soph (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sophia_sol) wrote2015-04-15 09:12 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2015-04-15 09:12 pm
Little Fuzzy, by H Beam Piper
This is a charming little book that is deeply, clearly, obviously of its time. I found it on Librivox, remembering I'd heard good things about the book, and assumed that therefore since it was in the public domain it must be pre-1923. I started listening to it and within a few minutes was convinced it must be from the 60's, as little sense as that made.
Turns out it is indeed from the 60's and yet still is in the public domain. Let me categorically state that I DON'T UNDERSTAND USA COPYRIGHT AND BOOKS. (wiki is very little help, alas, only serving to make me more confused.)
The book in general continued to feel very much of its era as I continued listening. Not in a bad way (...mostly)! Just in a way where all sorts of authorial choices constantly reaffirmed that it originated in a specific cultural context. Which - well, all books do. Some are more obvious than others, but in general books can't easily escape their cultural context. It's an interesting experiment to compare Little Fuzzy with John Scalzi's recent reboot of it, Fuzzy Nation. Fuzzy Nation has the same approximate plot and characters as Little Fuzzy, and yet it is obviously from a different context, reflecting the culture it came from just as much as Little Fuzzy does.
There are some things I like about Fuzzy Nation better (the Fuzzies having an agenda of their own!) and there are some things I like about Little Fuzzy better (Jack Holloway not being a giant obnoxious dick!). But unfortunately it's been several years since I've read Fuzzy Nation so I don't currently feel qualified to properly compare the two books.
In general I really liked Little Fuzzy. But also the whole thing is also just like.... colonialists behaving paternalistically (or violently) towards native people who they see as just barely counting as people, less intelligent, very innocent, childlike, animal-like, etc. GEE WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS DYNAMIC BEFORE. Pretty sure the connections I'm making here weren't intended by the author but I'm still a little uncomfortable.
Also I am endlessly disappointed that Ruth the scientist spy (!!!) happily retires to the role of sunstone miner's wife. (okay yes, and fuzzyologist, but she only agrees that's the case after prompting from her fiance.)
Turns out it is indeed from the 60's and yet still is in the public domain. Let me categorically state that I DON'T UNDERSTAND USA COPYRIGHT AND BOOKS. (wiki is very little help, alas, only serving to make me more confused.)
The book in general continued to feel very much of its era as I continued listening. Not in a bad way (...mostly)! Just in a way where all sorts of authorial choices constantly reaffirmed that it originated in a specific cultural context. Which - well, all books do. Some are more obvious than others, but in general books can't easily escape their cultural context. It's an interesting experiment to compare Little Fuzzy with John Scalzi's recent reboot of it, Fuzzy Nation. Fuzzy Nation has the same approximate plot and characters as Little Fuzzy, and yet it is obviously from a different context, reflecting the culture it came from just as much as Little Fuzzy does.
There are some things I like about Fuzzy Nation better (the Fuzzies having an agenda of their own!) and there are some things I like about Little Fuzzy better (Jack Holloway not being a giant obnoxious dick!). But unfortunately it's been several years since I've read Fuzzy Nation so I don't currently feel qualified to properly compare the two books.
In general I really liked Little Fuzzy. But also the whole thing is also just like.... colonialists behaving paternalistically (or violently) towards native people who they see as just barely counting as people, less intelligent, very innocent, childlike, animal-like, etc. GEE WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS DYNAMIC BEFORE. Pretty sure the connections I'm making here weren't intended by the author but I'm still a little uncomfortable.
Also I am endlessly disappointed that Ruth the scientist spy (!!!) happily retires to the role of sunstone miner's wife. (okay yes, and fuzzyologist, but she only agrees that's the case after prompting from her fiance.)