Little Fuzzy
Encyclopedia
Little Fuzzy is the name of a 1962 science fiction
novel by H. Beam Piper
, and is now in public domain
. It is generally seen as a work of juvenile fiction
. It was nominated for the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel
.
The story revolves around determining whether a small furry species discovered on the planet Zarathustra is sapient. Along the way a gentle kind of libertarianism
that emphasizes sincerity and honesty is advocated.
During a book signing at Strand Book Store
, Piper alleged that the Little Fuzzy series was inspired by an acquaintance named Kevin "Fuzzy" Sheffield. Piper and Sheffield first met while in a common literary club in central Oregon. They exchanged names and kept in loose contact for several years thereafter. When asked about Sheffield, Piper described him as "a bizarre character, capable of writing little more than a couple of vaguely-legible remarks in each letter. While I'm sure he's full of insight and great ideas, it seems impossible to effectively communicate with him on a conventional human level...terribly nice fellow however."
The book was followed by a sequel, Fuzzy Sapiens (original title The Other Human Race) published in 1964, the same year that Piper committed suicide in November.
In the wake of Piper's suicide, rumor spread of a lost "second sequel"; eventually Ace Books
hired William Tuning
to write one; he produced the critically acclaimed Fuzzy Bones. Tuning announced plans to follow up on Bones; however, at this point, Piper's lost manuscript was discovered, and published as Fuzzies and Other People.
Ace also hired Ardath Mayhar
to write Golden Dreams: A Fuzzy Odyssey, which tells the events of Little Fuzzy from the viewpoint of the Fuzzies (or Ga'shta, as they call themselves) rather than the humans.
A new volume in the series, Fuzzy Ergo Sum by Wolfgang Diehr, was published by Pequod Press and made available on Amazon.com in April of 2011. A second book, "Caveat Fuzzy" is expected to become available sometime in 2012.
Fuzzies:
One day, Holloway returns to his little shack to discover a tiny humanoid, covered in golden fur. The little creature has armed itself with a chisel from his workbench, but is peaceful and mostly unafraid. The miner gives the "little fuzzy" (as he calls it) some Extee-Three, a kind of canned emergency ration cake, and the Fuzzy devours it greedily. It is soon apparent that the creature is highly intelligent, and he soon brings his family band to join "Pappy Jack" at the shack.
Victor Grego soon tries to intervene, claiming that the Fuzzies are just animals, not sapients. If they were ruled sapient, the entire planet would be declared a protected aboriginal zone, and the Chartered Zarathustra Company would lose its exclusive rights to the resources there. Leonard Kellogg, one of Grego's staff, kills a Fuzzy and this leads to a court case which hinges on whether the Fuzzies are animals or sapients.
After much discussion of what it means to be "sapient" (speech and fire use being one definition), the matter goes to court. In the midst of the proceedings, the Terran Navy commander reveals that his people have been studying Fuzzies, and that they can indeed speak. The tiny people use ultrasonic frequencies, which to human ears sound like "yeek." When processed with the proper electronics, the sounds are rendered as a complex language. The Navy experiments prove that Fuzzies have at least the mental capacity of a ten-year-old human, and are therefore protected under Terran law. Judge Pendarvis declares them to be aborigines, and the Charter of the Zarathustra Company is immediately invalidated.
Kellogg has his worst fears confirmed; he killed a sapient being, not an animal. He commits suicide in his cell.
The second book, Fuzzy Sapiens, deals with the new 'Charterless Zarathustra Company' and how it eventually begins to work with the new governor to ensure control over the planet. Victor Grego becomes the affiliate of a Fuzzy he names Diamond. It becomes clear that criminals are using the irregular status of the government and of the company to attack it and even to steal sunstones.
The third book, Fuzzy Bones by William Tuning, suggests that the remarkable demand by all Fuzzies for the ration-pack 'Extraterrestrial Type Three' (aka 'ExTee 3' or 'estefee') does not fit with the composition of Zarathustran soil. A third significant Fuzzy character is developed called Starwatcher. Little Fuzzy, Diamond and Starwatcher become the clear leaders of the group in working with humans.
Golden Dream fits with these three books in terms of the general plot and relationships.
After these two official sequels, the original third book by Piper himself was found and of course this offers an alternative future.
announced the pending release of a reboot, authorized by the Piper estate, with the prospective title Fuzzy Nation. Fuzzy Nation was released by Tor Books
on May 10, 2011.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by H. Beam Piper
H. Beam Piper
Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.He wrote under the name H. Beam Piper...
, and is now in public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. It is generally seen as a work of juvenile fiction
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
. It was nominated for the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
.
The story revolves around determining whether a small furry species discovered on the planet Zarathustra is sapient. Along the way a gentle kind of libertarianism
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
that emphasizes sincerity and honesty is advocated.
During a book signing at Strand Book Store
Strand Book Store
The Strand Bookstore is an independent bookstore located at 828 Broadway at the corner of East 12th St) in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square...
, Piper alleged that the Little Fuzzy series was inspired by an acquaintance named Kevin "Fuzzy" Sheffield. Piper and Sheffield first met while in a common literary club in central Oregon. They exchanged names and kept in loose contact for several years thereafter. When asked about Sheffield, Piper described him as "a bizarre character, capable of writing little more than a couple of vaguely-legible remarks in each letter. While I'm sure he's full of insight and great ideas, it seems impossible to effectively communicate with him on a conventional human level...terribly nice fellow however."
The book was followed by a sequel, Fuzzy Sapiens (original title The Other Human Race) published in 1964, the same year that Piper committed suicide in November.
In the wake of Piper's suicide, rumor spread of a lost "second sequel"; eventually Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
hired William Tuning
William Tuning
Orville William Tuning was an American author of science fiction and a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism . He was reported to be authors Jerry Pournelle, Randall Garrett and Robert A. Heinlein...
to write one; he produced the critically acclaimed Fuzzy Bones. Tuning announced plans to follow up on Bones; however, at this point, Piper's lost manuscript was discovered, and published as Fuzzies and Other People.
Ace also hired Ardath Mayhar
Ardath Mayhar
Ardath Frances Hurst Mayhar began her writing career as a poet when she was nineteen. She began writing science fiction in 1979 after returning with her family to Texas from Oregon. She was nominated for the Mark Twain Award, and won the Balrog Award for a horror narrative poem in Masques I...
to write Golden Dreams: A Fuzzy Odyssey, which tells the events of Little Fuzzy from the viewpoint of the Fuzzies (or Ga'shta, as they call themselves) rather than the humans.
A new volume in the series, Fuzzy Ergo Sum by Wolfgang Diehr, was published by Pequod Press and made available on Amazon.com in April of 2011. A second book, "Caveat Fuzzy" is expected to become available sometime in 2012.
Characters
Humans:- Jack Holloway – Sunstone prospector who discovered the Fuzzies.
- Ben Rainsford – Xenobiologist, first scientist to meet Fuzzies.
- Gerd van Riebeek – Company Xenobiologist. Quits company to join Jack.
- Ruth Ortheris – Company psychologist and Federation spy.
- George Lunt – Constabulary lieutenant.
- Victor Grego – Chartered Zarathustra Company CEO.
- Juan Jimenez – Company naturalist.
- Gustavus Adolphus "Gus" Brannhard – Lawyer and hunter. Defended Jack for murder.
- Leonard Kellogg – Killed the Fuzzy known as Goldilocks. Charged with murder.
- Leslie Coombes – Chartered Zarathrustra Company lawyer. Defended Kellogg.
- Ernst Mallin – Chief company psychologist.
Fuzzies:
- Little Fuzzy – the first Fuzzy discovered
- Momma Fuzzy
- Baby Fuzzy
- Goldilocks
- Cinderella
- Mike
- Mitzy
- Koko
- Id
- Syndrome
- Complex
- Superego
Plot summary
Jack Holloway, a sunstone miner, lives a solitary life in a wilderness area of planet Zarathustra. The planet is basically "owned" by the Chartered Zarathustra Corporation (under Victor Grego), which installed basic services and colonial outposts initially, and now reaps the benefits of new discoveries, such as the valuable sunstones.One day, Holloway returns to his little shack to discover a tiny humanoid, covered in golden fur. The little creature has armed itself with a chisel from his workbench, but is peaceful and mostly unafraid. The miner gives the "little fuzzy" (as he calls it) some Extee-Three, a kind of canned emergency ration cake, and the Fuzzy devours it greedily. It is soon apparent that the creature is highly intelligent, and he soon brings his family band to join "Pappy Jack" at the shack.
Victor Grego soon tries to intervene, claiming that the Fuzzies are just animals, not sapients. If they were ruled sapient, the entire planet would be declared a protected aboriginal zone, and the Chartered Zarathustra Company would lose its exclusive rights to the resources there. Leonard Kellogg, one of Grego's staff, kills a Fuzzy and this leads to a court case which hinges on whether the Fuzzies are animals or sapients.
After much discussion of what it means to be "sapient" (speech and fire use being one definition), the matter goes to court. In the midst of the proceedings, the Terran Navy commander reveals that his people have been studying Fuzzies, and that they can indeed speak. The tiny people use ultrasonic frequencies, which to human ears sound like "yeek." When processed with the proper electronics, the sounds are rendered as a complex language. The Navy experiments prove that Fuzzies have at least the mental capacity of a ten-year-old human, and are therefore protected under Terran law. Judge Pendarvis declares them to be aborigines, and the Charter of the Zarathustra Company is immediately invalidated.
Kellogg has his worst fears confirmed; he killed a sapient being, not an animal. He commits suicide in his cell.
The second book, Fuzzy Sapiens, deals with the new 'Charterless Zarathustra Company' and how it eventually begins to work with the new governor to ensure control over the planet. Victor Grego becomes the affiliate of a Fuzzy he names Diamond. It becomes clear that criminals are using the irregular status of the government and of the company to attack it and even to steal sunstones.
The third book, Fuzzy Bones by William Tuning, suggests that the remarkable demand by all Fuzzies for the ration-pack 'Extraterrestrial Type Three' (aka 'ExTee 3' or 'estefee') does not fit with the composition of Zarathustran soil. A third significant Fuzzy character is developed called Starwatcher. Little Fuzzy, Diamond and Starwatcher become the clear leaders of the group in working with humans.
Golden Dream fits with these three books in terms of the general plot and relationships.
After these two official sequels, the original third book by Piper himself was found and of course this offers an alternative future.
Reboot
On April 7, 2010, John ScalziJohn Scalzi
John Michael Scalzi II is an American author and online writer, and president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his Hugo Award-nominated science fiction novel Old Man's War, released by Tor Books in January 2005, and for his blog , at which he has written...
announced the pending release of a reboot, authorized by the Piper estate, with the prospective title Fuzzy Nation. Fuzzy Nation was released by Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
on May 10, 2011.
External links
- Little Fuzzy at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Little Fuzzy unabridged audiobook at LibriVoxLibriVoxLibriVox is an online digital library of free public domain audiobooks, read by volunteers and is probably, since 2007, the world's most prolific audiobook publisher...
- The Gashta Homepage Page Dedicated to Little Fuzzy