The first novel featuring James Bolivar ("Slippery Jim") diGriz. A 'fix-up'
and continuation of two short stories which originally appeared in
Analog. diGriz is a thief and conman who lives outside the rules of
society, and who occasionally - if reluctantly and in unorthodox manner - acts
as an agent for the Special Corps, a peace-keeping task force. His adventures
(up until 1999) fill ten books, and these are probably the most popular of
Harrison's books in terms of sales.
The Rat stories take place in some far future where the homeworld of Earth is
an all-but forgotten legend, and where the League seems to be slowly
disintegrating into a series of independent worlds with feudal societies -
resembling the Empire of Asimov's Foundation stories. The technology of
these planets consists of what Brian Aldiss calls "horrible Paleo-Industrial
artefacts" (Trillion Year Spree): steam-driven wagons and robots abound
in these societies which seem to exist in a far future Ruritania.
This book was adapted into a series of comic books.
In this first novel, 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 any more, 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.
New York: Pyramid, November 1961, 158pp., pbk. Cover: John Schoenherr. First appearance in book form.
as: Il Titano D'Acciaco. Milan: Ponzoni Editore, 30th November 1962. Translated by Pina Manzini. [Italian]
London: Four Square / New English Library, September 1966, 158pp., pbk. Cover photo: Bob Wright
as: Agenten Im Kosmos. Munich: Heyne, 1966. Reprinted 1971 (ISBN: 3-453-30893-X) and 1983. [German]
as: Estafador Interestelar. Barcelona: Editorial Ferma, 1967, 207pp. Translated by F. González Legorburu. [Spanish]
New York: Walker, 1970, 158pp., hbk. Jacket: Jack Gaughan
New York: Berkley, July 1971, 160pp., ISBN: 0-425-02015-0, pbk. Reprinted 1971. Cover: Powers.
London: Sphere, January 1973, 158pp., ISBN: 0-7221-4354-0, pbk. Reprinted November 1973 (ISBN: 0-7221-4356-7, Cover: Eddie Jones); August 1974 (ISBN: 0-7221-4281-8, Cover: Jones); May 1976 (ISBN: 0-7221-4409-1, Cover: Jones); July 1976 (ISBN: 0-7221-4356-7); April 1978 (ISBN: 0-7221-4437-7); 1978; 1979 (ISBN: 0-7221-4481-4); 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987; 1988 (Cover: Peter Elson.).
as: De Rat Van Roestvrij Staal, in: De Rat Van Roestrvrij Staal, and, De Stalen Rat Neemt Wraak. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff, 1974, 307pp., ISBN: 90-290-0248-4, pbk. Also contains The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge. Translated by Warner Flamen. [Dutch]
in: The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat. New York: Doubleday (Book Club), 1977, hbk. Also contains The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge, and , The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World. Jacket: Gary Viscupick.
as: Stålråttan Slår Till. Bromma: Lundwall Fakta & Fantasi, 1977, 146pp., ISBN: 91-7228-141-3. Translated by Gunnar Gällmo. Cover: Harry Bell. [Swedish]
Tokyo: Sanrio SF Bunko, 20th October 1978, 236pp. Cover: Eddie Jones. [Japanese]
in: The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat. New York: Berkley, 1978, p.3-126, ISBN: 0-425-03819-X, pbk. Also contains The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge, and , The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World. Reprinted 1983 (ISBN 0-425-04378-9); 1983 (ISBN: 0-425-96170-2); 1984 (ISBN: 0-425-09531-2).
as: Ruostumaton Teräsrotta. Tampere: John Books Oy, 1980, ISBN: 951-9247-01-7. Translated by Pekka Markkula. Cover: Kelly Freas. [Finnish]
as: Ratinox. Paris: Editions J.-C.Lattes, 1981, 246pp., pbk. Translated by Eric Chedaille. Illustrated by Keleck. [French]
as: Il Ratto di Acciaio Inossioable. Milan: Armenia Editore, April 1981. Translated by Giampaolo Cossato and Sandro Sandrelli. Cover: Franco Storchi. Also contains The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge. [Italian]
London: Severn House, March 1985, 158pp., ISBN: 0-7278-1132-0, hbk. First British hardback edition. Jacket: Nigel Hills.
New York: Ace, September 1986, 192pp., ISBN: 0-441-77924-7, pbk. Cover: Bryn Barnard.
New York: Bantam, October 1987, ISBN: 0-553-05220-9.
as: Le Rat en Ocier Inox. Paris: Editions J'ai Lu, 1992. ISBN: 2-277-23242-4. Translated by Eric Chedaille. [French]
London: Orbit, January 1988, 160pp., ISBN: 1-85723-199-6, pbk.
as: Stalratte Zeigt die Zaehne. Munich: Heyne, 1988, 188pp., ISBN: 3-453-02501-6. Translated by Wulf H. Bergner. Cover: Karel Thole. [German]
as: Rato de Aço Inoxidável. Lisbon: Fragmentos, 1988, 161pp. Translated by Maria do Rosário Baêna. [Portuguese]
as: Libro Primo: Jim DiGriz, Il Ratto d'Acciaio, in: Jim Digriz, L'Implacabile. Milan: Editrice Nord, November 1989, 567pp., ISBN: 88-429-0403-1. Translated by Giampaolo Cossato and Sandro Sandrelli. [Italian]
as: La Rata de Acero Inoxidable. Hospitalet Llobregat: Tridente, 1990, 245pp. Translated by José María Cruz. [Spanish]
as: Ruostumaton Teräsrotta. Helsinki: Like Kustannus Oy Ltd., 1996, 180pp., ISBN: 951-578-279-1. Translated by Pekka Markkula. [Finnish]
London: Orion, April 1997, 185pp., ISBN: 1-85798-498-6, pbk. Cover: Walter Velez. Reprinted December 1998.
Analog, May 1962, p.171. Review by P. Schuyler Miller.
Analog, April 1971, p.165. Review by P.
Schuyler-Miller.
"The exploits of Slippery Jim diGriz, the super-crook who was made into a
cop and set on the trail of a female of the species, as potent as himself.
It's far better than the sequel, which Walker has also published."
Amazing Stories, May 1962, p.138 and 141. Review by S.E.
Cotts.
"The story of Slippery Jim is told engagingly by Harry Harrison. It's fast
and lively reading in a style perfectly attuned to Slippery Jim's
character. Read it for light entertainment, but try to ignore a few
questionable psychological probings along the way."
Galaxy, August 1962. Review by Floyd C. Gale.
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction #133, June 1962.
p.87-88. Review by Alfred Bester.
National Review, 14th July, 1970, p.743-4. Review
"The Odd Coupling of Hugo and Edgar," by Theodore Sturgeon.
"A bad writer, if he writes enough, will come up with a good passage, a
memorable character, a remarkable insight. It is a statistical necessity.
What then are we to make of a writer who produces a whole book and never
does it - not once? ... There is in The Stainless Steel Rat an
embarrassment of scenes and situations, adventures, escapes, encounters,
gimmicks and gadgets ... It's all there - the beginning, the middle, the
end; you know who's going to win and who will lose. The protagonist ... is
as omnipotent as Mike Hammer, and as bruisable, and as indestructible, so
where is the suspense? And always, always, Mr. Harrison tells me, he does
not show me..."
The Stainless Steel Rat Series