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Harry Harrison has died

First Ray Bradbury (or am I missing someone? I think I didn't, but I'm not sure), and now Harry Harrison.

Yet another author of whom I can not read a book in their lifetime*, even though I had plans to read the Stainless Steel Rat this year.

Who's next. Richard Matheson? At least I read some of his works.


*not that I consciously try to read books of authors whilst they're still alive. It just happens to be the case that I hear about them, decide to read a book of theirs, and then some time later they die. And yes, I know, it's just a coincidence. I mean, I don't even live anywhere near them.:boxedin:
 
We must be as stealthy as rats in the wainscoting of their society. It was easier in the old days, of course, and society had more rats when the rules were looser, just as old wooden buildings have more rats than concrete buildings. But there are rats in the building now as well. Now that society is all ferrocrete and stainless steel there are fewer gaps in the joints. It takes a very smart rat indeed to find these openings. Only a stainless steel rat can be at home in this environment.
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Goodbye Harry.
 
The first SF book that I remember reading was his "Spaceship Medic." I was probably 10 or 12 at the time, and that was the book triggered my interest in SF.

Now I'm getting all nostalgic . . .

<sigh> Goodbye, Harry
 
The 'Rat' describing the effects of taking a drive-right pill..


With a last happy shudder I flipped the deadly thing into the back of my throat and drained the cup. They say it doesn’t take long, but that is an objective time. Subjective was hours. It is a most unusual experience and difficult to describe. Imagine if you will what it feels like to take the nozzle of a cold water hose in your mouth and then to have the water turned on. And then, an instant later, to
have the water gushing in great streams from every orifice of your body, including the pores, until you are flushed completely clean.
 
Not just the stories themselves, but you gotta love some of the titles he came up with for his Bill he Galactic Hero novels...

Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Bottled Brains
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Tasteless Pleasure
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Zombie Vampires
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Ten Thousand Bars
 
sts60 said:
Dang. Are they sure he's not just off visiting Pyrrus?
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Hopefully the later Deathworld books (the second trilogy) will be published in English now.

dudalb said:
His Stainless Steel Rat and Deathworld stuff are Sci Fi Classics.
His later alternate history stuff, not so much.
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No the Stars and Stripes books are entertaining but mediocre.

Darat said:
One of my favourite novels was The Technicolor Time Machine, very funny.
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Oh yes, I must dig that out for a re-read.
 
Kaosium said:
God I loved those!

Which one did he and his mentor end up 'stowing away' in a McPorkburger 'machine' or whatever it was? That was absolutely hilarious!
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That was A Stainless Steel Rat is Born - my favorite after the original three.
 
Darat said:
One of my favourite novels was The Technicolor Time Machine, very funny.
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And with some of the best time-travel loops ever written. There was that one note....


...that exists in its own time loop, never having been created by anyone, merely being passed from a later version of a person to the earlier version, infinitely.
 
Brian-M said:
Not just the stories themselves, but you gotta love some of the titles he came up with for his Bill he Galactic Hero novels...

Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Bottled Brains
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Tasteless Pleasure
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Zombie Vampires
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Ten Thousand Bars
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You seem confused, there was only one Bill the Galactic Hero novel.

He was an original talent and will be sadly missed.
 
Brian-M said:
Not just the stories themselves, but you gotta love some of the titles he came up with for his Bill he Galactic Hero novels...

Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Bottled Brains
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Tasteless Pleasure
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Zombie Vampires
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Ten Thousand Bars
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Missed the first and original

Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Robot Slaves

My son picked it off my shelves when he was about 8, and started asking difficult questions.
 
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I'm sad to hear that he's gone, and glad that he wrote so much great fiction in his life. And, though Harry Harrison is gone, Slippery Jim is still out there somewhere, and will always be one step ahead of Inskipp.

I'll treat myself to a Cheddite sandwich in his memory.

Dave
 
The technicolor time machine basically took the micky out of Kirk Douglas films.
 
Brian-M said:
Not just the stories themselves, but you gotta love some of the titles he came up with for his Bill he Galactic Hero novels...

Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Bottled Brains
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Tasteless Pleasure
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Zombie Vampires
Bill the Galactic Hero On the Planet of Ten Thousand Bars
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"One L! Two is for officers!" Bill Maudlin inspired that book.
 
Slashdot had a nice tribute post. The first comment was by jdigriz, and a number of comments were in Esperanto.
 
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