From "a giant of twentieth-century science fiction" (Guardian), the adventures of Pirx, an unfortunate everyman in space. By now, he considered himself a kind of rocket rider, a space traveler whose true home lay between the planets. In a future where space travel has become commonplace and unremarkable, Pirx the pilot stumbles and dreams his way through the solar system. These charming stories trace his journey from cadet to captain. Yet, whether he is battling a disobedient spacesuit, feeling uncomfortable on a luxurious spaceship, or encountering a mysterious, malfunctioning robot on a mission to Mars, the unfortunate Pirx simply cannot prevent everything from going wrong. Translated by Louis Iribarne.