Follow the misadventures of Bill, a Technical Fertilizer Operator - after a recruiting robot shanghais him into the Empire Space Corps. Harrison tackles military idiocies with glee, and a sharp satiric edge, too. A couple of my favorite parts are the description of the "bloater" drive, and Bill's solution to the problem of accumulating garbage while working for Helior's Department of Garbage Management. There have been several sequels, but trust me - this first one is the funniest.