Bill, the Galactic Hero

by Harry Harrison

Book Overview

It was the highest honor to defend the Empire against the dreaded Chingers, an enemy race of seven-foot-tall lizards. But Bill, a Technical Fertilizer Operator from a planet of farmers, wasn't interested in honor-he was only interested in two things: his chosen career, and the shapely curves of Inga-Maria Calyphigia. Then a recruiting robot shanghaied him with knockout drops, and he came to in deep space, aboard the Empire warship Christine Keeler...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380003953
• ISBN13: 9780380003952
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Weight: 0.27 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Comedy and Space Troopers Great Combo

The subtle referential humor of Harry Harrison is fantastic. The way he can make you chuckle through an entire chapter, trying not to bust a seam. Then having to put the book down and belly laugh when you are done with the chapter. The whole time he didn't have to make a direct joke, just a great subtle humor that plays on characters we know and situations we don't expect.

Bitingly funny Sci-Fi Classic grows more relevant each year.

You don't have to be a science fiction fan to like this book. There are no long, technical discussions of imaginary future technologies nor does the human race become different than it is now. What this book does as well or better than any other book is provide hilarious commentary on war and government as it follows the adventures of an everyman named Bill as he is drafted, sent to war, lied to, cheated and abused by every institution and bureacrat he comes in contact with. (Kind of reminds you of modern-day civilization, doesn't it?)The simple plot follows a farm laborer named Bill as he is tricked into joining the army in a future inter-galactic war. I first read this book as a teen-ager and loved it though of course the military and the government were really our friends and not run by nut-cases concerned only with their own advancement as in the book. Well, re-reading this 30 years later after 4 years active duty and 5 in the reserves (They don't tell you that you can never leave the military if your specialty is needed when you try to resign) I find that this "satire" is a lot closer to the real military than almost any sincere book you can think of. Almost every ridiculously improbable military event in the book reminded me of similar real-life occurrences I participated in or heard about.All in all, this book is entertaining and forces you to laugh even as identical monstrously wrong things happen in your own life. And, in case you're wondering, Bill does not triumph over the system, but ends up one more victim of bureaucracy and civilization.

A Roaring satire of Military S.F.

This is one of the unacknowleged treasures of Science-Fiction. It's funny, biting, and to the point .It's crisp satire who dared touch sacred icons of Science Fiction like Asimov's Foundations (The planet in the central episode is clearly Trantor)and Heinlein's Starship Troopers. A little gem.

Underappreciated Treasure

I first read this book back in Junior High where some family member most likely found it at a used book store and some how it made its way into my basement. When I read it then it was one of the first books I truly enjoyed page for page. It was certainly the first book that ever made me laugh out loud. Now, 5 or 6 years later I have found myself a new copy of the book and it is just as great as I remembered it. A hillarious take on the future of war. This story follows a gentle farmer through the many obscure misfortunes that make up his life. Very similiar in style to Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, or even Kurt Vonnegut. It's really hard to find, but if you can get your hands on it I deffinatly recommend it.

Underappreciated Brilliance

I first read this book back in Junior High, where some relative had most likely picked it up at a used book store and it some how made its way into my basement. When I read it then, it was one of the first books that I loved from the very first page, all the way through to the end. I also fondly remember it as the first book to make me laugh out loud. Now, 4 or 5 years later I have managed to find the book again and buy it new, and I love it just as much as I did the first time, if not more.The story follows the life of a humble farmer and how he gets manipulated into joining the army of the future and the many misfortunes that follow. It's basically a satire on the future, civilization, and the military. Don't let this books cheesy cover or silly name disuade you, its worth every penny. And now that I have found out there are sequels to follow, i'm one happy man. In the same vein as Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and even Kurt Vonnegut, this game is one hillarious treasure.

One of the best SF satires ever...

Forget the series written (much later) with a co author, they are labored and derivative. This book proves that some originals are too good to ever be repeated. While it's overly tempting to read this solely as a "reply" to Heinlein's Starship Troopers (which in part it certainly is), it manages to skewer almost every cliche and convention of vintage SF. Even Asimov's Foundation Series, represented by the planet covering imperial capital gets a gentle tweak, as a question possibly never considered by Asimov himself is examined, to wit: in a planet sized city, who takes out the garbage? Still bitingly fresh and irreverent, it's harder today to understand the impact this book had when published 30-odd years ago, before it occurred to anyone that SF could be funny. But read it as an original and a trailblazer. It's a gem.