Fuzzies and Other People

Fuzzy Sapiens #3

by H. Beam Piper

The friendship between human Jack Holloway and the small, golden-furred creatures of the planet Zarathustra has a profound impact on both Holloway and the Fuzzies.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Aliens, Adventure, Classics, Novels

216 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1984

About the author

Henry Beam Piper (1904 - 1964) 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.

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so fuzzy I'm gonna die!

Imagine running into a world full of furry little Gizmos, to learn they have a home-planet of their own, learning about their role in a wild ecosystem, how their primitive society works, and of course, their ever troublesome encounters with humans. This is what this book felt like.

In a distant future, on a location far in the galaxy, is Zarathustra, home-planet of the Fuzzies. After their recent discovery, and with no short of difficulties, they now live in peace and harmony with its human visitors, and in many ways, depending on each other.

Didn't mind starting the series with #3, the events of the first two books briefly described in the first chapter and mentioned sporadically through. The whole book felt like a giant epilogue, with little to no conflicts resolving within the same chapter or the next one. Looking forward to reading the beginnings of the series. Fuzzies are as cute and lovely as they sound.

In all, a very light, lovely, fuzzy read.

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PERSONAL NOTE : [1984] [216p] [Science Fiction] [Almost Recommendable] [Light reading] [Adorable aliens] [So Fuzzy]
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Es tan esponjoso que voy a morir!

Imaginá encontrarte con un mundo lleno de peludos pequeños Gizmos, enterarte que tienen un planeta madre propio, entender sobre su rol en un ecosistema salvaje, cómo funciona su primitiva sociedad, y por supuesto, sus siempre problemáticos encuentros con humanos. Así es cómo se sintió este libro.

En un futuro distante, en un alejado lugar de la galaxia, está Zarathustra, planeta-madre de los Fuzzies. Después de su reciente descubrimiento, y con no pocas dificultades, viven ahora en paz y armonía con los visitantes humanos, y en muchas formas, dependientes uno del otro.

No importó mucho empezar con el #3, los eventos de los primeros dos libros brevemente descritos en el primer capítulo y mencionados esporádicamente a lo largo. Todo el libro se sintió como un gigante epílogo, con poco y nada de conflictos resueltos en el mismo capítulo o el siguiente, Con ganas de leer los principios de la serie. Los Fuzzies son tan lindos y adorables como suenan.

En todo, una muy ligera, adorable, esponjosa lectura.

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NOTA PERSONAL : [1984] [216p] [Ciencia Ficción] [Casi Recomendable] [Lectura ligera] [Aliens adorables] [Muy esponjoso]
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[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book in Piper's Fuzzy trilogy, famous for having been lost for a couple of decades after his suicide but finally recovered from a trunk in his basement. It picks up where the second book ends and takes the story of Jake and his Zarathrustan friends to a satisfying conclusion. Some of the writing seems a little less precise than Piper's other work, perhaps because there was no editorial oversite for a revised draft prior to publication. Still, it's a happy ending for the book and the Fuzzies despite the sad end of the author. It's gratifying to see the Fuzzies in a more self-reliant way, not as cute pets or simple creatures needing constant protection. All three books have lovely Michael Whelan covers in their Ace editions.

[Rafe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgot to add this to my shelf. I finally read up on Piper after finishing his trilogy and the real tragedy is that he committed suicide the year the second book (Fuzzy Sapiens) was published. Fuzzies and Other People was found in his basement years after his death. The tragedy (beyond the suicide) is that he never lived to see his best book published. Maybe it's reading all three books in order, but I felt like Fuzzies and Other People finally gave me an emotional connection to the characters the first two books lacked. The first book let court take up most of its narrative and the second book interrupted an interesting story with science, but this time we really get a feeling for the bond between humans and fuzzies.

While the previous books dabbled in giving us the fuzzy perspective, usually towards the end of the book, Piper alternates between a story of undomesticated fuzzies and the humans in a way that really helps the reader connect with the fuzzies. Little Fuzzy in particular becomes a powerful protagonist and we see, yet again, the consequences and benefits of choices made in the first two books.

I'm really sad there isn't another Fuzzy novel to go (I know other authors have written approved sequels but they are harder to come by and not written by Piper). This was definitely a world to get lost in. I started reading this series to prepare for John Scalzi's "reboot" (Fuzzy Nation) but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't put off reading that and just enjoy the remnants of Piper's world within my mind for a while.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfying capstone to a classic SF franchise. And to think it almost wasn't published at all - finding this manuscript in a trunk years after Piper's death certainly adds to the mystique. (Unfortunately a little polishing might have been advisable had Piper submitted this while still alive.)

One reason I liked this book so much was that it redeemed the series from many of the complaints I had while reading the 2nd volume (Fuzzy Sapiens). For once, Piper really focuses on what a fuzzy can do with its intelligence. They're certainly not just smart pets, and they're really more than the "permanent children" that Piper's humans see them as.

An interesting thing about Piper's Fuzzy trilogy - the events in the books follow each other chronologically without any gap in time. I can't recall any other series where you pick up the next book and the story jumps in where the last left off without any time having gone by.

4.5 stars - stick with the series for this one and then be sure not to miss out on Scalzi's reboot: Fuzzy Nation.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

If one reads this story on any level other than shallow, one will find several problems. The characters smoke like fiends, they drink to excess, they pass off bad habits to the aboriginal Fuzzies (including smoking and drinking), and the story comes close to advocating enslavement of a sapient species, even if it is in a gilded cage. If, however, one tosses off all care for moral considerations, this story is nothing but pure fun. All of our favorites in this series is here. Pappy Jack Holloway, Little Fuzzy, Victor Grego, Gerd and Ruth Van Riebeck--all here and trying to make sense out of those cute little critters that Pappy Jack discovered one day when prospecting for sunstone. The plot is light, quick-paced and enjoyable, and the story ends satisfyingly. If, like myself, you fell in love with Fuzzy Sapiens a long time ago, do not feel guilty at pulling this small light tome out of the box and settling down for a satisfying read.

If, however, you get uptight about political correctness and healthy living, then this book is probably not for you.

[Teressa Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

After H. Beam Piper committed suicide in 1964, two more Fuzzy books were produced by other writers. I don’t count those as part of the Fuzzy mythos, especially since they don’t mesh with this most recent book.

Fuzzies and Other People picks up where Fuzzy Sapiens left off. Hugo Ingermann’s crew is on trial for enslaving Fuzzies and forcing then to steal sunstones from the company vaults. But Ingermann has a trick up his sleeve. He intends to claim the Fuzzies were willing accomplices to the crimes they committed. And since Fuzzies do not have a concept for falsehood, they will not be able to testify on their own behalf. Or will they?

This third book in the Fuzzy series was another enjoyable romp through the Fuzzy universe. Fuzzies are much like pre-pubescent children and although the tone towards different cultures is still very early 1960s (read not politically correct) in nature, this book is good clean fun. It is interesting that H. Beam Piper makes an exact case in his books for the reason for the Prime Directive as laid out in the Star Trek franchise. Are humans the best model for humanity?

[Mark Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished Fuzzies and Other People.
Much better than the second Fuzzy book.
This one still has the patronising Terrans treating Fuzzies like children and teaching them all the human bad habits etc, arming them with bows and arrows, getting Fuzzy sized guns made for them.
Giving them names of various historical figures amongst others, registering them for adoption to anybody that meets certain standards, like a pet.
Enough smoking and drinking in this, all Fuzzy books should come with a health warning.
Enough rambling, more drama ensues as we meet a bunch of wild, free Fuzzies that were encountered in the previous book and Little Fuzzy gets in a bind and has to step up, you get the Fuzzies viewpoint in this which makes a nice change, the story flows at a nice pace and the Fuzzy drama keeps you engaged and cheering the little hairy buggers on to succeed.
The end ties up a few loose, errr, ends and more smoking and drinking ensues.
Well worth a read if you can get past the not as good second book.

[Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Little Fuzzies” (1961), a Hugo nominee and considered a classic work of scifi by H. Beam Piper. It’s initial theme is of the exploitation of resources and the environment of an alien planet. It predates Ursula le Guin’s “The Word for World Is Forest ” by a decade. The secondary and primary theme is of the colonization and the exploitation of sapient indigenous peoples on an alien planet, making the point, intended or not, that the more “sophisticated” newcomers that come to a “new land” tend to either eradicate the aborigines and/or take a patronizing parental role over them - considering them as children of the state and/or property: “everyone wants a Fuzzy” and most people of means does indeed have one in these Fuzzy stories. The bulk of this novel is written as if it were intended for young readers - the Fuzzies are simply too cute to be taken seriously, even by the characters in the story, yet much of the subject matter in this story such as murder by stomping, suicide and an extended court scene intended to determine whether the Fuzzies are to be determined to be sapient or not, is hardly the stuff of children stories.

**
The second book, “The Other Human Race” is pretty much the same minus the initial world-building, the trial and so on, therefore there is less going on. The bulk of the book is spent on describing how the Fuzzies are treated after being declared as legally sapient. It seems, sadly for them, that they are just short of lab-rats as their psychology, biology, nutritional requirements and so on are studied. And there is the whole political malarkey of whether to charge a fee to adopt one of these “little people” who seem to want nothing more out of life than than to be loved and played with, and above all, kept safe.

***
The Third installment "Fuzzies and Other People" (apparently found after Piper's unfortunate death in 1964 and published twenty years later in 1984) is a bit of an improvement from the second book, there being more actual ‘story’ in there, confirming that the Fuzzies are truly intelligent beings and not simply cute clever pets.

H. Beam Piper’s pros were not the poetic and lush stylings of Sturgeon, Le Guin or Bradbury. Nor did he tell an adventure story the way Heinlein and De Camp or Anderson did, or had the knack for evoking a sense of wonder or create the wild and weird outer-world alieness atmosphere that van Vogt or PKD seemed to, so effortlessly. And finally, nor was he capable of writing convincingly of the mechanics and intricacies of science the way Clarke and Asimov could, but he was definitely a man of unique and provoking ideas and the scifi pulps were the perfect vehicle for him to express them - check out “The Cosmic Computer ” and his “Paratime” stories along with a hand-full of his excellent shorter works.

[Wampuscat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the Fuzzy Sapiens series is actually better than the second, but not quite as good as the first. What makes it somewhat better is the fact that much of it takes place 'in the wild' were a heretofore unknown band of Fuzzies are living and surviving. You get to see things from a non-human native viewpoint that avoids the anachronistic foibles of the second book. It has a much faster pace, and is much less mired with theoretical cocktail hour discussions. Cocktails and cigarettes are still the old go-to scene filler and transition mechanism though.

The story picks up immediately after Fuzzy Sapiens ends. It resolves the fate of the major bad guy and the criminals from that book, but that is treated as more of a side plot. The major story is of the band of 'Wild' Fuzzies lead by Wise One in the newly established Fuzzy Sanctuary. It shows you how they survive on a daily basis. It also shows how their lives are greatly improved by their interactions and relationships with humans.

Overall, this was a good capstone to the series. I know there are other divergent series books out there. If you've never read the story of H. Beam Piper's life and the history of this series, I recommend you do so. It's quite intriguing if a bit sad. The other works by Piper are also something I highly recommend anyone who enjoys Little Fuzzy should check into. Most of them are in the public domain and can be found for free on Project Gutenberg and Amazon. I plan to find and read all of his other works that I have not read already.

So, on that note, I rate this book at three stars and call it a Satisfying Read.

[Yev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wah! Problematic! As one reviewer wrote, "If one tosses off all care for moral considerations, this story is nothing but pure fun." I think that's an extreme statement used to explain the rest of their review and rating. I wouldn't endorse many of the politics or actions taken in this trilogy, but I also don't see that as particularly relevant. Is it possible to read enjoy something that doesn't agree with your personal beliefs? I think so. Unfortunately, it increasingly seems that people don't believe that and take great personal offense when they read something they find even moderately disagreeable.

This book was first published 20 years after the author's suicide. There have been other "continuations" by other people, but it seems unlikely that I will read them or Scalzi's remake of the first book, but it could happen since enjoyed these so much.

As for the book itself, half of it is from the fuzzy and the other half is from the human point of view. I continued to find them to be very comfortable and enjoying reads. On the fuzzy side, a group of 8 is journeying to The Wonderful Place as they wonder through the wilderness not knowing where they are heading but assured that a better life awaits them there if they are willing to endure all the hardship they will have to face. On the human side, it's resolving the issues caused by the events of the 2nd book and how to best accommodate the needs of all fuzzies.

[Joseph Carrabis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I wrote in my review of The Fuzzy Papers, I'm very impressed by Piper's ability to render and develop other cultures. His skill goes beyond typical world-building. The real genius (for me) is that he kept his aliens alien, not simply smaller, indigenous humans in disguise. Good work, nicely done.

[Keith Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published posthumously, if memory serves. Suffers a bit because of it. Needed work. Still good. Worth reading.

[Darnoc Leadburger · Rating 3 out of 5]

While old-time science fiction fans had to wait twenty years to see sadly-departed H. Beam Piper finish his Fuzzy trilogy, I barely waited thirty-five days. There's an interesting story behind this book and Piper's personal life: I am alluding to, of course, his suicide. I truly believe that somewhere out there there's a dimension where Piper is known as one of the essential SF writers of the 60s and 70s, but here in our desolate timeline, Fuzzies and Other People is his final work. I bought the entire trilogy (and the Scalzi reboot) at a senior center book-sale of all places, and I've truly enjoyed the first two books. Little Fuzzy (7.5/10) ascends its cuteness with relevant and thought-provoking themes, and while Fuzzy Sapiens (7/10) doesn't do quite that much, is still enjoyably written and strikes a good balance between its two predecessors.

The overarching story of this book is about Hugo the Slimy Lawyer from Fuzzy Sapiens as he defends those Fuzzy-manipulating sunstone thieves. He believes that he can rid them of their faginy charges by setting a legal precedence that adult Fuzzies are legal adults and not twelve-year-olds. This was somewhat compelling, and I don't even know where I fall on the moral question at hand; in fact, for the first time in three books, I didn't feel like I knew how Piper would answer the question. Hugo's case is set for success, dooming the Fuzzy rights, unless good ol' Jack Halloway and co can prove that the court's lie machines work on Fuzzies. The problem? Fuzzies can't lie. The narrative is split largely into two chunks: That of a little band of Fuzzies following the 'Wise One' ( The first Fuzzy who inexplicably finds out how to lie ) and that of Jack + Victor and their Fuzzies. When Little Fuzzy stays they night with Diamond at Victor's sunstone mine he gets swept away by a river and meets the Wise One's clan , the two plot threads converge and reach a blazing climax, which felt a little long, but it was fun to see Piper write actual dialogue instead of action. I think he does a decent job with it.

One of the major themes here is environmentalism, which shines through when the humans realize that killing off the Fuzzies' predators might not be best for the Zarathustra ecosystem. I did just read a nonfiction book on his subject (American Serengeti), so it hit particularly close to home for me. I don't know if they went about resolving it in the right way, but I suppose it's the thought that counts. The Fuzzies' moral purity seems both strengthen and weakened here, but at the end of the day, it all worked out. I saw a different reviewer note that none of the humans on Zarathustra have children except for the Fuzzies... I recall a little girl in book two, but aside from her, the fact that our scientists forsake their own species for these balls of fur is mildly disturbing.

The downsides to this book, besides the unnecessary length of the climactic scene? It needs a little polish on the writing side... I didn't notice it too much, but I don't believe that Piper hammered this book out with his editor like he usually would. There are less characters than previous books but they're also less distinguishable; take that as you will.

Overall, I enjoyed the Fuzzies' coda. There are, of course, other Fuzzy books out there, like Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation (Which I'll be reading within the month), and some authorized sequels after Piper's death yet before this novel's discovery. But none of those will be same as the source works, the last of which gets a 7/10; not quite as high as Little Fuzzy, but a bit meatier than Fuzzy Sapiens. Next time I see some Piper in the wild I'll do my best to pick it up; till then, farewell, to whom in another universe might just be my friend.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the Fuzzy series, it has the definite sense of a #3 and should not be read as a solo, it is also the last one H. Beam Piper wrote before his regrettable death: For more on that check out Wikipedia.

This book has some interesting features, in that for the first time we get a POV from Fuzzies that have not yet come into contact with people. Because of that we get a deeper insight into how Piper envisaged this hunter gather style society. These Fuzzies actually make first contact not with humans, but with Little Fuzzy himself who has been separated from his people and is trying to find his way home. The anthropology and description of social groupings is interesting and when Little Fuzzy joins them he is able to rapidly share a lot of the things he has been learning about from Jack Holloway and other people, including fire, which Fuzzies had not previously had. That takes us to the cover art which is clearly of a forest fire...

One of the ways in which this one clearly is part of a series is that the loss that Jack and Little Fuzzy both feel relies on the affection and relationship between them that has been built up in previous novels.

The question of lying and prevarication, how it develops in society is a central theme here and the culmination of the book is a trial in which Fuzzies, once again, prove themselves fully human and protected in the eyes of the law.

Because we have three theme here that Piper relied on in previous novels (Jack loses his friends, desperate hunt and fear that Little Fuzzy is dead, trial to establish autonomy of Fuzzies) I wonder if Piper was getting a bit bored with this series. I, howeve, am not. Throughly enjoyed it, as much as Fuzzy Sapiens

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This finishes the Fuzzy trilogy by H Beam Piper. An adorable series in which no severe conflicts arise. Just gentle stories throughout with some drama. This last one has the group of fuzzies that Jack saves near the end of the second book by shooting harpies that were attacking the group of fuzzies. There a couple of other storylines weaving through the narrative but this group of fuzzies trek to find Big Ones runs throughout. Little Fuzzy finally makes a significant appearance about halfway through the book.

One irksome point of the story deals with the humans portrayed. They sure as hell spend a lot of time looking forwards cocktail time or are at parties drinking. Coffee is needed the next day to take care of hangovers. Also, the teach the fuzzies to smoke? Seriously?

Another revolting point is the technology that is pushed onto the fuzzies. Three months have elapsed since the first fuzzy discovery. I think that it is fine to give fuzzies metal choppers, diggers and spears. However, the fact that by the end of the book the humans are already training fuzzies how to construct bows and arrows with planes to build fuzzy sized rifles and ammunition was a bit much for me.

These two points rubbed me the wrong way. Despite these, I did very much enjoy this book as well as the first two books as well.

[Russell Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy when I discovered this third book that was actually published 20 years after the first two. It continues with the battle of the fuzzies and their new rights as resident beings on this planet and how bad guys try to use them for the own gain. The main characters fight hard to protect them and I love the side adventures of the fuzzies who have not yet met humans..... The story ends but you certainly want it to keep going which is why there are at least three stories written by different authors that continue life for these adorable loveable sapient beings! They remind me of Ewoks from Star Wars but since they were published before Star Wars (1977) then perhaps Ewoks should remind me of Fuzzies instead! Great ending to a marvelous trilogy that tries to tap into human character so much so that you just don't feel you are reading about life on another planet!

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars! Loved this one! Really enjoyed all the chapters from the Fuzzies’ perspectives. Definitely a fun story and trilogy. And thankfully there was a happy ending too. Enjoy!

Quotes:
- “Herckerd wasn't present; he'd stopped too many submachine-gun bullets the night of the attempted robbery.” (p327)
- “That was the trouble with these cocktail parties. You met everybody and never had a chance to talk to anybody.” (p341)
- “That's the nice thing about capital punishment: nobody needs to be shot in the head more than once.” (p347)
- “Then, talk to a production man about it. Is Grego in town? Talk to him; he'll get your production problems unproblemed.” (p416)
- “I have a hangover with little hangovers, and some of the little ones are just before having young. Is there any hot coffee around?” (p425)
- “They needed affection as they needed air and water, just as all children did.” (p454)

[Alden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other reviews already sum up this book. So I’ll just share an anecdote. Found this in a used bookstore in Boulder, Colorado. Had read the first two books years ago, and just had to get it. The (owner? shopkeeper?) started going on about how this book came out before fuzzy culture was a thing... awkward silence... “do you mean ‘furry culture’?” “Right! Furry!” Umm, no. This is not that. I’m not into that scene. This is H. Beam Piper, you know, Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, The Cosmic Computer, Paratime? Nope. Oh, well. On reflection, though, now I wonder... Piper’s Fuzzies are definitely furry... Hmm... But he says they’re permanent children. But they... *have* children. Well. Hm.

[Stephen Poltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third book in the Fuzzy series was published twenty years after the second book and the author’s death. The manuscript was found in his basement and finally published in 1984. I loved it. It has the maturity of the second book with the playfulness of the first. The story continues right after the end of the second book. I believe all three of these books should be read one after the other for the full effect.

Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...

[Joel Hacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fuzzy stories are perhaps the most 'fun' and 'cute' HBP's books. Still firmly seated in his Terro-Human Empire, with all the comments on colonialism and paternalism that entails, the story of these wonderful proto-mogwais can be read lightly and lovingly.
But man, 50s cocktail culture is in full swing, these people drink like fish!

[Josiah Sterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good ending to the trilogy. It does have significant chunks of the book written in "fuzzy talk" which reminds me of the rugrats and got irritating but it delivers more of the same as the other 2 books and would likely be a 5 if the author was able to have been with us until it was published. I imagine a few rough spots would have been smoothed out.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third Fuzzy novel unfortunately feels like an unnecessary addition to the series: Little Fuzzy is the classic science fiction novel, and that's what's worth reading.

[Shari Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot is minimal, until Little Fuzzy falls in the river, and there are waaay too many names and titles to keep all sorted out, but the Fuzzies are some of my favorite literary characters. I will read and probably enjoy any and all of their wonderful antics.

[Juan Sanmiguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new race is discovered on a new colony planet. Are they sentinent? How will this effect the colonists? Will the aliens be exploited? Piper looked at this with the social models at the time. It worked well but feels dated.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a little better than the second book. It was better explained that Fuzzies were closer to children that needed guardians rather than pets that needed adopting. This book was a satisfactory conclusion to the story of Little Fuzzy and Jack Holloway. 4/5 stars

[Mark Pasquini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuation of the Fuzzy saga. Concentrates on Fuzzy's in the wild. Recommended

[Jenny Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third installment was unique from the prior two novels in that most of the story was told from the perspective of the Fuzzies. I thought that was charming.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series regains its stride a bit, far more a spiritual successor to the first book than the first sequel.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

1984- Science Fiction - PB - Have It - Read It

[Forked Radish]

The old found in a trunk story. I’ll assume it’s a forgery till proven otherwise.