Customer Reviews

The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First there was "The Stainless Steel Rat", our introduction to Slippery Jim DiGriz, aka the Stainless Steel Rat, a high-tech, futuristic conman and thief who is caught, after a long and successful career, by the galactic special corps, and recruited to join them because it takes a thief to catch a thief. Then followed four more books in chronoligical order, "The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge", "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The World", "The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You", and "The Stainless Steel Rat For President". Then, apparently growing bored with the direction his stories were taking, Harrison retreated to the beginning, and wrote the prequel, "A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born". Then he followed that with "A Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted", a story following immediately on the heels of the prequel. This story follows that one chronologically.

There are dangers to writing prequels, and this book fails to avoid them entirely. In a prequel, it is necessary to make it plausible that a character's experiences could lead to him being the person he is at the beginning of the book the prequel precedes; this is reasonably well accomplished in this book, if not perfectly well. But it is also necessary, in a prequel, that the story be interesting without having anything happen so major and potentially relevent to events in later stories that it seems impossible that the character never referred back to those experiences in chronologically later, but previously written, stories. Here, this book fails miserably; given that DiGriz has experiences in chronologically later books with both time travel and visitors from his time's far future, both of which also come into play in this book, it seems incredible that we've never "heard" him mention the experiences in this book before.

But perhaps this is all too stringent a set of complaints to make about a book that, like the rest of the series, is never intended to be taken seriously; like a James Bond story, or an action movie, the "Stainless Steel Rat" stories are all meant as merely fun romps, plot-driven and action-intensive, without worrying about whether those plots will stand close scrutiny for internal consistency.

So let's review it on its own terms: yes, it's a fun romp, with plenty of action. As usual in these books, the dialogue is rather stilted and artificial, the characters are two-dimensional, and if it enhances the potential for action and drama in the plot, Harrison doesn't let a little thing like consistency of character stand in his way. (DiGriz is supposed to be brilliant, but makes enough stupid mistakes to keep himself in constant danger, so that the pace of the action can stay high.)

This book, like the rest of the books in the series, is fun brain candy, but don't expect careful plotting or a serious story, and don't examine things too carefully for plausibility or internal consistency; it won't stand up to even passing examination.

A definate disappointment from an otherwise excellent author and tremendously entertaining series. I've read all the SSR books, and was very excited when this one came out. However, the story was rather flat and much of the "life" has slipped out of Slippery Jim. Many parts were entirely too predictable, while others were just plain not believable. I really got the impression that Harrison decided to do this book just for a bit of added revenue, as it seemed his heart really wasn't in it. Overall, I'd say you're better off skipping this particular entry in the tale of Slippery Jim and keep your fond memories of him intact.

Like most of the other reviewers here, I am a big Harrison fan and have truly enjoyed the Rat over the years. I have indeed read several of the novels in this series more than one time.

These are not heavy books by any means. I think the term "brain candy" best describes them. They are almost completely plot driven and with the exception of Slick Jim, the characters are more or less two dimensional...if even that. We have action, unlikely situations the Stainless Steel Rats either finds himself in or puts himself in, along with daring escape, the constant threat of capture and violence and some very strange cultures the author has come up with over the years. These books are intended to be read and enjoyed and not to be examined too closely as to their literary standards. Hey, they are escapism and they are fun.

This story is the third is a series of prequels to the original book, "The Stainless Steel Rat," the book that started it all. These three novels tell us how Jim DiGriz became the SSR. The first two, A Stainless Steel Rat is Born and The Stainless Steel Rat is Drafted, held up pretty good. The stories were interesting and very typical Harrison. They were funny, full of action and DiGriz showed flashes of the brilliance to come. There was plenty of thieving and manipulation of the system, two things the Rat is quite good at.

This book though is not up to the standards of the other two prequels nor is it up to the standards of the next eight novels. I am sorry to tell you that while this book was by no means horrible and that I did enjoy it, it simply did not live up to Rat's reputation.

Jim is conned into taking a dangerous assignment to one of the unlikely worlds that Harrison conjures up to retrieve a lost artifact. Jim, who is rather brilliant, goes pretty much brain dead through this entire work. It has some funny lines and funny situations but they were not enough to carry the story. Everything was extremely predictable and well...just simply boring in spots. I kept waiting and waiting and nothing really happened to make the story pop.

I certainly would encourage anyone; any Rat Fan, to read this one simply because it is a part of a great series, but don't expect to find all the elements in this one that we all have come to love and expect. I am giving this one three stars simply because it is the SSR and because it is Harrison who wrote it. It is probably deserving of only two stars at most though.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

The Rat gets busted robbing a mint, and gets put on trial for his life. His only problem is that the trail comes after the execution.

However, the League has a job for him, and used the Life Model Decoy gambit to get him out of it, and promptly poisons him.

He has to track down an alien artifact on a prison planet. So, as a cover for being a prisoner type, he forms a rock band, the Stainless Steel Rats, natch.

An extensive send-up of Iron whassisname in the woods guy in the latter part of the book, as well.

Amusing as usual.

The Stainless Steel Rat is not to be mocked. This man knows where you live... This book is, just like the other books excellent. I have read all of the SSR books, in and out of order and this one holds up just as well as the others. Dont just buy this one, buy them all. Bolivar

Whaddaya mean this is the worst of the bunch? Now, I'm a serious rat fan; I've read almost all the SSR books, and this one fits in very nicely! It's got a fairly good plot, altheough characters don't really need to pop out of nowhere like that.

I'm a long time Rat fan, but this is the first Rat novel in 8 years that I have read. Either my tastes have changed, or this one really blows. The adventure seemed forced and contrived, aren't they all, but this one even more so. I mean come on, the Rat practically surrenders after a failed bank job! I love all the previous adventures, but I absolutely hated this one. It was so boring and pointless. The Rat is really conned on this one and so is the reader.

"The Stainless Steel Rat" series of SF adventures is one of the most interesting and exciting sequences of novels ever published, and I was looking forward to reading this one. It is as good as the others...

...Unfortunately, it is pretty much the same as the others. That isn`t a criticism- I don`t mind reading a series of similar novels, as long as they are good, but you do get a distinct feeling of deja vu when Jim is picked up by the Interworld police, and is forced to go on a suicide mission no-one else will accept, etc, etc.

On the whole, though, the book is good, albeit somewhat ripped off "Escape from New York". There are also a few bits when you will wince- Harrison`s lyrics for the Rat`s band are just plain embarrassing, as are some of the rather heavy handed jokes. Overall, though, rather good.