Fuzzy Nation

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, John Scalzi - introduction

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

In John Scalzi's re-imagining of H. Beam Piper's 1962 sci-fi classic Little Fuzzy, written with the full cooperation of the Piper Estate, Jack Holloway works alone for reasons he doesn't care to talk about. On the distant planet Zarathustra, Jack is content as an independent contractor for ZaraCorp, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his past, that's not up for discussion.

Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal claim just as ZaraCorp is cancelling their contract with him for his part in causing the collapse. Briefly in the catbird seat, legally speaking, Jack pressures ZaraCorp into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth.

But there's another wrinkle to ZaraCorp's relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet, the basis of the wealth they derive from extracting its resources, is based on being able to certify to the authorities on Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species. Then a small furry biped - trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute - shows up at Jack's outback home. Followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp's claim to a planet's worth of wealth is very flimsy indeed and that ZaraCorp may stop at nothing to eliminate the fuzzys before their existence becomes more widely known.

©2011 John Scalzi (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Science Fiction, 2012

“[Scalzi’s] style and skill make it a highly entertaining read. It succeeds both as a new novel from a talented writer and as a tribute and gateway to Piper’s work.” ( Wired)

"It’s a wonderful book.... [T]he way that Scalzi puts that wonderful novel of Piper’s into a fresher context is cynically lovely.... Year’s best? Yeah, one of them." ( The San Diego Union-Tribune)

“A perfectly executed plot clicks its way to a stunning courtroom showdown in a cathartic finish that will thrill Fuzzy fans old and new.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Fascinating

This is a fascinating story and very well read. I really liked hearing the new version and then the original version of the story. It was not at all as redundant as I thought it might be.

It starts a bit slowly and seems to wander, but as characters and concepts develop it comes together to present unique and thought provoking premises and surprises. There is a vein of humor that runs through it as well as good action and or tension scenes interspersed throughout. I really enjoyed the court room scenes.

This is my third John Scalzi - (Wil Wheaton) novel. He weaves a unique story and one is never quite sure where the story will go. Frankly, as I started each book I found myself after a time thinking, "This seems kinda dumb." Each time the seeming fragmentation would pull together into a clever, unique and intriguing story.

"Agent To The Stars" remains my favorite.

Wil Wheaton is a terrific reader. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that he had played Wesley Crusher in Star Trek - Next Generation.

I am happy to recommend this book.

Marvelous re-write of a Classic!

If you could sum up Fuzzy Nation in three words, what would they be?

great charactor development

What did you like best about this story?

Loved the way the author took a badly-dated classic with a great premise and turned it a bit inside-out. Scalzi got rid of a lot of the male-centric details that would discourage female readers, and updated our main human character from a barely-believable saintly Individual to a more believable self centered, dynamic almost anti-hero who does the wrong things for the right reasons. Much more believable and intricate than the original. Both books are studies in ethics and ethnocentrism, but Scalzi lightened and made more believable the Good, the Bad and the Ugly involved, and in the process exposes a whole new readership to some of the good old stuff being neglected by newer readers. The original book by H. Beam Piper was essentially a YA title; this one is more mature and much more believable.

Have you listened to any of Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi (Introduction) ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this was a first Will Wheaton - narrated book for us

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and we did on a long road trip! I started reading the book aloud while hubs drove, and when we switched, he purchased the Audible version and found where i left off and played it. We agree that Mr. Wheaton is a lively and engaging narrator!

Any additional comments?

Please have Mr. Wheaton do "The Golden Dream" by Ardath Mayhar, another update spin played on the original series by piper. Wonderful, wonderful book and writer.

such a fun listen

Wil Wheaton is a great narrator
The story is well written and completely amusing.
I loved every minute of it

Excellent Rewrite and an extra Surprise

Would you consider the audio edition of Fuzzy Nation to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version but the audio was great.

What other book might you compare Fuzzy Nation to and why?

The overall plot compares itself to the movie Avatar which portrays a corporation sacrificing an alien species to gain wealth.

What about Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi (Introduction) ’s performance did you like?

Wil Wheaton's performance was excellent.

Any additional comments?

A huge surprise was finding the original story, "Little Fuzzy" added at the end of Fuzzy Nation.

Such a good book

It is a modernization of an old book, expertly done by John Scalzi and narrated by Will Wheaton. I never read the original, but I loved this one. Not too long, not too short and very clever and fun, as it is usual from Scalzi. Wheaton also does a great job reading it. So far I haven't found a book wrote or narrated by either that I didn't like. Let's hope it stays that way :)

Wonderful retelling of a great story

I read the original MANY years ago when my best friend's father introduced me to Little Fuzzy. I was a bit sceptical, but the writer stayed true to the idea of the story and the characters. It was well done, and Will Wheaton reads it beautifully. If you've never met the Fuzzies, this is a good start. From here you can go back and meet the rest of the stories.

A wonderful refresh of an old classic

Where does Fuzzy Nation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As always with Scalzi and Wheaton its a tight, compelling story brought alive by great naration.

Fun read [listen], but...

Too many "he said", "she said"s!! Higher quality writing knows more verbs. It's a bit painful when listening, and it's frustrating when otherwise, it's a good story.

Excellent writing with excellent narration

This was the first John Scalzi book I have ever read/listened to, and it was excellent! The writing was superb and it held my interest the whole way through. The narration by Wil Wheaton was excellent, as always. The story itself is heartfelt and engaging. The characters are well fleshed out. An excellent audible title I would recommend to anyone that enjoys Sci-fi novels.

such a great book!!!

Sci-fi at it's very best uses a weird, plausible and interesting future to explore human behavior, emotions, and morality. This book is just such an extraordinary example. READ IT!