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The Stainless Steel Rat
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
- Series: Stainless Steel Rat, Book 1
- Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
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The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge
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DiGriz and Angelina are happily married and expecting the birth of their sons. The planet Cliaand is waging interstellar war, and against the odds, its Grey Men are invading and taking over planet after planet. The Rat is sent to Cliaand to start a one-man guerrilla campaign to put a stop to the plans of the planet's leader, Kraj. He is aided by the Amazons, a force of liberated freedom fighters, and eventually by his wife who arrives to help him win the war and keep him out of the arms of the Amazons.
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If you like the rat you'll like this one
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
By: Harry Harrison
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The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 3
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The villainous He has travelled back in time to mankind's distant past on the legendary planet Earth (or 'Dirt') of 1984, where he is altering events so that people who opposed him in the Rat's present cease to exist, Angelina amongst them. Using the Helix, a time-travel device invented by the Special Corps' Professor Coypu, diGriz travels to 1984 America, and then to Napoleonic France where tanks and aircraft are helping bring about Napoleon's victory.
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One Step Behind
- By Sandy on 10-02-14
By: Harry Harrison
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The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 4
- By: Harry Harrison
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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After saving the world, diGriz is called on to save the universe. Liberating his two, now teenage, twin' sons from a military boarding school and penitentiary, diGriz sets out to free his wife, who has been arrested by the tax men. But the family is soon fighting an enemy of a different sort, when the humans-only galaxy of the League is invaded by all manner of hideous aliens.
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Ok, but not as good as the previous novels.
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
By: Harry Harrison
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A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 6
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- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Slippery Jim is here a brash 17-year-old who has left his parents' porcuswine farm, planning to embark on a life of crime. The book opens with Jim bungling a bank job so that he can be arrested and sent to prison, where he plans to learn the art of being a master criminal. Deciding that the Bishop should be his mentor, Jim sets about proving himself worthy of the master's attention.
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The backstorry on Jim
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
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The Stainless Steel Rat for President
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 5
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This time the Special Corps has given the Rat a daring assignment: liberate a backward tourist planet from the clutches of an aging dictator. With his lovely but lethal wife, Angelina, and his two stalwart sons, James and Bolivar, diGriz pits ballots against bullets in the fight for freedom. He's vowed to restore truth, justice, and democracy to the world of Paraiso-Aqui, even if he has to lie, cheat, and steal to do it!
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A good novel
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
By: Harry Harrison
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The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 7
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- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
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Jim was left in the custody of the League Navy, this story opens with him escaping from his prison cell on the League base on Steren-Gwandra, where he is awaiting deportation back to his home world. He has discovered that Bibs, a crew girl from Captain Garth's ship, is also a prisoner. Jim holds Garth responsible for the Bishop's death, and plans to hunt him down, with Bibs' help. Garth is really the crazed Captain Zennor, head of an army which continually defies League peace treaties, and now plans to invade and conquer the planet Chojecki.
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Good, but losing steam
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
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The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge
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DiGriz and Angelina are happily married and expecting the birth of their sons. The planet Cliaand is waging interstellar war, and against the odds, its Grey Men are invading and taking over planet after planet. The Rat is sent to Cliaand to start a one-man guerrilla campaign to put a stop to the plans of the planet's leader, Kraj. He is aided by the Amazons, a force of liberated freedom fighters, and eventually by his wife who arrives to help him win the war and keep him out of the arms of the Amazons.
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If you like the rat you'll like this one
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
By: Harry Harrison
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The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 3
- By: Harry Harrison
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
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Overall
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Performance
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The villainous He has travelled back in time to mankind's distant past on the legendary planet Earth (or 'Dirt') of 1984, where he is altering events so that people who opposed him in the Rat's present cease to exist, Angelina amongst them. Using the Helix, a time-travel device invented by the Special Corps' Professor Coypu, diGriz travels to 1984 America, and then to Napoleonic France where tanks and aircraft are helping bring about Napoleon's victory.
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One Step Behind
- By Sandy on 10-02-14
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The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You
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After saving the world, diGriz is called on to save the universe. Liberating his two, now teenage, twin' sons from a military boarding school and penitentiary, diGriz sets out to free his wife, who has been arrested by the tax men. But the family is soon fighting an enemy of a different sort, when the humans-only galaxy of the League is invaded by all manner of hideous aliens.
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Ok, but not as good as the previous novels.
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
By: Harry Harrison
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A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born
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Slippery Jim is here a brash 17-year-old who has left his parents' porcuswine farm, planning to embark on a life of crime. The book opens with Jim bungling a bank job so that he can be arrested and sent to prison, where he plans to learn the art of being a master criminal. Deciding that the Bishop should be his mentor, Jim sets about proving himself worthy of the master's attention.
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The backstorry on Jim
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
By: Harry Harrison
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The Stainless Steel Rat for President
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 5
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This time the Special Corps has given the Rat a daring assignment: liberate a backward tourist planet from the clutches of an aging dictator. With his lovely but lethal wife, Angelina, and his two stalwart sons, James and Bolivar, diGriz pits ballots against bullets in the fight for freedom. He's vowed to restore truth, justice, and democracy to the world of Paraiso-Aqui, even if he has to lie, cheat, and steal to do it!
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A good novel
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
By: Harry Harrison
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Jim was left in the custody of the League Navy, this story opens with him escaping from his prison cell on the League base on Steren-Gwandra, where he is awaiting deportation back to his home world. He has discovered that Bibs, a crew girl from Captain Garth's ship, is also a prisoner. Jim holds Garth responsible for the Bishop's death, and plans to hunt him down, with Bibs' help. Garth is really the crazed Captain Zennor, head of an army which continually defies League peace treaties, and now plans to invade and conquer the planet Chojecki.
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Good, but losing steam
- By Cliff on 02-11-14
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The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 8
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Things aren't going well for Slippery Jim diGriz. First there was the robbery of the Mint on Paskönjak that went terribly wrong, and then that little matter of a death penalty. And last but not least, there's the deal Slippery Jim cuts with the authorities, which, on reflection, doesn't look much better than slow death. In exchange for his life, Slippery Jim must retrieve a missing alien artifact from the planet Liokukae - a dumping ground for the Galactic League's misfits, murderers, maniacs, and the incurably obnoxious.
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Time to stop.
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By: Harry Harrison
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The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell
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Jim and Angelina are on holiday on the paradise planet Lussuoso, where the very, very rich can avail themselves of rejuvenating treatments and become young again. Just when boredom seems about to set in, Jim learns that Angelina has disappeared, seemingly the victim of a religious scam. Evil genius Justin Slakey has a machine that allows him to travel between universes. He uses it to prey on religious believers, tricking them out of their money and then using them as slaves in his coal mines. Aided by his twin sons, James and Bolivar, Slippery Jim descends to a planet that seems to be a real-life version of Hell....
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Hellish Inconsistencies and Fun Finale
- By JP on 07-22-18
By: Harry Harrison
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The Stainless Steel Rat Joins the Circus
- Stainless Steel Rat, Book 10
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Imperetrix Von Kaiser-Czarski is the richest man in the universe, and someone is systematically robbing all of his banks. He decides that the best course of action is to set a thief to catch a thief, and the best thief of them all is one Slippery Jim diGriz. Sceptical at first, Jim is soon won over by the promise of four million credits a day, plus expenses. Jim and Angelina enlist the help of their twin sons, James and Bolivar, and James' computers soon find the common link between all of the robberies: every time a bank was hit, there was a circus in town.
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James Bolivar “Slippery Jim” diGriz, Special Corps agent, master con man, and interstellar criminal (retired), is living high on the hog on the planet Moolaplenty when a long-lost cousin and a shipful of swine arrive to drain his bank account and send him, and his lovely wife, Angelina, wandering the stars on the wildest journey since Gulliver’s Travels.
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Great book
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always a favorite
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It was the perfect solution - put highly connected Captain Willard Phule in charge of the worst dregs of the Space Force. Sure, Phule's Company may be a band of rejects and misfits, but they did manage to save the day with their unorthodox methods. Embarrassed, the Space Force may have found the perfect equation for disaster: Assign Phule's pack of oddballs to save the Fat Chance Casino from a criminal take over. Phule's Company may stop the mob...but who will save the casino from them?
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Another great job
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By: Robert Asprin
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A Phule and His Money
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Captain Willard Phule has whipped his troops into shape, turning Phule's Company from the laughingstock of the Legion into...a crack team of casino security guards. Now his company is deployed to help an underdeveloped planet. And what better way to utilize their major area of expertise - goofing off - than to turn the planet into the biggest intergalactic playground ever?
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This Phule's had a lot of ups and downs. All good ones.
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By: Robert Asprin, and others
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No Phule like an Old Phule
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What's a millionaire bachelor to do? Join the army - with his butler - of course. Desperate to kick Phule out of the Space Legion, General Blitzkrieg sends a crack team of environmental investigators - including celebrity canine Barky the Environmental Dog - to sniff out Phule and his unnatural disasters. It doesn't take long. Phule is hosting a group of big-game hunters who think they can bag a dinosaur on Zenobia. Needless to say, dinosaurs are not a native species. But cold, hard facts never stopped a Phule....
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Love all of Robert Asprin's Books
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By: Robert Asprin, and others
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Phule Me Twice
- Phule's Company, Book 4
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You can't mistake just anyone for a Phule. When the planet Zenobia is invaded, Captain Willard Phule is made their military advisor. The first priority for Phule's Company: staying out from underfoot of the peaceful, dinosaurlike Zenobians.... But, unbeknownst to the Zenobians, they're getting two Phules for the price of one. A robot double of Phule appears out of nowhere. And only the real Phule knows who the real Phule is....
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Just plain fun
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By: Robert Asprin, and others
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Captain Willard Phule is the only officer in the Space Legion with his own butler, but Beeker has stuck with him through thick and thin. Which is why Phule simply can't comprehend why his butler would run off-planet without a word - and take with him Omega Company's lovely new medic....
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Excellent reading of a hilarious book
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Deathworld
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Story
Deathworld centers on Jason dinAlt, a professional gambler who uses his somewhat erratic psionic abilities to tip the odds in his favor. He is challenged by a man named Kerk Pyrrus (who turns out to be the ambassador from the planet Pyrrus) to turn a large amount of money into an immense sum by gambling at a government-run casino. He succeeds and survives the planetary government's desperate efforts to steal back the money.
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Not as good I remembered
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West of Eden
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Sixty-five million years ago, a disastrous cataclysm eliminated three quarters of all life on Earth. Overnight, the age of dinosaurs ended. The age of mammals had begun. But what if history had happened differently? What if the reptiles had survived to evolve into intelligent life? In West of Eden, best-selling author Harry Harrison has created a rich, dramatic saga of a world where the descendants of the dinosaurs struggled with a clan of humans in a battle for survival.
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Narration is flat and monotonous.
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By: Harry Harrison
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.
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What listeners say about The Stainless Steel Rat
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Terry
- 10-14-10
Great To See An Old Friend Back
I have been a keen Rat reader for over 30 years. In recent times I have switched to audion books a bit more and was delighted to see my old friend Slippery Jim making a comeback in the updated audio format, and not before time. This is the first in the series of Rat books and one of the best, the narrator does a fine job with all the characters and story. Old time Rat fans like me will love it, newbees will have a chance to discover one of the best sci-fi characters ever written. Enjoy.
17 people found this helpful
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Overall
- M. Stephenson
- 10-28-10
A Rat Race Worth Running!!
Hands down, this is one of the most entertaining and engaging SF audiobooks I have purchased from Audible, and you don't want to know how many I have. For one thing, as a dyed-in-the-wool SF fan for almost 50 years, it was great to revisit one of the most memorable characters from the wacky space operas of the 1960s, of which Harry Harrrison and his contemporary, Keith Laumer, were masters. This is a thoroughly entertaining, nutty story, well-written, satirical and charming.
Now, as to Phil Gigante's reading. Calling it a reading or a narration is a gross misrepreentation of one of the most entertaining performances I have yet encountered in my huge Audible collection. His tone and delivery is absolutely, flawlessly perfect for DiGriz -- sardonic, larcenous but totally suggestive of the "diamond in the rough" that is the Stainless Steel Rat. Not only that, but the range of voices and accents that Mr. Gigante is able to project, effortlessly phasing from one to another without missing a best, is nothing less than astonishing. At times, I almost forgot I was listening to an audiobook, but instead an old radio play such as X-Minus-One or Dimension X. I frequently caught myself laughing aloud not only at Harrison's turns of phrase but also Gigante's perfect timing and delivery.
If you like wacky, vintage space opera told with humor and style, catch "The Stainless Steel Rat" ... if you can. They don't call him Slippery Jim DioGriz for nothing.
52 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Karen K
- 08-13-11
Fun story, great narrator
I got this during a 3 for 2 sale and feel I got quite the bargain. I have always been a fan of Phil Gigante's narrating abilities so after reading previous reviews and seeing that Phil was the reader I jumped in. This was great fun, with wit, some surprising twists, and futuristic sci-fi thrown in. I enjoyed Mr. Harrison's writing. This is the introduction and so we are just starting to delve into Slippery Jim's psyche and character. I didn't like Angelina so much and with the way the story ended I am curious to see how she will be redeemed in the next installment.
I got the feeling that these books were written some time ago, having enjoyed Sci-Fi for over 35 years, and investigation proved that to be true. However, that doesn't detract from the overall story or narration. It is still well worth the credit and the listen. I look forward to purchasing the entire series. My only regret is that, at the time of this review, Harry Harrison is 86 and his writing has slowed down, so we can't look forward to too many more of the Stainless Steel Rat stories.
9 people found this helpful
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- Cliff
- 10-18-13
An all-time classic
Where does The Stainless Steel Rat rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It is above average.
What did you like best about this story?
Slippery jim is one of the best rogue characters of all time.
Which character – as performed by Phil Gigante – was your favorite?
Slippery Jin, of course.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
The title of the book, says it all
Any additional comments?
Keep in mind the book was published in 1961 and is a compilation of two short stories from the late 1950's so it's a bit dated. It holds up superbly as a story. Plus it's about the only book where you'll hear about Esperanto.
16 people found this helpful
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Overall
- SFF11C
- 01-09-11
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.
15 people found this helpful
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- bibliophilelinda
- 10-15-10
Awesome narration
Perhaps I'm already biased because Phil Gigante is one of my absolute favorite narrators, but I thought he did a brilliant job with this campy sci fi tale. The characters were clearly distinguisable and sounded exactly as I had imagined. The story, too, is an excellent cops-n-robbers tale turned on its head. Definitely a recommend listen.
14 people found this helpful
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- David
- 03-11-13
Engaging, overdramatic and fun SCIFI.
What did you love best about The Stainless Steel Rat?
The over the top performance and story line. A pleasure, guilty or not.
What did you like best about this story?
The narration. It wouldn't be the same story without this 'fits like a glove' narration.
What does Phil Gigante bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
A star performance.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
A bad idea in the twenty-fifth millennium.
Any additional comments?
The story is fun. The action compelling. I hope to hear more episodes.
4 people found this helpful
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- Joel D Offenberg
- 10-16-10
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.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Dustin
- 01-30-11
A fun engaging story
This is a fun little story and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's short, just about 5 hours long, but there's a great story compacted in those short hours. It's a light read that you can listen to while you're working, and I've found this is a book that I keep listening to over and over again.
8 people found this helpful
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- Mike B
- 03-02-13
Great listen, Hilarious
Phil Gigante did a great job in interpreting this book. I had read the book years ago and his reading and his interpretation of this book had me in stitches. His portray of 'Slippery Jim' DiGriz's inner thoughts and under the breath comments were great and made this a really enjoyable listen. He captured arrogance, brilliance, and morals of Jim. Great job Phil!
After listening to this book again it was very hard to believe that it was written in 1961 by Harry Harrison and there is nothing that makes this book a dated SciFi story today.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Stephen
- 11-20-12
Absorbing narrative style for a classic book
I was first introduced to The Stainless Steel Rat back in the late 1970’s when he appeared in the late great and sadly missed 2000AD comic of the era. Since then I have read the books and loved every one of them.
This absorbing narrative style by Phil Gigante rounds the character off perfectly for me, filling out the character as I remember him in the comic version back in the day, well deserving of the name “slippery” Jim DiGriz. I always imagined his character being acted on screen by Lee Marvin, which is close to how he was drawn in the comic strip.
For those who have not met “The Rat”, he is a confident and well-established con-man, expert and accomplished bank robber and a master of lies, disguise and martial arts. He can talk his way out of almost anything and claims to provide entertainment for the enjoyment of humanity.
He also has a strong sense of morality, making sure before he steals from any corporation, that they have fully paid-up insurance so that they have a chance of claiming compensation “after the event”.
His wife, Angelina, is a little more ruthless and a lot more willing to kill. Their two sons, James and Bolivar, fortunately follow after their father.
If you are a fan of Harry Harrison’s protagonist, you probably will not be too disappointed in this well presented audio narrative, delivered with an easy style which is in perfect harmony with the character it portrays.
3 people found this helpful
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- Claire Gammon
- 02-23-21
Stainless Steel Rat is Back
loved the original books and the narration brought the story i used to read back to life
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- Af Sheader
- 04-02-20
Still awesome
Realised in 1961 and still has not dated. I’ve read and listens to it several times and still makes me smile. Thanks Harry 👍🏻
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- Devourer of worlds
- 04-25-19
A little dated, but a great central character
The gender roles very much of their time, but the anti hero joie de vive is great fun.
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- Jockum Svanberg
- 02-12-19
Flat and rushed
The narration was excellent, but the narrative felt rushed and jumped around a lot with not enough time for character development.
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- A J MCGARRY
- 01-31-19
A fun story
A very light hearted sci-fi story with only a few dark points. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
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- Danny O'Hara
- 01-19-19
Old classic, well read
I loved Slippery Jim as a character when I was a teen, and OK the style is a bit dated nowadays but still a lot of fun. Performance was great, and suited the style very well. Really enjoyed this trip back to my youth.
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- In car listener
- 10-18-18
Excellent narration, true to the Rat's spirit.
The book is over 50 years old, and although it shows age in a few places it holds up quite well. The pace bounds along with reckless enthusiasm, and the Rat himself could easily be taken from a more modern age.
What really brings the book alive though is Gigante's reading. He captures the Rat's permanently-amused outlook on life perfectly, and you really get the impression he's regaling a bunch of drunks at a seedy bar somewhere downtown, cigar in one hand and bottle of Syrian Panther Sweat in the other.
In this instance, the quality of narration far outweighs the actual story itself, which isn't to say the story is poor.
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- Anony-mouse
- 06-26-18
2 dimensional comic book story
Revisited out of nostalgia: I read this series as a teenager after reading about the stainless steel rat in 2000AD.
The story is uninspiring without a twist or any drama & characters are 2 dimensional: fine for a comic book. Audio performance is not great. I won’t be revisiting anymore in the series. Pity.
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-18-18
Steel Rat trap!
Great story that I originally read roughly forty years ago. Thought I’d reread/listen again for nostalgia. The book is still good but it’s delivered terribly by the
Narrators awful accent and strange accentuation of the story
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- Astute Shopper
- 04-08-18
A rip roaring whimsical action sci-fi
From the golden age of sci-fi. Replete with political incorrectness and archaic values from that time. it's one of the few laugh out loud SciFi's where the tech is almost irrelevant and the guile of the protagonist delightfully unapologetic.
1 person found this helpful
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- Gavin
- 09-10-18
Annoyingly sexist elements ruin otherwise fun time
Very hard to grit your teeth past them but if you can swallow it then the Rat is really fun and P Giante's reading is really excellent.