Fuzzy Sapiens (Fuzzy Sapiens series)

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. 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. Here is an example passage: 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. 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.

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. If this is wrong please enlighten me in the comments. View all 13 comments. 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.

I read this before! 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.

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I don't recall the discussions of sapience as any better, e I read this before! 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.

The court scenes caught my attention. 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. 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.

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View all 3 comments. Jun 19, Pepper Thorn rated it really liked it. First I'd like to say that this isn't really a review of Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation. 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.

The Complete Fuzzy

I really enjoyed both books and if pressed I don't First I'd like to say that this isn't really a review of Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation. 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. 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.

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. Apr 09, Stephen Robert Collins rated it it was amazing.

This one those special classic sf books that you look for because people have told you how good it is. So if can find these books even if there taty don't put it back buy it. 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 Yes, this book is a bona fide SF classic, but admittedly it hasn't aged that well.

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. Aug 20, stormhawk rated it really liked it. 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 The only thing that makes Little Fuzzy a science fiction story is it being set on another planet. 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. Nov 15, Stephen rated it liked it Shelves: A good, fast read that will make you smile. The tone reminded me a lot of some of Clifford Simak's work i. Also a nice exposition on what it means to be a sentient being. Hugo Award for best Novel Aug 10, Jakk Makk rated it it was amazing. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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. On the surface it seems like Jack Holloway saved the fuzzies, but those who really understand Zarathrusta know Holloway was manipulated by several land-prawn secret societies to identify with them, and as a byproduct saved the misunderstood and wrongly despised land-prawns. One should only read this if one wants to see how humans can be turned to your purposes by introducing them to anything that resembles a walking teddy bear.

Jul 04, Liz Janet rated it really liked it. 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 la In a planet called Zarathustra, a species of small fuzzy creatures live. 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. 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 alongside Fuzzy Nation , it is more challenging to see if the parody and the original are as similar as some suspect, and which one is better. Jan 27, Charlotte Jones rated it it was amazing.

The book is very read I really liked 'Little Fuzzy," the first book in a trilogy about the fuzzies, but I didn't enjoy "Fuzzy Sapiens" as much. The book is very readable, but it lacks the drama of "Little Fuzzy. They lack any complexity and there is nothing alien about them. You would think a species that evolved on a planet other than Earth would be different in some way, but, other than their appearance, they mostly act like human children. Nonetheless, the book was a pleasant read. I might still read the third one, which, I understand is better than this one. Apr 20, Paul rated it really liked it Shelves: This was a good follow-up to Little Fuzzy.

Neither book I think is a particularly hard-hitting intellectual overview of the "fuzzy" boundaries around first contact and the paternalistic relationship between colonists and primitives, but they both provide an interesting story. One thing I particularly liked about this book is that the villain from the previous book became one of the primary protagonists in this books. Rather than an ongoing blood feud, it was clear that these were all a bunch of p This was a good follow-up to Little Fuzzy.

Rather than an ongoing blood feud, it was clear that these were all a bunch of professional humans who make mistakes and when the dust is settled they know how to move on. Given that these books are otherwise somewhat shallow, it added a nice touch of complexity to the characters. It begins right after the previous book ends. Since it is a sequel, the plot summary has some spoilers, so be aware if you continue reading this review. Come visit my blog for the full review… https: Oct 07, Michael Tildsley rated it really liked it.

Pretty good, though not as good as the first one from Piper. I felt like this had way too much from the people and not enough from the Fuzzies themselves. Still one to go, plus the book that kinda sorta started all this Fuzzy nonsense for me. More on that later I'm sure May 30, Steve Craven rated it really liked it Shelves: I read most of Beam Piper's books many years ago.

May 29, Eddy rated it liked it. Not as interesting as the first book, but a good read. Apr 04, Denis rated it liked it. 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 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. 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. Jul 04, Judy Goldich rated it really liked it. You don't need to read the predecessor to understand it, which used to be good.

The first volume, Little Fuzzy, was out of print for decades, and eventually fell into the public domain, but accessing it there was nearly impossible for most mortals until fairly recently. I love project Gutenberg. This is the second book in Piper's Fuzzy series. This utterly charming duo was first published in Little Fuzzy and The Other Human Race was the original title. Do not let the charm obscure the deeper meaning to be mined from this when viewed as an allegory. The story presented Piper's vision of what happened next, along with his views of the defects of 's American culture.

I suspect many of us mature readers read this one first, without benefit of the first. It significantly deepened the character development from the first, showing how some people can change of their own accord, others can be forced into it, and still others Hugo Ingermann are irredeemably evil. I think this latter is an important point for all of us to bear in mind. Piper died by his own hand in , and legal entanglements meant that much of his work fell out of print for decades. Eventually, Ace bought the rights to what had been found, and republished this about , when I first saw it.

I remember being wowed at the time: My first inclination was to agree with several reviewers that this doesn't quite match the quality of the first. However, and in fairness, we probably ought to review and rate the two together. Also in fairness, Piper likely sold it before he finished polishing it: I doubt much effort was put into editing it by the publisher, either. The series was so beloved --and seemingly so incomplete--that Ace commissioned a writer named William Tuning to pen a sequel, Fuzzy Bones.

Not much has emerged about Tuning to this date. Tuning's recreation of the original atmosphere of the stories, and the tale itself was superb, particularly in the absence of a third Piper-penned novel. After that, Ace managed to turn up a Piper sequel, which it claimed had mysteriously emerged from Piper's papers.

I wonder where those papers have been hiding since Feb 13, Molly Amory rated it liked it. This is a review of both books in this series so far - Little Fuzzy and Fuzzy Sapiens. The second picks up exactly where the first leaves off, and I'm too lazy to separate them. No spoilers or at least, none that aren't incredibly vague.

The Fuzzy Papers

The deeper I go into this series, the more problematic it becomes. Of course I'm reading it in a totally different era from the one in which it was written, so it's not really surprising. And from a 21st century perspective, there's a distinctly unpleasant vibe to the way this indigenous race of adult beings is generally treated like a race of talking purse dogs by human characters we're supposed to view as good guys. Some reviews have referred to it as paternalistic, but to me it was also distinctly racist, with a giant dollop of creepy exoticism on top.

The only female antagonist turns out to be far worse than the male antagonists - vicious, whereas the male bad guys are mostly incompetent And yet It was in the style and execution, not the text. There was a certainty that the good guys would triumph and the bad guys would be punished and all that was wrong in the world would be righted and sooner, rather than later that was kind of relaxing. Every problem that arose was solved with a very low level of angst and dithering about. Not something I would want as a steady diet especially not when paired with a hefty dose of racism, sexism and exoticism on the side.

Still, I wouldn't mind seeing a little less despair and pessimism than I find in most popular fiction these days Problematic, in ways typical of the era in which it was written. Uncomfortable, because I'm looking back on it from today. But still weirdly enjoyable. Three stars for my inability to decide if I like it or hate it.

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Dec 24, Robert rated it liked it. H Beam Piper is an entertaining story teller. The story here is pretty simplistic, but readable. It seems to be targeted at kids. I am a little bothered by the idea that the people in the story have found one of only two known alien sentient species and the first thing they think of doing is making pets out of them. The Fuzzies seem to want nothing more than to be pets.

I keep waiting for the story to evolve away from obviously colonial attitudes towards the "Fuzzies". Maybe they could start by coming up with a more dignified name for the species. Somehow, I doubt this will ever happen. It seems the whole Fuzzy thing was kind of a phenomenon back in the day.

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I doubt anyone would want to lose the smarmy cuteness of the stories. That was probably the main point of the stories to begin with. This is the second of the Fuzzy series. I'll be reading the third one next. There are, I believe, two of three other books in the series written by other authors, but I've heard they develop in different directions than the third book of Piper's. Central to all the novels is the question of what makes us humans and sapient. Piper's work gives us a look into our past perspectives while Scalzi questions our present nature. All the novels are dramatic and humorous science fiction.

Jan 17, Kira rated it it was amazing. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would do so. It is heart-warming, intriguing, adorable, and fun. It also has something to teach, and if you can't take something away from what you're reading Suffice it to say, this book has something to say, and has the best outlook on humanity, even my cynicism was put in its place with this read. Then, read it to your grandchildren or simply stand on a corner and read it to the crowds. Mar 05, Michael rated it it was amazing.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I read these books during middle school, or perhaps it's because they're a really interesting glimpse of early s culture applied to life on a distant colony planet of Earth They can be read as a critique of colonialism through a speculative-fiction lens, thought I didn't know that when I was Mar 02, Jim rated it really liked it.

May 19, Michaelt rated it really liked it Shelves: An interesting books about discovering new sapient life on a planet humans are exploiting. What do the people in power do and what if the sapience is in question? This book explores these topics and more. This book contains all 3 Fuzzy novels by H.

Mar 08, Jessica Zoop rated it liked it Shelves: A dated view of humans knowing what is best for an underdeveloped, but lucky for them cute species. I prefer John Scalzi's updated, snarky take on this story with the fuzzys knowingly using their cuteness to manipulate the lumbering interlopers. Aug 29, Mary Catelli rated it really liked it Shelves: Reviewed book by book: Jun 20, Fredrick Danysh rated it really liked it Shelves: Several stories about the fuzzy intelligent creatures on a planet rich in minerals that industrialists want and are willing to exterminate a species to gain control.

Includes a long lost manuscript. Feb 12, Jake Bs rated it really liked it Shelves: I really enjoyed the Fuzzy series. They were a very simple and enjoyable read that tied in some interesting legal concepts. Beam Piper is definitely an author that I'm going to read more of. Dec 19, Amanda rated it liked it. Dec 28, Stephanie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Jul 17, Audrey Snowden rated it liked it Recommended to Audrey by: Jul 24, Theresa rated it it was amazing Shelves: May 17, Robert rated it it was amazing Shelves: An intriguing blend of sci-fi, 19th century paternalism philosophy and legal thriller, this is a classic I am sorry to say I just learned about in the past month.

Brian Hopper rated it really liked it Feb 11,