The Misplaced Battleship by Harry Harrison Episode #92
Harry Harrison | August 28, 2023-
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The Misplaced Battleship by Harry Harrison Episode #92
Harry Harrison
THE MISPLACED BATTLESHIP
Episode #92 · Written by Harry Harrison · Narrated by Scott Miller
A stolen battleship, powerful enough to scorch worlds, has vanished into the vastness of space — and only one man knows the truth behind its impossible construction. Special Corps operative Slippery Jim diGriz races to uncover the mind behind the galaxy’s boldest heist before the stolen warship reshapes the balance of power forever.
Slippery Jim diGriz, the galaxy’s smoothest con man turned reluctant agent of the Special Corps, stumbles onto something impossible: modern blueprints that match the most destructive warship ever built — a Warlord-class battleship, supposedly extinct for a thousand years. His discovery kicks off a spiraling investigation through bureaucratic corruption, forged documents, misfiled records, and carefully planted misinformation. What begins as a curiosity rapidly becomes a full-fledged crisis when diGriz realizes the ship isn’t just being built — it’s on the brink of completion.
But before he can signal the alarm, the gigantic vessel disappears. As reports of vaporized ships and stolen plutonium spread, diGriz knows he’s dealing with a mastermind whose cunning rivals his own. The trail leads to a brilliant criminal spider at the center of an elaborate web — and a shocking twist involving a partner far more dangerous than anyone expected. What follows is a pursuit across space filled with deception, improvisation, psychological traps, and a showdown that forces diGriz to gamble everything he has.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Harry Harrison, one of the greats of 20th-century speculative fiction, carved out a unique place in the genre with his blend of humor, adventure, and razor-sharp satire. Before becoming an author, he worked as an illustrator and editor in the comics world, shaping his cinematic sense of pacing and dialogue. His fiction often features charming rogues, outlandish technology, and plots built around ingenious problem-solving — all on full display in The Misplaced Battleship and the wider Stainless Steel Rat series.
Across novels, short stories, radio adaptations, film connections, and decades of influence, Harrison helped define the tone of adventure-driven science fiction. His works such as Make Room! Make Room! and Deathworld are modern classics, while his humorous space epics continue to inspire generations of writers and readers. With The Misplaced Battleship, Harrison delivers a perfect blend of mischief, mystery, and high-energy space adventure — the kind of story only he could write.
LISTEN TO THE STORY
Listen to The Misplaced Battleship by Harry Harrison — a rowdy vintage science fiction short story featuring the exploits of Slippery Jim diGriz as he uncovers a stolen battleship and races to stop a daring scheme .
HARRY HARRISON SHORT STORIES
Harry Harrison never approached science fiction quietly. He brought velocity, mischief, and a sharp-edged sense of irony to every page he wrote.
Harrison understood that the future could be thrilling, absurd, dangerous, and darkly funny all at once. He loved competent rogues, stubborn survivors, ambitious cadets, and machines that behaved just a little too independently. Whether he was writing about interstellar con artists, military mishaps, planetary politics, or robots questioning their assigned roles, there is always movement in his stories. Ships launch. Plans unravel. Authority is tested. Someone usually thinks they’re in control — and usually isn’t.
At the same time, Harrison never loses sight of character. His heroes are rarely polished icons. They improvise. They bluff. They adapt under pressure. Even his mechanical creations carry attitude, curiosity, or quiet defiance. The tension often comes not from overwhelming cosmic forces, but from clever minds colliding — criminals versus lawmen, humans versus their own inventions, cadets versus impossible expectations.
Harrison’s range stretches from biting satire to straight-faced adventure. One story may lean into sly humor while another builds pressure through tactical maneuvering or moral standoff. Yet the voice is unmistakable. Clean prose. Forward momentum. A sense that something is always about to go wrong — and someone quick-thinking might just turn it around.
The stories below highlight that range — rebellious antiheroes, restless robots, uneasy first contact, military surprises, and futures that never behave the way officials expect. If you enjoy intelligence mixed with action and a streak of irreverence running through the stars, Harry Harrison delivers every time.
- The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
- The Misplaced Battleship by Harry Harrison
- The Robot Who Wanted To Know by Harry Harrison
- Arm of the Law by Harry Harrison
- The Robots Strike by Harry Harrison
- Welcoming Committee by Harry Harrison
- Trainee for Mars by Harry Harrison
- The Repairman by Harry Harrison
- The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison
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The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 34 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.8 million listens.
Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.
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