Audible Rip

Note that this contains Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation AND A SECOND AUDIO BOOK. Starting on "Disc 08" (this is where the Audible "Part 2" begins... you'll note that disc 7 is short) is the inspiration for Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation - H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy. 



John Scalzi

Fuzzy Nation


Jack Holloway works alone. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorp’s headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporation’s headquarters on Earth, Jack is content as an independent contractor. As for his past, that’s not up for discussion.

Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal claim just as ZaraCorp is cancelling their contract with him for his part in causing the collapse. Briefly in the catbird seat, legally speaking, Jack pressures ZaraCorp into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth.

But there’s another wrinkle to ZaraCorp’s relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet is based on being able to certify to the authorities on Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species.

Then a small furry biped—trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute—shows up at Jack’s outback home. Followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp’s claim to a planet’s worth of wealth is very flimsy indeed…and that ZaraCorp may stop at nothing to eliminate the “fuzzys” before their existence becomes more widely known.



H. Beam Piper

Little Fuzzy

 The extra-solar world of Zarathustra is devoid of intelligent life, or at least it was thought to be until prospector Jack Holloway discovers a race of Ewok-like Fuzzies. But the company that has been exploiting the planet for its resources will lose its charter if sapient life is discovered, so Holloway must find a way to keep the Fuzzies from being foundin order to keep the charter. Holsopple reads in a pleasant, sonorous tone, using one unadorned voice for narration and a series of others for character dialogue. The vocal shifts are subtle but effective, and make the dialogue sound rather like real conversation, rather than simply words being read from a page. Some of the dialogue is a bit silly (Holloway constantly refers to himself as "Pappy Jack" when talking to the Fuzzies), but Holsopple manages to pull it off. The end result is a faithful adaptation of Piper's beloved 1962 classic (a Best Novel Hugo Award nominee) that fans both new and old should enjoy. (Feb.) 


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