The stories of "The Man From P.I.G" and "The Man From R.O.B.O.T" are told to
the new graduate members of the Patrol - the warriors and policemen of space -
by their commanding officer.
In "The Man From R.O.B.O.T", Henry Venn is the agent from the Robot Obtrusion
Battalion - Omega Three, who is sent to investigate the paranoid behaviour of
the inhabitants of the planet Slagter.
The 'storytelling' forms a framework which links the stories. This volume is
marketed as for younger readers, but both stories in it originally appeared in
'straight' SF magazines.
London: Faber & Faber, October 1974, 141pp., ISBN: 0-571-10399-5, hbk.
Harmondsworth: Puffin, 1978, pbk. Cover: Peter Edwards. Reprinted December 1982 (ISBN: 0-14-031004-5)
New York: Atheneum, March 1978, 141pp., ISBN: 0-689-30634-2, hbk. Jacket: Carol Nicklaus. Reprinted August 1978; March 1980 (ISBN: 0-689-30634-2).
in: Absolwenci (The Men from P.I.G. and R.O.B.O.T., and, Two Tales and Eight Tomorrows). Poznañ: Dom Wydawniczy (Rebis), 1998, 201pp., ISBN:83-7120-428-0. Translated by Jaroslaw Kotarski and Radoslaw Kot. [Polish]
Analog, May 1969, p.168. Review by P. Schuyler Miller.
"... a good lively story whose gimmick is the use of mutant pigs to mop up on
interstellar skulduggery."
Booklist, 15th March 1978.
Kirkus Reviews, 15th March 1978.
New Scientist, 5th December 1974, p.769. Review by
Martin Sherwood.
School Library Journa, March 1978. Review by R. Unsworth.
The Spectator, 21st December 1974, p.797. Review
"Future Imperfect," by Peter Ackroyd.
"Harry Harrison is a science fiction writer and an old hand at the future,
but he bears the scars of a man hardened by too long acquaintance with its
pleasures. The Man from P.I.G. ... turns into a spoof of Western
films and secret agent serials, but it carries the indelible marks of
imitation rather than satire; it is a high-spirited and occasionally funny
narrative but none the less orthodox for that. The Man from R.O.B.O.T.
... is a slight fantasy, with the ironic adventures which have become
routine nowadays and with a cheek which may hide its tongue but which does
not cover the general thinness of the writing."
The Times Educational Supplement, 31st January 1975,
p.61a. Review by John Rowe Townsend.
"Harry Harrison has brought together two long-short stories about special
assignments in space. He is an old professional who knows the tricks of the
SF trade well enough to have effortless fun with them. Campaigns on remote
planets are waged with outrageous ingenuity, and gadgets run shamelessly
riot. Think of the wildest absurdities you can; Mr Harrison will still
leave you standing on the launching pad."
The Times Educational Supplement, 22nd September
1978, p.23e. Review by Audrey Laski.
"... a pair of splendid science fiction spoofs by a master of the game."
The Times Literary Supplement, 4th April 1975. Review
"New Pastures Green," by Myra Barrs.
" ... like others of his books, [it] is a magnificently extravagant comedy
... two splendid spoofs which might almost have been written on purpose to
provide a justification for the ringing last line..."
The Man From P.I.G. books