Harry Harrison’s official website has announced the passing of the Stainless Steel Rat author today, August 15 aged 87.

“Rest in peace, my friend.” says a simple message on the site, written by webmaster Michael Carroll. “You touched the lives of millions with your exciting adventures, packed with unlikely but always hilarious and thrilling escapades and frequently rather dodgy, but loveable, characters… and, you know, your fiction was pretty damn good too!”

Harrison’s name will always be synonymous with one of science fiction greatest anti-heroes, Slippery Jim diGriz, The Stainless Steel Rat. The first book appeared in 1961 and the final one just two years ago in 2010, with another 10 Rat novels in-between.

But there was far more to Harrison than just Slippery Jim. He wrote numerous other science fiction novels including Make Room! Make Room!on which the film Soylent Green was based. Other creations and ongoing series included Bill The Galactic Hero and Deathworld, SFX reported.