Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Ace (1987). Ace edition, 3rd printing. 402 pages. $4.95.
Description
The Stainless Steel Rat, The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge, The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World.
User reviews
LibraryThing member abatishko
This book actually contains the following three books: The Stainless Steel Rat, The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge, and The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World.
These books are very much a space-opera style story. No significant effort is spent on making science realistic. Instead, science is twisted
All three books present a character who could easily be seen as invincible. Somehow, Harrison is able to develop plausible plot lines and problems that present serious problems to the hero. He writes everything in a unique style that couldn't exactly be called funny, but is humorous in an off-beat sort of way.
Don't expect serious, heavy reading here. Instead, this book contains light, non-stop action where anything might lie around the next corner. 4/5
These books are very much a space-opera style story. No significant effort is spent on making science realistic. Instead, science is twisted
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around to server the plot. This is not necessarily a problem, but could be irritating to some people, as there are issues that are somewhat anachronistic, or not entirely thought out. I'm sure some of this is due to the fact that the stories were originally written from the late 1950's through early 1970's.All three books present a character who could easily be seen as invincible. Somehow, Harrison is able to develop plausible plot lines and problems that present serious problems to the hero. He writes everything in a unique style that couldn't exactly be called funny, but is humorous in an off-beat sort of way.
Don't expect serious, heavy reading here. Instead, this book contains light, non-stop action where anything might lie around the next corner. 4/5
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LibraryThing member ljbryant
There is nothing complex, or deep, about the Stainless Steel Rat books... But they are a wonderfully fun read. The main character is a lovable rogue, and he makes the rest of the world look unimaginative and dull (deliberately). In a world of ultimate conformity, diGriz stands completely apart.
For
For
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me, these books will never grow stale. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
At least it's a fast read.
The back cover blurb makes comparisons to Terry Pratchett's work in fantasy. Which is just ludicrous. Sir Terry is funny, and satirical. Harry Harrison is neither. Perhaps the best comparison is Conan the Barbarian. See stuff, break things get stuff. I think it's supposed
Slippery Jim in a thief in a utopian human empire 32000 years in the future. Where people still smoke. A relatively peaceful future where crime of all sorts has been socialogically altered out of people. Except for a few atavists like slippery Jim. Who runs around with an arsenal of miniturised weapons, that none of the police or military have. After getting caught by robbing one bank too many (would they really have physical currency or even any currency in 32K AD?) Jim is coopted intot he Special Corps, by the master thief Inkspp himself. Who manages to lose any traces he once had of being such a thief. Jim gets to track down a rogue battleship being stolen by another masterthief - Angelica.
In the later two stories Angelica becomes an annoyingly simpering typical Bond girl, I fail to see how this is farce. Maybe it's a product of the times it was written in. But compare with say LeGuin ti shows a marked lack of foresight. The only area that was well predicted (or lucky) is that Earth in 20000 has suffered huge and irreversable climate warming.
As a change from the Golden Era of SF that was being written at the time this was perhaps a dramatic shift. But it's much closer to being a B movie than an increase in literary quality. It's internally inconcistent, it suffers from poorly imagined future technologies, there's no character development or depth, even for the hero. There are no jokes, just badly written inept 'bad guys'.
On the plus side - it is fast paced, actions rush from one scene to another. The TimeTravel was almost well done, and at least acknowledged the paradoxes created. But that's about it.
Readable only as a contrast to other works of the time - badly dated and not worth it now.
The back cover blurb makes comparisons to Terry Pratchett's work in fantasy. Which is just ludicrous. Sir Terry is funny, and satirical. Harry Harrison is neither. Perhaps the best comparison is Conan the Barbarian. See stuff, break things get stuff. I think it's supposed
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to be a farce, but a farce is supposed to be funny.Slippery Jim in a thief in a utopian human empire 32000 years in the future. Where people still smoke. A relatively peaceful future where crime of all sorts has been socialogically altered out of people. Except for a few atavists like slippery Jim. Who runs around with an arsenal of miniturised weapons, that none of the police or military have. After getting caught by robbing one bank too many (would they really have physical currency or even any currency in 32K AD?) Jim is coopted intot he Special Corps, by the master thief Inkspp himself. Who manages to lose any traces he once had of being such a thief. Jim gets to track down a rogue battleship being stolen by another masterthief - Angelica.
In the later two stories Angelica becomes an annoyingly simpering typical Bond girl, I fail to see how this is farce. Maybe it's a product of the times it was written in. But compare with say LeGuin ti shows a marked lack of foresight. The only area that was well predicted (or lucky) is that Earth in 20000 has suffered huge and irreversable climate warming.
As a change from the Golden Era of SF that was being written at the time this was perhaps a dramatic shift. But it's much closer to being a B movie than an increase in literary quality. It's internally inconcistent, it suffers from poorly imagined future technologies, there's no character development or depth, even for the hero. There are no jokes, just badly written inept 'bad guys'.
On the plus side - it is fast paced, actions rush from one scene to another. The TimeTravel was almost well done, and at least acknowledged the paradoxes created. But that's about it.
Readable only as a contrast to other works of the time - badly dated and not worth it now.
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LibraryThing member Crowyhead
Tons of fun -- humorous space opera starring the future's own Teflon Man.
LibraryThing member szarka
Slippery Jim diGriz is one of my favorite characters in sci-fi, and the first of the series remains one of my favorite novels for sheer mindless fun. The first two sequels, also included here, are likewise fun, though not as original as the first.
LibraryThing member jonbey
I admit, I cannot actually remember the story too well now. But after I got into reading, a friend lent me The Stainless Steel Rat, and I loved it. Funny sci-fi, a bit like funny fantasy (Pratchett fan). Read many Harry Harrison books, fail to remember much about them. Must pick one up again.
LibraryThing member taylorh
not bad for 1978 sci-fi
Feb 2007
Like most lead male characters by Harrison, diGriz is exceedingly clever, and only slightly sexist (which is a feat for the times). I always enjoy the witticisms and heroics that their egos lead them to. Not quite as good as the Deathworld Trio, but still an easy
Feb 2007
Like most lead male characters by Harrison, diGriz is exceedingly clever, and only slightly sexist (which is a feat for the times). I always enjoy the witticisms and heroics that their egos lead them to. Not quite as good as the Deathworld Trio, but still an easy
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lunch break read. Perhaps I'll read more of this series at a later date. Show Less
LibraryThing member mtwaldman
I remember reading this book over 20 years ago, when I started it, I was enthralled by the story after the first few pages. Harry's "Rat" series is one of my all time favorite series. I would highly recommend this book, I feel the earlier books are better than the latter of this series. I recently
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re-read this series and found it just as enjoyable as I did 20 years ago. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun Sci-Fi book/series :) Show Less
LibraryThing member angharad_reads
Comedic space heist/spy adventures starring a rebellious but non-murderous conman. Not very science-fictiony, all told.
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Once again our beloved Rat takes us right into the thick of things - in his inimitable way - and somehow always makes it out okay.
LibraryThing member majackson
Science Fiction Book Club collection--"the adventures of the STAINLESS STEEL RAT"--a comfortable, quick read.
The Stainless Steel Rat-01 (The Stainless Steel Rat)
It's comforting to know that Harry Harrison can be depended on for a short, sharp thriller…with no excess complications in plot or story
The Stainless Steel Rat-02 (The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge)
More of the same: implausible predicaments and incredible escapes…but just on the edge of believability. Also, the one thing I definitively remembered from the first time I read this story over 50 years ago: how to fool a lie detector! Oh the things you learn from reading sci-fi.
The Stainless Steel Rat-03 (The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World)
This is a nice change of style for Harrison…a time travel mystery that explains how/why the Earth was destroyed so many years ago and ends with a non-ending (i.e. an isolated time-loop).
The Stainless Steel Rat-01 (The Stainless Steel Rat)
It's comforting to know that Harry Harrison can be depended on for a short, sharp thriller…with no excess complications in plot or story
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line. This is the beginning of a series of steady 70's adventure stories designed to merely entertain--not enlighten, frighten or impress. Jim DeGriz is the "good anti-hero", keeping life exciting for those whose lives consist of the same humdrum grind. This is the character who is clever, without overdoing it. The man who can think faster than almost anyone else and relishes the challenge. Many are the life lessons I've learned from this hero.The Stainless Steel Rat-02 (The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge)
More of the same: implausible predicaments and incredible escapes…but just on the edge of believability. Also, the one thing I definitively remembered from the first time I read this story over 50 years ago: how to fool a lie detector! Oh the things you learn from reading sci-fi.
The Stainless Steel Rat-03 (The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World)
This is a nice change of style for Harrison…a time travel mystery that explains how/why the Earth was destroyed so many years ago and ends with a non-ending (i.e. an isolated time-loop).
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1977
1961 (The stainless steel rat)
1970 (The Stainless steel rat's revenge)
1972 (The stainless steel rat saves the world)
Physical description
402 p.; 7 inches
ISBN
0441004229 / 9780441004225