Rats, Bats and Vats

My husband picked this up after telling me "any random book printed by Baen is good" - and, of course, because it has "rats" in the title . . . He read it and laughed his way through it and insisted that I read it, too, to which I agreed readily enough. I won't recap the story, but I will say it is a hoot and a half! The rats are hedonistic Shakespeareans; the bats are revolutionary Irish; and the vats are hapless humans who are just along for the ride. And, of course, you have the land-owners, who have the money - throw in the evil bugs from outer space and the benevolent aliens who are providing the technology to defeat them (or are they?) and you have a mix that is sure to please anyone who likes military science fiction, space opera, or just plain silliness. HIGHLY recommended!!

'Rats, Bats and Vats' blasts off in a future world forgotten by the rest of the known human universe, the heros, a mixed species cyber-adjusted strikeforce, find themselves inextricably trapped behind enemy lines between a corrupt 'colonial' regime and the forces of great evil. In this case, a hive of multi-morphed arthropod-like aliens. There's a lot of double dealing and the usual sort of 'corporate'shenanigans, combat action, with the obligatory sex, recipes, and romance, but with a real twist in the tail as it turns out regarding the latter!It's a classic story of "human colonist struggle against aliens" but with a difference. There are a number of sub-plots twisted into the general story as the main plot gallops along. The turns in the story are unexpected, the characters real, and the action fast. It's a good read, I thoroughly enjoyed it (and the authors sense of humour!).Didn't think much of the recipes though!

Not my usual sub-genre -- military sf (sort of, anyway). Boy, am I glad I picked it up. I laughed a lot, the ideas were great, the characters surprisingly interesting (who would have thought I'd like a rat?), and it was really hard to put down once I got into it. In fact, I couldn't. After I was about halfway through, I just put off my life until I was done with the book. Watch for more from these two -- they are good!Oh -- and if you like a good battle-- you'll like this for that reason as well.

This is the best science fiction book I've read in a decade. By combining futuristic DNA manipulation with a rollicking good time, Dave Freer has produced a truly great book. The layers of complexity in this story are exceeded only by the unexpected twists and turns. The setting, a colony planet, is beautifully drawn and so realistic it's almost scary. A cloned slave-grunt soldier, the lone human survivor of his platoon, takes on giant maggot aliens in a series of battles that swing between terrifying and hysterically funny. The grunt's companions are genetically engineered bats and rats, which were designed to help fight the human war and seem to be a cross between Mafia rejects and members of a biker gang. A high-ranking, disgruntled officer takes on the whole inept army beaurocracy. The romance between a naïve rich girl and the cynical army grunt adds extra color and hilarity. Even the bad guys turn out to be even badder than the reader expects, forcing the other characters to deal with betrayal and misinformation. The happy ending is satisfactory without being sugary-sweet or predictable. There are just enough ends left loose that the authors could conceivably write a sequal (hopeful hint!). Very highly recommended.

What do Shakespeare, Irish freedom fighters and wet lettuces all have in common? Nothing? Well until I read this novel I would have agreed. In this case they are just a few of the many ingredients that go to make Rats, Bats and Vats an excellent read.Drunken, lecherous cyber-intelligent rats with a fondness for shakespearean insults; fanatical cyber-intelligent bats with a penchant for blowing things up; a vat-grown human and an heiress. Not the most likely of comrades. And yet when thrown together under trench warfare conditions, the result is an enthralling mix of realism, pathos, gritty humour and riveting, fast paced action. A most refreshing change.