Harry Harrison (1925–2012) was an American science fiction writer best known for The Stainless Steel Rat series, Make Room! Make Room! (1966), and the Bill, the Galactic Hero books. Born Henry Maxwell Dempsey in Stamford, Connecticut, he later took his stepfather’s surname. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, he became an illustrator and editor before launching his writing career.
Harrison’s fiction was marked by satire, humor, and social commentary. The Stainless Steel Rat (1961) introduced Slippery Jim diGriz, a charming con man in a future where crime is nearly extinct. The series blended adventure, wit, and anti-authoritarian themes, making it a fan favorite. In contrast, Make Room! Make Room! painted a bleak vision of overpopulation and resource depletion, later inspiring the film Soylent Green (1973).
He was deeply interested in linguistics, pacifism, and environmentalism, often weaving these themes into his work. Bill, the Galactic Hero (1965) was a scathing satire of military life, countering the glorified war narratives common in the genre. Harrison also co-created the Deathworld series, featuring a hostile planet that reflects mankind’s own violent nature.
A globetrotter, Harrison lived in Mexico, England, Ireland, and Denmark, embracing a cosmopolitan lifestyle. He was a Grand Master of Science Fiction and an advocate for the genre’s literary merit.
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