STAINLESS STEEL RAT GETS DRAFTED, THE

Rating:
Summary: A sequel to a prequel.
Review: First there was "The Stainless Steel Rat", our introduction to Slippery Jim DiGriz, aka the Stainless Steel Rat, a high-tech, futuristic conman and thief, who is caught after a long and successful career by the galactic special corps, and recruited to join them because it takes a thief to catch a thief. Then followed four more books in chronological order, "The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge", "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The World", "The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You", and "The Stainless Steel Rat For President". Then, apparently growing bored with the direction his stories were taking, Harrison retreated to the beginning and wrote the prequel, "A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born". This book is the sequel to that one, and is in turn followed by "The Stainless Steel Rat Sings The Blues".

There are dangers to writing prequels that were unplanned at the time the original story was written; this book mostly avoids them. It is necessary to make it plausible that the character/s have had these experiences prior to the later stories, and that their characters have developed from these experiences into the character/s they are at the beginning of the original. It is easy to see how the Jim DiGriz from this book became the Jim DiGriz at the beginning of the original. It is also necessary, and much more difficult, to make a story that is interesting, but yet have it remain plausible that the events in it are not referred back to in the chronologically later, but earlier written, stories. Surprisingly, that too is managed well in this book.

What that leaves us with is a book which succeeds well at what it sets out to do: to be a fun romp, action-packed, plot-driven, not to be taken any more seriously than it takes itself, which is not very, but enjoyable brain-candy. The dialogue is a bit stilted, the characters are somewhat two-dimensional, the "philosophy" propounded by the members of the alien culture is downright silly, and Harrison never lets a little thing like consistent characterization get in the way of keeping the plot lively; DiGriz is supposed to be brilliant, but he makes enough stupid mistakes to keep himself in one exciting crisis after another. This isn't anything like great art, but it IS fun, and sometimes that's all you want. For those times, this is a perfectly enjoyable light read.

Rating:
Summary: A sequel to a prequel.
Review: First there was "The Stainless Steel Rat", our introduction to Slippery Jim DiGriz, aka the Stainless Steel Rat, a high-tech, futuristic conman and thief, who is caught after a long and successful career by the galactic special corps, and recruited to join them because it takes a thief to catch a thief. Then followed four more books in chronological order, "The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge", "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The World", "The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You", and "The Stainless Steel Rat For President". Then, apparently growing bored with the direction his stories were taking, Harrison retreated to the beginning and wrote the prequel, "A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born". This book is the sequel to that one, and is in turn followed by "The Stainless Steel Rat Sings The Blues".

There are dangers to writing prequels that were unplanned at the time the original story was written; this book mostly avoids them. It is necessary to make it plausible that the character/s have had these experiences prior to the later stories, and that their characters have developed from these experiences into the character/s they are at the beginning of the original. It is easy to see how the Jim DiGriz from this book became the Jim DiGriz at the beginning of the original. It is also necessary, and much more difficult, to make a story that is interesting, but yet have it remain plausible that the events in it are not referred back to in the chronologically later, but earlier written, stories. Surprisingly, that too is managed well in this book.

What that leaves us with is a book which succeeds well at what it sets out to do: to be a fun romp, action-packed, plot-driven, not to be taken any more seriously than it takes itself, which is not very, but enjoyable brain-candy. The dialogue is a bit stilted, the characters are somewhat two-dimensional, the "philosophy" propounded by the members of the alien culture is downright silly, and Harrison never lets a little thing like consistent characterization get in the way of keeping the plot lively; DiGriz is supposed to be brilliant, but he makes enough stupid mistakes to keep himself in one exciting crisis after another. This isn't anything like great art, but it IS fun, and sometimes that's all you want. For those times, this is a perfectly enjoyable light read.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Harry Harrison Book Ever
Review: I have read a few of the other books in the stainless steel rat series but this one is by far the best. It starts with a young and very cunning Jimmy Digriz in search of a man who abandoned him on a planet and generally wasn't very nice. In his search he becomes a soldier and goes all over the galaxy. You are taken from one exciting planet to another you really feel as though you are with him . If you can get your hands on this book you have to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Not the first in the series but a good starting point
Review: I see that the cover art has changed since the first edition. I like the original artwork better and let me explain why... When the Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted was published I was lucky enough to get a job in my school's library in the back room where books were prepared for library use or repaired. This book was one of my first that I bound in the plastic dust covers. While carefully putting on the cover I had to read the blurb on the inside of the paper jacket. How could I resist a cover with such an impishly cute main character? The blurb made me want to read the book and so I read the first chapter in between working on other books. I knew I couldn't get away with hording the book so I bought a copy for myself (in paper back). I've since been lucky enough to find a hard back first addition so I'm registering my paperback copy.

Since this book introduced me to the Stainless Steel Rat series and to Harry Harrison as an author, it's still my favorite of all his books.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Science Fiction Satire / Adventure Story
Review: This is the book that got me started on the whole Rat series. This book is great! It is exciting, and humorous. I recomend it to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: It was an exciting, thrilling adventure, I loved it
Review: When I first starting reading Harry Harrison, I thought that he was an average writer. Later, however, I realized that he is far from average,. His earlier Stainless Steel Rat were not as good, but I think he was just getting used to the Slippery Jim diGriz character. "Stailess Steel Rat Gets Drafted" was not his best but definetly one of them.I would tell anyone to read this, in a second. Thanks for taking the time to read this review.