First of a series of novels about Bill, which aims to get "something
anti-military into US publishing, which seems to be all pro-war." Harrison
outlined other books in the series, which were written by other writers.
New York: Avon, July 1989, 236pp., pbk. ISBN: 0-380-75661-7. Cover: Michael W. Kaluta and Steven Fastner. Ilustrated by Michael W. Kaluta.
London: Gollancz, October 1989, 236pp., 22cm, ISBN: 0-575-04615-5, hbk.
London: Gollancz, February 1991, 240pp., 18cm, ISBN: 0-575-05003-9, pbk.
as: Bill, el Héroe Galáctico en el Planeta de Los Esclavos Robot. Barcelona: Grijalbo, 1993, 227pp. Translated by Diana Falcón. [Spanish]
as: Planeta Robotów. Poznañ: Kyski I S-ka. Wydaw, 1994, 191pp., ISBN: 83-86211-11-3. Translated by Cezary Ostrowski. [Polish]
as: Die Welt der Roboter-Sklaven. Munich: Heyne, 1994, 252pp., ISBN: 3-453-07747-4, pbk. Translated by Hilde Linnert. Cover: Andreas Reiner. [German]
as: Bill Linnunradan Sankari Robottiorjien Planeetalla. Helsinki: Like Kustannus Oy Ltd., 1995, 200pp., ISBN: 951-578-235-X. Translated by Arvi Tamminen. [Finnish]
Praha: Classic And, 1996, 160pp., ISBN: 80-85782-59-6. Translated by Josef Eger. [Czech]
as: Bill le Héros Galactique: la Planéte des Esclaves-Robots. Brussels: Claude Lefranq, 1997, 246pp., ISBN: 2-87153-382-2, pbk. Cover: Michael W.Kaluta and Steven Fastner. Illustrated by Michael W. Kaluta. Translated by Marie-Odile Hermand. [French]
Moscow: (Eksmo), 1999, 544pp., ISBN: 5-04-003707-4. Also includes Bill, the Galactic Hero. [Russian]
Fear, May 1991. Review by Mark Caswell.
"While there are some genuinely funny parodies (the most notable is the
John Carter incident) the humour is very hit and miss."
Interzone, #31, September / October 1989, p.66. Review by Ken
Brown.
The Times, 4th November 1989 (p.38c). Review by Tom
Hutchinson.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go back into SF humour, because of
Adams and Pratchett, along comes Good Soldier Bill, now footless in Gaza or
wherever, in pursuit of the alien Clingers' (sic) - who's been
watching too much Star Trek then? - metallic dragons. Never quite as
funny as it thinks it is, it's still a steel-rat-busting romp to remind us
that Music Hall lives; well, slapstick Vaudeville, anyway."
Bill, the Galactic Hero Series