Fresh from discussing the lack of modern SF comedy, blogger Steven Gaythorpe gets his hands on some classic Harry Harrison. Here's his verdict:

HARRY HARRISON
THE STAINLESS STEEL RAT'S REVENGE
SPHERE SCIENCE FICTION
1974

In my previous blog I lamented the lack of funny science fiction and asked for suggestions of books I should try. The most popular choice was Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series. I decided to start my quest to find some laughs here and I trotted off to search my local charity shops. I managed to find an old copy of The Stainless Rat's Revenge for £2 in my local Oxfam, always a good place to find sci-fi and fantasy novels, though you'd be lucky to find a complete series and often have to start a trilogy or pentalogy with the second book.

This edition of the novel has one of those covers you just don't see anymore; a scantily clad Amazonian provocatively points a laser rifle at out hero - so scantily clad that she is obviously feeling the cold judging by her nipples, which like the Mona Lisa's eyes, seem to follow you around the room. On the back cover a selection of quotes, one in particular set alarm bells ringing in my ears. Harry Harrison, said the Daily Telegraph, is "the Monty Python of the spaceways". There are many things wrong with this statement but I let it go, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. (NB the latest Gollancz omnibus edition features the quote "Harry Harrison's classic caper novels should be on the reading list of every fan of fast-paced SF" from a magazine called SFX - Ed)

I first encountered Slippery Jim - the Stainless Steel Rat - when he was brought vividly to life by Carlos Ezquerra in the pages of 2000AD, way back in 1979. I really enjoyed these strips, and remember searching for the source novels in the local library, only to be told by a stern-faced librarian they didn't stock "that sort of book". I never found out what she meant. The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge starts very well with an ingenuous robbery at a tax collector's office, followed by a quick wedding to his pregnant girlfriend Angelina. To avoid the authorities they return to The Special Corps; the crime-fighting organisation staffed by former criminals, which they had left because they wanted a holiday.

Slippery Jim is immediately ordered to investigate how the planet Cliaand is able to wage interstellar war, something thought to be impossible in this universe. It's a good romp of a story, which clips along at a nice pace, though never amounting to much except a fun journey.

Jim di Griz reminded me a bit of George MacDonald Fraser's Harry Flashman, a lovable rogue. But he has none of that characters loathsome qualities, I wasn't outraged, or surprised, by anything the Rat did. Sure he is a thief, but he is very clear that he has morals. He is also a lively narrator, in the Sam Spade / Philip Marlowe mode, very American, with a quick-witted answer to everything.

I enjoyed the book, and will go and read the rest in the series. Harry Harrison is an engaging writer, I liked the universe he created and his characters are well drawn if uncomplicated. But it was not what I was looking for. It is my own fault, I shouldn't read a book expecting a laugh-out-loud, hilarious page-turner. The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge is enjoyable, light science fiction.

This is a personal article by Steven Gaythorpe.

Find out more about The Stainless Steel Rat over at the Wikipedia page, and details of the omnibus edition are here.

Are you a fan? Your thoughts welcome as always...