The fourth Rat novel. After saving the world, diGriz is called on to save the
universe. Liberating his two, now teenage, twin' sons from a military boarding
school and penitentiary, diGriz sets out to free his wife, who has been
arrested by the tax men. But the family is soon fighting an enemy of a
different sort, when the humans-only galaxy of the League is invaded by all
manner of hideous aliens.
The Rat, disguised in the most hideous combination of alien physical features,
is sent into the centre of the aliens' stronghold, where he finds himself the
object of desire among the aliens. His task is to stop the aliens, who plan
to wipe out every human in the universe.
London: Michael Joseph, September 1978, 192pp., ISBN: 0-7181-1727-1, hbk. Jacket: Kathy Wyatt.
New York: Doubleday (Book Club), April 1979, 182pp., hbk. Jacket: David K. Stone.
New York: Bantam, August 1979, 155pp., ISBN: 0-553-12625-3, pbk. Cover: Lehr (2 printings). Reprinted August 1983 (ISBN: 0-553-23912-0); July 1988 (ISBN: 0-553-27611-5); April 1994 (Cover: Jean Pierre Targete) and 1st July 1988.
Devon: Science Fiction Book Club (Readers' Union), 1979, hbk.
London: Sphere, October 1979, 191pp., ISBN: 0-7221-0493-6, pbk. Reprinted 1980 (twice); 1981; December 1982 (ISBN: 0-7221-0578-9, Cover: Peter Elson); 1984; 1985; 1986; 1987; 1989.
as: Jim diGriz, die Edelstahlratte. Munich: Heyne, 1979, 157pp., ISBN: 3-453-3059-7, pbk. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Cover: Karel Thole [German]
Tokyo: Sanrio SF Bunko, 30th January 1980, 267pp. Cover: Naoyuki Kato. [Japanese]
in: Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat (Boxed Set), New York: Bantam, 1985(?). Also contains The Stainless Steel Rat for President and A Stainless Steel Rat is Born.
as: Stahlratte Will Dich. Munich: Heyne, 1988, 219pp., ISBN: 3-453-02504-0, pbk. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Cover: Karel Thole. [German]
as: Libro Quart: Il Ratto d'Acciaio Contro Gli Invasori, in: Jim Digriz, L'Implacabile. Milan: Editrice Nord, November 1989, 567pp., ISBN: 88-429-0403-1. Translated by Giampaolo Cossato and Sandro Sandrelli. [Italian]
as: Stalowy Szczur I Piata Kolumna. Poland: Amber 1994, ISBN: 83-7082-622-9. Translated by Jaroslaw Kotarski. [Polish]
Plzeň: Mustang, 1997, 215pp., ISBN: 80-7191-175-5. Translated by Martin Janda. [Czech]
as: Ruostumaton Teräsrotta Tahtoo Sinut! Helsinki: Like Kustannus Oy Ltd., 1998, 192pp., ISBN: 95-1578-535-9. Translated by Pekka Markkula. Cover: Jim Burns. [Finnish]
Daily Telegraph, 1st February 1979, p.15b. Review by
Michael Maxwell Scott.
"Everyone loves Harry Harrison; the genre would be poorer without this
Monty Python of the spaceways. The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You
recounts Slippery Jim's new embroilment in galactic warfare. This time
he's saddled with some really vile nasties. Fabulous fun, but I think the
exercise is beginning to pall. Come back to earth, Harry Harrison; we have
need down here of your nerveless derring-do."
Publishers Weekly, 11th June 1979, p.102.
"This is a broad burlesque that is generally fun reading."
The Stainless Steel Rat Series