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Sector General #3
Оперативна намеса
Лекарите от Галактическата болница гледат на необичайните и странни пациенти като на поредното предизвикателство. Но планетата, наречена Кюфтето, е нещо прекалено дори и за тях… Сред обитателите на този свят се среща вид, изхитрил се да създаде квазиживи инструменти, способни да променят медицината в Галактиката. Стига Конуей и неговият екип да открият тази игла в органичната купа сено, която изисква ОПЕРАТИВНА НАМЕСА В ПЛАНЕТАРЕН МАЩАБ.
221 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
6 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
James White
94 books134 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
James White was a Northern Irish author of science fiction novellas, short stories and novels. He was born in Belfast and returned there after spending some early years in Canada. He became a fan of science fiction in 1941 and co-wrote two fan magazines, from 1948 to 1953 and 1952 to 1965. Encouraged by other fans, White began publishing short stories in 1953, and his first novel was published in 1957. His best-known novels were the twelve of the Sector General series, the first published in 1962 and the last after his death. White also published nine other novels, two of which were nominated for major awards, unsuccessfully.
White abhorred violence, and medical and other emergencies were the sources of dramatic tension in his stories. The "Sector General" series is regarded as defining the genre of medical science fiction, and as introducing a memorable crew of aliens. Although missing winning the most prestigious honours four times, White gained other awards for specific works and for contributions to science fiction. He was also Guest-of-Honour of several conventions.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
James White was a Northern Irish author of science fiction novellas, short stories and novels. He was born in Belfast and returned there after spending some early years in Canada. He became a fan of science fiction in 1941 and co-wrote two fan magazines, from 1948 to 1953 and 1952 to 1965. Encouraged by other fans, White began publishing short stories in 1953, and his first novel was published in 1957. His best-known novels were the twelve of the Sector General series, the first published in 1962 and the last after his death. White also published nine other novels, two of which were nominated for major awards, unsuccessfully.
White abhorred violence, and medical and other emergencies were the sources of dramatic tension in his stories. The "Sector General" series is regarded as defining the genre of medical science fiction, and as introducing a memorable crew of aliens. Although missing winning the most prestigious honours four times, White gained other awards for specific works and for contributions to science fiction. He was also Guest-of-Honour of several conventions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 17, 2024
Тази книга ще бъде прочетена вероятно само от най-големите почитатели на идеята на Уайт за галактическа болница.
На мен ми хареса, въображението на автора работи добре, макар и на моменти да ми доскуча престоя ни на "Кюфтето".
Моята оценка 3,5*.
Май няма да си дам труда да чета на английски останалите книги от серията…
На мен ми хареса, въображението на автора работи добре, макар и на моменти да ми доскуча престоя ни на "Кюфтето".
Моята оценка 3,5*.
Май няма да си дам труда да чета на английски останалите книги от серията…
November 26, 2016
Well I guess it was about time I was distracted again by books I am supposed to be sorting out. This time it was a couple of James White Sector General books.
This first one was a series of short stories collected together all under the theme of a massive hospital station serving the needs all all the space faring races.
What appeals to me about this book and the whole series is the fact that the aliens are truly alien rather than humanoid with only superficial differences. NO here we have creatures great and small cared for by the staff of the station. So rather than glorifying (or horrifying) the reader with how strange the patient it is, you are shown a caring an dedicated staff who are more driven by the challenge of how care careful and heal their patient than drawn conclusions on how they look act or even work.
In a world of increasing xenophobia it is refreshing to see a story (okay short stories) which see the patient for what they are - someone in need of help rather than a weird and potentially terrifying monster.
Okay I have not really said much about the book itself - well you have the usual cast including a newly promoted Senior Physician Conway along with a number of new characters. However for me the real star of the show is the station itself, although there does seem to a challenge to find the most startling and surprising alien life form in need of medical assistance.
This first one was a series of short stories collected together all under the theme of a massive hospital station serving the needs all all the space faring races.
What appeals to me about this book and the whole series is the fact that the aliens are truly alien rather than humanoid with only superficial differences. NO here we have creatures great and small cared for by the staff of the station. So rather than glorifying (or horrifying) the reader with how strange the patient it is, you are shown a caring an dedicated staff who are more driven by the challenge of how care careful and heal their patient than drawn conclusions on how they look act or even work.
In a world of increasing xenophobia it is refreshing to see a story (okay short stories) which see the patient for what they are - someone in need of help rather than a weird and potentially terrifying monster.
Okay I have not really said much about the book itself - well you have the usual cast including a newly promoted Senior Physician Conway along with a number of new characters. However for me the real star of the show is the station itself, although there does seem to a challenge to find the most startling and surprising alien life form in need of medical assistance.
April 10, 2019
In a time when a lot of sci-fi was just naval adventures ported into a spacefaring setting, this pacifist author told fascinating stories about a galactic hospital tasked with treating any and all species, no matter how alien.
This is a collection of short stories with the same setting and main character. In each one, Doctor Conway must decipher an unfamiliar alien's physiology, figure out what ails it, and save its life, all without the benefit of a common language or culture. These are puzzles of advanced anatomy, pathology, psychology. But they're more than intellectual challenges: in every case, the fate of the hospital, or the outcome of a war, hangs in the balance.
While reading, one is rarely aware that these stories are about 50 years old -- aside from the occasional, startling bits of sexism that pass through the text, unremarked upon by the characters. The writing is adept and not too stylized. Overall: recommended for readers in the 21st century.
I read the omnibus edition that collected Sector General books 1-3, but I'm reviewing them separately so that I get credit for 3 books in my reading challenge :) This is the third.
This is a collection of short stories with the same setting and main character. In each one, Doctor Conway must decipher an unfamiliar alien's physiology, figure out what ails it, and save its life, all without the benefit of a common language or culture. These are puzzles of advanced anatomy, pathology, psychology. But they're more than intellectual challenges: in every case, the fate of the hospital, or the outcome of a war, hangs in the balance.
While reading, one is rarely aware that these stories are about 50 years old -- aside from the occasional, startling bits of sexism that pass through the text, unremarked upon by the characters. The writing is adept and not too stylized. Overall: recommended for readers in the 21st century.
I read the omnibus edition that collected Sector General books 1-3, but I'm reviewing them separately so that I get credit for 3 books in my reading challenge :) This is the third.
owned-unread
December 26, 2022Owned as part of the omnibus Beginning Operations. The individual parts seem to be collections of novellas and shorter works, that were bundled into books eventually. I am pretty sure that I will continue with the omnibus, as I am interested to see how the author and his style will develop.
Read: Hospital Station, copyright © 1962,
Still to read: Star Surgeon, copyright © 1963, and Major Operation, copyright © 1971.
Read: Hospital Station, copyright © 1962,
Still to read: Star Surgeon, copyright © 1963, and Major Operation, copyright © 1971.
December 5, 2022
The third instalment of Sector General focusses on one newly discovered planet with at least two different intelligent species on it - of extremely different kinds. The more normal (though by no means normal) "rollers" are a nifty and interesting species suitable for classical idea SF. But the other is a lot more in need of medical attention, and a lot harder to get to cooperate, or even to identify.
What is really impressive is the ethos White imbues his physicians and Monitor Corps with - they keep on addressing medical emergencies in the face of serious attacks causing serious losses among them.
Overall, it's another entertaining read from the series. Maybe the jokes about the figure of nurse Murchinson (now, if I understand it correctly, Dr. Mrs. Dr. Conway, though professionally she keeps her old name) wear a bit thin, but she gets a more prominent and important role, so White is not quite stuck in the 60s. The book was published 1971, but like others in the series, is a fixup novel, in this case a collection of short stores from New Worlds published from 1966 to 1971.
Like all of the series so far, it's a good read if you like classical science fiction with a pacifistic message and a bit of humour.
What is really impressive is the ethos White imbues his physicians and Monitor Corps with - they keep on addressing medical emergencies in the face of serious attacks causing serious losses among them.
Overall, it's another entertaining read from the series. Maybe the jokes about the figure of nurse Murchinson (now, if I understand it correctly, Dr. Mrs. Dr. Conway, though professionally she keeps her old name) wear a bit thin, but she gets a more prominent and important role, so White is not quite stuck in the 60s. The book was published 1971, but like others in the series, is a fixup novel, in this case a collection of short stores from New Worlds published from 1966 to 1971.
Like all of the series so far, it's a good read if you like classical science fiction with a pacifistic message and a bit of humour.
November 21, 2025
The staff of Sector General – the enormous space station built to provide medical care for a multitude of different species – consists of some of the best and most capable practitioners in the known galaxy. This makes the outbreak of a sudden series of inexplicable errors all the more puzzling. When a surgeon’s doubts lead him to botch an operation, his friend Conway sets out to resolve the problem before it gets worse. In the process of doing so, he discovers what will prove his most challenging case yet – a patient who requires far more care than even the massive interstellar hospital is capable of providing.
Like the previous books in James White’s Sector General series, this one is a collection of short stories that were previously published elsewhere. Unlike its predecessors Hospital Station and Star Surgeon, however, the stories are interconnected in a way that tells a single overarching tale. While each can be enjoyed on their own, together they offer a linked chain of mysteries that the staff of White’s hospital must solve, leading to perhaps the biggest problem – both literally and figuratively – that they have ever faced. It’s a great elevation of his approach, and one that results in the best entry yet in the series.
Like the previous books in James White’s Sector General series, this one is a collection of short stories that were previously published elsewhere. Unlike its predecessors Hospital Station and Star Surgeon, however, the stories are interconnected in a way that tells a single overarching tale. While each can be enjoyed on their own, together they offer a linked chain of mysteries that the staff of White’s hospital must solve, leading to perhaps the biggest problem – both literally and figuratively – that they have ever faced. It’s a great elevation of his approach, and one that results in the best entry yet in the series.
October 10, 2010
The third of the Sector General novels is actually a collection of interconnected short stories, and feels like it. This is old fashioned SF, and thus really rather fun. There are some huge gaps between the stories/chapters, and the reader has to work out what is being left out or implied. I can only imagine what it must have been like to read these spread over the five years of initial publication - although, of course, they may have been edited for this edition. Having said that, there are some recaps which feel pretty clunky within a novel, but which would have been vital for a short story reader. Anyway, despite the fractured feel of the book, it actually all hangs together very entertainingly, with White's normal mix of human-alien interaction, mysterious illnesses that require a leap of instinct to fix, and a rather appealing pacifism. His books really are quite unlike anything else I've read in SF (although I'm sure there's lots like it out there), and although I'm reaching the end of my ability to overdose right now, I will look out for the remaining titles in preparation for another session in the future.
Read
September 18, 2016Read as part of Omnibus
May 9, 2024
Again, not a bad science fiction, but I think it would have been better if the stories in the book did not follow one main storyline, but rather were focusing on smaller and more diverse situations. Apart from that, the author once again demonstrated his ability to create unique and very imaginative forms of life.
July 15, 2019
Other than the sexism, still pretty good books decades after they were written. I read this as an omnibus, which brings up the weakness in some background information being lifted word for word from another book. While in the same episodic style as the previous books, this has a more central focus--the inhabitants of a planet the doctors dubbed Meatball. They're as fascinating and different as always, and it's fun reading about them. The humans are a bit dated and flat in comparison, unfortunately.
Read
November 2, 2013Major Operation takes place a few months after Conway was promoted to Senior Physician (this happens not at the end of Hospital Station, but in the penultimate story, "Visitor at Large"). Properly, 'Countercharm' (from Aliens among Us) should come between "Visitor at Large" and "Out-Patient" (both from Hospital Station).
The composite edition of Major Operation was copyrighted in 1971; but as noted by other reviewers, this was written as a series of short stories. The earliest listed is "Meatball" (1966), but oddly, there is no listing for the first story "Invader", which is probably from the same year (?).
Contents:
I INVADER: Beginning shortly after the death of Dr Mannen's dog (whose relationship with Mannen had been complicated by the confusion resulting from Mannen's permanent retention of Educator tapes, since the beings sharing Mannen's mind had little familiarity with dogs), this story deals with why Mannen would have made a series of mistakes in an operation. Conway begins interviewing others present in the operating theater at the time. Suspicions center on medical instruments, including a Hudlar scalpel that, unaccountably, managed not to injure a Kelgian charge nurse (the first named appearance of Naydrad, who later assumes much more prominence in the series). Trust Conway, by the way, to quote the old nonsense line about the 'man who wasn't there'.
II: Vertigo: Why is the accidentally kidnapped Drambon astronaut Surreshun like the Tin Man of Oz? But not much like, physically, all the same.
III: Blood Brother: Doctors on Drambo are like the Scarecrow, forsooth! But again, not much like. They're more like giant jellyfish medusae: which gives to wonder: are they also colonial organisms?
IV: Meatball: The continent-sized creatures (dubbed 'strata beasts', although their metabolism is in many ways more vegetable than animal) are in grave danger from the Rollers' nuclear warheads (which have caused widespread necrosis and cancers). Leaving aside the point that the death of the strata beasts would endanger (possibly doom) all life on Drambo, terrestrial and marine, the evidence is that the tool-maker(s) inhabit (are?) only the largest of the strata beasts. Given that surgery on the strata beasts makes wars seem small scale, it's necessary that the Monitor fleets get involved. Directed, of course, by the doctors...
V: Major Operation: As casualties mount among the Monitor 'surgeons', Conway, Murchison, and a Monitor (Harrison) make one last attempt to obtain the patient's informed consent.
One minor quibble: one of the Hudlars is referred to by personal name. Later, it's established that Hudlars do not use personal names outside of intimate situations. Is this one a rebel?
The composite edition of Major Operation was copyrighted in 1971; but as noted by other reviewers, this was written as a series of short stories. The earliest listed is "Meatball" (1966), but oddly, there is no listing for the first story "Invader", which is probably from the same year (?).
Contents:
I INVADER: Beginning shortly after the death of Dr Mannen's dog (whose relationship with Mannen had been complicated by the confusion resulting from Mannen's permanent retention of Educator tapes, since the beings sharing Mannen's mind had little familiarity with dogs), this story deals with why Mannen would have made a series of mistakes in an operation. Conway begins interviewing others present in the operating theater at the time. Suspicions center on medical instruments, including a Hudlar scalpel that, unaccountably, managed not to injure a Kelgian charge nurse (the first named appearance of Naydrad, who later assumes much more prominence in the series). Trust Conway, by the way, to quote the old nonsense line about the 'man who wasn't there'.
II: Vertigo: Why is the accidentally kidnapped Drambon astronaut Surreshun like the Tin Man of Oz? But not much like, physically, all the same.
III: Blood Brother: Doctors on Drambo are like the Scarecrow, forsooth! But again, not much like. They're more like giant jellyfish medusae: which gives to wonder: are they also colonial organisms?
IV: Meatball: The continent-sized creatures (dubbed 'strata beasts', although their metabolism is in many ways more vegetable than animal) are in grave danger from the Rollers' nuclear warheads (which have caused widespread necrosis and cancers). Leaving aside the point that the death of the strata beasts would endanger (possibly doom) all life on Drambo, terrestrial and marine, the evidence is that the tool-maker(s) inhabit (are?) only the largest of the strata beasts. Given that surgery on the strata beasts makes wars seem small scale, it's necessary that the Monitor fleets get involved. Directed, of course, by the doctors...
V: Major Operation: As casualties mount among the Monitor 'surgeons', Conway, Murchison, and a Monitor (Harrison) make one last attempt to obtain the patient's informed consent.
One minor quibble: one of the Hudlars is referred to by personal name. Later, it's established that Hudlars do not use personal names outside of intimate situations. Is this one a rebel?
November 27, 2013
The best entry in the series so far, the author clearly grasped what is the charming part of the series — alien races, and he clearly made sure that they wouldn't disappoint.
They don't. Meatball/Drambon is an odd and fascinating planet that is the home for even odder and more fascinating organisms — even by the series' standards. The plot is mostly intriguing, with a good share of mystery and medical/military/mining drama (I can't explain the last combo without spoiling anything, but the major operation of the novel is indeed major).
Also, I've found that Murchison—who, it appears, has been established as one of the main characters in the series—clearly got more attention from the author, and is not a complete cardboard cut-out any more.
There are a few very minor problems, like the slightly rushed ending (still much, much better than in 'Star Surgeon'), but overall — the novel is a pleasure to read, and gives me high hopes for the rest of the series.
They don't. Meatball/Drambon is an odd and fascinating planet that is the home for even odder and more fascinating organisms — even by the series' standards. The plot is mostly intriguing, with a good share of mystery and medical/military/mining drama (I can't explain the last combo without spoiling anything, but the major operation of the novel is indeed major).
Also, I've found that Murchison—who, it appears, has been established as one of the main characters in the series—clearly got more attention from the author, and is not a complete cardboard cut-out any more.
There are a few very minor problems, like the slightly rushed ending (still much, much better than in 'Star Surgeon'), but overall — the novel is a pleasure to read, and gives me high hopes for the rest of the series.
June 29, 2018
A really inventive sorta-trio of medical mysteries this time, and overall I'm finding White's brand of medical scifi really my bag. The main character is also becoming less annoying over time, as he seems to settle into his duties and open himself up to the rest of the universe. He still has his moments of "why is this patient defying me! I'm trying to help by doing this thing, and it's fighting m--oh, it's because doing that thing would kill it. Ok.", and the occasional bouts of 70s-era sexist comedy about his well-endowed nurse wife are eye-rolling, but neither of those things take over the narrative this time. Murchison even is brought along and gives her professional opinion at a critical juncture, and the comment about "professional women" and the arch reply about how someone could be an "amateur woman" was pretty amusing.
June 30, 2017
Представям си колко е трудно да се превежда фантастика, но трябва да отбележа, че българските читатели на прекрасната поредица на Уайт за галактическата болница са доста ощетени. Излишно дълги изречения с несъгласувани подчинени изречения, губещи се подлози и смяна на глаголни времена са само част от проблемите. Въпреки това, историята е завладяваща и който може да я чете в оригинал или в руски превод, би й се насладил напълно.
August 11, 2015
A short story collection of uneven quality. The first few stories are solid hospital procedure tales in space. The second half, while changing up the pattern of previous stories, is less charming, and prone to odd digressions. White's active and warm imagination is still at work here, so there's a lot to enjoy, but it becomes a bit monotonous after a while.
November 18, 2022
Sometimes, you need some comfort food. Sometimes, you need pure imagination. Sometimes, you need what is quickly becoming one of my favorite science fiction series out there: Sector General. I bought Beginning Operations, the first three-volume omnibus, four or five years. Sadly, it sat around for a few years, which is a real shame since this Orb hardcover is gorgeous and feels amazing in your hands. Yes, I'm that much of a nerd... Anyways, I read the first two books in the series in the last couple of months, and enjoyed them both. They got 7.5 outta 10 for a wonderful world and proficient characters and plots, but also for a slight kink in James White's writing that kept me from fully embracing his stories. I'm not sure what that kink was, especially since I like his SG and Second Ending writing, but whatever it was, it was a lot less noticeable by the end of this book.
Whereas the first book is a short story collection and the second book is a full on novel, Major Operation is a fix-up novel. It contains five stories that were published in New Worlds over the course of five years that flow together and tell a single story remarkably well. I really like this format since each segment of the story has a different main cast and provides a different snapshot of the conflict. I hope that more Sector General novels follow its suite, but before we start talking about those, let's discuss the stories one-by-one.
-"Invader" kicks the book off. Surgeon Mannon, one of Conway's good friends, screws up a routine surgery dealing with decompression and other fun gravity things. Head Psychologist O'Mara tells Conway to look into this, and after a series of wild accusations which almost get him kicked out of the hospital, Conway discovers that a strange mentally-operated metallic tool hitched a ride with an exploration ship that recently landed on the newly-discovered Planet Meatball, a world where when the continents are alive. O'Mara declares that they need to learn more about the tool-builders, and the rest of the book ensues. I liked this one, but it's probably only a 7.5/10, because it still had that undefinable jankiness that I don't jive with, despite the always-wonderful and colorful world of Sector General.
-"Vertigo" shows what happens when one of Meatball's inhabitant goes to space and is 'rescued' by a Monitor ship. The wheel-like alien is taken into Sector General's care and Conway eventually figures out that , and when the day is saved, Sector General is one step closer to obtaining those glorious tools. Another 7.5/10.
-Conway and co actually go to Meatball in "Blood Brother" and meet the roller's people. They talk about mysterious doctors and Conway learns that the rollers . I really like that Conway doesn't go to Meatball with Mannon and Priscilla, but instead the recently introduced Edwards and his roller patient from the last story. It's a new perspective, even though the wonky action sequence at the end was the last time I felt the weird disengagement from White's text. Still, after White's reveal of , I think this chapter deserves 8/10.
-"Meatball" returns to Sector General before it brings in Conway's rather estranged wife (I found his explanation of aliens' views on marriage as slavery interesting and forward thinking (although not agreeable)) as they investigate the story further. It's hard to remember what they discovered in this story versus the ones bookending it, but hey, it's still pretty good. 8.10
-The grand finale, the titular "Major Operation," shows Conway leading a huge operation (we're talking a space military fleet or two) to heal , and it really highlights how far Conway's come over the last three books. He's still cocky, but it's now a feature, not a bug. And the book-long question of . It ends abruptly (like many stories), but it doesn't feel abrupt here. I can only give such a climatic - some may say major - operation an 8.5/10.
If you can't tell, I enjoyed this book. The writing isn't the best in the game, but the world is unparalleled among its intimate peers. It just makes me feel good, like I'd actually want to live here, and I want to rant about this book from the top of the hills. I feel like the hard-to-explain problems present in the first two books are a lot less present here, so I can finally give this book 8/10. It might be a while before I read the next trio, because the next hardcover omnibus is a bit more pricey. But I can't wait to return to the great world of Sector General, my favorite space hospital, real and unreal.
Whereas the first book is a short story collection and the second book is a full on novel, Major Operation is a fix-up novel. It contains five stories that were published in New Worlds over the course of five years that flow together and tell a single story remarkably well. I really like this format since each segment of the story has a different main cast and provides a different snapshot of the conflict. I hope that more Sector General novels follow its suite, but before we start talking about those, let's discuss the stories one-by-one.
-"Invader" kicks the book off. Surgeon Mannon, one of Conway's good friends, screws up a routine surgery dealing with decompression and other fun gravity things. Head Psychologist O'Mara tells Conway to look into this, and after a series of wild accusations which almost get him kicked out of the hospital, Conway discovers that a strange mentally-operated metallic tool hitched a ride with an exploration ship that recently landed on the newly-discovered Planet Meatball, a world where when the continents are alive. O'Mara declares that they need to learn more about the tool-builders, and the rest of the book ensues. I liked this one, but it's probably only a 7.5/10, because it still had that undefinable jankiness that I don't jive with, despite the always-wonderful and colorful world of Sector General.
-"Vertigo" shows what happens when one of Meatball's inhabitant goes to space and is 'rescued' by a Monitor ship. The wheel-like alien is taken into Sector General's care and Conway eventually figures out that , and when the day is saved, Sector General is one step closer to obtaining those glorious tools. Another 7.5/10.
-Conway and co actually go to Meatball in "Blood Brother" and meet the roller's people. They talk about mysterious doctors and Conway learns that the rollers . I really like that Conway doesn't go to Meatball with Mannon and Priscilla, but instead the recently introduced Edwards and his roller patient from the last story. It's a new perspective, even though the wonky action sequence at the end was the last time I felt the weird disengagement from White's text. Still, after White's reveal of , I think this chapter deserves 8/10.
-"Meatball" returns to Sector General before it brings in Conway's rather estranged wife (I found his explanation of aliens' views on marriage as slavery interesting and forward thinking (although not agreeable)) as they investigate the story further. It's hard to remember what they discovered in this story versus the ones bookending it, but hey, it's still pretty good. 8.10
-The grand finale, the titular "Major Operation," shows Conway leading a huge operation (we're talking a space military fleet or two) to heal , and it really highlights how far Conway's come over the last three books. He's still cocky, but it's now a feature, not a bug. And the book-long question of . It ends abruptly (like many stories), but it doesn't feel abrupt here. I can only give such a climatic - some may say major - operation an 8.5/10.
If you can't tell, I enjoyed this book. The writing isn't the best in the game, but the world is unparalleled among its intimate peers. It just makes me feel good, like I'd actually want to live here, and I want to rant about this book from the top of the hills. I feel like the hard-to-explain problems present in the first two books are a lot less present here, so I can finally give this book 8/10. It might be a while before I read the next trio, because the next hardcover omnibus is a bit more pricey. But I can't wait to return to the great world of Sector General, my favorite space hospital, real and unreal.
May 9, 2025
Really loving this series now , in the third book , i love the how science fiction books like this bring you into new worlds and for lack of a better term explore the whimsiness of the unknown
Like from our cast of characters omara , conway , prilica trying to help maddon and absolve him of fucking up a surgery to finding out that actually it's due to a tool that came from when descrates landed on meatball and it attacked the ship injured lt harrison .
Then it evolved into a literal mission to trying find the intelligent species that made the tools , that involved them accidentally abducting a peace loving forever rolling creature on the murky seas on meatball that was happily fucking up the whole planet through expansion by being trigger happy with atomic explosions and were not the creators of the tool
Then it became even funnier when they hit a dead end by bringing back two different transparent creatures that could heal wounds by sucking up blood and returning back to it as omara and pricila went crazy trying to investigate they communication patterns
The last and literal most hilarious part of the book is omara and conway literally using the federation as if they were in war trying to track down the civilization and then someone attempt surgery on a dying planet.
Love love this book , the character interactions are so underrated , from everyone getting pissed at each other various ETs working together at meatball . FANTASTIC.
my only gripe with not giving it 5 stars was the surgical part of the place towards the last part of the book was abit confusing , and a blur , a reread might make it more clear !
Like from our cast of characters omara , conway , prilica trying to help maddon and absolve him of fucking up a surgery to finding out that actually it's due to a tool that came from when descrates landed on meatball and it attacked the ship injured lt harrison .
Then it evolved into a literal mission to trying find the intelligent species that made the tools , that involved them accidentally abducting a peace loving forever rolling creature on the murky seas on meatball that was happily fucking up the whole planet through expansion by being trigger happy with atomic explosions and were not the creators of the tool
Then it became even funnier when they hit a dead end by bringing back two different transparent creatures that could heal wounds by sucking up blood and returning back to it as omara and pricila went crazy trying to investigate they communication patterns
The last and literal most hilarious part of the book is omara and conway literally using the federation as if they were in war trying to track down the civilization and then someone attempt surgery on a dying planet.
Love love this book , the character interactions are so underrated , from everyone getting pissed at each other various ETs working together at meatball . FANTASTIC.
my only gripe with not giving it 5 stars was the surgical part of the place towards the last part of the book was abit confusing , and a blur , a reread might make it more clear !
August 30, 2023
I read the version which brought the five stories together into a novel and then combined with two other similar novels into "Beginning Operations".
Frankly I am in awe of this story and the entirely left of field imagination that was brought to bear in constructing the aliens in this story. The mountainous hurdles of communication, identification and medical treatment (which looked more like a military operation!) of someone utterly alien was an absolute treat, as was the extraordinary detail described in the treatment process itself.
This novel is half detective story, and half cosmic ER. For the sixties is was an extraordinarily innovative concept and storyline, for the 2020s scarcely less so. The writing style improved out of sight from White's earliest work and still reads as a freshly modern novel in most respects that could have been written in this century let alone 50 years or more ago. Even the science, necessarily rooted in the 70s in which the author composed the story, does not come across as especially dated given the developments in science and technology that emerged since this story was published in 1971 (or earlier, for the component novelettes).
Whatever flaws this has, I'm more than willing to overlook in the imaginative sweep, the lucid style and most of all the deep and abiding compassion that laces all of James White's work.
Frankly I am in awe of this story and the entirely left of field imagination that was brought to bear in constructing the aliens in this story. The mountainous hurdles of communication, identification and medical treatment (which looked more like a military operation!) of someone utterly alien was an absolute treat, as was the extraordinary detail described in the treatment process itself.
This novel is half detective story, and half cosmic ER. For the sixties is was an extraordinarily innovative concept and storyline, for the 2020s scarcely less so. The writing style improved out of sight from White's earliest work and still reads as a freshly modern novel in most respects that could have been written in this century let alone 50 years or more ago. Even the science, necessarily rooted in the 70s in which the author composed the story, does not come across as especially dated given the developments in science and technology that emerged since this story was published in 1971 (or earlier, for the component novelettes).
Whatever flaws this has, I'm more than willing to overlook in the imaginative sweep, the lucid style and most of all the deep and abiding compassion that laces all of James White's work.
July 18, 2019
James White was the author of a number good SF works, but he's most remembered for his series about the interstellar, inter-species hospital Sector General. The series features an amazing number of well-thought-out, imaginative aliens and the doctors (some human, some alien) who treat them. The focus of the stories is typically the doctors -- often the human Conway and the alien, insect-like empath Prilicla -- trying to understand a new alien species well enough to heal them.
Major Operation is made up of a series of linked stories about the planet originally dubbed Meatball. In the first story, a series of strange accidents on Sector General seem to be tied to a ship that just returned from this newly explored planet. Conway and crew first must figure out what's going on, and from there what the alien species on Meatball are (and of course there are several new and fascinating alien creations). The final, title story involves trying to heal a living creature the size of a continent.
This is another entertaining addition to the series. Recommended.
Major Operation is made up of a series of linked stories about the planet originally dubbed Meatball. In the first story, a series of strange accidents on Sector General seem to be tied to a ship that just returned from this newly explored planet. Conway and crew first must figure out what's going on, and from there what the alien species on Meatball are (and of course there are several new and fascinating alien creations). The final, title story involves trying to heal a living creature the size of a continent.
This is another entertaining addition to the series. Recommended.
September 23, 2019
I read this back in my "golden age" of science fiction, 11-12 years old.
Like Star Trek ( of the same vintage) it imagined an organization wherein different species came together to work for the common good, an idea that appealed greatly to my youthful idealism and sense of fair play. I know I re- read it a number of times and while the details are fuzzy with age, a few things stand out. With the best of intentions the doctors intercept a tumbling spacecraft, not knowing this species has to keep moving or rolling to survive. In order to treat him the human doctor has to download the alien's thought processes and immediately grabs a desk chair and starts spinning on it. That stuck in my mind for some reason. I'd enjoy reading the book again, these many years later. I like that several reviewers say the stories stand up well, apart from some dated sexism. I don't remember that ("mushy romance stuff- get back to the spaceships!"). My view is clouded by nostalgia, no doubt, but I recall these stories as positive and uplifting and that never gets dated.
Like Star Trek ( of the same vintage) it imagined an organization wherein different species came together to work for the common good, an idea that appealed greatly to my youthful idealism and sense of fair play. I know I re- read it a number of times and while the details are fuzzy with age, a few things stand out. With the best of intentions the doctors intercept a tumbling spacecraft, not knowing this species has to keep moving or rolling to survive. In order to treat him the human doctor has to download the alien's thought processes and immediately grabs a desk chair and starts spinning on it. That stuck in my mind for some reason. I'd enjoy reading the book again, these many years later. I like that several reviewers say the stories stand up well, apart from some dated sexism. I don't remember that ("mushy romance stuff- get back to the spaceships!"). My view is clouded by nostalgia, no doubt, but I recall these stories as positive and uplifting and that never gets dated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2020
White, James. Major Operation. Sector General No. 3. Del Ray, 1971.
James White’s Sector General stories were perfectly adapted to the long short story format, just long enough to make them the feature story of whatever magazine first published them. Readers quickly became familiar with the main characters of the multispecies hospital out on the galactic rim and to the crew of its starship ambulance. Major Operation is a group of five such short stories. All the stories feature medical sleuthing and MacGyvering among diverse alien species--from odd alien presences to continent-sized critters in need of surgery that threaten the medical team with its involuntary responses. White’s charming inventiveness always engages. If you like one book in this series, you will like them all, dated though they are ins some respects.
James White’s Sector General stories were perfectly adapted to the long short story format, just long enough to make them the feature story of whatever magazine first published them. Readers quickly became familiar with the main characters of the multispecies hospital out on the galactic rim and to the crew of its starship ambulance. Major Operation is a group of five such short stories. All the stories feature medical sleuthing and MacGyvering among diverse alien species--from odd alien presences to continent-sized critters in need of surgery that threaten the medical team with its involuntary responses. White’s charming inventiveness always engages. If you like one book in this series, you will like them all, dated though they are ins some respects.
November 17, 2024
The shortest of the first three Sector General books, this one also offers the least character development. On the upside, there's also less of the low-grade misogyny that took me by surprise in book two. So what takes up page time? So much exploration of the largest, most alien alien yet, along with one of the biggest communication challenges yet.
It saddens me that my library system carries only few of the later Sector General novels. I guess only the most popular of 1960s and 70s scifi has survived the culls. The shame of it is that I've never read anything quite like this and would welcome a whole lot more to pepper throughout my reading life.
It saddens me that my library system carries only few of the later Sector General novels. I guess only the most popular of 1960s and 70s scifi has survived the culls. The shame of it is that I've never read anything quite like this and would welcome a whole lot more to pepper throughout my reading life.
June 13, 2020
"Meatball." My least favourite of White's novels so far. Major Operation indulges in the clearest and most naive sexism while focusing on a story whose concept - can one man heal a whole planet? - is too naff to hold up over the mildly diverting narrative beats, and White's admirable imagination just doesn't have the heroic chops to stray into the epic territory required to bring the concept to life. I was hopeful but ultimately disappointed by this one.
December 9, 2020
I did not realize these had been published as five separate short stories over a course of five years. Now, I feel that I ‘should’ go back and read these again and see how White’s writing progressed over the five years these stories were written.
IT'saAn interesting take on the complexity possible among intelligent life forms. This time they range from very tiny to covering most of a planet. I found it thought provoking and enjoyable.
IT'saAn interesting take on the complexity possible among intelligent life forms. This time they range from very tiny to covering most of a planet. I found it thought provoking and enjoyable.
September 11, 2023
I read this and the previous three as an omnibus so I don't know that i can fully separate them as experiences. I can just say that I had a good time reading them in spite of the retro sexual politics and the blatant workplace equity issues causing slight discomfort. If you're up for some fun and are feeling a little less vulnerable to feeling bad about the state of the world I'd say give it a go.
September 24, 2025
Much, much better than the previous book. (Aside from a very strange oversight where the author seemed to forget that water boils in a vacuum? Took me out a little in a book that’s otherwise having a lot of fun playing around with some slightly harder-scifi ideas, hah.) Still flawed, but this entry was enjoyable enough that I’ll probably try at least one more book in the series.
October 23, 2025
This book was pretty decent, I thought that it was it was a bit slowly paced compared to the other books, likely because it was an overarching story where the others were multiple connected short storied. I liked it overall though as the plot was pretty good and the ideas of the alien species was pretty interesting!
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October 26, 2025Why you might like it: Medical competence across alien biologies. Rubric match: not yet scored. Uses your engineering/rigor/first-contact/world-building rubric. Tags: first-contact, medicine, competence
May 17, 2017
Not as good as the first two- but still a good read. Short and sweet!
July 23, 2018
Обичам "Галактическа болница", но "Оперативна намеса" едва я дочетох. Нормално, в толкова дълга поредица няма как всичко да е блестящо.
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