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Galactic Dreams
Collected here are twelve of Harrison's best, including "Space Rats of the CCC," probably the greatest space opera ever written, slightly tongue-in-cheek; "At Last, the True Story of Frankenstein," in which our favorite monster gets new life - but whose life is it?; "Bill, The Galactic Hero's Happy Holiday," in which our favorite drunkard enlistee is kidnapped by the evil Chingers and hypnotized into believing he's a general; and nine more classics ranging across time and space!
1 I Always Do What Teddy Says
2 Space Rats of the CCC
3 Down to Earth
4 A Criminal Act
5 Famous First Words
6 The Pad - A Story of the Day after the Day after Tomorrow
7 If
8 Mute Milton
9 Simulated Trainer
10 At Last, the True Story of Frankenstein
11 The Robot Who Wanted to Know
12 Bill the Galactic Hero's Happy Holiday
1 I Always Do What Teddy Says
2 Space Rats of the CCC
3 Down to Earth
4 A Criminal Act
5 Famous First Words
6 The Pad - A Story of the Day after the Day after Tomorrow
7 If
8 Mute Milton
9 Simulated Trainer
10 At Last, the True Story of Frankenstein
11 The Robot Who Wanted to Know
12 Bill the Galactic Hero's Happy Holiday
222 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 28, 1995
2 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Harry Harrison
1,291 books1,042 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Harry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey) was an American science fiction author best known for his character the The Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966), the basis for the film Soylent Green (1973). He was also (with Brian W. Aldiss) co-president of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
Harry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey) was an American science fiction author best known for his character the The Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966), the basis for the film Soylent Green (1973). He was also (with Brian W. Aldiss) co-president of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 26, 2019
Being a fan of the space, i loved the way the writer humanized its elements and merged them into a unique story with exciting events
Ill read definitely to this author again
Honestly I couldn’t put the book down!
Ill read definitely to this author again
Honestly I couldn’t put the book down!
January 13, 2019
Another entertaining collection of short stories from Harry Harrison. Some make you think, others angry, and others smirk at the ridiculousness of things.
Read some classic sci-fi.
Read some classic sci-fi.
August 17, 2012
"Galactic Dreams" by Harry Harrison, a Weltenbummler cosmopolitan whose writing career took off via his young family's penny-saving 1950s year in Mexico, residence in six+ more countries, visiting 60+ in 30+ years, autographing illegal editions in Russia, Germany, Finland - expanded language, culture, assumptions beyond borders. 12 short stories, each eerily close and far viewpoints illustrated in realistic gray shading by Bryn Barnard. Humor in some (too much is disappointing) secondary to suspense, fear in Teddy, If. No tale fits in a square box. Variety supersedes any single "really like" story, so down-rated overall; choose your own fave.
1 I Always Do What Teddy Says - Numen, friend Torrence watching, slips his toddler's toy away for cold surgeon Eigg, who re-records the internal educating tape that has removed murder from their society. At 18, Davy is shown a museum artifact, a gun. The three still-unemployed conspirators want the boy to fulfill the gap left in his early conditioning. Scary, peace at great cost.
2 Space Rats of the CCC - In a remote space tavern, Old Sarge recounts how the Camel Combat Corps brutal trainer Colonel sends Gentleman Jax and Steel on a suicide mission to larshnik headquarters. Darkly silly (read before).
3 Down to Earth - American astronauts Gino and Coye lose Gino on the first moon landing, and return distraught to a Nazi-controlled world, where still-living Einstein proposes to send them home. Surprise?
4 A Criminal Act - Father (why not mother? what if unmarried?) of a third child may be killed without penalty by a volunteer, so Benedict simultaneously battles and argues philosophy with attacker Mortimer, while wife Maria nurses the mistake in the bathroom. But she comes out, turns light bright, and endangers them all. Thought-provoking amid fight action.
5 Famous First Words - From papers of late Professor Ephraim Hakachinik, his grad student narrates the salvage of historical conversational scraps that preface important world events. Goofy.
6 The Pad (- A Story of the Day after the Day after Tomorrow - unnecessarily long title) Wealthy handsome Ron Lowell-Stein woos lovely reluctant red-haired Beatrice, supremely confident he can find her "excuse" p130. Morality comment, take on Harlequin-style standards.
7 If - Tiny saurians from the future argue with young Don to release captive lizard, the mother of their entire race. Silly, oh-dear, ouch.
8 Mute Milton - (again, title sucks) inspired by racist comments in Norway against Martin Luther King Jr (twist on Holland's soccer team threatening to walk from EURO 2012 competition). Title refers to Thomas Gray’s "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" - “Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest." http://www.geocities.ws/deathworld_ie...
In one-hour bus stop at bar for blacks only, passing-through (reminds me of Louis L'Amour's "Passin' Through) visitor Sam, 65 years old, meets young fugitive activist fleeing back North. So not good-old 'Happy Days' (Fonz & crew).
9 Simulated Trainer - Psych division convinced program basic weakness of 28-day American Mars mission training is participants' security of last-minute save, so Colonel Stegham assures finalists Tony and Hal that this session will be final convincing reality, no pull-outs. But this time, robot animal has no usual tech mechanisms. Scary if unpredictable?
10 At Last, the True Story of Frankenstein - Reporter Dan Bream at "cheapjack carnival playing the small town southern circuit" p179 confronts barker with real name Frankenstein. ("clems" = "rubes" p182) Horror.
11 The Robot Who Wanted to Know - Librarian filer (before plastic androids) knows love factually, attends masquerade in cavalier costume to test wooing research. Tragic for Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
12 Bill the Galactic Hero's Happy Holiday - Defending officers' quarters from Chinger attack, Bgr bribes Bill with lifetime booze to lead rescue mission for trapped Mgr from planet Parra 'Noya (get it? bugger, manager, paranoia? took a while), implanted orders activate when anyone says "Harumph", stop at "Un-harumph" p209. Tries hard to be punny.
Typos:
p59 "The contol at Canaveral" should be "control"
p208 "took affect almost instantly" should be "effect"
1 I Always Do What Teddy Says - Numen, friend Torrence watching, slips his toddler's toy away for cold surgeon Eigg, who re-records the internal educating tape that has removed murder from their society. At 18, Davy is shown a museum artifact, a gun. The three still-unemployed conspirators want the boy to fulfill the gap left in his early conditioning. Scary, peace at great cost.
2 Space Rats of the CCC - In a remote space tavern, Old Sarge recounts how the Camel Combat Corps brutal trainer Colonel sends Gentleman Jax and Steel on a suicide mission to larshnik headquarters. Darkly silly (read before).
3 Down to Earth - American astronauts Gino and Coye lose Gino on the first moon landing, and return distraught to a Nazi-controlled world, where still-living Einstein proposes to send them home. Surprise?
4 A Criminal Act - Father (why not mother? what if unmarried?) of a third child may be killed without penalty by a volunteer, so Benedict simultaneously battles and argues philosophy with attacker Mortimer, while wife Maria nurses the mistake in the bathroom. But she comes out, turns light bright, and endangers them all. Thought-provoking amid fight action.
5 Famous First Words - From papers of late Professor Ephraim Hakachinik, his grad student narrates the salvage of historical conversational scraps that preface important world events. Goofy.
6 The Pad (- A Story of the Day after the Day after Tomorrow - unnecessarily long title) Wealthy handsome Ron Lowell-Stein woos lovely reluctant red-haired Beatrice, supremely confident he can find her "excuse" p130. Morality comment, take on Harlequin-style standards.
7 If - Tiny saurians from the future argue with young Don to release captive lizard, the mother of their entire race. Silly, oh-dear, ouch.
8 Mute Milton - (again, title sucks) inspired by racist comments in Norway against Martin Luther King Jr (twist on Holland's soccer team threatening to walk from EURO 2012 competition). Title refers to Thomas Gray’s "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" - “Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest." http://www.geocities.ws/deathworld_ie...
In one-hour bus stop at bar for blacks only, passing-through (reminds me of Louis L'Amour's "Passin' Through) visitor Sam, 65 years old, meets young fugitive activist fleeing back North. So not good-old 'Happy Days' (Fonz & crew).
9 Simulated Trainer - Psych division convinced program basic weakness of 28-day American Mars mission training is participants' security of last-minute save, so Colonel Stegham assures finalists Tony and Hal that this session will be final convincing reality, no pull-outs. But this time, robot animal has no usual tech mechanisms. Scary if unpredictable?
10 At Last, the True Story of Frankenstein - Reporter Dan Bream at "cheapjack carnival playing the small town southern circuit" p179 confronts barker with real name Frankenstein. ("clems" = "rubes" p182) Horror.
11 The Robot Who Wanted to Know - Librarian filer (before plastic androids) knows love factually, attends masquerade in cavalier costume to test wooing research. Tragic for Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
12 Bill the Galactic Hero's Happy Holiday - Defending officers' quarters from Chinger attack, Bgr bribes Bill with lifetime booze to lead rescue mission for trapped Mgr from planet Parra 'Noya (get it? bugger, manager, paranoia? took a while), implanted orders activate when anyone says "Harumph", stop at "Un-harumph" p209. Tries hard to be punny.
Typos:
p59 "The contol at Canaveral" should be "control"
p208 "took affect almost instantly" should be "effect"
January 3, 2021
A collection of short stories. The introductory piece about his life as a writer is an excellent peek into how his career shaped his stories, and how his stories shaped and reflected his life experiences. Any fan of Harry Harrison will be delighted with this candid personal narrative. The other stories demonstrate his skill as an entertainer and thinker. All the best of SciFi writing. It finishes with an installment in the “Bill the Galactic Hero” series. That may not be everyone’s “cup of tea”, but it is an absurd extreme view of everything bad about any military. Rating is due to the spotty execution of the stories, as may be expected in an anthology covering early writing. Great fun if you are a Harrison fan.
January 20, 2022
I enjoyed these sci-fi short stories.
They fit the bill - quickly introducing you to a new world where the character was put into some kind of zany situation with a fun twist to finish it out right.
I appreciated the short stories - about 10 pages each so you could knock one out real quick.
I had never heard of this writer but the cover caught my eye and I had to give it a shot.
It was a more interesting, spacier-version of Twilight Zone.
They fit the bill - quickly introducing you to a new world where the character was put into some kind of zany situation with a fun twist to finish it out right.
I appreciated the short stories - about 10 pages each so you could knock one out real quick.
I had never heard of this writer but the cover caught my eye and I had to give it a shot.
It was a more interesting, spacier-version of Twilight Zone.
April 2, 2018
This is a collection of short stories, most of which end with a "punchline." Personally, I prefer novels to short stories, but reading one short story at a time gave me an opportunity to fill in gaps between reading novels which were too short to take on an entire book.
May 21, 2019
I saw this on my brother’s shelf. The cover was pretty fabulously pulpy. The stories were okay. They felt like ideas for twilight zone episodes that were rejected. I think I also just don’t the authors sense of humor. But it was an okay read. 2.5
March 4, 2018
It had it's ups and downs. Otherwise, a rather likable book.
June 4, 2013
Like most short story anthologies, the quality of these 12 stories varies greatly. I must admit I'd never heard of Harry Harrison before and found this book in a charity bin in Tesco's.
The stories range from mildly interesting to completely pointless. Only one of them sticks in my mind - I Always Do What Teddy Says - which is a very cool idea, however the rest of the stories I couldn't even give you the gist of, and this is only a few days after reading them.
Galactic Dreams, like most dreams, gets forgotten quickly.
The stories range from mildly interesting to completely pointless. Only one of them sticks in my mind - I Always Do What Teddy Says - which is a very cool idea, however the rest of the stories I couldn't even give you the gist of, and this is only a few days after reading them.
Galactic Dreams, like most dreams, gets forgotten quickly.
October 22, 2014
I was kinda disappointed. Then again, while I love the Stainless Steel Rat books, I never was thrilled with Harrison's Bill the Galactic Hero stuff. :shrug: Fortunately, there was only one BtGH story in this, but the rest of the stories were meh for me. I would've liked at least one story I could point to in the future as something I'd re-read.
October 27, 2013
A nice sampling of Harrison's work, though too short. I'm going to have to reread a longer set of his stories at some point. Favourite? HMM.., either At Last, the True Story of Frankenstein or Simulated Trainer
April 29, 2008
A fun and short collection of stories. Most were at least amusing and some made me laugh out loud.
Read
August 22, 2008Galactic Dreams by Harry Harrison (1995)
Read
August 25, 20101ST EDITION OF THIS COLLECTION
February 20, 2015
Stories were great and the galactic bill was a pleasant bit of nostalgia. Be warned though most of the stories are not humor like the cover would portray.
December 30, 2015
Only for fans of the late Harry Harrison. Others will wonder what all the fuss was about.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews