Fuzzypalooza at SFReviews.net (Plus DDN Review)
Posted on May 9, 2011 Posted by John Scalzi 8 Comments
The SFReviews.net site is featuring a Fuzzy Week, in which reviewer Thomas M. Wagner is going through and reviewing H. Beam Piper’s three Fuzzy books as well as the two authorized sequels, by William Tuning and Ardath Mayhar — oh, and also Fuzzy Nation. Today the reviews on tap are for Little Fuzzy, and for Fuzzy Nation. The reviews of the other books will be posted on a daily basis through the rest of the week.
I am actually and genuinely delighted about the “Fuzzypalooza” week of reviews, since one of my hopes for Fuzzy Nation is that it would bring some additional attention to Piper, his work, and to the Fuzzyverse books. This is a good sign that more attention is being paid. So I encourage you to check out the reviews today and also the ones for the rest of the week as well, and get caught up on all the works in that universe.
I’m also happy to say Fuzzy Nation garnered a very nice review. You should go read the whole thing, but this is a good excerpt:
Fuzzy Nation seeks to bring a 21st century storytelling sensibility to a half-century-old genre classic, and it succeeds far more wildly than I imagine even John Scalzi himself hoped. What began as an unabashed exercise in labor-of-love fanfic became not only excellent SF in its own right, but, incidentally, Scalzi’s best novel to date in a career that was already impressive and well above the bell curve.
Well, you know. I had good material to work with.
Somewhat related, and for those of you who are in and near Dayton, the Dayton Daily News threw some love my way this weekend with this very nice overview and review of the book. I have a special place in my heart for the DDN, in part because I was a freelancer for them for a number of years, so I’m thrilled when I show up in its pages.
Good reviews! As a fan of Piper myself, I am looking forward to reading Fuzzy Nation.
Cheers!
Gary
Just read thus article. I really eager to read Fuzzy Nation. First I need to finish Zoe’s Tale.
I know it’s my hobby horse and not everyone’s, but I hope someone somewhere spends some time writing about how this and copyright law intersect. John showed great courtesy and deference to the Piper family in seeking to honor their wishes regardless of law. But even with that I believe this might not have been doable even with their blessing if the original work wasn’t in the public domain now – other organizations might have held an interest via movie versions or who knows what.
If someone is inspired by, say, John’s Android’s Dream work the way he was by Piper, basic actuarial tables and the Sony Bono copyright extension act put the publication date for Android Nation at 108 years in the future.
So… which is next: Space Viking or Cosmic Computer?
Certainly has made me want to dig out my copies of Space Viking, Lord Kalvan et al. It would be wonderful to see interest grow and maybe see some of Piper’s works on the big screen.
@Ted #5: John F. Carr has been writing more Lord Kalvin books if you’re interested. They’re quite a bit more detailed than Piper’s writing but overall, entertaining enough. Carr has captured the character of Kalvin and Rhylla but his writing style is definitely not Piper (or Scalzi).
Am looking forward to Fuzzy Nation, in part because John’s writing is very similar to Piper and Heinlein.
I didn’t know the protagonist of Fuzzy Nation was a failed lawyer. Or that there was a courtroom scene. That’s… awesome.
(Alas, I am alone at my law school among scifi fans…)
@MasterThief #7: Ooh, both Fuzzy books have some interesting lawyering going on in them. If after related SF, might want to check out Keith Laumar’s Retief books (Baen Free Library).