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Interstellar Medic #1
Interstellar Medic: The Long Run
Being a paramedic is a tough job; it’s tougher when you stumble onto a crashed alien spacecraft.
Melanie Mooney thought she was just doing her job when she came upon an unusual accident in the deep woods late one night. Acting alone, what she found was nothing like she’d expected. What followed was even more unexpected.
Recruited by emissaries of a galaxy-spanning civilization, Melanie is thrust into a world she thought only existed in supermarket tabloids. As the first human in the Galactic Union Medical Corps, she cares for extraterrestrials in desperate need of a medic who can ignore the fact that they’re nothing like any patient she’s ever seen, even on their best days. And in emergency medicine, it’s a given that every patient is having the worst day of their life.
Each run takes her deeper into the galaxy and farther from home, navigating alien cultures that only get weirder with each call. It will take all of Melanie’s experience, instinct, and grit to prove herself—and the rest of humanity—to be worthy of the Union. That’s a lot to put on a woman who’d just like to end the day with a cheeseburger and a cold beer.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for Frontier:
“. . . Frontier is an enjoyable near-future science fiction thriller, a lightning-fast plot that feels like something that could be seen within the next hundred years.” —Warped Factor
Patrick Chiles is a graduate of The Citadel, a Marine Corps veteran, and a private pilot. In addition to his novels, he has written for magazines including Smithsonian’s Air & Space.
Melanie Mooney thought she was just doing her job when she came upon an unusual accident in the deep woods late one night. Acting alone, what she found was nothing like she’d expected. What followed was even more unexpected.
Recruited by emissaries of a galaxy-spanning civilization, Melanie is thrust into a world she thought only existed in supermarket tabloids. As the first human in the Galactic Union Medical Corps, she cares for extraterrestrials in desperate need of a medic who can ignore the fact that they’re nothing like any patient she’s ever seen, even on their best days. And in emergency medicine, it’s a given that every patient is having the worst day of their life.
Each run takes her deeper into the galaxy and farther from home, navigating alien cultures that only get weirder with each call. It will take all of Melanie’s experience, instinct, and grit to prove herself—and the rest of humanity—to be worthy of the Union. That’s a lot to put on a woman who’d just like to end the day with a cheeseburger and a cold beer.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for Frontier:
“. . . Frontier is an enjoyable near-future science fiction thriller, a lightning-fast plot that feels like something that could be seen within the next hundred years.” —Warped Factor
Patrick Chiles is a graduate of The Citadel, a Marine Corps veteran, and a private pilot. In addition to his novels, he has written for magazines including Smithsonian’s Air & Space.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2024
16 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Chiles
16 books118 followersPatrick Chiles began his writing career with the self-published novels PERIGEE and FARSIDE. His subsequent novels with Baen Books, FROZEN ORBIT, ESCAPE ORBIT, FRONTIER, and INTERSTELLAR MEDIC: THE LONG RUN have established him as a rising talent in adventurous, near-future science fiction. Born from the author’s fascination with practical space travel and love for Cold War technothrillers, his novels feature plausible technology that leverage his military and aviation experience to create stories with engaging, relatable characters on astonishing adventures: “ordinary people, doing extraordinary things.”
He also contributed to the 2021 anthology, WORLD BREAKERS, with Larry Correia and David Weber, the 2022 anthology, WORLDS LONG LOST, with Orson Scott Card and Christopher Ruocchio, and was the headline author of 2023’s THE ROSS 248 PROJECT.
Patrick graduated from The Citadel in 1986 and served in the Marine Corps until 1993. After a career in managing airline and business flight operations, he now works for an aviation safety consulting firm when he is not writing. He currently resides in central Ohio with his wife and a lethargic dachshund.
He also contributed to the 2021 anthology, WORLD BREAKERS, with Larry Correia and David Weber, the 2022 anthology, WORLDS LONG LOST, with Orson Scott Card and Christopher Ruocchio, and was the headline author of 2023’s THE ROSS 248 PROJECT.
Patrick graduated from The Citadel in 1986 and served in the Marine Corps until 1993. After a career in managing airline and business flight operations, he now works for an aviation safety consulting firm when he is not writing. He currently resides in central Ohio with his wife and a lethargic dachshund.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 31, 2024
I would like to thank Baen Publishing for another exciting eARC: Interstellar Medic, by Patrick Chiles. This book introduces what I assume they (and I) hope to be the first of a series. The protagonist, Melanie Mooney is a present day EMT on her way to her rural farm, when she comes across an accident scene. This leads to her recruitment as the first human member of the Galactic Union Medical Corp. Follow “Mel” as she learns the truth behind crop circles, alien abductions, and anal probes. A lot of time is spent with world building, explaining the science behind the space travel, and interstellar medical science. I might have taken off a half star because I am less interested in this background and wanted to get to the action, but I expect many will enjoy this detail. I look forward to further entries to what I hope will be a series and the further adventures of Mel.
For those of you old enough to remember the James White General Sector series from the 1980s, this is very reminiscent of that series of medical stories in outer space. While I have not read Chiles before, I think he has set up an enjoyable series.
For those of you old enough to remember the James White General Sector series from the 1980s, this is very reminiscent of that series of medical stories in outer space. While I have not read Chiles before, I think he has set up an enjoyable series.
March 6, 2024
Hard to put down
This book was a great read. Very engaging. I hope this is Book 1, and look forward to the remainder of the series. Well done.
This book was a great read. Very engaging. I hope this is Book 1, and look forward to the remainder of the series. Well done.
October 28, 2025
Patrick Chiles’ Interstellar Medic: The Long Run is a smart, fast paced, and deeply engaging sci-fi adventure that redefines what it means to serve on the front lines only these lines stretch across galaxies. Melanie Mooney is an unforgettable protagonist: capable, wry, and entirely human amid the strangeness of alien life.
Chiles combines the technical precision of hard science fiction with the heart of a character drama, crafting a story where empathy becomes as vital as survival. The alien encounters are fascinating, the pacing crisp, and the humor perfectly timed. Yet beneath the spectacle lies a core of humanity that elevates the novel beyond its genre trappings it’s a story about compassion, courage, and the unshakable will to help others, no matter the species.
Interstellar Medic: The Long Run is a standout for readers who crave action grounded in realism and heart. It’s an odyssey that reminds us the greatest discoveries often come from within.
Chiles combines the technical precision of hard science fiction with the heart of a character drama, crafting a story where empathy becomes as vital as survival. The alien encounters are fascinating, the pacing crisp, and the humor perfectly timed. Yet beneath the spectacle lies a core of humanity that elevates the novel beyond its genre trappings it’s a story about compassion, courage, and the unshakable will to help others, no matter the species.
Interstellar Medic: The Long Run is a standout for readers who crave action grounded in realism and heart. It’s an odyssey that reminds us the greatest discoveries often come from within.
July 18, 2025
Gripping and incredibly detailed. A perfect fusion of medical drama and science fiction.
July 2, 2025
Great Book about the adventures of a paramedic from earth who literally stumbles into the big Galaxy. Turns out there some surprises there ... A fun read.
December 30, 2024
I absolutely devoured this book and will be waiting very impatiently for the next in the series.
The character of Melanie and her situation built slowly - all necessary - and it took me a bit to really sink my teeth into the story; it was the kind of gradual build in tension that delivers.
I am still not sure I have entirely wrapped my head around the physics outlined in the world building; however, it seemed to make logical sense to me. The shape of the Galactic Union is starting to take shape in my minds eye as is the variety of its denizens. A map of key locations or a visual of the craft serving as an interstellar ambulance would be a perk for future novels.
Chiles has created a cast of characters that I adore and cannot wait to read more about. For me, he really captured the humanity (for lack of a better word) of the characters. I empathized with them and rooted for them in equal measure from the smallest social outing in a strange new place to moment of highest tension. I let out an audible whoop when the pieces fell together for the climax. I appreciated how he left the story with a satisfying ‘for now’ ending. Chiles effectively balanced his plot resolution with enough hints that left me excited for the next instalment.
Thank you for writing this book, I didn’t know it was what I needed in the moment, but it was exactly the type of story I was craving.
The character of Melanie and her situation built slowly - all necessary - and it took me a bit to really sink my teeth into the story; it was the kind of gradual build in tension that delivers.
I am still not sure I have entirely wrapped my head around the physics outlined in the world building; however, it seemed to make logical sense to me. The shape of the Galactic Union is starting to take shape in my minds eye as is the variety of its denizens. A map of key locations or a visual of the craft serving as an interstellar ambulance would be a perk for future novels.
Chiles has created a cast of characters that I adore and cannot wait to read more about. For me, he really captured the humanity (for lack of a better word) of the characters. I empathized with them and rooted for them in equal measure from the smallest social outing in a strange new place to moment of highest tension. I let out an audible whoop when the pieces fell together for the climax. I appreciated how he left the story with a satisfying ‘for now’ ending. Chiles effectively balanced his plot resolution with enough hints that left me excited for the next instalment.
Thank you for writing this book, I didn’t know it was what I needed in the moment, but it was exactly the type of story I was craving.
March 18, 2024
One of my favorite sf series has always been Sector General by James White. These books were published between 1962 and 1999.
The premise of Sector General was a Galactic hospital, designed to treat aliens of all races and needs. (For example, the methane-breathers had their own floor.)
Each section of the hospital, in fact, is tailored specifically to a particular habitat for its extra-terrestrial patients. Hospital staff also come from all races, human included.
I'm pleased to say that the Sector General series has been so well-regarded that an omnibuses (most contain 3 books) have appeared so that the series remains in print. (At least available from Amazon.com. Unfortunately, not all are in eBook editions.)
I have no idea if author Patrick Chiles was also a reader of the Sector General series, but he has captured the heart of it in Interstellar Medic.
An Earth EMS (yes, she rides with the firefighters on their fire engines) Melanie Mooney accidentally comes across an alien crash scene and thinks it is some kind of experimental or military plane crash. Her EMS instincts & training serve her well when she boards the stricken craft.
Mel gets visited later by Emissaries (extraterrestrials who specialize in First Contact) and invited to join the Galactic Union's Medical Corps as a medic.
Seems that most of the alien races are uncomfortable providing medical care to anyone not of their race. Mel, on the other hand, treats any and all beings as best she can. The aliens were particularly impressed with her empathy and willingness to help beings she had never encountered before.
And I have not even mentioned that Interstellar Medic does intersteller travel without exceeding the speed of light (that is, breaking physics as we understand it). OK, the Galactic Union DOES have an advanced understanding of physics but so many space opera books I read and enjoy have their starships jumping to warp speeds left and right. It is refreshing to see a series which includes dealing with relativistic time dilation for near light speed travel.
The Long Run is book one. I dearly hope that author Patrick Chiles is already at work on book two. He DID refer to the Long Run as the "first installment" and he HAS written other series.
Highly recommended for Sector General fans, hospitals/emergency medicine in space, series fans, and fans of character-driven action & stories!
The premise of Sector General was a Galactic hospital, designed to treat aliens of all races and needs. (For example, the methane-breathers had their own floor.)
Each section of the hospital, in fact, is tailored specifically to a particular habitat for its extra-terrestrial patients. Hospital staff also come from all races, human included.
I'm pleased to say that the Sector General series has been so well-regarded that an omnibuses (most contain 3 books) have appeared so that the series remains in print. (At least available from Amazon.com. Unfortunately, not all are in eBook editions.)
I have no idea if author Patrick Chiles was also a reader of the Sector General series, but he has captured the heart of it in Interstellar Medic.
An Earth EMS (yes, she rides with the firefighters on their fire engines) Melanie Mooney accidentally comes across an alien crash scene and thinks it is some kind of experimental or military plane crash. Her EMS instincts & training serve her well when she boards the stricken craft.
Mel gets visited later by Emissaries (extraterrestrials who specialize in First Contact) and invited to join the Galactic Union's Medical Corps as a medic.
Seems that most of the alien races are uncomfortable providing medical care to anyone not of their race. Mel, on the other hand, treats any and all beings as best she can. The aliens were particularly impressed with her empathy and willingness to help beings she had never encountered before.
And I have not even mentioned that Interstellar Medic does intersteller travel without exceeding the speed of light (that is, breaking physics as we understand it). OK, the Galactic Union DOES have an advanced understanding of physics but so many space opera books I read and enjoy have their starships jumping to warp speeds left and right. It is refreshing to see a series which includes dealing with relativistic time dilation for near light speed travel.
The Long Run is book one. I dearly hope that author Patrick Chiles is already at work on book two. He DID refer to the Long Run as the "first installment" and he HAS written other series.
Highly recommended for Sector General fans, hospitals/emergency medicine in space, series fans, and fans of character-driven action & stories!
January 31, 2025
3.5 Stars. I'm of two minds about this work. On one hand, it's a fascinating and engaging premise: a medic is plucked from Earth to become a medic in an intergalactic union. The moments focusing on the medical training, scenes, even thinking logically about biology, were fantastic.
However, this is where the book was uneven in places. I wasn't terribly fond of the "You might be wondering how we got here..." style of storytelling, but it does grow on you once the author stops dropping the "You'll find out the answer in a later chapter" winks at the reader. There were also portions, particularly on the way to the Union, where there was just too much exposition. There were also certain jokes that didn't click with me: such as the anal probe jokes. I appreciate the author made them plot relevant, but it was just uncomfortable humor at several points. There was also suddenly a bit too much plot at the end, which threw off the grove of a story that should have ended perhaps fifty pages earlier.
Ultimately, I do not regret reading this tale, I even enjoyed it, but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library. I will also keep an eye out for sequels in the future.
However, this is where the book was uneven in places. I wasn't terribly fond of the "You might be wondering how we got here..." style of storytelling, but it does grow on you once the author stops dropping the "You'll find out the answer in a later chapter" winks at the reader. There were also portions, particularly on the way to the Union, where there was just too much exposition. There were also certain jokes that didn't click with me: such as the anal probe jokes. I appreciate the author made them plot relevant, but it was just uncomfortable humor at several points. There was also suddenly a bit too much plot at the end, which threw off the grove of a story that should have ended perhaps fifty pages earlier.
Ultimately, I do not regret reading this tale, I even enjoyed it, but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library. I will also keep an eye out for sequels in the future.
March 13, 2024
A human paramedic is recruited by space aliens. Their medical emergency services are higher-tech than ours, and cover a lot more species, but the job is otherwise familiar.
I liked the premise, but the execution was lackluster: About 70% of the book was exposition.
The fictional science was old-school science fiction. Almost all of it (aside from the obligatory space drive) was our science taken up a notch - holograms where we have 2d displays, portable medical scanners, etc.
The author gets points for having gray aliens whose medical personnel really are inclined to anal probing - and loses points for the same.
I liked the premise, but the execution was lackluster: About 70% of the book was exposition.
The fictional science was old-school science fiction. Almost all of it (aside from the obligatory space drive) was our science taken up a notch - holograms where we have 2d displays, portable medical scanners, etc.
The author gets points for having gray aliens whose medical personnel really are inclined to anal probing - and loses points for the same.
April 30, 2024
Melanie Mooney is an EMT who stumbles on a UFO on her way home from work. Because she tried to help the alien pilots, she is offered a job in a galactic EMS where unusual aliens are the rule.Patrick Chiles starts a fun series about emergency treatment to aliens in a galactic civilization in Interstellar Medic: The Long Run (paper from Baen). While the background seems borrowed from UFO books, the tale flies when Melanie has to deal with injured aliens. Fun.
June 1, 2024
Great sci fi adventure
The worldbuilding is excellent, and the adventure is wonderful. Mel is a great narrator and a loveable, flawed character. The non-humans are believable, and the cultural differences are well-written. Bad stuff happens, as it often does, but the emergency responders are there to help. I really enjoyed The Long Run and look forward to Mel's future adventures. I read a library book but will buy Long Run to add to my favorites.
The worldbuilding is excellent, and the adventure is wonderful. Mel is a great narrator and a loveable, flawed character. The non-humans are believable, and the cultural differences are well-written. Bad stuff happens, as it often does, but the emergency responders are there to help. I really enjoyed The Long Run and look forward to Mel's future adventures. I read a library book but will buy Long Run to add to my favorites.
May 27, 2025
Well designed world
Having read other interstellar medical series I didn't know what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised by a very well written and extremely plausible book and world.
Mr. Chile's put together a well thought out hypothesis and was also able to keep it VERY readable.
Having read other interstellar medical series I didn't know what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised by a very well written and extremely plausible book and world.
Mr. Chile's put together a well thought out hypothesis and was also able to keep it VERY readable.
April 3, 2024
Really enjoyable and it made me feel like I was right there in the middle of the action. The medical stuff was very well presented and the aliens were very well realized. The subtle building of a larger story going on in the background was a nice touch.
May 18, 2024
Great story ,good writing
Are there any more books in this series? This one kinda ended
about to start another run and frankly I was looking for more
story
Are there any more books in this series? This one kinda ended
about to start another run and frankly I was looking for more
story
May 19, 2024
A first contact story with a nice twist. Chiles always gives you an interesting and entertaining story.
January 11, 2025
Not my "go to" genre (sci-fi) but this was fun and engaging. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
March 9, 2025
Long stretches of telling. Kind of boring though liked some of characters.
July 23, 2025
A solid 4 star read. Competent writing, interesting premise. I'm not sure the main character had much of a character growth arc, but it was a story that I liked.
September 10, 2025
A fun romp with aliens and medicine! 💊
Paramedic Melanie Mooney encounters a suspiciously, remote helicopter crash while driving home one night and immediately kicks into old habits, providing medical care for those injured she can find but suddenly if she wakes up four days later, not remembering what happened in between despite this Melanie gets fired and eventually we discover that due to her ability to care for patients even if they aren’t entirely human Her empathy, it makes her special and lands her a job offer to be an interstellar medic of an alien ambulance company.
Paramedic Melanie Mooney encounters a suspiciously, remote helicopter crash while driving home one night and immediately kicks into old habits, providing medical care for those injured she can find but suddenly if she wakes up four days later, not remembering what happened in between despite this Melanie gets fired and eventually we discover that due to her ability to care for patients even if they aren’t entirely human Her empathy, it makes her special and lands her a job offer to be an interstellar medic of an alien ambulance company.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews