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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
So this book is a reboot of Little Fuzzy, and I liked it a bit better. If anything because it is more modern and a little bit more complicated (and definitely more actiony), though I enjoyed the courtroom drama from the original more. It was fast paced and fun. It's not some deep thinky book. Large evil corporations are evil and headed by evil men doing evil things. Small men are small men tripping through life sometimes trying to do the right things. Little cute fuzzy cat-monkey things are adorably cute and little.
It was a fun and quick read, I've got no complaints.
And as an aside - Wil Wheaton read the hell out of the audiobook.
It was a fun and quick read, I've got no complaints.
And as an aside - Wil Wheaton read the hell out of the audiobook.
I don't know who recommended this book to me, but I want to thank that person! This is my second Scalzi outing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are fun and interesting, and the story pulled me in almost immediately. It also doesn't hurt that Scalzi has a wry sense of humor that made me laugh out loud multiple times.
I've already got Old Man's War on my nightstand to start next.
I've already got Old Man's War on my nightstand to start next.
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Faithful to the original Little Fuzzy while still being fun and new. More importantly, I think Piper would have enjoyed it.
This book was fun. For a book delving into the ideas of what defines intelligence, ecological conscious exploitation of resources, and a courtroom drama, this book does not take itself seriously.
The main character is a rogue with "a good dog." He angers just about everyone around him. He also manages to discover a new species on a planet which everyone begins to suspect has more than an animal intelligence.
If you are looking for a quick read to lighten your mood, I recommend this book highly.
The main character is a rogue with "a good dog." He angers just about everyone around him. He also manages to discover a new species on a planet which everyone begins to suspect has more than an animal intelligence.
If you are looking for a quick read to lighten your mood, I recommend this book highly.
On Zara XXIII, disbarred lawyer and current mineral prospector Jack Holloway finds an unimaginably valuable seam of sunstones, one that will make him unbelievably rich. Shortly thereafter, Holloway meets some of the world's native life, catlike creatures he names Fuzzys. Unfortunately, the Fuzzys appear to be sentient, putting Jack's, and ZaraCorp's, claim on the trillion credit sunstone seam in jeopardy. What's a prospector to do?
The Scalz does it again. Fuzzy Nation is a hilarious re-imaginging (I feel dirty using that term and not good dirty) of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy, a book I have not read.
First of all, Fuzzy Nation isn't as good as Old Man's War. I'll get that off my chest right now. But it's still good. It raises interesting questions about what it means to be sentient, the effects of mining on native life, and teaching dogs how to detonate explosives.
Holloway isn't a nice guy but I wound up liking him anyway. He's antagonistic and kind of slimy. He was, after all, formerly a lawyer. The supporting cast more than makes up for Holloway's flaws. As he says himself at one point, he was the right guy surrounded by good people. The rich supporting cast kept me from giving this book a three.
That's not to say Holloway doesn't rise to the occasion to defend the Fuzzys. Of course he does. It's just for a while, I wasn't sure how he was going to do it. His emotions toward the end of the story were well done.
The Fuzzys were cute but not nauseatingly so, like certain George Lucas creations that live on Endor that shall remain nameless. When the shit hit the fan, I was ready to charge in and give them a hand.
To sum up, The Scalz took a sf classic and made it funny. It's a good weekend morning read.
Topic for discussion: Is Scalzi's reimagining of an sf classic the forerunner of a new age where book execs go the route of Hollywood and commission people to rewrite old books instead of writing original ones? Discuss!
The Scalz does it again. Fuzzy Nation is a hilarious re-imaginging (I feel dirty using that term and not good dirty) of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy, a book I have not read.
First of all, Fuzzy Nation isn't as good as Old Man's War. I'll get that off my chest right now. But it's still good. It raises interesting questions about what it means to be sentient, the effects of mining on native life, and teaching dogs how to detonate explosives.
Holloway isn't a nice guy but I wound up liking him anyway. He's antagonistic and kind of slimy. He was, after all, formerly a lawyer. The supporting cast more than makes up for Holloway's flaws. As he says himself at one point, he was the right guy surrounded by good people. The rich supporting cast kept me from giving this book a three.
That's not to say Holloway doesn't rise to the occasion to defend the Fuzzys. Of course he does. It's just for a while, I wasn't sure how he was going to do it. His emotions toward the end of the story were well done.
The Fuzzys were cute but not nauseatingly so, like certain George Lucas creations that live on Endor that shall remain nameless. When the shit hit the fan, I was ready to charge in and give them a hand.
To sum up, The Scalz took a sf classic and made it funny. It's a good weekend morning read.
Topic for discussion: Is Scalzi's reimagining of an sf classic the forerunner of a new age where book execs go the route of Hollywood and commission people to rewrite old books instead of writing original ones? Discuss!
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Spoiler
3.5*/5*Jack Holloway irritates me like he irritates so many in the book. But I was pleasantly surprised with the direction the book took. John Scalzi has a talent to adjust his writing to fit the novel or series. Aside from his heavy use of sarcasm and cheeky wit, the writing between Agent to the Stars, Old Man's War, Redshirts, and Fuzzy Nation feel different.
I would have liked to see less naivety from Isabel. Her character felt frustrating in that it felt so empty and simply naive.
Otherwise, the novel becomes incredibly engaging during the last quarter with the legal scifi aspect. Has John Scalzi written other scifi legal thrillers? Incredibly interesting.
I would recommend this novel to others.
Favorite book this year, I hope my kids enjoy it as much as I did. I echo Cory Doctorow's review, and wish I could add more, but just overall best SF I've read this year. Even better than Old Man's War.
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/05/16/scalzis-fuzzy-nation.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/05/16/scalzis-fuzzy-nation.html