Carsten Müller reviewed Der Wilde Planet by John Scalzi
Grandios
5 stars
Wirklich ein Klasse Remake, eine Mischung aus Sci-Fi, Abenteuer und Anwaltsserie mit Irrungen und Wendungen
eBook, 384 pages
Deutsch language
Die Menschen haben die Galaxis besiedelt und beuten die Rohstoffe der Planeten nach Kräften aus. Für den Prospektor Jack Holloway ein einträgliches Geschäft, wird er doch an den Gewinnen beteiligt. Als auf Zara 23, einem paradiesischen Planeten, ein fossiles, in der Galaxis äußerst seltenes Material entdeckt wird, winkt plötzlich das große Geld. Aber keiner hat mit den geheimnisvollen Bewohnern dieser Welt gerechnet – und auch der Planet selbst hält noch einige Überraschungen parat …
Wirklich ein Klasse Remake, eine Mischung aus Sci-Fi, Abenteuer und Anwaltsserie mit Irrungen und Wendungen
It feels weird to rate this higher than the original it’s based on, H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy. I’m not sure it’s actually a better book, but it is more enjoyable, largely because it’s written in a more modern style and to today’s sensibilities. The characters are more distinct, the personal stakes are higher, the corporate malfeasance and environmental exploitation are amped up, and the twists are carefully set up instead of dropping in out of nowhere.
Fuzzy Nation tells largely the same story as Little Fuzzy: a prospector on a company-owned planet encouters a cute animal species that may or may not be sapient, in which case the company loses its license to exploit the world, finishing with a courtroom drama over murder charges and whether the fuzzies are people or animals, with a major breakthrough in communication settling the question. But it takes a different enough path that …
It feels weird to rate this higher than the original it’s based on, H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy. I’m not sure it’s actually a better book, but it is more enjoyable, largely because it’s written in a more modern style and to today’s sensibilities. The characters are more distinct, the personal stakes are higher, the corporate malfeasance and environmental exploitation are amped up, and the twists are carefully set up instead of dropping in out of nowhere.
Fuzzy Nation tells largely the same story as Little Fuzzy: a prospector on a company-owned planet encouters a cute animal species that may or may not be sapient, in which case the company loses its license to exploit the world, finishing with a courtroom drama over murder charges and whether the fuzzies are people or animals, with a major breakthrough in communication settling the question. But it takes a different enough path that you can read it without knowing what’s coming next.
I’d recommend reading both if you have time, but space them out to let the first one you read settle.
Second read and still enjoyed it.
A fun, quick read.
A light but fun read – I'm giving it 4 stars in part, however, because Scalzi started with such great material in Piper’s Little Fuzzy, which deserves a read as one of the higher points of 20th century sci-fi.
Jack Halloway is a contractor for ZaraCorp, and has found a sunstone seam. Things seem to take a turn for the worst when ZaraCorp cancels his contract, leaving him jobless and facing a one-way trip off of the planet. Before long, Jack is fighting not just for himself, but for a people no one knew existed.
This was an enjoyable, and in many parts hilarious, book read by Wil Wheaton. Wil's portrayal of Jack is solid, and helps bring this book to life.
I think Scalzi is my new favourite author. The character of Halloway was a guy who you should hate, but loved because the villains he was up against were bigger dicks than he was. And the fuzzies are cute too.
Amazing! You should definitely check it out - the audiobook version is narrated by Wil Wheaton and he does a phenomenal job. :)
I really enjoyed this book. I may have liked the character Carl a bit more than one should, but -- after all -- he is the only dog that's ever had a capital city named after him. The suspense kept me dashing through it, and I loved the humor.
Favorite book this year, I hope my kids enjoy it as much as I did. I echo Cory Doctorow's review, and wish I could add more, but just overall best SF I've read this year. Even better than Old Man's War.
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/05/16/scalzis-fuzzy-nation.html