Karl

This is a reboot of H. Beam Piper's book "Little Fuzzy". You do not need to read / listen to the original (included as the 2nd part of this audiobook) to enjoy Scalzi's new book. In fact, comparing it to the original the whole time you are listening / reading may put you in a different frame of mind, which could change your enjoyment.

For those of you who have read the original, here are the main differences.
The main character in the original is an octogenarian, long time prospector, a gruff old man who is immediately protective of the fuzzies. Scalzi's Jack Holloway is a disbarred lawyer turned prospector who's first inclination is to protect his claim and is more sarcastic than gruff.
The fuzzies are different. I don't want to give too many spoilers but you will immediately notice that they don't do any hunting in Scalzi's book.
The federation base on the moon is gone leaving a single judge the planet's only federation representative. The planet including the city are completely under corporate control and the villains are diabolical rather than just callous and greedy. The wildlife is more dangerous too.

It's a good book, a twisty tale up to Scalzi's usual high standards. If you like his other books, you'll like this one too. The theme and feel of this new book is completely different than Piper's original. It's a bit like a liberally adjusted movie adaptation. I did feel a bit of “that's nothing like the original!” but I enjoyed it.