The Stainless Steel Rat for President

Stainless Steel Rat #8

by Harry Harrison

The Stainless Steel rat is back! Slippery Jim diGriz, the future's most lovable, laughable, larcenous conman turned counterspy, returns for yet another high-tension mission.This time the Special Corps has given the Rat a daring assignment - liberate a backward tourist planet from the clutches of an aging dictator. With his lovely but lethal wife, Angelina, and his two stalwart sons, James and Bolivar, diGriz pits ballots against bullets in the fight for freedom. He's vowed to restore truth, justice, and democracy to the world of Parisio-Aqui, if he has to lie, cheat, and steal to do it.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Comedy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy, Space Opera

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1982

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Harry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey) was an American science fiction author best known for his character the The Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966), the basis for the film Soylent Green (1973). He was also (with Brian W. Aldiss) co-president of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Election fraud! Oppressive regime! Tourism!

Wait, this isn't Cuba OR America! And the person on the cover of this book isn't Wil Wheaton!

But this poor planet, rife with absolute corruption and tourism, IS the next target for our redoubtable Stainless Steel Rat.

Back when I first read this one, I laughed my butt off. I mean, it originally came out in '82 and it was totally a Cuba and/or South America dictatorship slam, including the focus on free elections, but in our heart of hearts, we all knew it was about all the dirty, dirty tricks being played in politics on our own front doors.

So yes, throwing a little Rat into the works is VERY satisfying. Terrier for the Revolution!

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is left for the Stainless Steel Rat to fight for? Democracy, of course—a rather ironic struggle for Slippery Jim diGriz, who is much more at home in the criminal underworld. But Harrison couldn’t resist the politician-as-crook angle, so Jim must run for president of the planet Parisio-Aqui.

Harrison must have known a little Spanish and/or Esperanto, judging by the frequency of those languages showing up in the Rat books. If the reader has some familiarity with them, there are amusing little plays on words here and there.

Angelina, Jim’s wife, is still putting up with him and putting a damper on any wooing of lovely locals that he would like to do. And his grown sons, James and Bolivar, are chips off the old block. It seems to me that Jim’s alcohol intake may be a bit higher than in previous books, but his ability to think on his feet is still keeping him one jump ahead of his adversaries.

Harrison obviously was fond of the Stainless Steel Rat and enjoyed returning to see what he had been up to lately. This series has laid down templates for charming con-men and criminals in science fiction, introducing the less-than-innocent main character that is presented with humour and knowingness. Still, you wouldn’t want to read the books one right after the other, or the formula would become very cloying.

This is book number 179 in my science fiction & fantasy reading project.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The galaxy's greatest thief-turned-smartmouthed-secret-agent goes to a foreign planet to bring down the (not at all stereotyped) south-american rebel-general-turned-dictator.

(Seems familiar, but no idea when I might have read this...)

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're back to something approaching the realm of sanity with this book. Here Jim wants to run for the president. He'd make for a better job than great many people, that's for sure. He'd have my vote.

It's been quite nice to follow him over the years and see him slowly mature, though I still think there was a bit too much of a gap at one point.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

My political awareness dawned slowly and I would guess that is the way it happens for most people. When the Falklands were invaded by Argentina I thought it was a territorial dispute. When I read The Prince and The Art of War (cartoon version) as an undergrad I could not believe how blatently obvious the contents of both were. Somewhere in between, however, my awareness took a huge lurch forward in the time it took to read the 185p of this book.

I thought the whole thing was hilarious: not merely the cartoon violence and silly ego-boosting wise-cracks of the narrator, the Rat himself,but the idea of rigged elections and the "good guys" rigging things in order to defeat the Dictator and how the rigging was done and the propagandising - everything. I had no clue about such things prior - suddenly I was awakened to a whole new world of lying, cheating and moral compromise. Bit of a shock at the time and seemingly totally over the top.

But of course, I see from re-reading, the politics is tame compared to the realities of pseudo-democratic despot nations, the techniques deployed standard and the only unrealistic aspect of the whole thing the tiny body count.

Which brings up the topic of the tone of the book: the Stainless Steel Rat books are comedies and cartoon violence features strongly, played for laughs - up to the point of maiming or death. Then it is very serious and the Rat neither condones nor commits murder and struggles even to kill in self-defense. When such things happen the tone becomes very serious indeed. There are deaths in this book and I would guess Harrison thought they were an essential ingedient of the book because back on Earth people die in droves fighting against the kind of self-serving dictator portrayed in this book. They should not be laughed at. Iwould like to compare and contrast this with other writers of cartoon violence, particularly Eoin Colfer in his Fowl biographer mode, Derek Landy (of Skullduggery fame) and China Mieville - specifically his Un Lun Dun. The lattermost of these writers fails miserably to keep proper control over tone, where-as the others know exactly when and where humour is appropriate and the contrasting seriousness is necessary. Harrison here, seems to be like these other writers in that the Rat books seem firmly aimed at kids, yet they seem not to have been overtly marketed towards them.

The readily recognised political situation removed to other worlds is a standard SF idea but other SF ideas are thin on the ground. What few technological gizmos are described in any detail struck me as completely preposterous, on the second reading - I don't remember that being my reaction first time round.

Not long after reading this the first time, I read Harrison's A Trans-atlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! then watched the whole Channel Tunnel financial fiasco unroll thinking through-out, "I read about this in a Harry Harrison book..." So Harrison seems to be an author best read whilst young for the huge educational benefits available "hidden" in his OTT SF stories...

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uber-snarky intergalactic James Bond, if Bond were a family man and had a seemingly unlimited supply of just the right gasses, smoke-bombs and weaponry, and had a profound distaste for killing people. A quick fun read. Will seek out previous installments of the Rat's adventures. Harrison throws in a bunch of subtle goodies such as references to books concerning political dirty tricks as The Education of A Prince by Mac O'Velly. Snark.

[Thom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, like all of the series. In this episode, the Rat is tasked with cleaning up a corrupt banana republic - or was he? I forget the particular MacGuffin that started this one off. Less of the usual criminality, more of his moral code, and a clever way of ensuring things stay on the up-and-up for a while with his "dying wish".

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining adventure for Slippery Jim DiGriz and family. This time a much-belated honeymoon ends with the DiGriz tribe getting involved in politics in order to overthrow a dictator and bring democracy to a planet that people with even a passing knowledge of real life politics can't help but recognise. Do things get a little complicated? Underhanded? What do you think?

[Linda Isakson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another zany and fun rat adventure whereby this time he and Angelina are simply trying to enjoy a belated honeymoon but instead end up involved in overthrowing the corrupt government of Paradiso Aqui by becoming its next president! Of course, like all rat books, the story is full of social and political parodies (this time Latin American-type politics), loads of outlandish scheming, great dialogue, wonderful characters and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the stainless steel rat books. They are all quick reads with alot of humor in them. The stories remain fresh and new. Very recommended, especially to teen readers or someone new to SiFi

[Kat Hooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars audio version

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Fascist dictators, watch out — Slippery Jim diGriz is on the planet, and he’ll stop at nothing to secure freedom, peace, and representation for the people. Even if he has to lie, cheat, steal, and stuff ballot boxes to do it.

Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat series is lots of fun and you can’t help but love con-man Slippery Jim, his sadistic wife Angelina, and their twin sons James and Bolivar who are, for better or worse, chips off the old blocks. This time, in The Stainless Steel Rat for President, the whole family takes a vacation on a backward planet that’s modeled after a mid-20th-century Central American republic which is democratic in theory but in reality is being enslaved by a totalitarian dictator backed by a vicious military force. Even though they’re completely corrupt themselves, the diGriz family can’t stand to see innocent people suffering because they make their living stealing from corporations — not people (I’m not sure what kind of entities own, run, and otherwise make their livings from the corporations if it’s not people… but, I digress…).

No corrupt martial government is a match for the diGriz family. Armed with their combined good looks and sharp wits, a fast car, lots of cool gadgets, a wardrobe of disguises, and plenty of sleep gas and nose plugs, they set out to bring down the tyrant. And, of course, we know they will — the fun is in how they get it done and the trouble they run into along the way. The Stainless Steel Rat for President relies too heavily on the sleep gas (every time we think Jim’s bound to be caught, out it comes), and the story drags during some car chases, but there are many clever scenes and laugh-out-loud moments.

The best part, as I’ve mentioned before with this series, is the production by Brilliance Audio. These books are read by the riotously funny voice actor Phil Gigante who saves the day by providing constant diversion even when the plot sometimes can’t quite muster it up.

[Michael Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s remarkable how many books Harry Harrison spun out of this series. They’d be right up there as one of my favourite sci-fi humorous series, but there’s only so many time you can laugh at Slippery Jim calling people bowbs. It has the charm of familiarity, satisfies fans of the series and has Jim saving the only thing left in the galaxy to save: democracy. With the exception of religion. Oh wait, that’s the next book in the series.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and a fast read. This time the Stainless Steel Rat saves democracy (naturally in the most corrupt way possible) on a world based loosely on various 20th Century South American dictatorships. Set later in his career, this caper features not just Jim DiGriz, but also his wife and adult sons. One thing that I like is that even while DiGriz is kind of a male chauvinist pig, his wife Angelina is the more dangerous (and sometimes smarter) of the two.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing like the adventures of a Stainless Steel Rat to cheer up and energize this boys soul!

What the fuck was that cliffhanger fake-out, great stuff.

[Jimyanni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a vague memory of enjoying this series of books (and by extension, presumably this one) when I was in my late teens/early twenties, so I've given it a second star on the grounds that presumably, it has something going for it, even if I can't really remember what. But seriously, for a reader with more taste than a callow 20-year old, it isn't very good. The main character is supposed to be brilliant, but we know that because the author tells us so, not because we see much sign of it; he gets caught in stupid overconfidence about as frequently as he comes out on top, and has to scramble to survive. His wife and children are pretty one-dimensional as characters, the villains might as well have a handlebar mustache that they twirl, and many of the plot points are utterly ridiculous. Some of the time, I'm willing to grant that this is because the author is self-parodying, and it's done tongue-in-cheek for the purpose of poking fun at the genre. Clearly, it isn't intended to take itself seriously, but for the most part, the humor isn't all that funny. The relationship between the main character and his wife is a stereotypical one, or would be if it was normal for the woman to be a bloodthirsty, barely-reformed killer. You'd think that that "quirk" would avoid having her seem a mere sexist trope, but you'd be wrong. I suspect most of the popularity of this series comes from it having been written in the 1970s and '80s, when it was popular for young people to assume that they (or their heroes) were brilliant and anybody in any position of authority was A) stupid and incompetent and B) evil. I'm sure some young people still feel that way; those individuals may enjoy this book, and this whole series, tremendously. Others, maybe less so.

[Kynan · Rating 3 out of 5]

TL;DR: Easily my favourite of the series so far. This installment sees a little retconning of Slippery Jim's character as he tackles political injustice and dictatorships. All the fun of the previous books with less rampant sexism, but more rampant alcoholism. Win some, lose some 😁

TL: Twenty years after his appearance in The Stainless Steel Rat, 1982 sees the last installment of the original idea-train that made up the Stainless Steel Rat series. After this, Mr Harrison elected to delve into the early-life of Slippery Jim and the next episode, A Stainless Steel Rat is Born reboots the series somewhat.

Here, however, with a little bit of retcon-tweaking, diGriz is flaunted in his full, and mostly socially acceptable, glory. The story has all the familiar hallmarks of the series. Our strictly moral (albeit tangentially to more traditional morals) and rambunctious protagonist is back in all his alcohol-soaked glory (seems that alcohol replaced the rampant tobacco usage of the early books). The Special Corp has become aware of a planet being held under an iron-dictatorial-thumb and Slippery Jim and co are despatched to ensure that democracy prevails, by any means necessary.

The Stainless Steel Rat of this story is much older than when we met him, he's got two twenty-plus year old children, so he's at least that much older, although in the universe he lives in - approximately 32,000 years in our future - living to several hundred years old is not unheard of. Maybe we're witnessing the slow personality growth and accompanied self-delusion that ensures that we don't all actively loath our former selves, or maybe Mr Harrison attempted to retcon James into a slightly less ample target for contempt. The retconning I refer to turns up when diGriz states:

Since I was sure that all of my fellow tourists were male chauvinist pigs - unlike me - I was forced to fall into that role, no matter how personally unattractive I found it.

  
It could be taken either way as merely one book ago in The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You! he said:

"For the first time in my life I was ashamed of being a male chauvinist pig."

Whatever it is, I'm glad it happened because it meant that there's less to remove one from the fun of reading the book, and there's certainly a lot of fun to be had here!

As intimated above, Jim, Angelina, James and Bolivar are landed on Paraiso-Aqui to attempt to overthrow a heavy-handed dictator and insinuate democracy into the lives of the downtrodden peasants. Harry Harrison's usual light touch is present and I think he sums up the general opinion of many when he summarises the political class with:

The only thing politicians care about is getting elected, then re-elected.

I don't disagree, and I think it's extremely ironically humorous that someone described by Angelina as having "...personal beliefs [that fall] somewhere between fascism and anarchy." is the deliverer of freedom and democracy, taxes and social services, to the Paraiso-Aqialan serfs! There's a lot of nobility and politics being taken down a peg in this book (perhaps a touch more than what's in the rest of the series) as well as the usual set of improbable gadgets, grenades and spy-shennanigans.

Also on show is the longest and sternest of Jim's diatribes about the sanctity of life:

'What else is there more important than one person’s life? That is all he is ever going to have. All that any of us will ever have. One single shot at existence, with nothing before and nothing to come. What you see is what you get. That’s all there is, there ain’t no more.’
She shook her head. ‘But my religion tells of the afterlife …’
‘Good for you. I hope you enjoy the theology. I never knock another man’s beliefs, and in turn I expect to be respected for mine. Stated very simply, I face reality and admit that not only isn’t there anyone at home upstairs – there isn’t even any upstairs. I have one life and I intend to make the most of it. Therefore it follows naturally, that if I firmly believe this, why, then I cannot deprive another person of their turn at existence. Only the very self-assured political and religious zealots kill people in order to save them. Live and let live I say. Help the good guys and kick out the bad."

I think there's a lot to be said for this kind of respectful disagreement. Whether or not Jim entirely lives up to his "live 'n let live" philosophy is open to debate, I think he's quite happy to steam-roller over any whose beliefs stand between him and his desires, but at least partially it's the thought that counts.

I think this series in its entirety is probably something worth reading whilst young and impressionable. There are some great ideas (like the above) and a really, really solid dose of self-reliance and optimism that will definitely stand you in good stead for life (and if you're young-enough, perhaps you'll not notice the gaping holes between statement and action - or perhaps that's part of the lesson too).

Overall, this was the most solid of the tales so far. There're no time-machines, no weird space-warping, not even any whacky deus-ex-machina; just straight up hustle (with some gadgetry thrown in). It's got all the speed and cliff-hanging properties of the previous books and a Stainless Steel Rat with all the nasty corners ground off (perhaps except his prodigious appetite for alcohol, which is actively frowned upon - although encouraged - by Angelina and the boys). I enjoyed this a great deal and it's edging into four-star territory. Edging, but not quite.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I have seen presidential elections where ancient actors and proven crooks have been elected"

Written in 1982 but sadly, every bit as topical today, two days before the 2020 US presidential election. Seemed like a good time to read this 8th book in the Stainless Steel Rat series - here, Slippery Jim DiGriz is married to the lovely Angelina, father to 20-year old sons James and Bolivar, and on vacation to tropical paradise world Paraiso-Aqui. When a local revolutionary slips him a note asking for help freeing the oppressed population, the Stainless Steel Rat decides to take the results of the next rigged election into his own hands and bring a true democracy to the world, with fairly predictable hijinks ensuing a the old, corrupt dictator fights back. DiGriz and his family bring their wits, advanced technology, and cheesy brand of derring-do to yet another Stainless Steel Rat book. A fun if meaningless romp in the usual style, though I felt it was a bit of a lost opportunity to reflect a little more deeply on some of the themes. Heinlein could do this style of cheesy SF with some actual real political philosophy behind it (The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress springs to mind) and this felt a little lacking in comparison. Fun, but could have been more.

[Julie Bihn]

I picked this up in November 2024. Someone at a sci-fi/fantasy/horror convention I attend had passed away, and his book collection was left out for the taking, and this one caught my eye. It was written in 1982, but it feels like it's addressing issues we're seeing right now.

I'd never read any Stainless Steel Rat books, but I didn't have any trouble following the characters, with the exception of distinguishing the twins. The titular character is egotistical (in a kind of amusing way), and the hi-jinks of trying to topple a dictator are fun. It feels to me more like it was written to be published quickly, not to be polished into classic literature--not that there's anything wrong with that.

Given that it's from the 1980s, I wasn't surprised to find some rather low-key sexism. The only statement that I remember that felt unacceptable today wasn't sexism, but it was when (I believe) our hero calls someone a (let's say mentally disabled) cockroach. Given it was written more than 40 years ago, I'd expected to see more slurs than that.

If the title catches your eye and you want a bit of a diversion, this is worth a look. Or if you like action-packed heist stories that veer more toward the fantastical than the realistic, this book was made for you.

[Aricia Gavriel · Rating 2 out of 5]

So weird -- I didn't actually enjoy this one at all. It was okay, but there's such a thing as being *too* glib, flippant, whatever it is, and (for me) Harrison crossed the line with this one. I've heard that 'President' is not the best of the books, but I could only find three when searching for them at local venues where you can actually buy (remember, Amazon will no longer ship to Aus, on account of their inability (WFT???) to gather 10% GST -- which is ludicrous, because every other o/seas vendor is doing it easily. My guess is, Amazon wants to vector Aussie customers to their .com.au store, where you have 1% as much to choose from, at 10x the price! No way in heck, guys). Anyway ... sad to say, though I do like Harrison, and in the past I've thoroughly enjoyed Slippery Jim diGriz, aka The Stainless Steel Rat, this one was just not for me: the glib, offhand, flippant style was laid on too thickly for me to relish. Will try to track down other titles: better luck next time.

[Ian Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rat takes on crooked governments! After a plea for his aid results in the murder of the messenger the rat and his family travel to an isolated tourist planet and seek to overthrow the corrupt president by using his own tactics against him. Being the rat, of course, he does allow fair play to be triumphant but not until a cavalcade of escapades and episodes have taken place. Slippery Jim's largely improvised escapes and antics have an astonishingly competent sheen to them now, probably because he is so good at them. The expanded cast that worked only by separating them for large chunks of the last book works far more effectively here and you get the idea that Jim and Angelina are raising a private little army for themselves. It dies feel contrived and cliched but the adventures are so fast and not without cost that you don't really notice or mind.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

(same write-up exactly as I did for the other books in the series)
I could understand someone giving a 5 rating for this and I could understand a 1 rating too. It's not a deep book in any way but it neither wants to be nor does it pretend to be. It's a great comedy sci-fi romp, completely intended to make you giggle your way through a summer holiday on the beach. Its real selling point (to me) is that I think it's a pretty unique writing style and I don't know whether it was intended for a teen audience in the 60s but I think that's the likely audience now. You're unlikely to remember the story a couple of years from now but you'll enjoy reading it and have fond memories of having read it too.

[Jarosław Loretz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Albo już wyrosłem ze Stalowego Szczura, albo ten tom jest wyjątkowo słaby. Owszem, akcja pędzi na łeb na szyję, dzięki czemu całość - ze względu na niewielką objętość - czyta się szybko, ale intryga trzyma się na dwóch gumkach i sznurku, postaci nie mają grubości nawet bibuły, dialogi - męcząco idiotyczne - mizdrzą się do czytelnika prymitywnym, przaśnym humorem, zaś opisami autor w ogóle się nie przejmował. Ot, jest to coś w rodzaju kiczu, który połyka się w podróży i zaraz po zamknięciu okładki wyrzuca z głowy.

Przy okazji przypomniałem sobie, dlaczego nieszczególnie toleruję Owena Yeatesa Eugeniusza Dębskiego. Bo jest siermiężną kopią Stalowego Szczura, w której z oryginału - poza bzdurnymi przygodami i dialogowymi potyczkami - zostało głównie umiłowanie dla procentowych trunków wszelkiego rodzaju. Nie wiem, chyba i Stalowego Szczura, i Owena Yeatesa należy czytać w młodszym wieku, bo im więcej książek ma się na karku, tym gorzej te lektury wypadają...

[Karolis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book just because I'm a completionist type. From my teen years i remember reading some SS rat books, and felt that i have to re-read them again to fill in the gaps. While the first books in the series were good because it was something i remembered liking, the more i read them the more it is of the same predictable plot and less of humor i remembered. Basically, it "was ok", but i also think it's a time waster because there's much better books to read.

[A Critical Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

After saving the universe (twice, as Angelina points out), James Bolivar "Slippery Jim" diGriz, aka the Stainless Steel Rat, goes on a vacation, only to get embroiled in a fight for liberty, justice, and democracy. A not-even-thinly veiled criticism of Latin American banana republics, this is another entry in the series that I did not care too much for. However, it feels more caper-like than the last book (...wants you, the alien invasion), so it has at least that going for it.

[Jacy Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok entry into the series. I only read it because I had it, picking it up for cheap at a used bookstore. I've read three of these. This one is in the middle quality-wise. It lacks the humor of some of the books, and becomes like some sort of knockoff James Bond family. The characters are too perfect for my taste and lack realism, which would be fine if the book had a little more to satire to it. It doesn't though. Feels churned out.

[Steven Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is some confusion between lists of this series in terms of “order”. I am going through them (again) in order of publication. Which “number” it is in the series chronology may be different. More rollicking tongue-in-cheek adventure and mayhem with the galaxy’s favorite noble ex(?)-criminal. Saving the planets like a hobby with his unique family in tow and in the action. It is an imaginative romp through a superb blend of technology and cleverness with a few moral points along the way.

[David]

Not so much con man tricks. Some cheating. More technology and such. A bit like Mission Impossible (but not taking itself as seriously.) The Stainless Steel Rat runs for president on a "banana republic" planet, where the elections are rigged and the political police suppression opposition.

Not so much what I remembered from an earlier book in the series.

[Andy Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this book several times, it’s an old favourite. Slippery Jim slides effortlessly into more trouble, this time running for President in a bid to unseat a corrupt old dictator. The same jokes and arrogant self-confidence from a con-man who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Problematic from today’s perspective in its portrayals of women and non-American cultures.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recent Rereads: The Stainless Steel Rat For President. Harry Harrison's pacifist SF crime series continues, with a very Leverage story, as Jim and family steal an election from a dictator. It's a caper all the way, except for when it mourns the bad guys who die along the way. Harrison at his finest.

[Marcos Carmo filho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim DiGriz, o “Rato de Aço Inoxidável” encara seu maior desafio: acabar com uma ditadura se candidatando à presidência!

Como o resto da série, esse é um livro divertido pelas situações absurdas que DiGriz e sua família encaram, e pela constante arrogância e dificuldade para evitarem ser muito criminosos que demonstram.