The Stainless Steel Rat

Kian Ryan reviewed The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison

Review of 'The Stainless Steel Rat' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Taking a break from Masterworks for a little bit, I grabbed this on hearing of the author's passing. Better late than never.

First in a series of ... lots, the Rat is a intergalactic con man in a universe where criminality is low due to personality modifications. Captured criminals are rehabilitated, or ... are recruited in to the Corps, where their individual skills are especially useful. Use a thief to catch a thief.

The story is the first outing for the Rat under the Corps. The Rat is foiled by a woman with a very similar personality to his own, but with a psychotic killing streak. Taking personal offence at being outwitted, the Rat pursues her across the galaxy.

It's fun and satirical. It does not attempt to be anything more than a action-adventure, and that is to its credit. There is scope here for more developed ideas, harder science …

Taking a break from Masterworks for a little bit, I grabbed this on hearing of the author's passing. Better late than never.

First in a series of ... lots, the Rat is a intergalactic con man in a universe where criminality is low due to personality modifications. Captured criminals are rehabilitated, or ... are recruited in to the Corps, where their individual skills are especially useful. Use a thief to catch a thief.

The story is the first outing for the Rat under the Corps. The Rat is foiled by a woman with a very similar personality to his own, but with a psychotic killing streak. Taking personal offence at being outwitted, the Rat pursues her across the galaxy.

It's fun and satirical. It does not attempt to be anything more than a action-adventure, and that is to its credit. There is scope here for more developed ideas, harder science fiction - but that's not what Harrison is trying to do. The sense of Noir and Pulp is palpable and hardly incidental - Harrison has written a book that is there simply to entertain. It's comfortable, and a good ride.

A great bit of escapism for a cold Sunday afternoon.

Corey reviewed The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison

Review of 'The Stainless Steel Rat' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

There isn't a lot of excess plot or introspection to SSR; it zips along from plot-point to plot-point with near-light speed, counting on the charisma of the narrator to keep the reader balanced. There are some salient points scattered about concerning individual freedoms and the dangers of over-dependence on governmental authority, but Harrison is far more concerned with derring-do. SSR is primarily an adventure novel, and Harrison never pretends that his story is meant to do anything but keep you entertained.

Read the rest of the review here.

Sean Randall reviewed The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison

Review of 'The Stainless Steel Rat' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

"I heard the robot rolling away, untroubled by the fact that
his writing, pillow-shedding patient was suddenly dead. This lack of
curiosity is what I like about robots."

It's implausible on so many levels - the technological, psychological, criminal - even completely unbelievable. yet what a page-turning, utterly enjoyable yarn the author weaves. Slippery Jim becomes a character with such a wide array of talents, opinions and ways to get himself into all sorts of unsavoury situations that the book was a true delight from start to finish. we won't go into the depravity brought upon the banking sector too much - suffice it to say that this is different from the gentle short stories of Fifty In Fifty (and in my view, far more enjoyable).