Stainless Steel Rat Series by Harry Harrison

The Stainless Steel Rat is a series of science fiction novels written by Harry Harrison. Originally created in 1961 there have been ten volumes in the series.

The Story revolves around the criminal genius James Bolivar diGriz, also known as "Slippery Jim" and "The Stainless Steel Rat". Jim is a futuristic con man, thief and all round rascal.

A master of disguise and acomplished martial arts expert, he also has a strong morality, only stealing from institutions that have insurance coverage.

The Character first appeared in a short story published in a 1957 edition of the "Astounding" magazine.

The novels follow Jims exploits as he is eventually captured by "The Corps" and must work for them in order to avoid a very lengthy prison sentence (or worse).

reviews in the series

The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World

by Harry Harrison

A master criminal from the far future, "He", is attempting to extinguish the Special Corps from its timeline. The Stainless Steel Rat travels to Earth, 1975, and then to Napoleonic France, to stop He from destroying the timeline - but discovers that his own actions might have brought He into being! Finally He is trapped in a time loop, saving the Corps.

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reviewed on Saturday 26 July 2008

The Stainless Steel Rat

by Harry Harrison

In the vastness of space, the crimes just get bigger and Slippery Jim diGriz, the Stainless Steel Rat, is the biggest criminal of them all. He can con humans, aliens and any number of robots time after time. Jim is so slippery that all the inter-galactic cops can do is make him one of their own

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reviewed on Saturday 26 July 2008

The Stainless Steel Rat for President

by Harry Harrison

The Stainless Steel Rat and Angelina enjoy a belated honeymoon on a planet run by a dictator who rigs elections to get into office, so they set the Rat up as a candidate instead. Very much a satire on banana republic politics and a parody of adventures set in Latin America

I regretted buying this book it the moment I had paid for it - I somehow had the feeling that it was going to let me down and leave me unable to pick up any of the other Steel Rat that I've missed (that wou...

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reviewed on Sunday 01 October 2000

The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge

by Harry Harrison

The Stainless Steel Rat gets married, but rapidly gets involved in something that so far has proven impossible in the galaxy - the planet Cliaand has successfully been invading other worlds. Jim is sent to investigate, and discovers the mysterious Grey Men behind Cliaand's success, encounters a world of feisty warrior women, and becomes father of twins (James and Bolivar).

The Stainless Steel Rat a.k.a. Jim de Griz goes of to stop the evil Cliaands from succeeding in interste...

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reviewed on Thursday 01 July 1999

The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You

by Harry Harrison

Slippery Jim diGriz, the future's master criminal tumed super-spy, is recruiting for an all-out interstellar war! Loathsome, mind sucking creatures from an unknown star are closing in on Earth. Once again it's up to the Stainless Steel Rat to save humanity. In a daring caper packed with action and laughs, the Rat goes undercover to stop the invasion-disguised as a hideous, bug-eyed extraterrestrial!

Jim de Griz (and family) once again takes on the job of saving humanity. Not as...

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reviewed on Monday 01 February 1999

A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born

by Harry Harrison

A novel chronicling the beginning of the Stainless Steel Rat's career. Young Jim diGritz has only one abition in life, to become a master criminal. He intentionally gets caught trying to rob a bank so that he will go to jail where he can learn from the masters of crime, only to realize (too late) that the true masters would never get caught. And so begins the Stainless Steel Rat

That tale of how de Griz started his career. We follow de Griz as he tries to learn how to be a mast...

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reviewed on Friday 01 January 1999