one year later, this time as audio, after having listened to the audiobook of Fuzzy Nation (my review) by John Scalzi. He calls his book “a reimagining of the story and events in Little Fuzzy“ in the introduction of his audiobook.
I enjoyed Fuzzy Nation, it‘s very entertaining and well done. But the original has a lot more depth and details. The plot is more complex. Yes, it‘s a little dated. And the imagined future is not all that imaginative. A slightly advanced lie-detector and some fancier flying machines is almost it. And Jack Holloway is a less interesting and developed character than in Fuzzy Nation. Still, I like the original better.
+*+*+
Review from 2022:
Jack is a prospector on a colony planet. One day a little bipedal fuzzy guy shows up in his camp. They become friends and Jack starts to wonder if the little guy is more than a very smart animal. Which would throw a very large wrench into the plans of The Big Bad Company with a majority interest in exploiting the natural resources of the presumably uninhabited planet.
The Fuzzies are very cute, the story is well plotted and has some shocking elements. Characters are well developed—even the lone female character, which this time around is an actual person with dialogue. Other than that we are still very much in the 1960s with classic gender stereotypes. Other than that the cast of characters is diverse. Bizarrely everybody seems to be smoking nonstop and people drink a lot of highballs. I honestly don‘t see why this is categorized as Young Adult.
Besides those idiosyncrasies I had a lot of fun and really liked the story. The prevailing theme of this novella (novel?) is the definition of sentience/sapience and to a smaller extent the rights of indigenous people. I can see why this was nominated for a Hugo in 1963.
I might continue with the sequels. John Scalzi wrote a reboot of this story, Fuzzy Nation. I might have a look at it to see what he made of this 50 years later. His version received an Audie Award in 2012, so the audiobook might be the way to go…
I enjoyed Fuzzy Nation, it‘s very entertaining and well done. But the original has a lot more depth and details. The plot is more complex. Yes, it‘s a little dated. And the imagined future is not all that imaginative. A slightly advanced lie-detector and some fancier flying machines is almost it. And Jack Holloway is a less interesting and developed character than in Fuzzy Nation. Still, I like the original better.
+*+*+
Review from 2022:
Jack is a prospector on a colony planet. One day a little bipedal fuzzy guy shows up in his camp. They become friends and Jack starts to wonder if the little guy is more than a very smart animal. Which would throw a very large wrench into the plans of The Big Bad Company with a majority interest in exploiting the natural resources of the presumably uninhabited planet.
The Fuzzies are very cute, the story is well plotted and has some shocking elements. Characters are well developed—even the lone female character, which this time around is an actual person with dialogue. Other than that we are still very much in the 1960s with classic gender stereotypes. Other than that the cast of characters is diverse. Bizarrely everybody seems to be smoking nonstop and people drink a lot of highballs. I honestly don‘t see why this is categorized as Young Adult.
Besides those idiosyncrasies I had a lot of fun and really liked the story. The prevailing theme of this novella (novel?) is the definition of sentience/sapience and to a smaller extent the rights of indigenous people. I can see why this was nominated for a Hugo in 1963.
I might continue with the sequels. John Scalzi wrote a reboot of this story, Fuzzy Nation. I might have a look at it to see what he made of this 50 years later. His version received an Audie Award in 2012, so the audiobook might be the way to go…
August 26, 2011
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 interesting.
It's about what it takes to be a person, and how that really needs to be reexamined sometimes.
And besides, I love courtroom dramas.
It's about what it takes to be a person, and how that really needs to be reexamined sometimes.
And besides, I love courtroom dramas.
February 14, 2015
Yes, this book is a bona fide SF classic, but admittedly it hasn't aged that well. I first read this in my early teens, and just reread it this year after loving Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation reboot.
The original is a quick read, fast-paced and unforgettable, so it's still worth your time, but the characters do seem a bit wooden and stuffy (and often downright boring). This book introduces some of the politically-incorrect ideas that Scalzi avoided entirely, which permeate the sequel Fuzzy Sapiens to a greater degree. Politically incorrect in that the fuzzies are at the same time considered "people" but are also adopted by humans and treated as though they were children - sounds like a preferred method for dealing with a primitive society whose intelligence doesn't seem to have developed to your level yet.
But these criticisms are minor in the first book, even though they impact the sequel more so. (And then the final book in Piper's trilogy, Fuzzies and Other People, redeems things for the most part.)
A classic SF must-read novel. 4.5 stars.
The original is a quick read, fast-paced and unforgettable, so it's still worth your time, but the characters do seem a bit wooden and stuffy (and often downright boring). This book introduces some of the politically-incorrect ideas that Scalzi avoided entirely, which permeate the sequel Fuzzy Sapiens to a greater degree. Politically incorrect in that the fuzzies are at the same time considered "people" but are also adopted by humans and treated as though they were children - sounds like a preferred method for dealing with a primitive society whose intelligence doesn't seem to have developed to your level yet.
But these criticisms are minor in the first book, even though they impact the sequel more so. (And then the final book in Piper's trilogy, Fuzzies and Other People, redeems things for the most part.)
A classic SF must-read novel. 4.5 stars.
February 5, 2017
According to Piper, no one loves land-prawns--not even another land-prawn--fortunately, on the internet, no one knows you're a zebralope. No one can leg sweep you, flip you on your back, then behead you just so they can slurp on your tasty insides--in fact I'm pretty sure fuzzies love eating land-prawns.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2010
3.0 stars. A good, fast read that will make you smile. The tone reminded me a lot of some of Clifford Simak's work (i.e., down home, rural SF with a heart). Also a nice exposition on what it means to be a sentient being. A recommended classic.
Nominee: Hugo Award for best Novel (1963)
Nominee: Hugo Award for best Novel (1963)
October 14, 2011
Here's an oldie that I never got around to, but finally did thanks to the Scalzi reboot (which I haven't read yet - had to clear this one out of the way first).
Little Fuzzy is cute. Seriously, this has got to be the most soft-hearted, chipper, and downright adorable science fiction novel I've ever read. If that was Piper's intent (and I think it was) then he succeeded. In a era of rip-roaring pulp adventure, HBP took the time to write a gentle, slow-paced book examining the impact of humans on an environment, first contact with an alien race that is neither all-powerful, militaristic, nor malevolent, and even by the end examining the very nature of "sapience" itself.
If the book has a failing - and it does - it's that there isn't enough narrative tension to sustain the story. The good guys are too competent and the bad guys are all bumbling idiots (except for the Big Bad, who completely disappears before the last third of the book - I guess he got while the gettin' was good). As a result, there's never any real sense of jeopardy for the characters and never any doubt as to how the issue of Fuzzy Rights will resolve itself.
On top of this, the book basks itself in Fifties kitsch, complete with highballs and nonstop smoking. It'll push a few nostalgia buttons for some, but others might find it anachronistic and jarring. That's just something you have to accept with the classics of SF. In the end, Little Fuzzy was a pleasant, thought-provoking read, despite being about as suspenseful as an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
Little Fuzzy is cute. Seriously, this has got to be the most soft-hearted, chipper, and downright adorable science fiction novel I've ever read. If that was Piper's intent (and I think it was) then he succeeded. In a era of rip-roaring pulp adventure, HBP took the time to write a gentle, slow-paced book examining the impact of humans on an environment, first contact with an alien race that is neither all-powerful, militaristic, nor malevolent, and even by the end examining the very nature of "sapience" itself.
If the book has a failing - and it does - it's that there isn't enough narrative tension to sustain the story. The good guys are too competent and the bad guys are all bumbling idiots (except for the Big Bad, who completely disappears before the last third of the book - I guess he got while the gettin' was good). As a result, there's never any real sense of jeopardy for the characters and never any doubt as to how the issue of Fuzzy Rights will resolve itself.
On top of this, the book basks itself in Fifties kitsch, complete with highballs and nonstop smoking. It'll push a few nostalgia buttons for some, but others might find it anachronistic and jarring. That's just something you have to accept with the classics of SF. In the end, Little Fuzzy was a pleasant, thought-provoking read, despite being about as suspenseful as an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
February 16, 2015
This was a decent little story that I probably wouldn't have ever read if not for John Scalzi's reboot, Fuzzy Nation. That book was just so awesome, I had to see about the source material.
Also, this audiobook was a surprise attachment to the Fuzzy Nation audiobook, so it was right there. Just press "play".
That said, this wasn't as entertaining. It was good, it's just that Fuzzy Nation was incredible. Scalzi did some things that were improvements on the original story. That said, there wouldn't even be a Fuzzy Nation if it weren't for this book.
On the audio, well. The narrator also wasn't as good as Wil Wheaton. This guy made Jack Holloway's interactions with Little Fuzzy sound like episodes of Mickey Mouse's Playhouse. Only without the "Hot Dog Song". (Don't judge me, my 1 year old grandson lives with us).
But yeah, without this, there would be no Fuzzy Nation. And just mayhap, there would have been no Ewoks either.
Also, this audiobook was a surprise attachment to the Fuzzy Nation audiobook, so it was right there. Just press "play".
That said, this wasn't as entertaining. It was good, it's just that Fuzzy Nation was incredible. Scalzi did some things that were improvements on the original story. That said, there wouldn't even be a Fuzzy Nation if it weren't for this book.
On the audio, well. The narrator also wasn't as good as Wil Wheaton. This guy made Jack Holloway's interactions with Little Fuzzy sound like episodes of Mickey Mouse's Playhouse. Only without the "Hot Dog Song". (Don't judge me, my 1 year old grandson lives with us).
But yeah, without this, there would be no Fuzzy Nation. And just mayhap, there would have been no Ewoks either.
February 28, 2023
An uncomplicated sci-fi classic with an anti-corporate message. The story is engaging and raises some interesting questions about what qualifies as sapience. The predicament of the little fuzzies is quite moving too. Written in the 60s, the novel has aged surprisingly well. There was perhaps a little bit too much courtroom drama for my tastes in the later chapters, but other than that I enjoyed this. The audio narration is pretty good too. 3.5 stars.
April 5, 2015
“Little Fuzzies” (1961), a Hugo nominee and considered a classic work of scifi by H. Beam Piper. It’s initial theme is of the exploitation of resources and the environment of an alien planet. It predates Ursula le Guin’s “The Word for World Is Forest ” by a decade. The secondary and primary theme is of the colonization and the exploitation of sapient indigenous peoples on an alien planet, making the point, intended or not, that the more “sophisticated” newcomers that come to a “new land” tend to either eradicate the aborigines and/or take a patronizing parental role over them - considering them as children of the state and/or property: “everyone wants a Fuzzy” and most people of means does indeed have one in these Fuzzy stories. The bulk of this novel is written as if it were intended for young readers - the Fuzzies are simply too cute to be taken seriously, even by the characters in the story, yet much of the subject matter in this story such as murder by stomping, suicide and an extended court scene intended to determine whether the Fuzzies are to be determined to be sapient or not, is hardly the stuff of children stories.
**
The second book, “The Other Human Race” is pretty much the same minus the initial world-building, the trial and so on, therefore there is less going on. The bulk of the book is spent on describing how the Fuzzies are treated after being declared as legally sapient. It seems, sadly for them, that they are just short of lab-rats as their psychology, biology, nutritional requirements and so on are studied. And there is the whole political malarkey of whether to charge a fee to adopt one of these “little people” who seem to want nothing more out of life than than to be loved and played with, and above all, kept safe.
***
The Third installment "Fuzzies and Other People" (apparently found after Piper's unfortunate death in 1964 and published twenty years later in 1984) is a bit of an improvement from the second book, there being more actual ‘story’ in there, confirming that the Fuzzies are truly intelligent beings and not simply cute clever pets.
H. Beam Piper’s pros were not the poetic and lush stylings of Sturgeon, Le Guin or Bradbury. Nor did he tell an adventure story the way Heinlein and De Camp or Anderson did, or had the knack for evoking a sense of wonder or create the wild and weird outer-world alieness atmosphere that van Vogt or PKD seemed to, so effortlessly. And finally, nor was he capable of writing convincingly of the mechanics and intricacies of science the way Clarke and Asimov could, but he was definitely a man of unique and provoking ideas and the scifi pulps were the perfect vehicle for him to express them - check out “The Cosmic Computer ” and his “Paratime” stories along with a hand-full of his excellent shorter works.
**
The second book, “The Other Human Race” is pretty much the same minus the initial world-building, the trial and so on, therefore there is less going on. The bulk of the book is spent on describing how the Fuzzies are treated after being declared as legally sapient. It seems, sadly for them, that they are just short of lab-rats as their psychology, biology, nutritional requirements and so on are studied. And there is the whole political malarkey of whether to charge a fee to adopt one of these “little people” who seem to want nothing more out of life than than to be loved and played with, and above all, kept safe.
***
The Third installment "Fuzzies and Other People" (apparently found after Piper's unfortunate death in 1964 and published twenty years later in 1984) is a bit of an improvement from the second book, there being more actual ‘story’ in there, confirming that the Fuzzies are truly intelligent beings and not simply cute clever pets.
H. Beam Piper’s pros were not the poetic and lush stylings of Sturgeon, Le Guin or Bradbury. Nor did he tell an adventure story the way Heinlein and De Camp or Anderson did, or had the knack for evoking a sense of wonder or create the wild and weird outer-world alieness atmosphere that van Vogt or PKD seemed to, so effortlessly. And finally, nor was he capable of writing convincingly of the mechanics and intricacies of science the way Clarke and Asimov could, but he was definitely a man of unique and provoking ideas and the scifi pulps were the perfect vehicle for him to express them - check out “The Cosmic Computer ” and his “Paratime” stories along with a hand-full of his excellent shorter works.
September 1, 2017
In a planet called Zarathustra, a species of small fuzzy creatures live. The planet is in the first stages of colonization and is currently owned by a company that is reaping the benefits of the land. One of the workers of the company befriends one of the fuzzies and discovers they are more than simple animals, and so begins the main conflict of the novel. If it is proven that these creatures are sapient, with intelligence and communication, the Company would have to stop as it would make the land a protected aboriginal zone. We then follow the repercussions of the decisions made by the Company and the research that has been done on these creatures.
“If you don't like the facts, you ignore them, and if you need facts, dream up some you do like”
I always saw this novel as an allegory of indigenous people's rights, with the fuzzies being its own culture but being seen as less due to their difference to humans. Perhaps at the time this was written, it was safer to write aliens as the other instead of other humans, which is similar to how X-Men are cast as different so everyone can identify with them instead of targeting any one particular group. However, the novel does a good job of exploring the meaning of what is like to be conscious being, and how others will try to demean entire cultures (in this case a species) in order to continue to reap the benefits provided by the land that would be considered stolen otherwise. Like other reviewers have pointed out, it gets taken from the ability to make fire to deeper forms, such as the ability to communicate with definite language and their capability to socially interact.
The second big theme comes from all the references of big business versus big government. Many have deemed this novel as libertarian, people that have studied the book for years, so I know my opinion wont as valid as theirs, however, I struggle with completely agreeing with them. Although much is shown about the benefit of independent business and small governmental control, big government is the deciding factor that leads to the ending we wanted.
This is a satisfying novel about funny creatures, astuteness, business versus government; nonetheless, it relies too much on the arguments, leaving behind flat villains that are as compelling as the "Blue Marvel villains".
I recommend you read this book alongsideFuzzy Nation, it is more challenging to see if the parody and the original are as similar as some suspect, and which one is better.
“If you don't like the facts, you ignore them, and if you need facts, dream up some you do like”
I always saw this novel as an allegory of indigenous people's rights, with the fuzzies being its own culture but being seen as less due to their difference to humans. Perhaps at the time this was written, it was safer to write aliens as the other instead of other humans, which is similar to how X-Men are cast as different so everyone can identify with them instead of targeting any one particular group. However, the novel does a good job of exploring the meaning of what is like to be conscious being, and how others will try to demean entire cultures (in this case a species) in order to continue to reap the benefits provided by the land that would be considered stolen otherwise. Like other reviewers have pointed out, it gets taken from the ability to make fire to deeper forms, such as the ability to communicate with definite language and their capability to socially interact.
The second big theme comes from all the references of big business versus big government. Many have deemed this novel as libertarian, people that have studied the book for years, so I know my opinion wont as valid as theirs, however, I struggle with completely agreeing with them. Although much is shown about the benefit of independent business and small governmental control, big government is the deciding factor that leads to the ending we wanted.
This is a satisfying novel about funny creatures, astuteness, business versus government; nonetheless, it relies too much on the arguments, leaving behind flat villains that are as compelling as the "Blue Marvel villains".
I recommend you read this book alongsideFuzzy Nation, it is more challenging to see if the parody and the original are as similar as some suspect, and which one is better.
August 17, 2015
I picked this book up because I bought Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi and found that it was inspired by this classic science-fiction novel, Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper.
This novel took me completely by surprise. At under 300 pages the amount of world building that happens is amazing; it isn't particularly extensive but Piper creates such a plausible human colony and system on a future planet and it made sense. The politics of the new world were fascinating and a lot of the corruption was what made me so intrigued in this story.
The book brings up a lot of questions about what is an animal and what is a sapient being which I found to be an interesting topic that was informative and thought-provoking without ever bogging down the plot.
I have to say, the only thing I had a slight problem with in this book is some of the outdated opinions, particularly regarding women; this novel was published in 1962 so some of the roles women were stereotyped into annoyed me slightly but sometimes I think that this should be expected on a science-fiction novel of this time.
Overall, I found this an action-packed and thought-provoking read with an interesting plot and great world and character development. I would definitely like to read more H. Beam Piper in the future and will be trying to get hold of a copy of the other two books in this series.
This novel took me completely by surprise. At under 300 pages the amount of world building that happens is amazing; it isn't particularly extensive but Piper creates such a plausible human colony and system on a future planet and it made sense. The politics of the new world were fascinating and a lot of the corruption was what made me so intrigued in this story.
The book brings up a lot of questions about what is an animal and what is a sapient being which I found to be an interesting topic that was informative and thought-provoking without ever bogging down the plot.
I have to say, the only thing I had a slight problem with in this book is some of the outdated opinions, particularly regarding women; this novel was published in 1962 so some of the roles women were stereotyped into annoyed me slightly but sometimes I think that this should be expected on a science-fiction novel of this time.
Overall, I found this an action-packed and thought-provoking read with an interesting plot and great world and character development. I would definitely like to read more H. Beam Piper in the future and will be trying to get hold of a copy of the other two books in this series.
December 2, 2011
My father was a huge fan of H. Beam Piper, and when I saw (randomly) that Little Fuzzy had been recorded by Librivox I thought “what the hell, if I don’t like it I can shut it off.” I did not shut it off. I listened raptly, and instead of being bored with “vintage Sci-Fi” I found a new genre to love. Classic Sci-Fi is so different from what is Sci-Fi today. It seems as though all the authors of the time worked in an understood universe where there were hundreds of planets that the Terran Federation colonized, that there were understood rules to the universe, and that literally anything could happen. These books were being written in a time of great and amazing scientific discovery, and it was reflected in the vastness and hopefulness of the books. It can’t help but bring a smile to your face.
Little Fuzzy was an excellent read. The characters are fantastic, the plot was set at a good pace, and it’s definitely one of Piper’s better books. I can admit that sometimes Piper requires a certain taste, he can get a bit preachy sometimes, but this really isn’t the case with Little Fuzzies. It’s still quite enjoyable, just in itself.
Little Fuzzy was an excellent read. The characters are fantastic, the plot was set at a good pace, and it’s definitely one of Piper’s better books. I can admit that sometimes Piper requires a certain taste, he can get a bit preachy sometimes, but this really isn’t the case with Little Fuzzies. It’s still quite enjoyable, just in itself.
December 10, 2019
Storyline: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 1/5
There is definitely a place for this kind of book. Something that is just easy fun. Not the easy fun of wild, unrestrained adventures or saving-the-damsel wish fulfilment, but fun that comes from things simply working out. Piper does not need to ratchet up the tensions or thwart our good-intentioned protagonists for the sake of drama. There’s bad guys and threats, but the substance here is seeing good people rally to a good cause and do good things. The science fiction world is something of an afterthought, or perhaps a prefabricated setting. Piper only fills in the details as the need comes along. There is no attempt to fit pieces together or weave complicated narratives or plots. Characters are not making decisions based on some exotically constructed political or ethical system. Piper knew where he wanted to take the reader, and he slipped in whatever invention, development, or new character would get us there. The prose is simple but flowing, making for a very easy read. It is a book for which no one is supposed to work hard, not the author in writing it nor the reader in enjoying it.
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 1/5
There is definitely a place for this kind of book. Something that is just easy fun. Not the easy fun of wild, unrestrained adventures or saving-the-damsel wish fulfilment, but fun that comes from things simply working out. Piper does not need to ratchet up the tensions or thwart our good-intentioned protagonists for the sake of drama. There’s bad guys and threats, but the substance here is seeing good people rally to a good cause and do good things. The science fiction world is something of an afterthought, or perhaps a prefabricated setting. Piper only fills in the details as the need comes along. There is no attempt to fit pieces together or weave complicated narratives or plots. Characters are not making decisions based on some exotically constructed political or ethical system. Piper knew where he wanted to take the reader, and he slipped in whatever invention, development, or new character would get us there. The prose is simple but flowing, making for a very easy read. It is a book for which no one is supposed to work hard, not the author in writing it nor the reader in enjoying it.
March 3, 2025
This is one of those books that show up in my feed every so often and both the book cover – as well as the funny title – catches my attention. I don't generally like to know much about books I read going in, but in this case I at least learned enough that it was a classic sci-fi story (1962 actually). As a big fan of John Scalzi I also knew that he had written his own 'Fuzzy' book in the form of 'Fuzzy Nation'. That was listed as book 7 of the series – so I didn't want to jump right to that one w/o at least reading one of the originals.
The story centers on Jack Holloway – a prospector working on an uninhabited (or so they thought) planet called Zarathrustra (great name – according to the 'internets' this roughly translates to 'he who can manage camels'). This that was being mined for resources among which were fossils of an extinct jellyfish that are quite sought after.. Jack encounters some small creatures that he calls 'fuzzies.' What starts out as just one shortly becomes a small group as the first one “Little Fuzzy' invites others to come stay with Jack.
The story is mostly about man vs. nature (even though in this case it takes place on another planet... it's the same idea). Jack's company is concerned that they will lose their charter to mine resources if the new species... full name 'Fuzzy Fuzzy Holloway Zarathrustra'. The bulk of the story centers on whether or not the 'fuzzies' were sentient and if they were how it would protect them from exploitation by corporate entities. For Sci-Fi this was pretty new territory. If you think about it.. it wasn't until 1966 that Star Trek introduced the idea of 'The Prime Directive'.
All in all you can't take any of this too seriously. Piper recognizes this. At one point the fuzzies are being portrayed as evil and malicious creatures with a notable quote was “... even a skilled semanticist had trouble in making anything called a Fuzzy sound menacing.” While it wasn't a great book (I thought it was kind of a 3.5 rounded up to 4 – grading on the curve a bit for era) – I did enjoy it. On to 'Fuzzy Nation'
The story centers on Jack Holloway – a prospector working on an uninhabited (or so they thought) planet called Zarathrustra (great name – according to the 'internets' this roughly translates to 'he who can manage camels'). This that was being mined for resources among which were fossils of an extinct jellyfish that are quite sought after.. Jack encounters some small creatures that he calls 'fuzzies.' What starts out as just one shortly becomes a small group as the first one “Little Fuzzy' invites others to come stay with Jack.
The story is mostly about man vs. nature (even though in this case it takes place on another planet... it's the same idea). Jack's company is concerned that they will lose their charter to mine resources if the new species... full name 'Fuzzy Fuzzy Holloway Zarathrustra'. The bulk of the story centers on whether or not the 'fuzzies' were sentient and if they were how it would protect them from exploitation by corporate entities. For Sci-Fi this was pretty new territory. If you think about it.. it wasn't until 1966 that Star Trek introduced the idea of 'The Prime Directive'.
All in all you can't take any of this too seriously. Piper recognizes this. At one point the fuzzies are being portrayed as evil and malicious creatures with a notable quote was “... even a skilled semanticist had trouble in making anything called a Fuzzy sound menacing.” While it wasn't a great book (I thought it was kind of a 3.5 rounded up to 4 – grading on the curve a bit for era) – I did enjoy it. On to 'Fuzzy Nation'
November 15, 2016
Also posted on my blog Got My Book.
A classic Adult SF that stands up better than some but still has issues.
BOOK DETAILS:
Little Fuzzy by H Beam Piper, read by Peter Ganim, published by Audible Studios (2009) / Length: 6 hrs 25 min
SERIES INFO:
This is Book #1 of the "Fuzzy Sapiens," series and the only one available on audio. Note: two of the sequels were written by Piper, with some additional ones that were written by other people. There is also a "reboot" of this novel written by John Scalzi.
SUMMARY:
I have been rereading a lot of classic SF now that I have a blog, and some of them have really made me cringe. This one isn't quite as bad. My biggest problem with it lies in the, I really hope we eventually outgrow such behavior, colonial attitudes. It is made clear from the beginning that proving that the Fuzzies are sentient won't mean that their planet will be given back, just that it will be governed differently.
CHARACTERS:
Jack: He's an old codger you definitely shouldn't mess with, but he's actually quite amiable (rather than cranky). There are tons of interesting tidbits thrown out about him, but never explained. When did he set off a thermonuke? Who did he leave behind? How did he end up on Zarathustra, and does he have any plans for the wealth he may find prospecting.
As is typical for almost all classic SF written by men, the ratio of men to women is way above 50%. The only main female character, Ruth, is at least intelligent & educated and contributes significantly to the outcome.
Also, most of the characters appear to pretty un-diverse. There is one man named Akmed. He is described as being the local police leader's "driver," but I think he is simply the officer who "rides" with the chief & does the driving rather than a menial. He also seems intelligent and is sympathetic to the Fuzzies.
WORLDBUILDING:
This planet has a wealth of strange flora & fauna. And I love the way they name things (if a planet is known to be inhabited, they ask a native and write down whatever they say, regardless of whether it is an answer or not).
There isn't a lot of truly advanced technology, other than space travel, from our current prospective. The most out-dated technology is the lack of digital media & data transmission. They still use tape & film.
PLOT:
The book starts with a chapter or two of Jack just going about his daily routine, before introducing the first Fuzzy. I think this is important as a contrast to how isolated his life was before they showed up.
Although there have been sequels written (both by Piper & others), this book really can stand on it's own. It ends with the ruling and subsequent consequences & plans.
HIGHLIGHTS:
--A custom that has developed for formal video communications is for people to "shake hands" by each using a "Chinese" like shaking your own hands gesture.
--The agent is revealed
--Although there's a lot of social drinking going on, Jack avoids drinking away his problems (and another character is struggling with that)
CONTENT NOTES(?): There is a lot of smoking & drinking going on. / This is the wild west of the galaxy, i.e. when Jack shot people who tried to rob him, it was listed as suicide / There is a brutal (though not gory) murder.
NARRATION:
Character voices differentiated = Yes / Opposite sex voices acceptable = Yes / Accents = There are some, but who can judge them in the far future. They didn't bother me. / Phrasing, Pacing & Pronunciation = Fine / Emoting = Good / Speed = listened on 1.25, my usual, and it was a touch fast. / I heard 1 or 2 small errors.
He has a very deep voice, that I didn't love. Mostly I think this is a case where I'm neutral on the narrator. He didn't distract from my enjoyment, but didn't increase it either.
A classic Adult SF that stands up better than some but still has issues.
BOOK DETAILS:
Little Fuzzy by H Beam Piper, read by Peter Ganim, published by Audible Studios (2009) / Length: 6 hrs 25 min
SERIES INFO:
This is Book #1 of the "Fuzzy Sapiens," series and the only one available on audio. Note: two of the sequels were written by Piper, with some additional ones that were written by other people. There is also a "reboot" of this novel written by John Scalzi.
SUMMARY:
I have been rereading a lot of classic SF now that I have a blog, and some of them have really made me cringe. This one isn't quite as bad. My biggest problem with it lies in the, I really hope we eventually outgrow such behavior, colonial attitudes. It is made clear from the beginning that proving that the Fuzzies are sentient won't mean that their planet will be given back, just that it will be governed differently.
CHARACTERS:
Jack: He's an old codger you definitely shouldn't mess with, but he's actually quite amiable (rather than cranky). There are tons of interesting tidbits thrown out about him, but never explained. When did he set off a thermonuke? Who did he leave behind? How did he end up on Zarathustra, and does he have any plans for the wealth he may find prospecting.
As is typical for almost all classic SF written by men, the ratio of men to women is way above 50%. The only main female character, Ruth, is at least intelligent & educated and contributes significantly to the outcome.
Also, most of the characters appear to pretty un-diverse. There is one man named Akmed. He is described as being the local police leader's "driver," but I think he is simply the officer who "rides" with the chief & does the driving rather than a menial. He also seems intelligent and is sympathetic to the Fuzzies.
WORLDBUILDING:
This planet has a wealth of strange flora & fauna. And I love the way they name things (if a planet is known to be inhabited, they ask a native and write down whatever they say, regardless of whether it is an answer or not).
There isn't a lot of truly advanced technology, other than space travel, from our current prospective. The most out-dated technology is the lack of digital media & data transmission. They still use tape & film.
PLOT:
The book starts with a chapter or two of Jack just going about his daily routine, before introducing the first Fuzzy. I think this is important as a contrast to how isolated his life was before they showed up.
Although there have been sequels written (both by Piper & others), this book really can stand on it's own. It ends with the ruling and subsequent consequences & plans.
HIGHLIGHTS:
--A custom that has developed for formal video communications is for people to "shake hands" by each using a "Chinese" like shaking your own hands gesture.
--The agent is revealed
--Although there's a lot of social drinking going on, Jack avoids drinking away his problems (and another character is struggling with that)
"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."
CONTENT NOTES(?): There is a lot of smoking & drinking going on. / This is the wild west of the galaxy, i.e. when Jack shot people who tried to rob him, it was listed as suicide / There is a brutal (though not gory) murder.
NARRATION:
Character voices differentiated = Yes / Opposite sex voices acceptable = Yes / Accents = There are some, but who can judge them in the far future. They didn't bother me. / Phrasing, Pacing & Pronunciation = Fine / Emoting = Good / Speed = listened on 1.25, my usual, and it was a touch fast. / I heard 1 or 2 small errors.
He has a very deep voice, that I didn't love. Mostly I think this is a case where I'm neutral on the narrator. He didn't distract from my enjoyment, but didn't increase it either.
April 14, 2020
I consider this 1962 book by H. Beam Piper a classic of science fiction. Jack Holloway is a prospector on the Earthlike planet of Zarathustra. One day, he discovers a tiny golden-furred humanoid creature that he calls a "Fuzzy." It turns out there are more of them and they are wonderful creatures. The problem is that a mega-corporation is running the planet and they want a free hand to exploit the planet's resources. If it can be shown that there is an indigenous sapient race of beings on the planet, the planet will be transferred to Terran Federation control. No surprise that the corporate suits will do anything to keep plundering the planet...
A note on American science fiction author Henry Beam Piper, who was born in 1904. He was a late beginner, starting to write for the SF magazines when he was already in his forties. He committed suicide in 1964. It was much too brief a career. I'm sure we missed out on a lot of fine stories.
A note on American science fiction author Henry Beam Piper, who was born in 1904. He was a late beginner, starting to write for the SF magazines when he was already in his forties. He committed suicide in 1964. It was much too brief a career. I'm sure we missed out on a lot of fine stories.
April 4, 2012
This book is basically an ecology 'v' corporate greed story. (Avatar but written many years ago.)
The Fuzzies in the story sound a lot like Ewoks, so I wonder if this is where George Lucas got the idea from. Part of the book also has an extensive discourse on what constitutes sapience. This was very interesting but the actual words 'sapient' and 'sapience' were used so frequently that it started to grate on my nerves towards the end. It would be interesting to get an e-book version and do a word count. I'm betting both words were used about 50 times in a relatively short book.
A fun read if your into cute cuddly, and obviously fuzzy, creatures.
The Fuzzies in the story sound a lot like Ewoks, so I wonder if this is where George Lucas got the idea from. Part of the book also has an extensive discourse on what constitutes sapience. This was very interesting but the actual words 'sapient' and 'sapience' were used so frequently that it started to grate on my nerves towards the end. It would be interesting to get an e-book version and do a word count. I'm betting both words were used about 50 times in a relatively short book.
A fun read if your into cute cuddly, and obviously fuzzy, creatures.
September 7, 2018
Classic SF which tackles the thorny question of what makes a species sapient, i.e. where the lines are between sapience and non-sapience. The answer may be impossible to define precisely, but it's an important topic for exploration nonetheless. The story, though not without its charms, develops slowly and is quite predictable from the get-go, but thankfully it's a short read.
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