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Summary: Bill the hero
Review: Bill the galactic hero is a fantastyc book, a parody of our future and you will not stop laughting.
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Summary: Sci-Fi Pulp
Review: Bill the Galactic Hero is the epitome and parody of every sci-fi book. He's the ultimate hero and the total loser. You have to love the sci-fi genre to appreciate Bill. Sure it's corny, and some of the jokes are rather low brow, but it's not meant to wring your brain in comprehension. It's a book that you can sit and read without shifting your brain out of first gear.(No offense intended, Mr. Harrison.) Lots of fun.
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Summary: One of the best SF satires ever...
Review: 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.
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Summary: Can't put it down, but don't have to strain the brain
Review: Harrison's creation is addictive. The characters are developed enough to make the reading experience personal. The humor and excitment are not bogged down in complicated sub-plots or heady questions about the future of humanity and our place in the cosmos. A sheer pleasure to read.
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Summary: Still hilarious after all these years!
Review: Harry Harrison's sci-fi parody is still funny, even now, over thirty years after it was written! It's kind of like a spoof of "Starship Troopers", what with the boot-camp training followed by a merciless war against alien creatures from another galaxy. Bill is a likeable sort, who hardens after his miserable experiences as a trooper in the service of the emperor. This is a very funny and enjoyable book, without a lot of bowb!
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Summary: In the beginning...
Review: He was just an ordinary guy named Bill, a fertilizer operator from a planet of farmers. Then a recruiting robot shanghaied him with knockout drops, and he came to in deep space, aboard the Empire warship Christine Keeler. The enemy was the seven-foot lizardoid Chingers. The reward for heroism was a weekend in the Empire's fabled Sin City. The penalty for cowardice was worse than death. So Bill did what any sensible farm boy would do. And the Galaxy had a new hero... (from the back cover)
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Summary: I don't get it
Review: 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. This is just a very silly book. The characters are totally 1 dimensional. Very anti-war, anti-government, etc. Meh.
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Summary: classic
Review: I first read this as a kid, and even though I enjoyed it as an adventure story I still could see its powerful anti-war, anti-military stance. Now that I realize as an adult that he was making fun of that clueless right-wing nutjob Robert Heinlein to boot, I love this book even more. If you like classic science fiction or parody, this is as good as it gets.
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Summary: Underappreciated Treasure
Review: 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.
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Summary: Underappreciated Brilliance
Review: 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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