H Beam Piper Recommendations

[SgtHulka]

I just finished Space Viking and really enjoyed it; much more so than A Slave is a Slave, which I found kind of boring.

So what would you recommend I read of his next?

For those who don't know, a large number of his books are available free at Project Gutenberg.

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

Do not be scared away by the goofy titles, but my two favorite books by him are Little Fuzzy and Fuzzy Sapiens. Both very good colony and first contact stories.

 

[dean]

Uller Uprising and Two Day[/strikeout] Four Day Planet. Thanks for the Correction ...

 

[the angle]

Second the vote for Little Fuzzy. It's whimsical, as the title suggests, but it's also excellent SF: it develops an intriguing colony planet, corporate culture, and alien race. And it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I'm also a big fan of Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, but that's a wholly different beast and not very applicable to Traveller.

Steve

 

[beowulf2044]

That and the second Death World story by Harrison are great story ideas for a "stranded/crash landed on a primitive planet" sceanario.

 

[FreeTrav]

Seconded on Little Fuzzy and Fuzzy Sapiens. Not available on Gutenberg because it's still in copyright is the third HBP Fuzzy novel, Fuzzies and Other People.

Also, Four Day Planet is a very good story, and the recommendation for it (dean got the title wrong; he called it Two Day Planet) is also seconded.

If you're interested in non-Piper suggestions, start a new thread - I'll have a bunch of recommendations to contribute to such.

 

[rancke]

Seconded on Little Fuzzy and Fuzzy Sapiens. Not available on Gutenberg because it's still in copyright is the third HBP Fuzzy novel, Fuzzies and Other People.

And I can also reccommend William Tuning's third Fuzzy novel, Fuzzy Bones, written before Piper's own lost manuscript to Fuzzies and other People came to light again. I actually like it better than FaOP (though that's good too).


Hans

 

[Darkhstarr]

I also cast a vote for the Fuzzy novels as well as for Junkyard Planet. My wife votes for Uller Uprising.

 

[BlackBat242]

My list is simple...

Anything written by H. Beam Piper.

That's it.

 

[sabredog]

Lord Kalvin of Otherwhen

 

[SgtHulka]

Thanks for all the responses, guys, knew you'd point me in the right direction.

 

[nyrath]

Junkyard Planet AKA The Cosmic Computer.
It sort of describes the situation about a century before Space Viking

 

[Enoff]

Just got done reading "Fuzzy Bones." I enjoyed it

 

[Commander Truestar]

Do not be scared away by the goofy titles, but my two favorite books by him are Little Fuzzy and Fuzzy Sapiens. Both very good colony and first contact stories.

Little Fuzzy Animals(By Frank Hayes)

When you land on Bailey's 7, you may not like what you see.
There are monsters back of every rock and up in every tree.
There are demon flies up in the skies and manticores beneath.
And, there's little fuzzy animals with *big sharp teeth!*

There are little fuzzy animals,
Little furry animals,
Little fuzzy animals with *big sharp teeth!*

Now, not all of the monsters there should fill you full of dread.
For the demon flies speak English and they love to scout ahead.
And the manticores will pull you through the muck and through the mud.
But, the little fuzzy animals will *drink your blood!*

Yes, the little fuzzy animals,
Little furry animals,
Little fuzzy animals will *drink your blood!*

When nightfall comes to Bailey's, with the darkness growing deep,
The music of the jungle night will lull you into sleep.
It's so restfull and so peaceful that you'll never feel the pain,
Of the little fuzzy telepaths that *eat your brain!*

Yes, the little fuzzy telepaths,
Little furry telepaths,
Little fuzzy telepaths that *eat your brain!*

So, when you go to Bailey's now, you'll know what lies in store.
There are hordes of friendly fiends and gentle monsters there galore.
But, with all the cute and furry ones, you know what you must do.
Get those little fuzzy buggers before *they get you!*

Get those little fuzzy buggers,
Get those little furry buggers,
Get those little fuzzy buggers before *they get you!*

 

[Commander Truestar]

Sadly, I am disappointed by the last thing he ever wrote...

"If I could figure a way out of this mess, I would not be making this mess"
the rest he wrote witha gun in his mouth...

Oddly, it was some time after his death, and while cleaning his estate up, that someone(name omitted here) was trying to document some items. They could not find a pen and went to a box set aside because it was marked "Pencils" and discovered the missing manuscript.

Marc

My list is simple...

Anything written by H. Beam Piper.

That's it.

 

[Bob Weaver]

Junkyard Planet AKA The Cosmic Computer.
It sort of describes the situation about a century before Space Viking

Nyrath,
That's exactly what I was going to recommend; after Space Viking, Cosmic Computer is my favorite Piper novel. I've tried to incorporate elements of Piper's 'regressed civilization' into some outlying planets IMTU.

BTW, has anyone read and care to review his non-SF "Murder in the Gunroom"? Thanks!

 

[Enoff]

There are some great public domain audio books of HBP's stories.
Was having fun listening to "Cosmic Computer."

 

[saundby]

Lone Star Planet to add to the above suggestions. Very silly, very fun. Lots of "in" jokes for readers of westerns, too. Usually found in a double with Four Day Planet in dead tree version.

And put an extra tick mark next to Uller Uprising.

 

[Leitz]

FYI, finished Space Viking last week. Great recommendation.

L

 

[Colin]

The two short story collections "Federation" and "Empire" are well worth reading. They fill in a lot of the gaps in his future history. of them all. "Uller Uprising" is my favorite, that, or "Little Fuzzy"