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@cstross__dup_483@wandering.shop
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A thought: I think Harry Harrison made ONE critical structural mistake with The Stainless Steel Rat, and he made it early in the first book: Jim should have stayed a crook. Having him drafted into the
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@cstross@wandering.shop Huh, yeah, that would've been an interesting (and arguably better) way of handling things. The books turned to being spy thrillers rather than crime novels. They weren't bad (e
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@wordshaper@weatherishappening.network If he's in the galactic FBI, turning him into a spy restores some of the jeopardy, but really it's better not to go G-man in the first place. (I am thinking hard
Guy who bakes, snarks, writes, and codes. Currently at Google (my second search engine employer!), previously at Bloomberg. One time Perl 6 pumpking, lo these many years ago, as well as core perl contributor and part-time VMS perl port maintainer. I have written the occasional article, mostly on perl. (but once upon a time long ago on the Amiga. Those were the days...) Cute little pie avatar commissioned from https:// socel.net/@heyheymomo Currently not in France. Dammit.
weatherishappening.network
Guy who bakes, snarks, writes, and codes. Currently at Google (my second search engine employer!), previously at Bloomberg. One time Perl 6 pumpking, lo these many years ago, as well as core perl contributor and part-time VMS perl port maintainer. I have written the occasional article, mostly on perl. (but once upon a time long ago on the Amiga. Those were the days...) Cute little pie avatar commissioned from https:// socel.net/@heyheymomo Currently not in France. Dammit.
weatherishappening.network
@wordshaper@weatherishappening.network
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Jan 02, 2026
@cstross@wandering.shop There are definitely more interesting ways to have Jim do his thing, and even potentially do it in partnership (or at least adjacent to) Space FBI than actually join. Seems a lot more interesting to have him not, though.
If it ended up that his (originally) handler but now main Space FBI antagonist was essentially Jim-from-the-books... that'd potentially be meta-hilarious. Or indulgent. Possibly both, I guess.
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