The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World

By: Harry Harrison

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

Man of steal: Listen to more in the Stainless Steel Rat series.

©1972 Harry Harrison (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

One Step Behind

Would you listen to The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World again? Why?

As the Saga goes on, Jim D, Has his hands full, Trying to save the World of his own Time Line & the time line of the past, which is one in the same thing, or is it?
Another great read from the Stainless Steel rat series. & the best when listened to on Audio Books.
By the way, if you have a hard time sleeping, Start your book, lay back, Close your eyes & get set for a Dream that is Out of This World. All that's missing is an Audio Repeat button for those short books
And here is another help for the Grand Parents, Are your little ones Visiting, have Audio Books do the BED-Time Stories, It Works Great!

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

I have yet to find any such Series that can hold an Match to the S.S.Rat series.

What does Phil Gigante bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

MUCH, Seeming how my Eye sight is failing & it is a Royal Pain to READ all the Pages. The Only thing that could be better (AND MORE EXPENSIVE ) would be a hint of Sound Effects.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No.

Any additional comments?

No.

3 people found this helpful

Well, how can saving the world not be good?

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

The Rat never gives up, always finds a way out and succeeds where others would fail out of sheer luck and charisma. The flamboyant and exuberant reading sells the character and the setting. Even though he's thrust into impossible situations, he'll find a hole in the wall to crawl through - or he'll chew his way out.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There's one main character - this is all first person narrative. Jim's ego is too big to have it any other way. It gives all of us wanna-be Rats hope and encouragement. Even in the bowels of ancient time, there's a way out.

What does Phil Gigante bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Phil Gigante is the perfect narrator for the Stainless Steel Rat collection. He makes the book sound in my ears like I see it in my head when I'm reading it. His reading is energized, indefatigable and buoyant, which matches the character perfectly.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This was when Jim was first being prepared to go back into time.

1 person found this helpful

Top Notch Story, Top Notch Performance

Harry Harrison delivers another exciting and witty novel and Phil Gigante delivers another flawless performance. All other audio novels I have listened to since pale in comparison to the first four Stainless Steel Rat works.

just plain fun

A wonderful romp through a far future. Sit back and enjoy. Don't over analyze it. It's just fun.

Bringing Back an Old Favourite

I read the "Rat" books quite a few years ago and loved them then. Still do. Phil Gigante's performance brings the books to life.

One of the stronger books, with a good reading

'Saves the world' is one of my favourite Rat books, and the reading by Gigante doesn't disappoint. His style is exactly the same as before in the other books and is perfectly suited to the Rat's character.

The time travel elements are a bit primitive, and although some of the paradoxes introduced are intentional, there are a few that don't make sense and aren't explained either. When the Rat travels back 32,000 years to what was then modern age is entertaining, and the final confrontation withe He at the end of Earth is well put.

The only real problem with this particular entry is that by design and plot the ending is very much Deus Ex Machina - the entire thing is wrapped up and solved in the space of a paragraph or two.