A review by ianbanks
Bill, The Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison

3.0

A satire of both military bureaucracy and science fiction adventures this is a wild ride. There’s a lot of influences at play here, from Voltaire to Chesterton to Asimov and Heinlein but Bill manages to have a series of rollicking adventures that result in him escaping his fate and becoming part of the world that he hates. There’s a complex and deeply sad novel hiding in amongst all the slapstick and funny names but you almost manage to miss it because the story is so fast and madcap. Which is a shame because Harrison really does have a lot to talk about with this novel.