While the story is a little too naive and black-and-white for my liking, in the light of the recent events - Enron, Monsanto, big banks bail-outs and so on - it is definitely a guilty pleasure to see big players being held accountable by just and impartial judge, even if it's only Sci-Fi.Ĭlassic take on a science fiction staple subject! The science, especially the psychology, is noticeably dated as well. I personally find the idea of treating burgeoning hunter-gather civilization like children or pets because they are cute by human standards uncomfortable. Written in 1963, this story is a product of it's time, when space colonization was imagined like colonization of the West.

But Jack Holloway - good old hardworking space cowboy - also has friends - scientists, who put Science above personal interests, constable, who puts Law above his own interests, honest lawyer in a plaid shirt, and together they drop whatever they normally do to help the old man with his court case against corporation - good chunk of the story happens either in court or discussing case strategies. Heartless CEO hires an equally heartless lawyer to help him with the case. The Antagonist - a heartless CEO of corporation doesn't want adorable little furry people recognized as sentient life form because the corporation would have to give up the claim for the planet. Old man keeps little furry people, old man trys to get little furry people recognized as sapient life forms. The plot is delightfully simple - the Protagonist - a good, old, hardworking lone underdog finds adorable little furry people.

Good guy underdog vs heartless corporation

Little fuzzy by h beam piper