Space Opera Fans discussion

There aren’t very many space opera stories with a focus on medical practice. Lots of them have a minor character who is a doctor or equivalent.

The Sector General stories by James White are classics. Out of print in paper but available as ebook omnibuses mostly.

Beginning Operations: A Sector General Omnibus by James White is an omnibus of the first three books. The series has a total of twelve books originally, and most of them are available in one or another omnibus.

Do you know any other good books on the theme of medical practice?

The only ones I can think of besides the Sector General stories are the Star Trek novels featuring Dr. McCoy. I haven’t read any of them, but I have to assume at least one focuses on medicine.

I know of a few others, but I’m planning to dole them out slowly to give others a chance.

Teresa wrote: "I know of a few others, but I’m planning to dole them out slowly to give others a chance."

I await your revelations, sensei.

Other than the Sector General stories, the only "medical sci-fi" I can think of offhand is the Ole Doc Methuselah stories by L. Ron Hubbard.

When I was 12yo, I found Star Surgeon by Alan E. Nourse in the school library and HAD to have more of this stuff. I think the library had one more book by Nourse, but look there was Andre Norton right next to it. Then after I finished all their Nortons I eventually found the Heinleins.

So I have fond memories of Star Surgeon. I tried rereading it more recently but it just doesn’t hold my interest now. So I wouldn’t nominate it for one of our picks.

The whole Stardoc series, which includes 10 books. I haven't read them, but the first one is on my Maybe list.

I remember liking the first StarDoc book enough to buy the second. I don’t recall whether I bought the third or not but either the second or third book was one I never finished and didn’t look at any of the rest of them.

On the Star Trek side of things, there's Doctor's Orders by Diane Duane.

One of my favourite Classic Star Trek novels. :)

In response to good-natured complaints about his command style, Captain Kirk leaves Doctor McCoy in command of the Enterprise. Kirk beams down to the planet 'Flyspeck' in order to facilitate its acceptance into the Federation. Kirk soon vanishes, leaving McCoy stuck with the ship against his will; regulations forbid him from passing on command to Commander Spock.

Kirk is nowhere to be found and to complicate matters, the Klingons show up, claiming to have a stake in 'Flyspeck' as well. It is later found that Kirk had been lost in the time stream, as one of Flyspeck's races do not fully live in linear time.

The Dreamhealers series would fit this category. Mindtouch by M.C.A. Hogarth is the first. The main character is just starting med school at the start of that book. There are medical people all over the place, with multiple species as students, professors, medical practitioners, patients, etc. That book is almost entirely on one planet, but some of the other books give details of travel between planets. A couple of them are mostly based on a large space station.

I like the world building. The planet with the med school has heavier gravity than the main character’s home planet, and he has trouble with that so requires medication and gentle exercise to build strength and bone density. Lots of other little things that give depth to the world and the multi species culture.

Betsy wrote: "The whole Stardoc series, which includes 10 books. I haven't read them, but the first one is on my Maybe list."

I found several Stardoc books at my local library's book sale. I read the first three then lost interest. I may go back to them eventually.

Found another one, but it’s not all that great.
Med Ship by Murray Leinster