Bill the galactic hero.

[huxley]

i just read Bill the galactic hero, and i really enjoyed it. i wanted to know if anyone knew of any other sc-fi that is fast-paced and as adventuristic as Bill galactic hero was.

please don't suggest me the othe Bill galactic hero books because i know of them, or suggest me the stainless steel rat because i know of them to.

thanks. looking for more fast-paced, adventure sc-fi.

 

[j d worthington]

Have you read Deathworld (also by Harrison)? There are three books to the set, though I have to agree with Chris that the companion volumes are certainly a drop in quality... still, I did enjoy them when I read them, many, many moons ago....

Also ... Bill, the Galactic Hero is a spoof of Heinlein (and others using those character types) ... quite a good one, I thought.

Some of the early John Brunner might fit your request, though a bit more cerebral they are certainly fast-paced enough; things like Meeting at Infinity or Into the Slave Nebula are entertaining quick reads (I'd suggest The Dreaming Earth as well, though some people are disappointed with the ending).

The following has some good suggestions in the adventure/space opera field:

Space opera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just scroll down to the list of books/series at the end of the article proper; and take a look at some of the other links dealing with different types of sf.

You might also look up that rather odd little book, Space War Blues, by Richard A. Lupoff, a "New Wave"-ish sort of space opera, a stylistic tour-de-force that really is worth giving a try.

And there are several of Asimov's earlier sf novels that might appeal: Pebble in the Sky, The Stars Like Dust, The Currents of Space, etc. Quite a lot of things from the Golden Age would fit, both in shorter forms and in novels, i would think, as there was a heavy slant toward adventure, futuristic scenarios, and terse writing (leading to slim books, but often with considerable content in small compass). A. E. Van Vogt may be a good choice, as well, especially something like The Weapon Shops of Isher, Voyage of the Space Beagle, and so on. And, if you've not read them, by all means read The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester. These are very fast-paced, and extremely readable, not to mention among the great classics of the genre.

 

[huxley]

thanks for the link. i'll look into it. i really liked bill galactic hero because the story was always changing. plus he keep getting in trouble. the worse things that could happen to him happened. plus it was a great adventure story. the story/character never stayed to long in one place, so it was great imagery.
your imagination has to paint all these different places. it was great.

 

[Dr. Atomic]

Well... I think Bill is more than just a spoof on Heinlein, it's satire. Harrison didn't intend it to be an adventure story. He meant it as a commentary on life in the military, which he hated from the moment he found himself stuck in the army in the Forties. Certainly, Heinlein's Starship Troopers was on his mind when he wrote the book, but his was less a reaction to that novel than it was to the whole military situation.

As for the sequels to Bill... I did an interview with Harrison a while ago, and he pretty much disowned the books. He groaned out loud when I brought them up, and, laughing, said that he wished he didn't even have to think about. They seemed somewhat of a good idea at the time, he said, but in the end regretted it. (Though he didn't feel too terrible about the second book.) The thing about satire is that it's sort of a one-shot deal. Once you write a book that serves as social commentary, writting a follow-up becomes REALLY tricky. Because, most of the time, the first book isn't about the character, or even the plot. It's about the message behind the book -- whatever it was the author wanted to discuss. Presumably, the author gets it all out the first time... (Anyway, that was Harrison's feeling on writing satire...)

 

[j d worthington]

The thing about satire is that it's sort of a one-shot deal. Once you write a book that serves as social commentary, writting a follow-up becomes REALLY tricky. Because, most of the time, the first book isn't about the character, or even the plot. It's about the message behind the book -- whatever it was the author wanted to discuss. Presumably, the author gets it all out the first time... (Anyway, that was Harrison's feeling on writing satire...)

I tend to agree with him. I've seen it done, but it's veeerrrry difficult. And, yes, it really is more than a spoof of Heinlein, you're quite right on that. However, I do think it's one of the better satires of Heinlein I've seen, and can be enjoyed by those who like as well as dislike Heinlein's work itself.

 

[chrispenycate]

Are you looking for the parody side (in which case John Sladek's "Muller-Fokker effect" or Robert Asprin's "Cold cash wars" might interes you, or the sheer exuberant action, which admittedly SF has somewhat reined in more recently, in which case, some of the older stuff (that Harrison himself parodied in "Star smashers of the Galaxy Rangers") such as almost anything by "Doc" EE Smith - how about "The Skylarkof space"?

 

[Dr. Atomic]

However, I do think it's one of the better satires of Heinlein I've seen, and can be enjoyed by those who like as well as dislike Heinlein's work itself.

Oh yeah, I definitely agree with you. In fact, I think reading it brings a better understanding of Heinlein's book, because it allows you to consider similar situations from both sides of the coin, and weigh one agains the other. Grist for the ol' brain mill, so to speak.

 

[BAYLOR]

Doomstar by Edmond Hamilton

The Soul Eater by Mike Resnick

The Retief Series by Keith Laumer

Gaunts Ghost series by Dan Abnett