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Harry Harrison is no more..
BBC NewsAmerican science fiction author Harry Harrison, who also created the Stainless Steel Rat comic space opera series, has died aged 87.
His 1966 dystopian novel Make Room! Make Room! also inspired 1973 film Soylent Green starring Charlton Heston.
Harrison died in the early hours of Wednesday, 15 August.
His 1960 Deathworld novel is one I've re-read many times, be it in a Dutch translation.
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Established Member
Farewell, Jim DiGriz---it'll be a duller galaxy without more of your stories to look forward to.
Forum Welcomer
Yep, will miss Harry & Slippery Jim :<
Order of Kilopi
Luckily, his stories will live on. He will be missed.
I was fortunate enough to meet Harry at the first of the Campbell Award conferences, at IIT in 1973. One of my professors, Leon Stover, was his co-author for the book Stonehenge. Some other writers were there (I distinctly remember Ben Bova and Barry Malzburg) but Harry was easily the most approachable.
Forum Welcomer
That's nice to know. I tend to build impressions of what an author is like based on their work, and I think I would have liked Harry if I'd had the chance to meet him.
Established Member
I didn't like his writing as much as some others when I was younger, but I picked up The Stainless Steel Rat Returns yesterday as a sort of tribute and I'm already enjoying his style. Maybe it takes a bit of maturity to appreciate Harry Harrison's work.Originally Posted by swampyankee
There's something special about the old breed of SF writers, it's sad to see them go.
Order of Kilopi
He had the knack for being funny in an SF context; not an easy balancing trick.
Established Member
Early on, he was an artist as well as a writer. He drew some stories for the earliest issues of Tales from the Crypt as well as Weird Science in the 1950s.
Established Member
No, it can often come across as very campy if not done right.
I'm really enjoying The Stainless Steel Rat Returns, he may be gone but he's obviously left an important legacy.
Established Member
Some of the better passages so far.
A sherry for Angela, a medium-dry one that she enjoyed. I rooted deep in the drinks closet until I found a bottle of Old Overcoat coal-distilled whiskey-- proudly displayed in illiterate lettering, "Aged reely over two hours!" Elmo would love it."A mistake," Angelina said, turning towards the sea of worried faces. 'Would any of you have a drink for Jim that is slightly stronger than water?"
There was a muttering among the men and after a few moments a smoked glass bottle with an ominous black cork was thrust forward. It was decorked, tilted, poured--was it steaming in the glass? I glimpsed the label.
Porcuswine Pain-Killer---Not For Children
Or Pregnant Sows
Member
A Stainless Steel Rat movie and/or TV series is long overdue!
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