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Bill The Galactic Hero (Paperback)

by Harry Harrison (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)


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Editorial Reviews

Review
"Simply the funniest Science Fiction book ever written."

Product Description

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. And from there, things got even worse.

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: I Books (June 29, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743487079
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743487078
  • Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,397,160 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #74 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Harrison, Harry


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Customer Reviews

23 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Roaring satire of Military S.F., February 18, 2002
By Ventura Angelo (Brescia, Lombardia Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Bill the Galactic Hero (Paperback)
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.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bitingly funny Sci-Fi Classic grows more relevant each year., May 20, 2004
By Mark E. Baxter "Inquirer" (Layton, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Bill the Galactic Hero (Paperback)
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.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Underappreciated Brilliance, September 12, 2000
By Tyler DeLisle (West Tisbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Has aged well
Categories: Anti-war/Anti-militarism, SF, Humor
I picked that up without knowing too much about it, what a nice surprise! Funny, concise and engaging. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Seitz, Ludwig

5.0 out of 5 stars From Back Cover
Bill was a peaceful farm boy until he was lured by the martial music of a passing recruitment sergeant, drugged , and made to enlist in the Empire Space Corps. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Avid Reader

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader
If you are big and stupid, be careful when you say yes.


This is exactly what Bill is, however, and he mentions to get himself signed up into the military... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Blue Tyson

4.0 out of 5 stars Gently tongue-in-cheek anti-military sarcasm of the 60's

Strange, how I had never heard of Bill the Galactic Hero, until I surfed my way by accident to this book one day. Read more
Published on April 24, 2007 by DarthRad

4.0 out of 5 stars Farewell to Arms? Maybe just the left...
I have a long history with Bill the Galactic Hero, but it took me two decades to read it. Stick with me; this is relevant to the review. Read more
Published on September 11, 2005 by Michael J. Tresca

4.0 out of 5 stars A VERY AMUSING SCI-FI WINNER
I once met a woman in a bookstore who was in the process of buying Harry Harrison's 1965 classic "Bill, the Galactic Hero. Read more
Published on August 9, 2005 by s.ferber

4.0 out of 5 stars Terry Pratchett fans - this is the beginning
I went to a Terry Pratchett book signing, and during the Q & A he mentioned that reading Bill The Galactic Hero forever altered the way he looked at fiction. Read more
Published on April 4, 2004 by kresnels

1.0 out of 5 stars Silly and dull
This is a silly book, without a plot and with carboard characters. The autor tries, without success, to satirize the millitary. Read more
Published on February 14, 2004 by Green_goblin

1.0 out of 5 stars I don't get it
I appreciate that it is a parody, and it was really silly, but I had hoped for a character that wasn't so shallowly written even so. Maybe something similar to Steel Rat. Read more
Published on October 15, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars classic
I first read this as a kid, in fact I must have read it several times, and even though I enjoyed it as an adventure story I still could see its powerful anti-war, anti-military... Read more
Published on April 7, 2003

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