Reviews

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

ravengrimsbane's review against another edition

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4.0

I need to start out by saying that I first read H. Beam Piper's Fuzzy trilogy when I was in middle school or high school, and it has become one of those books (it's an omnibus edition of the entire trilogy) that I re-read at least once a year. When I first heard about this book, I was under the impression it would be a continuation of Piper's story, not a re-imagining of it. When I found out what it really was, I was not sure I would ever read it, for how could it live up to the original? Obviously, I finally read it, and it's a good story; it couldn't compare to my fondness for the original, but if I had never read Piper's trilogy, I'd probably like it even more than I did. I think my biggest complaint is that Jack Holloway isn't nearly as sympathetic a character in Scalzi's interpretation (and no "Pappy Jack"!) I will admit that every time I reread the original, I am struck anew by how antiquated the technology in the book seems, this version resolves that issue - of course, assuming people are still reading it in 50 years, this version will suffer the same.

eroviana's review against another edition

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3.0

Warm and hopeful, and fuzzy!

zsazso's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective fast-paced

4.0

authoraugust's review against another edition

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4.0

Scalzi delivers again. I love Scalzi's books because they're straightforwardly entertainment, and he isn't shy about or ashamed of that fact - yet he always manages to sneak in a feel-good moral. In Fuzzy Nation, Scalzi's irrepressible hero is contract-explorer-excavationist Jack Halloway, whose sidekick Carl the dog introduces him to a family of fuzzy creatures he calls, in a burst of creativity, "fuzzys." What happens next embroils the entire gemstone-rich planet and the myriad corporate trespassers who want nothing more than to tear the world apart in one clever, crafty man's schemes to get the best for himself. And his pals, of course. Even the furry ones.

Highly entertaining, this book took me a mere two days to sail through. I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Icarus Hunt - it's the same kind of light-hearted yet engaging sci-fi lite adventure.

hawt's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Really enjoyed this book and the Jack Halloway character. He had a lot more depth to him than I anticipated. Scalzi does fun sci-fi better than just about anybody and this one was no exception.

inkfire's review against another edition

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5.0

There is more swearing in this one than I'm usually comfortable with, but I'll admit its use was very powerful, and I very much enjoyed the story itself as well. Then ending was incredibly satisfactory - there's nothing quite like seeing a self-absorbed jerk eat crow. 10/10, will read again. Just maybe not soon.

Would recommend to readers that enjoyed Ready Player One and Ender's Game.

megadeathvsbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

I liked the small scale of this one, in comparison to his other works. Yes, it was about an entire race, but it wasn't about the entire galaxy. It was easy to digest and entertaining.

alexthealdrich's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

asumprer's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

rachelellyn's review against another edition

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5.0

This totally rocked, dude. Read it!