A Stainless Steel Trio / Harry Harrison

A Stainless Steel Trio

category: science fiction, humour, author:

Harry Harrison

contains books 1, 2 & 3 of Stainless Steel Rat
original copyright 1985/87/94,
read in October 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 5 out of 10

A Stainless Steel Trio contains the first -- is story chronology -- three stories of the Stainless Steel Rat series. I have already reviewed the first novel, A Stainless Steel Rat is Born. In that review I wrote, "By the end of the volume -- I suspect that I will have raised my rating..." I was wrong.

The second and third novels -- The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted and then Sings the Blues -- take problems from the first and make them worse.

The Rat himself is strong, intelligent, agile, good at everything... When he was Born he was learning. Now, he is perfect. Yukk!

Worse yet, everyone else is a fool, a total moron, weak, or strong but uncoordinated. In the army the Rat does meet -- as he tells us -- the one person who actually earned the medals that he was wearing... So what happens? The Rat runs, then picks on the next person in line, who is the standard strong but thick moron.

There is a handful of more capable characters. These all turn out to be bad guys who are revealed then easily defeated, or good guys who recognise the greatness of the Rat and swoon at his feet. Sheesh! Two-dimensional boredom!

In an introduction, Harrison claims that the Rat's adventures in the army reflect Harrison's own period as an army draftee. Sorry, but it takes more than bitter memories to create humour.

It's quite a few years since I read the original -- first written -- Stainless Steel Rat novel. I remember enjoying it, quite a lot. Has my taste in books changed so much? Or has Harrison simply grown old and retreated into the simplicity of churning out formulaic potboilers based on sarcasm and stupidity...

Oh well. A least these books are light enough to read quickly.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

A Stainless Steel Rat is Born / Harry Harrison

A Stainless Steel Rat is Born

category: science fiction, humour, author:

Harry Harrison

book 1 -- in story chronology -- of A Stainless Steel Rat
original copyright 1985,
read in October 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

In his introduction to the three-novel volume, A Stainless Steel Trio, Harry Harrison writes that these books are picaresque. As with the author himself, I checked my dictionary... or, rather, Wikipedia. A picaresque novel can be, "an episodic recounting of the adventures of an anti-hero on the road."

A good description! Unfortunately, this story is just a bit too episodic. Too many characters coming and going, with too loose a thread to hold it together.

I also have one major problem with the central development that forms the unifying thread.

The "Stainless Steel Rat" is -- in this prequel -- a youngster, just starting out in his life of picaresque anti-heroism. To support his need for a criminal education, The Rat seeks out a past anti-hero, The Bishop. The Rat sets a trap and The Bishop takes the bait. So far, so good.

Unfortunately The Bishop does not want to train The Rat. So they part, on amicable terms.

Then The Bishop gets arrested. The Rat rescues The Bishop and the anti-hero mentoring begins.

What?! The Bishop makes mistakes and gets arrested?! After 50 or so years of successful crime?? No way!

The way I see it, The Bishop has set up his own arrest and trial. He has changed his mind and decided, after all, to train The Rat. So The Bishop sets the trap and this time it's The Rat who takes the bait.

That's the way it must have happened. It's a pity that Harry Harrison did not realise the truth...

Ah well...

I rated this "first" Rat book as a six. I'm reading this novel in a volume containing three "early" Rat stories. By the end of the volume -- I suspect that I will have raised my rating...

The Stainless Steel Rat stories are a lot of fun. This first one is just a little bit strained, perhaps by too much story for one novel...

Agamedes' opinion, six out of ten: Read to pass the time. But if you're like me, you will enjoy the reading.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.