In some ways, 17-year-old James Bolivar diGriz was just like any other teenager. He had a keen appreciation for members of the opposite sex, gastronomic tastes that were easily satisfied at any automated Macswiney's fast-food joint ... he even shared the common teenage conviction that he was far more intelligent than his parents, teachers and the rest of the adult world. But in Jim's case that notion wasn't simply youthful conceit.
Bit O' Heaven -- famed galaxy-wide for its Smoked Porcuswine Hams -- had once been a harsh wilderness, but it had become so tame over the centuries its people had lost their natural toughness. They tended to be unimaginative and slow. Jim, on the other hand, seemed to be a throwback to the original settlers: smart, sharp ... and incredibly bored by life on the "piggy planet." So he learned to liven things up for himself by making the most of his unique genius.
At an age when most people are without serious purpose or clear direction, Jim had already decided on his future. While other kids were just going through the motions of getting an education, he was studying in earnest. For Jim had made up his mind to become a criminal -- not just for the enormous financial rewards, but also because he truly enjoyed the feeling of superiority that came with making other people look like chumps.
Yet despite a sincere willingness to work hard toward his goal, young Jim faced unexpected setbacks. He took up locksmithing in school, for instance -- a logical course of study -- only to find that after mastering that trade in record time, he was literally locked into it. School had nothing more to offer.
He began cutting classes and concentrating on field work -- relieving a vending machine of its silver one day, emptying the till at a parking lot the next. It was good practice, but not exactly the big time. He intensified his studies, delving into anything and everything that might later be of value: printing and photography to help in forgery; advanced unarmed combat, in which he earned a black belt; computer technology and microelectronics, essential in a ferroconcrete and stainless steel civilization. Still, inexperienced as he was, Jim wasn't sure how to pull it all together.
And then he had an inspiration. The best way to learn about crime was from criminals, he reasoned; the best way to meet criminals was to spend time in jail. Therefore he conceived a plan that would get him arrested, and it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after he was behind bars that diGriz discovered a major flaw in the scheme: his fellow inmates weren't the polished professionals he had hoped to meet. Obviously the only truly successful criminal was the one who didn't get caught ...
Hugely entertaining as it traces the early days of a brilliant criminal career, from the perilous porcuswine farms of Bit O' Heaven to a lawless world called Spiovente, A Stainless Steel Rat is Born is a wild mix of fast action and wry humour -- futuristic adventure as only Harry Harrison can create it!