05 - Pirates of Ersatz by Murray Leinster

Bron, the reluctant heir to a notorious lineage of space pirates, dreams of a life as an electronic engineer. However, fate has other plans, as each attempt to escape his familys shadow pulls him deeper into a whirlwind of misadventures. Join Bron on a witty and whimsical space journey reminiscent of Harry Harrisons Stainless Steel Rat. Originally published in the February-April issues of Astounding Science Fiction in 1959. (Summary by Elliott Miller)