The Stainless Steel Rat

Stainless Steel Rat, Book 1

By: Harry Harrison

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2011

DiGriz is caught during one of his crimes and recruited into the Special Corps. Boring, routine desk work during his probationary period results in his discovering that someone is building a battleship, thinly disguised as an industrial vessel. In the peaceful League no one has battleships anymore, so the builder of this one would be unstoppable.

DiGriz' hunt for the guilty becomes a personal battle between himself and the beautiful but deadly Angelina, who his planning a coup on one of the feudal worlds. DiGriz' dilemma is whether he will turn Angelina over to the Special Corps, or join with her, since he has fallen in love with her.

©2010 Harry Harrison (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Sci fi comedy

This a rare beast - science fiction that is humerous. Not side-splittingly, laugh out loud funny but more of a wry, dry style of writing. This was written in the 60's but has aged well. A good introduction to the series. Worth listening to more than once.

The reader was very monotone

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I love TSSR Series and this book is the first, well written. I wouldnt change the book just the guy reading it BORING.

What did you like best about this story?

Its original crime drama comedy sci fi my fav.

How could the performance have been better?

Different reader or even give it to GRAPHIC AUDIO to do a real performance of it. That would rock solid.

Do you think The Stainless Steel Rat needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It has a whole series even a prequel. No need

Any additional comments?

Just change the readers, add some sound effects, Graphic Audio as a template would make your audio books fly off the electronic shelves. I quit audibles because of the performance not because of the content. Just Saying. Have to keep me interested. The guy just put me to sleep and I was driving. I had to turn it off and put music on.

Fun story, great performance (mostly)

I loved the Stainless Steel Rat stories, so when this went on sale, it was a no brainer. If you don't know, expect action, wit, and a whole lot of retro pulpy fun. The story moves quickly and will be over far too soon. For those who buy print books, this is one-third of the stories contained in The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat.

The audio is brilliant. This goes beyond narration and becomes a performance, even changing the text ever so slightly to improve the immersion factor. You could easily believe that this a highly animated, very impassioned master thief who cornered you at a party and leaves you breathless at his tale.

I took one point off of the performance for a small issue. The narrator changes pitch and volume to enhance the performance, which works great for immersion, when I'm wearing my headphones, but it makes car listening difficult. He will drop so low you have turn up your sound, only to be blasted a second later as he describes an explosion onomatopoeically. If you listen with headphones or sitting in front of your computer doing something quiet, great. If you're in the car, watch out.

Jim and Angelina for ever

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories with a likable witty hero with a great sense of humour, imaginative science fiction (robo-cop, fully automated battleships), an interesting universe (where crime has been almost bred out of the populace), and a hot heroine-villain.

Any additional comments?

I have always loved the Stainless Steel Rat series, and I enjoy re-reading the books every one to two years. The narrator is brilliant and he has helped me to enjoy the books in a whole new way.

A classic - and, dated as one would expect

Originally read this in the early 80s. Very strong for its time but showing its age, for sure. The usual sci-fi oddities (newspaper robots) and more than a little casual sexism land differently than than did 40 years ago.

Great sears Try it you will like it

What made the experience of listening to The Stainless Steel Rat the most enjoyable?

Good story nothing serious just a relaxing story.

What did you like best about this story?

Good story nothing serious just a relaxing story.

Which character – as performed by Phil Gigante – was your favorite?

Jim Degrees

Waiting patiently for the movie sience 1985..

If you could sum up The Stainless Steel Rat in three words, what would they be?

Fun first-person action.

A favorite series from my Mother's collection, along with 'Deathworld' from Harrison. These were rightly on the shelf next to many Sci-fi classics. Before Owen 'Z' Pitt and Harry Dresden ......there was Slippery Jim. Phil Gigante gives a great preformance. I look forward to more of his work.

What other book might you compare The Stainless Steel Rat to and why?

Dresden Files, MHI.. I think Harrison was an influence.

What about Phil Gigante’s performance did you like?

Very good. Not the voice I expected, but masterfully done, made an old favorite fresh.

Kick back and relax

It's DiGriz again. Simple story line. Easy going, in like DiGriz. Just another day for a stainless steel rat.

Awesome

My first dip into the world of Harry Harrison, and found it great. I loved the character and the story and the way it progressed throughout. I cant wait to hear more. I found the humor spot on for me and the way of thinking of the main character was excellent. I highly recommend this story to anyone who is a fan of humorous Sci-fi.

More Rat, Please

Jim DiGriz is a suave man-about-town kind of thief...a high-class crook who gets caught ends up working for the law, not against it. DiGriz isn't a noble lawman or dedicated to fighting crime...he just realizes he's caught in the web of the Special Corps. Then he pursues a temptress named Angelina, who is a quite ruthless criminal. His hunt for the lovely Angelina becomes the focus of his life (and the story).

Somehow, I see Jim DiGriz as a cross between The Thin Man and Han Solo. This isn't high literature or something with a deep message...it's light, fun, entertaining and a bit campy. I did think the story bogged down a little towards the end, but not terribly so.

There are a lot of Stainless Steel Rat novels but only a couple on Audible...hopefully, more Rat is coming.

Phil Gigante's narration is very well done...just right for this campy spoof.