Little Fuzzy
 1962 Avon edition cover | |
| Author | H. Beam Piper |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science Fiction |
| Publisher | Avon |
Publication date | 1962 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| ISBN | NA Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
Little Fuzzy is the name of a 1962 science fiction novel by H. Beam Piper. 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.
The book was followed by a sequel, Fuzzy Sapiens.
In the wake of Piper's suicide, rumor spread of a lost "second sequel"; eventually Ace Books hired William Tuning to write it; 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.
Characters
Humans:
- Jack Holloway - Sunstone prospector who discovered the Fuzzies
- Victor Grego - Chartered Zarathustra Company CEO
- Gustavus Adolphus "Gus" Brannhard - Lawyer and hunter. Defended Jack for murder.
- Leonard Kellogg - Killed the Fuzzy known as Goldilocks. Charged with murder.
- Leslie Coombes - Charctered Zarathrustra Company lawyer. Defended Kellogg.
Fuzzys:
- 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 Zarathrusta 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 some XT3, 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 sentients. If ruled sentient, the entire planet would be declared a protected aboriginal zone, and the Chartered Zarathustra Company would lose its exclusive rights to the resources there.
After much discussion of what it means to be "sentient" (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 sentient being, not an animal. He commits suicide in his cell.
External links
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