Posted on 03/04/2016 4:27:57 PM PST by Fhios
The Stainless Steel Rat is James Bolivar DiGriz, who goes by many aliases, including "Slippery Jim" and "The Stainless Steel Rat". He is a futuristic con man, thief, and all-round rascal. He is charming and quick-witted. He is also a master of disguise and martial arts, an accomplished bank robber, a criminal mastermind, an expert on breaking and entering, and (perhaps most usefully) a skilled liar. Master of self-rationalization, the Rat frequently justifies his crimes by arguing that he is providing society with entertainment; and besides which, he only steals from institutions that have insurance coverage. He displays a strong sense of morality, albeit in a much more restricted sense than is traditional. For example, DiGriz will steal without compunction, but deplores killing.
(Excerpt) Read more at en.wikipedia.org ...
It's a good book, a good read. Started ahead of it's time in 1961, but evolved over the years when new material was released.
Makes me think of Trump a bit.
Vote Trump.
Trump is a rat?
Haven’t read him in years, but Slippery Jim was a good character.
(Deathworld trilogy I liked, too)
A favorite book of my late husband.
Made me smile to remember...
Finished it two nights ago - But had first read it back in the late 60’s/early 70’s - probably as an Analog issue. Had to locate a copy at a used book store down in FL while working for a couple of days.
That bookstore also had (past tense!) because I bought them:
The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted
The Stainless Steel Rat’s Revenge
The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World
The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You!
Oh, yeah! I’ve got a few of those sitting right here next to me. I haven’t read them for ages, though. “The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted” was always my favorite. Made me laugh out loud. :-)
That’s not the first story (no spoiler alert about The Bishop), but what’s the right order of the full sequence of short stories and novels?
Who would win a fight between The Stainless Steel Rat, Lazarus Long, Nessus and The Mule?
The classics!
An excellent book as are the sequels... now I have something to reread on vacation...in a few weeks.
Some of the guys from Known Space would win!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Known_Space
Been thinking about seeing what the Heechee are up to these days.
I hope these classics never go away.
One of my favorites was “A Rebel in Time.” Also, “Make Room, Make Room” which was turned in to “Soylent Green.”
That’s a stretch, but Harrison provided a bunch of great light hearted scifi.
The Kzin would kick butt! Cats with guns!
I loved them as a teen...the liberating feeling of a main character that was a good-hearted thief!
(Voice: Here kitty, kitty, some nice milk for you), wham, Gom Jabbar.
Excellent books.
If I had the hours and energy I put into reading these fellows between 1960 and 1980 I would have two doctorates.
Harrison also wrote the Eden trilogy: West of Eden, Winter in Eden, and Return to Eden. An alternate history about what would the Earth have been like had the asteroid not smashed into the Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago. By the "current" era humans are clashing with the evolved descendants of dinosaurs (which still exist too). Harrison did a CRAZY amount of research, fleshing-out the reptilian humanoids and creating a language for them. Very good series.
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