Book Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (Highest Rating)
Audiobook Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (Highest Rating)
Bottom Line: A first-rate sci fi book that pokes fun at the genre while also introducing iconic characters and delving into some interesting moral dilemmas.
The Stainless Steel Rat is Harry Harrison’s classic book that introduces us to the intergalactic criminal mastermind with a good heart James Bolivar diGriz who also goes by the book’s titular name. He lives in the distant future when humans have spread out across the galaxy and initially makes a good living for himself as a con-man, thief, and swindler. But he is captured and enlisted by the “Special Corps” and goes undercover as an operative for that mysterious organization. In his first mission, he is sent after the female criminal named Angelina, but starts to develop a mutual respect for her and amorous feelings as well.
The character was first introduced in the short story “The Stainless Steel Rat” which appeared in Astounding magazine in 1957. Harrison later fleshed that out to a novel and eleven sequels would follow over Harrison’s lifetime. In many ways, this book is a sci fi parody with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but it does not go quite into Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy territory as it presents more of a sly and witty take on the genre.
The Stainless Steel Rat also presents some interesting philosophical meanderings, though some of that requires digging into the subtext. The main character is happy to expound on his philosophy of life (it is written in the first person), and he definitely places great value on the individual and personal freedom. But diGriz ultimately finds himself manipulated by the Special Corps and by Angelina, so the freedom he believes he possess is definitely questionable. Plus his justifications for his criminal activity and the decisions he wrestles with while working for the Corps present some interesting moral quandaries. All of this makes for a fun and enticing read and elevates the book to more than just a simple parody of the sci fi genre.
Enhancing the experience of this delightful book is the audio version that is narrated by Phil Gigante. The highly enthusiastic, heroic, Buzz Lightyear voice he employs for the main narration and for diGriz works perfectly with the material and takes it to the next level for an audio production. His voices for the other characters also add to the overall experience and make this a first-rate audiobook. I have only one complaint about the audio version and that is that it is DRM Protected. I purchased this through AudiobooksNow.com and I can listen as long as I have an account with that service. But I can’t download it in MP3 format for archival purposes like I can with most of their other books. But that is only a nitpick and don’t let that stop you from enjoying this must-read sci fi entry that is perfectly brought to life with its audio production.
Audiobook Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (Highest Rating)
Bottom Line: A first-rate sci fi book that pokes fun at the genre while also introducing iconic characters and delving into some interesting moral dilemmas.
The character was first introduced in the short story “The Stainless Steel Rat” which appeared in Astounding magazine in 1957. Harrison later fleshed that out to a novel and eleven sequels would follow over Harrison’s lifetime. In many ways, this book is a sci fi parody with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but it does not go quite into Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy territory as it presents more of a sly and witty take on the genre.
The Stainless Steel Rat also presents some interesting philosophical meanderings, though some of that requires digging into the subtext. The main character is happy to expound on his philosophy of life (it is written in the first person), and he definitely places great value on the individual and personal freedom. But diGriz ultimately finds himself manipulated by the Special Corps and by Angelina, so the freedom he believes he possess is definitely questionable. Plus his justifications for his criminal activity and the decisions he wrestles with while working for the Corps present some interesting moral quandaries. All of this makes for a fun and enticing read and elevates the book to more than just a simple parody of the sci fi genre.
Enhancing the experience of this delightful book is the audio version that is narrated by Phil Gigante. The highly enthusiastic, heroic, Buzz Lightyear voice he employs for the main narration and for diGriz works perfectly with the material and takes it to the next level for an audio production. His voices for the other characters also add to the overall experience and make this a first-rate audiobook. I have only one complaint about the audio version and that is that it is DRM Protected. I purchased this through AudiobooksNow.com and I can listen as long as I have an account with that service. But I can’t download it in MP3 format for archival purposes like I can with most of their other books. But that is only a nitpick and don’t let that stop you from enjoying this must-read sci fi entry that is perfectly brought to life with its audio production.
No comments:
Post a Comment