The Galactic Gourmet

Sector General #9

by James White

When the galaxy's greatest chef, Gurronsevas, travels to a massive hospital space station to make their hospital food more appetizing, he may have to overcome more than a few obstacles in order to meet this challenge. Reprint.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space Opera, Medical, Aliens, Fantasy

312 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Jessie J · Rating 5 out of 5]

James White is such an underrated author. I adore his Sector General novels. Just imagine that, with all those space battles and impossible conundrums in the scifi books and movies you enjoy, there is an ambulance run by a host of well-trained aliens that swoops in and takes care of the situation with skill and understanding.

I've recently tried a precursor to White, and I did enjoy his work, but mostly as a period piece. And I've read the StarDoc novels (which don't compare). I'm sure there are others out there, and I appreciate recommendations. But Sector General is the best, to me.

"The Galactic Gourmet" is a slight departure from some of the other Sector General novels in that it adds one part Top Chef to the space opera/hospital station mix. As is often the case, a brilliant misfit finds a place with Sector General; just not using a path you would expect.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I want to love this series. I do remember liking the few I had read BGR (Before GoodReads). But the thing about reading rabidly, as I do, is that it becomes too easy to be distracted by flaws and weaknesses. And these Sector General books have plenty of them: long-winded explanations, individuals who actually differ more by species than by selves, personalities that are all human-like, clumsy developments, handwavium.... They're fun, with interesting ideas... but there's so much out there that's so much better; I just can't recommend them or continue with later ones in the series. (Someday, though, I might go back and read some of the earliest again.)

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

This 9th book in the Sector General series was another which is told from the point of view of an alien rather than Conway. This time the main character is a Tralthan who is a chef specializing in other-species cuisine; Gurronseva has come to the hospital to be the Chief Dietician.

[Marcus Gipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first of James White's Sector General novels many years ago, having picked it up from a pile of cheap second hand SF paperbacks. I remember rather enjoying it, in a pulpy way, and a couple of years ago I read the sequel (actually, perhaps that happened the other way around - sequel first. Yes, that was it: http://marcusgipps.livejournal.com/20... and http://marcusgipps.livejournal.com/20...).

I ended one of those reviews saying that there were another eleven books in the series, and that I would keep an eye out for them. I clearly promptly forgot until last week, when I was in my local comic shop and saw a pile of, yes, cheap old SF paperbacks, including a bunch of James White ones. I picked up the two that looked most interesting, read this one that afternoon/the next day, and then went back and bought a handful more. They're all fun, although there is a little bit of repeated information (that's my fault, though, for reading them in a short period of time, and in a random order).

This is one of the later books in the series, and has a fairly silly title. It was obvious to me that a lot had changed since the two books, but the main elements that I enjoyed in White's writing were still present - basically, ER or House in space, with mysterious illnesses and some soap-opera elements, but livened up immensely with the addition of random aliens and things. In fact, this book is largely told from the point of view of a non-human, which is rather fun (lots of faux-naive descriptions of human traits as 'other' or alien). Our protagonist is a famous chef who decided that the ultimate expression of his talent would be to sort out the unpleasant hospital food (some things never change, obviously) which is more difficult than it sounds, as there are dozens of species who need to be fed. He gets some things wrong, gets into some scrapes, but everything ends up alright in the end, in a rather satisfying way. Not the deepest thing I've ever read, of course, but quite a lot of fun.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

White, James. The Galactic Gourmet. Sector General No. 9. Tor, 1996.
The Galactic Gourmet is one of the most entertaining of the Sector General novels. When one of the galaxy’s greatest multispecies chefs, it would say the greatest, comes to Sector General because it needs a challenge, it finds that outside the kitchen it is just a clumsy six-legged rookie. Disaster pile up around it, though it means well and has a good couple of hearts. Eventually, it is exiled to the ambulance ship where it must try to save a planet full of carnivores to eat vegetables. I would not make this your first Sector General novel, but if you have read one or two of the others, this one will not offer any stumbling blocks.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gurronsevas isn't being conceited when he says he's the best chef--he's in high demand, wealthy from his work, and renowned among many species. But when he brings that pride and skill to bear on improving Sector General's food, there are some incidents. They're not entirely his fault, really.

A bit more funny than usual, though food is a vital part of life, and the book does get serious about it.

[Ab · Rating 5 out of 5]

cigarettes are safe - was the silly statement in the book, the rest was great.

[Sherrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

my first 5 star in the whole series , this book was a good mix of pure fun and light philosophical sci fi at the end !

story follows a culinary expert for a grand hotel on the tralthan homeworld ( can't recall if it was there , but i digress) on recommendation on from a colonel because he wanted to take up a challenge.

Omara as usual snobbed his nose at this weird ass being , who refused to be considered as a trainee due to being a master chef and dressed it down for having no idea how to feed a multi species hospital because he was used to high class clientle.

Gurronsevas took this personally and as a challenge as he went about solving issues , firstly in the AUGL ward devising a replica of it's homeworld food considering improving it's food and it's patients institutionalized nature and slow recovery. Secondly it also assisted in improving the illesan food so much so that nurse heridich mood had improved. It also started making improvements to various other species food with great effect. He even ran a secret project improving omara's food and he thought he could fool a psychologist , which eventually told him he knew all along this shit was going on.

But in classic sector general fashion it all had to go wrong as when he was exiting from a hudlar ship after conferring with them about their diet accidentally mistimed my jump due to forgetting it's gravity change knocked into chlorine and huldar food tanks causing a mass contamination issue requiring the spaceship on the dock to evac and him floating into space and requiring to be saved. This angered colonel skeptmon and everyone else at the hospital. Omara had about enough since he also caused the AUGL ward to be wrecked due to overexcitement of the chalders , pissing off the ward nurse and his antics at the space dock fucking it all up . So in a bid to calm all this down he was sent to hide and follow the rhabwar ship on a mission . Before the mission was set to release one of his food technicians put 8.5% of nutmeg instead of 0.85% into dbdg's steak causing a mass poisoning of staff , which was thought to be a pathogen fucking up the hospistal. Typical galatic sector fashion as spoken things could not go more wrong for Gurronsevas

Fast forward to the alien planet of where rhamwbar was sent to help a contact mission of a bunch of species that fucked up their own planet causing and ecological disaster and were starving to death.
Rhamwbar intially made contact and was afraid they were a bunch of canivores . the rhawbar team and particulary Gurronsevas solved the issue by slowly turning them from the idea that meat which was in no supply and considered their of food , was indeed able to be changed to vegetables which were not used. The part of the story was awesome too as Gurronsevas managed to win them over. This also had a tinge of philoshpy in it as the species learn their endless war and cause of ecological disaster was a reason why this happened in the first place and learning to rear food and words with other people of their species to make a better world for themselves

[C.C. Yager · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Chief Dietitian's life is never dull. James White introduces the reader to Gurronsevas, the new Chief Dietitian for Sector General, the giant, magnificent hospital spaceship that treats anyone and everyone in the Galactic Federation. I've been a patient in a hospital more times that I like, and must admit that the food is a terribly important part of recovery from illness or an operation.

Gurronsevas is a Tralthan. I had a hard time getting an image of him formed in my mind based on the sparse description White gives the reader -- furry, six legs, large mass, four eyes, four arms and hands. I kept thinking of a modified bear. And like a large bear, he's not the most graceful of creatures and that gets him into trouble as he pursues his obsession with food and cooking. So much trouble that he's banished to an ambulance ship in dock. But there are forces at work scheming to keep him around, and they arrange for him to accompany the ambulance ship and its crew on a mission to Wemar. There, he becomes indispensable, and not only for his culinary expertise.

What an original way to tell a sci fi story based in the medical world than through a chef's eyes! At first, I truly wondered just how much White would be able to do with such a character, but it turned out to be quite a lot. The story had twists and turns I never expected, all from the point of view of Gurronsevas. I was happy to see Prilicla again, and O'Mara and his department, but otherwise, this story was full of new and wonderful characters. I really admire White's Sector General novels because he does a good job of creating alien sentient beings with intelligence who don't resemble humans at all. There's even a shape-shifter that's a doctor! And as the characters get to know Gurronsevas and it gets to know them, everyone learns and grows.

White's prose style is easy to read and enjoyable. The Wem on Wemar are an interesting and original civilization, and what they did to their planet echoes what humanity is doing to the earth, provoking thoughts about earth's future as well as humanity's. White's prose is more than up to the challenge of describing it all. However, most (if not all) of the food described is not anything I would like to try myself. Perhaps that wasn't his goal in making the protagonist a gourmet cook. What I found the most interesting was the challenges each creature faces in order to interact with other creatures -- intellectually, physically, emotionally and psychologically. Especially Gurronsevas.

I enjoyed this different sci fi novel, and look forward to reading more of James White's Sector General series. I'd recommend this novel to any sci fi reader looking for something different, a different approach or point of view, readers of social sci fi, medical sci fi, and general sci fi.

[Valerie]

One of the advantages of a well-established series is that you can tell stories without having to insert too much exposition.

This is one of my favorite Sector General novels. The problems of the catering department at Sector General had been explored before, but this novel gives one a more inside view from the point of view of a chef who has abundant experience with multispecies dining.

The misadventures that end up putting Gurronsevas in a position where it must (and perhaps can) save the lives of an entire planetary culture are all logical and interesting, and the recognition that technology doesn't necessarily reduce the amount of chaos in people's lives is an insight that White did a lot with over the nearly half-century run of Sector General.

Starting a book with the arrival of a new character to Sector General became a formula for White. It's a useful introduction for newcomers, and provides old hands an opportunity to act as amused guides. The first interview between Gurronsevas and o'Mara, for example, ends with Timmins (head of Maintenance) pointing out that many people try to slam the door of o'Mara's office on leaving, despite the fact that it's a sliding door. I'd remembered this, but forgotten where it was from.

Gurronsevas' first challenge is finding his (note the male pronoun--the story is told from Gurronsevas' point of view, so only Tralthans are described using sexed pronouns) way to the oxygen-breathers dining hall. It's interesting how often Prilicla is on hand to greet newcomers. I personally think Prilicla is on gossiping terms with people in Reception, and makes it a point to be around but not obtrusive when newcomers arrive.

After considerable researches into the workings of the maintenance tunnels, kitchens, etc, Gurronsevas makes a cautious start by trying to improve the cuisine (well, not really--they don't have any kitchens of the Chalder ward. The success of this project is a little uneven--the enthusiasm of the Chalders for free-swimming food gets a little out of hand.

In apology to Hredlichli, Gurronsevas next devotes himself to improving the food of the Illensans, with quiet success. But at this point, he realizes that he can't continue to work with low-population groups one at a time--so he sets himself to improving o'Mara's food. This, while it doesn't noticeably improve o'Mara's attitude, does have an effect on o'Mara's decisions about whether to retain Gurronsevas later, when more serious problems arise.

The first serious problem involves Gurronsevas' attempt to improve the food of the Hudlars, so that they won't collapse in near-starvation because they forgot to replenish their boring food. Gurronsevas doesn't blame his Hudlar escort for not accompanying him back to the ship, because it wouldn't do him any good, and would get the Hudlar in trouble. And besides, it shouldn't have resulted in a life-threatening situation and major damage to an airlock. But there are questions Gurronsevas should have raised, nevertheless. Questions like "Why do the spacesuits have insufficient air supplies?" Or "Why isn't somebody charged with making sure the spacesuits have their consumables (including thruster fuel) topped up?". Or "Why don't internal suits have distress flares? After all, somebody MIGHT have to go outside." Or, perhaps most importantly, "Why is a Hudlar ship carrying chlorine-based materials, when chlorine is rapidly toxic to Hudlars?" (not, by the way, 'instantly'. In Accident, the Hudlars survived contact with chlorine for nearly half an hour, with no aftereffects).

This incident leads o'Mara, negotiating with Colonel Skempton, to tell Gurronsevas that he has to leave Sector General...as soon as it's conveniently possible. In the meantime, Gurronsevas is told to keep as low a profile as a Tralthan reasonably can, and to avoid any further accidents, if possible.

But if you're keeping a low profile, how can you figure out how to make Baked Alaska, without warning people not to be alarmed by any ash that gets into the waste stream?

This incident results in Gurronsevas being ordered to leave Sector General immediately--and to stay in hiding aboard the temporarily powered-down Rhabwar, even through the later crisis which results from the bizarre ordering system for Sector General (where you have to order a century's worth of supplies, or risk being conspicuous), and a miscommunication about recipes.

After which, Rhabwar departs on another mission, with Gurronsevas aboard, to deal with the Wemar famine.

The Wemar famine is not a sudden crisis. The Wemar people destroyed their ozone layer, and though it's slowly regenerating, the Wem have seen a significant loss of their food supply, and without reforms of their diet, they almost certainly won't make it through the recovery.

The Monitor Corps don't think Rhabwar can help, since they've failed themselves to make any substantial contact with the Wem. Prilicla manages to argue them into standing back in the only way it CAN argue--over long-distance radio, from too far away for Prilicla to be influenced by the emotions of its correspondents.

Gurronsevas is dubious, at first, about his ability to improve food alternatives for the Wem. And he's right, and wrong. By himself, he couldn't have persuaded the Wem to do something they stubbornly believe is impossible.

But they don't all think so. In fact, the fate of Wemar depends on the mental resilience of three old women, and a bunch of incompletely indoctrinated schoolchildren. The old women are painfully aware that the situation has significantly worsened since their youth, and the children just know that they're hungry, but that what they have to feed that hunger is inadequate.

In this environment, Gurronsevas' advice on presentation, complementary flavors, spices, and textures find a reluctant, but not totally hopeless audience, who are prepared to try the vegetarian dishes the 'hobbyist' (as they term him) Gurronsevas designs.

But this, in itself, is not sufficient. Only the successful rescue of the severely injured Chief Hunter Creethar will win over this community, and thus start the reform movement which will probably make the school involved into the culinary capital of Wemar, at least for a while.

It might seem that Gurronsevas could have no part in this, since he has no medical training. But not only has he learned the medical herbs in use by the Wem (and there isn't time to test Federation drugs on Creethar's infected wounds), he is also probably the only person who can convince Creethar to eat--and if he won't eat, he probably won't survive even if his wounds heal.

The misunderstanding that nearly defeats the rescue is one of the many demonstrations of the inevitable shortcomings of translators. Speaking of translators, it's just plain not true that the sound all people make to simulate a gunshot is 'bang!'. This isn't even true in all languages on Earth, so why would it be true throughout the Galaxy? For example, 'bang' is not even a possible word in Japanese, where syllables can't end in any consonant other than 'n'--and Japanese is a language closely related to European languages.

[Daggry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this title from an article about SFF where kindness is key. By the end, I was persuaded. But at the outset, the kind actions seem largely motivated by ego. Gurronsevas is awfully aware of his own consequence. He’s chosen the hospital because he wants a fresh challenge, having reached the professional pinnacle everywhere else. On the other hand, he understands that to even begin identifying the problems, he needs to hear from patients representing a vast range of biologies and cultures. And he does exactly that, taking a highly consultative approach that might seem obvious but too often isn’t.

This book appears to be a fun little aside in a longer series about Sector General. Would the first half have been more rewarding if I’d read the previous books sets at this hospital? Regardless, the story eventually leaves the hospital, and the stakes get higher in ways I was surprised hadn’t been spoiled by the blurb. Through patient culinary diplomacy, Gurronsevas earns all kinds of respect—and everyone learns how easy it is for a cross-cultural peace mission to blunder into disaster. The ending was… *chef’s kiss*.

[Bill Courson · Rating 5 out of 5]

James White’s Galactic Gourmet is a delightful addition to his acclaimed Sector General series, blending science fiction with culinary creativity.
The story follows Gurronsevas, a master chef of galactic renown, who takes on the ambitious task of revolutionizing hospital cuisine at the interspecies medical facility, Sector General.
What begins as a whimsical exploration of food culture becomes a clever study of cooperation, empathy, and problem-solving across species. White’s imagination shines in his depiction of alien diets and the chef’s inventive solutions to meet diverse nutritional needs. While the pace occasionally slows with technical details, the book’s humor and charm keep readers engaged.
Fans of the series will appreciate the continuation of White’s humane storytelling, while newcomers may enjoy this quirky and heartwarming stand-alone tale. A unique fusion of gastronomy and interstellar adventure!

[Georgann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept thinking, "I can't believe a book about a 'cook' could be so good!" This tale follows a similar format of White's previous stories: an outsider know-it-all makes a lot of mistakes, causes a lot of trouble, learns a lot and becomes a hero at the end. There is also an unmistakable correlation between the planet Wemar and our today's Earth. In 1996, there were still many arguing if climate change was really a "thing" caused by humans. I don't see many arguments against it now, but will we be able to contain ourselves and make the necessary changes, or will we become a destroyed planet like the one in the book? A story of hope after utter disaster.

[Jay Mishra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong first act and excellent second act ruined by a lousy third act and rushed ending. The idea behind the book is simple and brilliant - the best chef in the galaxy renowned for inter-species cooking comes to Sector General hoping to undertake the biggest challenge of his career - to make great food for the 60 odd species of staff and patients in the hospital, with many dishes that the chef cannot even taste because they would be poisonous to him.

The potential was so good, but in the middle they rushed off the chef for a mission, and the book fell apart at that point. So much potential lost in the closing chapters but a good read nonetheless

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I'm so very glad I found a copy to buy. Gurronsevas, a Tralthan chef, is the narrator. He isn't a physician or a healer in the accepted fashion. But food can heal many ills, and great friendships are often forged over meals. I laughed, I cried, I was sad when Gurronsevas was misunderstood. Most of all, I enjoyed this book. I have read that James White was a truly gentle soul, and The Galactic Gourmet exemplifies that description, because the gigantic, very alien Tralthan is a truly gentle soul.

[Kristel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long series that spans many years of publication. I read this one #9 because it was the only one at the library. Sector General is a hospital space station that provides health care to a variety of space beings. The main character in this on is a chef who decides to come to the hospital to serve as the chief dietitian with the goal of making the hospital food more palatable for the various entities that come there for health care. At first I wasn't sure about it but then I found myself enjoying it.

[Annette McIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sector 12 Hospital has a new head chef. The best chef in known space has decided it needs a new challenge and Sector General is that challenge - it wants to make hospital food tasty for the patients and the staff. Sadly it gets into more trouble than is helpful and has to be hidden away on Rabwar, the ambulance ship, which is then sent on a mission to help a dying planet. Can the new head chef of Sector General help or will it cause yet more trouble?

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge Sector General fan. James White is my favourite science fiction author because he blends humour with mystery, with quirky characters. He takes on the big questions of how you'd blend the galaxies of aliens on a medical ship with hundreds of floors. It is so intelligent and seeing ourselves through the eyes of aliens is a lot of fun. I've been waiting to read this particular books for quite a while and I wasn't disappointed.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of wondered why I was jonesing for a Sector General novel, given that some of them have been so misogynistic. Then I started this one and remembered: everybody tries so earnestly to help each other, which is exactly the world I want to live in. Also, there's White's delightful way with diverse aliens. Told entirely from the point of view of a non-human character, which is entertaining. (And, very little O'Mara, which is refreshing.)

[Jarosław Loretz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rzadki przypadek kulinarnej fantastyki, w dodatku napisanej ze sporym poczuciem humoru. Mimo że to dziewiąty tom cyklu - forma autora zdaje się nieodmiennie utrzymywać na wysokim poziomie. Co więcej - to jeden z tych niewielu cykli, w których każdy tom jest o czym innym, więc nie trzeba pilnować kolejności czytanych książek, ani nawet niepokoić się, że na półce brak kompletu.

[Sandra Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun addition to the Sector General series.

[Anja Schubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourites.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and entertaining read. The non-human characters really come alive. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Neal Schlein]

A riot of fun.

A great mash-up of medical mystery, cooking mystery, and science fiction all leavened with a seriously healthy dose of gentle humor. It's hard to find books like this.

[Wayne's · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as engaging as the previous volumes.

[Rachel Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfy si-fi without any fighting. Interesting alien gastronomy. Dry wit and loveable characters. Loved it!

[James Rickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A late entry in the Sector General series; good but not great.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I found a science fiction series that I really enjoyed, but I plan to read more by James White.

Sector General is a multi-species hospital filled with strange and unusual creatures that nevertheless come across as believable. Some breathe oxygen, others chlorine, and some live underwater, yet this hospital has created environments to suit them all as it seeks to use medicine to be the tie that binds sentient beings.

I'm not sure where this novel fits in chronological order, but I did not feel that I had to read the series in order to be able to enjoy it. Which was also pleasant if unusual.

The main character in this novel is a Charletone (sp?...sorry, I listen to these on tape) master chef who has made a name for himself by serving savory foods to many different species. He wants to challenge himself at Sector General to find a universal food that might appeal to multiple species. In the meantime, he is taking seriously the idea that patients who enjoy their food will have a better and faster recovery. Through his interviews with patients and staff about the food quality, the reader gets to explore the unique and surprisingly well-thought-out things that made each species tick.

He's quite arrogant and does manage to butt heads with the powers that be, but he was still a fun character to read about. Eventually, he is forced to take a leave of absence from Sector General due to his role in an accident but he finds new adventures in a strange culinary first contact situation.

I found this book fun, cleverly conceived, and even a little thought provoking.

[Danni Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up to discuss it with a friend who was also reading it. I liked it, but I wasn't consistently wowed. I felt really "hooked" when I first started reading it, for long enough that the story remained compelling even as my interest floundered, but it just didn't go anywhere exciting enough for me, and the ending was rather disappointing. I really liked some of the minor characters though, and would be interested to read other books in this series where those characters play a larger role. I wouldn't ordinarily start reading a series in the middle like this, but it sounded like a book that could stand alone; I feel like parts of it did, and other parts might have been more enjoyable had I some more context for them from having read the rest of the series. I did really like the explorations of intercultural communication, and the creative descriptions of the eating habits of the invented species, and I could certainly see reading other books by this author and enjoying them more than I did this one.

[Beth Lequeuvre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought for sure I would regret reading a book that was #9 in a series I had never read. I just figured what they hey, I like sci-fi and I like cooking and I'm getting this from a library so it doesn't cost anything to try. I'm glad I did. This was cute. Sector General is this huge 384 level hospital ship that serves a multitude of humans and aliens. Gurronsevas comes on board full of himself and his celebrity chef status and bumbles and fumbles a bit and spends 3/4 of the book trying to recover. Surprisingly not everything takes place on the ship but you do stay with the main character the whole time. I found the inventiveness in trying to devise new cuisine for different species completely fascinating.