Rats, Bats & Vats

The Rats and the Bats #1

by Eric Flint, Dave Freer

Chip Connolly was a conscripted grunt in stuck behind enemy lines with a bunch of cyber-uplifted rats and bats. Rats with human speech, but with rat sex, food and strong drink. And the bats were revolutionaries planning to throw off the human yoke -- with high explosive. Then there was the girl they'd rescued. Rich. Beautiful. With a passionate crush on her "heroic" rescuer. Her entourage was a screwball Alien tutor, and a cyber-uplifted lemurlike pet galago with delusions of being the world's greatest lover.
Of course things only got worse. Seven rats, five bats, a galago, two humans, a sea-urchin-like alien and an elderly vineyard tractor without brakes...against several million inimical aliens. He was going to die.
Mind you, not dying could be even more terrible. That girl might get him.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Ebooks, Humor, Space Opera, Space

436 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 29, 2000

About the author

Eric Flint was a New York Times bestselling American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works were alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures.

Reviews

[Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!

Huge thank you to my friend Star for recommending this title to read because it was nothing but sheer delight the whole time I listened to it. I did purchase the audiobook from Audible and narrator James Fouhey was so good with his voices, accents, and one liner deliveries that honestly, this is the only way to consume this story in my opinion.

Did you know a book could be an 11 hour comedy show? Me either - until I had the pleasure of reading this one. It did have its moments of seriousness and revelations, but for the most part, it was a hilarious back and forth between the characters. This book opens up with with a mission in process of going wrong, amidst the rubble it seems a lone human survived along with a handful of cyber-uplifted rats and bats. Rats and bats with human speech...but with rat and bat proclivities such as sex, food, adult beverages and shady scheming.

The group is attempting to make their way out of danger and chance upon a prisoner that they rescue who turns out to be the daughter of a very high ranking investor. Things go from bad to worse to even MORE worse....in all the best of ways.

I dare you to read this book and avoid falling in love with this rag tag bunch of rodents. It's THE EXPENDABLES with fur, but with better one liners, puns and jokes. Without a doubt one of the most fun reading experiences of the year and I cannot wait to see what authors Dave Freer and Eric Flint come up with in the second book of the series!

[Dayl Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simply fantastic book! Expecting a slapstick sci-fi comedy, I received a sophisticated and well thought out comedy (including some slapstick, which can be well thought out too) that was very poignant at just the right times. The story dealt with racial and social status prejudice and I think accurately showed front-line warfare and the stupidiity of commanders that don't listen to their men. It had talking animals, people you could relate to, trecherous aliens and friendly ones too. It even had a galago that thought it was Don Quixote. Very, very, very well done. If you like biology, then this is a great sci-fi treat for you.
Be forwarned, however, that there is cursing and lots of talk about sex and alcohol use, but nothing gratuitous was shown or described. Also, you have to be imaginative and not bee too much of a realist to enjoy it.
I enjoyed this book so much that I started to read the sequel immediatley! I had to finish this book before going to see the new Green Lantern movie today. For those of you who know me, I'm a HUGE comic book fan, so that says volumes about how great this book was. Can't recommend it enough. Enjoy the fun of it, get a little teary-eyed and "grin like a shark" when you share in the victory of the rats, bats and vats!

[Emmalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually more fun than I expected. Unusual, witty, filled with humor and satire, it was a pretty good listen.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, zany, military scify

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This review is from: Rats, Bats and Vats ("Rats, Bats and Vats Series" Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

This author knows the inept bureaucratic military corrupt political mind and all variations thereof. Also, the rich and powerful, the poor and powerless, and the poor who seem powerless but pack surprises. The high command in this army make Sir Douglas Haig look like a military genius. Fortunately, there are also some good soldiers and heroes. Even when their physical form isn't human. AND it's all zany, fast moving fun with definite touches of Douglas Adams (author of the famous, multi-volume HITCHHIKER's GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE trilogy). The most entertaining book I have read recently.

[David Harriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grimly Hilarious

The world is at war, and humanity is losing, badly. One group of fairly ordinary troops gets trapped behind enemy lines, and fight to survive. Add a kidnapped heiress and her escorts to the proletariat crew.
The result is one of the finest action comedies in fiction.

Recommend for everyone.

It does take a few chapters to get going, but is well worth it.

[Andy Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up used, for pennies, knowing nothing about the authors. And I didn't get around to reading it for months. But when I finally picked it up, I was quickly drawn in... not only is this one of the funniest sci-fi books I've ever read, but it all fits together. It makes sense, somehow, that the genetically engineered critters are both foul-mouth drunken perverts, and Shakespeare-quoting amateur philosophers. With oodles of humor, action, and a smidge of interplanetary intrigue, Rats, Bats, and Vats will keep you entertained.

- A. C. F. Crawford, author of Sailor of the Skysea

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you want to read a fast fun book that makes you laugh pick up one of Eric Flints books to make your day! This little charmer has everything, a romantic comedy that is not quite right, puns and guns, space aliens and fluffy cute little cuddly animals and rats, bats, and clones from a vat. I've got to admit I love a good space opera and this one will make you think, laugh, and root for the home team.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, silly romp in space with aliens, sentient rats and bats, and of course, humans. This is not hard-sci/fi nor a realistic depiction of life in space in the future. But it is a fun escapist read that will leave you smiling.

[Ralph McEwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as an e-book. A free download from \\www.baen.com/library Baen Free Library.

[Steve Coughlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A random choice from a Humble Bundle package, started without ANY foreknowledge except the title. The first time I started it, it was impenetrable, and I abandoned it within 10 pages. This time I started it STILL knowing nothing, except the memory of total confusion and rapid bailout some time ago. And somehow it was easier this time around, and I got into it. Ex post facto, I now know it actually has a sequel, so it must have been popular enough.

It's set in an interesting enough world, but not immersive and compelling enough for me to crave more stories. The characters are primarily bio-engineered thinking/talking "rats" (nickname for a complex melange of rodent-like fighters), "bats" (same, but bat-like), cloned human soldiers (nicknamed "vats" for their method of gestation), plus alien good guys, alien bad guys, and, of course, the non-cloned 0.1% humans at the top of the economy and military complex (aka, mostly more bad guys). War is happening, fighting ensues, hero (a vat) and company (rats, bats, human, and alien) take a journey, discover a secret, and there is a resolution. Rats are sex crazed, bats are alcoholics, vats and humans grow, aliens keep secrets, leading to a lot of humor, some mystery, and of course adventure with lots of explosions (it's a war!). Good enough. If I'd known all this at the start, I wouldn't have been so confused and lost the first time I attempted it. My gift to you... you're welcome. I'm giving it 3 stars because the official definition of 3 is "I liked it." Not 4-enough ("really liked it"), and more than 2 ("OK").

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to the world of Harmony and Reason (HAR). It's at war with the Magh, a hive, insectoid race. They've grown and enhanced rats and bats to augment vat-born humans as the grunt soldiers. The world is run by shareholders who seem to adhere to the profit-at-all-cost mentality.

A group of soldiers, incidentally led by a vat-born, Chip Connolly, are stuck behind enemy lines. They accidentally rescue a shareholder, Virginia Shaw, and begin a mission to destroy a hive. Insanity and mayhem abound. Meanwhile, back among the shareholder leadership, a military intelligence Major is regularly thwarted from helping the war effort.

Initially a bit gruesome, the story quickly turns into a zany action-adventure. It's longer than my typical read therefore it took much longer to get through, especially as it bogged down at times. The end is okay, but not nearly as interesting as I hoped. The story continues in a second book. Hopefully, things turn out better.

Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Romantic. Steamy. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

[Katy Akmal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the literary equivalent of a big, greasy diner burger that just oozes over your hands the instant you bite into it. It was fabulous and I devoured it with glee in an afternoon. The premise (and the characters!) are gloriously ridiculous–I can't help but wonder if Flint and Freer had a friendly competition going to see who could come up with the most ridiculous scene. (My personal favorite involved a rat's discovery of the concept of torque by way of getting flung across the room). The characters are actually surprisingly well developed for the kind of story this is–they don't have the richness you would see in say, Discworld, but they're quite a few steps above the cardboard caricatures you tend to get in classic space opera. If you're looking for something light, fluffy, and above all, funny, this book is an absolute romp and I highly recommend it.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully detailed tale of what would happen when genetic and cloned engineering twists natural options to fight an alien enemy. The author has used natural characteristics' and expanded them with military shrewdness' to accompany a world of ongoing warfare. Each of the participant groups have their advantages and the difficulties in their use id a lesson in what we forfeit to succeed. Environmental destruction, distant command post leaders, morale and morality change the outcome of battles and lifespans. I was not sure I would like this book, but I found myself eagerly devouring each chapter, reluctant to stop reading at intervals. The author has combined a storyline I have not read until now which spreads in any direction and asks, "what if?". Great read.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fantastically creative, with a very unique premise which the world is built on. The characters are endearing, if a tad formulaic, and the story drives well. The descriptiveness is wanting, as I often found it difficult to really visualize what was going on, but the pace made up for that partially.

I would say though, that the lack of description holds the book back a bit. I cannot even upon finishing the book really picture the alien species, or even the titular bats and rats.

Still, I fully intend on reading any follow-up books, as I really do want to find out what comes next!

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

We all liked Changeling's Island so much that we decided on another Dave Freer book for our family read-aloud. Maybe because I couldn't help comparing the two in my head, this one fell short for me. It's about an army of genetically modified rats and bats, who fight alongside humans soldiers who were grown in vats. The story is creative, and there were a couple of characters we liked, but it just didn't have the charm of Changeling's Island. It also contains a lot of bawdy humor, which annoyed both me and my 11-year old.

[Jan Kjellin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Det här är alltså sån där "rolig" fantastik som drömmer om att jämföras med Douglas Adams eller Terry Pratchetts produktion. Men mer än småroligt blir det aldrig.

Grundkonceptet med genetiskt modifierade och artificiellt förstärkta råttor och fladdermöss som strider sida vid sida med mänskliga kloner mot ett utomjordiskt (fast vi är inte på jorden, men ni fattar säkert ändå) hot är riktigt bra. Mina favorit-delar av boken är den råbarkade dialogen och gnabbandet dem emellan.

Storyn, däremot, är helt ointressant.

Och jag fattar varför jag generellt håller mig undan från genren.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The book intersperses a lot of low and high brow humor with pointed questions about gene therapy and a permanent underclass serving i. The military. Unfortunately all the plot points are TELEGRAPHED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FEW THAT HAVE NEON SIGNS... so the surprises are few. That kept the good and interesting book from being a fascinatingnand great book.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it.
The different animals all have distinct personalities and motivations, and all of them are suffering for the arrogance and greed of their rich superiors.

It might strike a cord in this day and age.

[Paul Close · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining story, interesting premise. A little slow starting, but good once it got going. Some parts quite funny. The personality of the rats and bats are quite distinct, and add a lot to the story.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this book out of my local library years ago. It's a great story about genetically modified bats and rats, and vat grown humans used as foot soldiers in a war. I really enjoyed it.

[Tom Hailand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith!

Tis a fine fine tale (tail) full of loyalty and honor, oh, and booze! Great stuff. Very glad that there are many more books in this series

[Mike Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not for everyone but if you're a fan of the underdog and want a light, slightly silly story, this one's for you. 71/100

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chip Connolly was a conscripted grunt in trouble: stuck behind enemy lines with a bunch of cyber-uplifted rats and bats. Rats with human speech, but with rat priorities: sex, food and strong drink. And the bats were revolutionaries planning to throw off the human yoke -- with high explosive. Then there was the girl they'd rescued. Rich. Beautiful. With a passionate crush on her "heroic" rescuer. Her entourage was a screwball Alien tutor, and a cyber-uplifted lemurlike pet galago with delusions of being the world's greatest lover.

Of course things only got worse. Seven rats, five bats, a galago, two humans, a sea-urchin-like alien and an elderly vineyard tractor without brakes...against several million inimical aliens. He was going to die.

Mind you, not dying could be even more terrible. That girl might get him.

From Publishers Weekly

Freer (The Forlorn) and Flint (Mother of Demons) join forces in this lighthearted SF offering set on the colony world of Harmony and Reason, which is being invaded by the dreaded, insectoid alien Magh'. Chip, a former sous-chef and "vat"Aa human bred for hard laborAfinds himself trapped behind enemy lines with the rats and bats of the title, genetically engineered animals designed for close-quarters combat, stealth and plenty of off-color wisecrackery. But when Virginia Shaw, a daughter of the yuppie Shareholder class, gets caught behind enemy lines with her alien tutor, and Chip and Co. rescue her, the sexual sparks start to fly. Chip and Ginny recognize that their class hatred is an obstacle to defeating the Magh'; when the two learn to cooperate, everyone soon lends a hand or paw or wing, refurbishing a rusty old farm tractor, on which animal and human careen through Magh' defenses. Although the military SF plot is peppered with its share of Dirty Dozen-esque cliffhangers, the sharpest moments in this giddy entertainment are those where the rodents blithely skewer human mores. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

On the planet HAR (Harmony and Reason), vat-grown humansDalong with genetically enhanced rats and batsDwage a seemingly endless war against the alien Magh' (or Maggots). Coauthors Freer (The Forlorn) and Flint (1632) present a seriocomic epic of military fiction, complete with suicide missions, impossible odds, and an unlikely boy-meets-girl romance. A good choice for hard-core aficionados of blood-and-guts military sf.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

[Stephan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So. We got a cloned conscript, a group of rats, the size of small cats with the intelligence of humans, but with the personalities and instincts of rats. We have a group of bats, also these with human like intelligence, but with the personalities of Irish separatists, a galago with human intelligence, but the personality of Don-Juan as well as the daughter of a local noble and her alien teacher. all trapped behind enemy lines, trying to get back to their own... But while they are right among the enemy they might as well try and cause as much damage as possible. And that is a surprising amount of damage!

This shouldn't be a good novel. Seriously!
The characters are flat, two dimensional and the story is both simple and very easy to second guess.
...But still. After just a few pages you're caught! The story gets more and more exciting, you can't help but to care for the characters who gets a lot more depth that I'd have guessed.
I actually only read this novel because the cover looked interesting... but I'm very glad I did!

Fantastic action, funny and engaging characters and actually a rather exiting military sci-fi.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off kind of slow - I'm not a big fan of military SF & that's exactly what I thought I was getting into. Chip, a human clone (Vat), is fighting alongside genetically altered/computer-chip sentient rats and bats against the 'Maghs - insectoid creatures that have invaded their planet. Well, the planet of the Shareholders - the elite class that controls the politics & put Chip in this situation.
Chip & a group of bats & rats get separated from the rest of their troop and find themselves across enemy lines. They stumble across Ginny, a shareholder's daughter who has been kidnapped by the 'Maghs (or so it seems) who holds a secret of her own.
The story becomes much more interesting once they decide to invade the 'Magh fortress/scorpiary - the characters are well-drawn and the plot is both believable & moves along nicely. Despite reading it in bits & pieces over the past few months, I was able to stay with the story fairly well - a definite plus.

Recommended to SF fans looking for a rollicking story with interesting characters & military touches.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the colony planet of Harmony and Reason, the colony's shareholders are an entitled and elitist upper class, while the rest of the population is poor and indebted. Most of the lower class is made up of "Vats", vat-grown humans based on genetic material brought from Earth. To make matters worse, insectoid/arachnid aliens have invaded, and the incompetent shareholder military leadership is doing poorly. With the aid of alien technology, the humans "uplift" rats and bats to help fight the war. The bats are flying sappers with Irish accents and strong political views. The rats are nymphomaniac drunks acting as infantry. The action centers on a group of grunts who find themselves stuck behind enemy lines.

Despite the completely absurd premise, or perhaps because of it, this was quite a fun book. It is written with tongue firmly in cheek and humor firmly in the gutter. I enjoyed the misadventures of this one particular group of misfits, replete with constant inter-species sniping and a bitterly resigned attitude towards the idiocy of the brass.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1764

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rats, Bats & Vats is a laugh-out-loud romp through a FUBAR military situation during a planetary invasion. The ground-pounding grunts of the future are vat-bred humans, and large, intelligent, genetically engineered bats and rats. A mixed-species group of survivors caught without support far behind enemy lines has to choose and execute a set of goals, not least of which is surviving without eating one another. Flint and Freer's world is grim, with monstrous attacking aliens winning at every turn, a decadent ruling class refusing to face reality enabled by out-of-touch military officers, treachery among allies, complete societal failure to address the bioethics of 'uplifting' species to sentient intelligence but keeping them enslaved. But the seriousness is in the background where you can choose to consider it, or you can just enjoy the mayhem. 3.5 stars

[Havva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing how enjoyable a really, really dumb book can be....

And having read it and enjoyed it, I still can't imagine what the author had in mind for a target market. I have an awful feeling that I
might be it.

WARNING: Do NOT read if not familier with basic Shakespear, Gilbert & Sullivan, Wuthering Hights and Jane Eyre, Don Quixote and a basic knowledge of Irish revolutionaries and Socialist history also recommended.

ONLY for those with a fully functional sense of humour. Beware of puns.

Includes naughty language.


Read the Baen Books e-book.

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make no mistake, my dear readers of this review, Dave Freer is an outstanding author. This is one of those stories that does an amazing job of exploring the human condition through cloned humans, and genetically modified rodents and bats who have been uplifted to sentience and who are waging a war of attrition against insectoid invaders. Good action, good characters, funny as heck at points, and a joy to read. The only detraction is the Eric Flint contribution that has the government almost uniformly corrupt and incompetent. It helps to advance the story, but it's a LITTLE over the top.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that Freer couldn't quite make up his mind what he was trying to write with Rats, Bats & Vats. It tries to be a serious war novel like The Forever War or Old Man's War, but reads like Bill, the Galactic Hero, more of a satirical work, as we tunnel and trudge through the battles against the alien M'agh with Sergeant Chip Connolly and his squad of seriously deranged genetically engineered rats and bats.

Unfortunately, the humor wasn't enough to save it, and the warfare wasn't intense enough to keep my attention. Gave it up about a quarter of the way through.