Harry Harrison "The Steel Rat"

The series takes place in the distant future in a distant galaxy. The seventeen-year-old kid Jim Di Gris does not want to live all his life on his ownprovincial planet, grazing pigs, and decides to become a famous thief. He appeals for help to a professional criminal named Elephant and asks the departed maestro to become his teacher. So begins the transformation of an unknown boy Jim to the famous criminal of intergalactic scale - the Steel Rat.

But even a criminal career will not force Jimbecome callous and cruel. Under the shell of a cold rat, stainless steel hides a man with a tremendous sense of humor, ready always to help a friend - and indeed anyone who really needs this help. This is one of those cases when the swindler turns out to be more correct and nobler than many "honest people".

The "Steel Rat" series consists of eleven novels*:

• 
  "The Steel Rat"
• 
  "Revenge of the Steel Rat"
• 
  "A steel rat saves the world"
• 
  "You need a steel rat"
• 
  "A steel rat in the presidency!"
• 
  "The Birth of a Steel Rat"
• 
  "A steel rat goes to the army"
• 
  "The steel rat sings the blues"
• 
  "A steel rat goes to hell"
• 
  "The steel rat on the arena"
• 
  "The New Adventures of the Steel Rat"

* novels are presented in the order of writing, which does not coincide with the internal chronology of the series

In addition, the series includes a story "The Golden Years of the Steel Rat".

For his turbulent life, Jim Di Gris will have timeserve in the army, become famous throughout the galaxy as a cunning criminal who is able to get out of the water in any situation, become an agent of the secret organization Special Corps, marry an equally talented swindler than himself, have twin sons, become president, save the galaxy, Go to the past, go to hell and the circus arena - and this is only a small part of all the adventures of the Steel Rat!

"Steel Rat" Harry Garrison - this is a great example of humorous fiction, which will appeal to readers of almost any age. Charming main character, able to get out of any situation, which even in the most difficult moments does not change the sense of humor, certainly will not leave you indifferent.

Quotations from the book

"I turned to my wife:

"I suppose you have a set of equipment on duty with you?" Type of what we had during the honeymoon?

- Of course: bombs, grenades, explosives, gas charges ... "

"- I heard that the local leader, Capo Docci, is a very rude creature.

"Rough ..." "It's well said, sir." Poisonous snakes creep apart at his approach ... "

"You're under arrest," he said, "call the guards and let them take him away." I've never heard of the Moral Corps.

"Of course, I did not." We are a secret organization.

"So secret, too," Inskpump snorted. "My Special Corps is so secret that only rumors go about it."

- I know. Is it secrecy? My Moral Corps is so secret that even rumors do not go about it. "