The Stainless Steel Rat

One of science fiction's most beloved rogues: Harry Harrison's ‘The Stainless Steel Rat.’ American science fiction writer Harry Harrison is most known for creating the character The Stainless Steel Rat in his 1966 book Make Room! Make Room!, which served as the inspiration for the 1973 movie Soylent Green. In addition, he served as the Birmingham Science Fiction Group's co-president.
DiGriz gets apprehended while committing a crime and enlisted in the Special Corps. During his probationary term, he finds out that someone is building a battleship that is ostensibly an industrial vessel while working at a boring desk. Since nobody in the peaceful League possesses a battleship these days, whoever builds this one would be unstoppable. DiGriz's pursuit of the guilty turns into a personal conflict with the lethal but attractive Angelina, who is plotting a takeover on one of the feudal worlds. DiGriz is torn between joining Angelina and giving her over to the Special Corps, given that he has developed feelings for her.

Harry Harrison, best known for his Stainless Steel Rat series, was a celebrated American science fiction author whose witty, satirical works earned him a loyal global following. Born Henry Maxwell Dempsey in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1925, he changed his surname to Harrison after his parents’ divorce. Harrison served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, an experience that would later color his stories with an anti-war sentiment and sharp social critique.
In his early career, Harrison worked as an illustrator and editor for science fiction comics and magazines before turning to writing full-time. His middle years saw him rise to prominence with Deathworld (1960) and the beloved Stainless Steel Rat series, which began in 1961 and follows the roguish antihero Slippery Jim DiGriz. Harrison’s clever blend of humor, adventure, and moral questioning made the series a classic of the genre.
Other notable works include Make Room! Make Room! (1966), which inspired the dystopian film Soylent Green, and his Bill, the Galactic Hero series, a satirical take on military sci-fi. Harrison was also an advocate for Esperanto and often incorporated it into his stories.
He continued to write prolifically until his death in 2012 in Brighton, England, leaving behind a legacy of playful yet thought-provoking science fiction that continues to entertain and inspire readers worldwide.