Monsters and Medics

Where's this book been?
by James White | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
ISBN: 0345256239 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 10/3/2018
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, October 3, 2018
I got this slightly-battered '70s paperback from Better World Books. I've enjoyed White's "Sector General" stories, and thought I'd try other works of his. And this was great fun! While it doesn't feature the characters from that series it does show White's trademark optimism (though with some dark bits here and there) and humor, and overall I really enjoyed it. Among my favorites:

The collection opens with the novella "Second Ending," which takes the concept of cryogenic preservation and eventual reawakening/cures and applies it to an end-of-the-world scenario. It ranges from claustrophobic fear to a sense of determination to an intriguingly far-ranging workaround for the survivor's main problem - how to go on when the world's a barren wasteland...

"Counter Security" starts out in a rather chilling fashion, with a department store security man tasked with discovering who's been vandalizing dolls - and then darts off in a delightfully unusual direction.

"The Apprentice" features an alien who's been admitted as an apprentice in a busy space station - and who looks like the illustration on the cover, a fine (and rare!) example of the cover-art accurately representing the contents of a book. Given that the alien species is a very different shape from humankind, and also has a different mindset, there's considerable doubt as to how well this experiment will work, but it's a key element to future relations with the alien civilization. Cue some wildly inventive culture-clash/team-bonding scenes! (This one feels the most like the "Sector General" stories.)

I also enjoyed the author's introduction, in which he describes his career and writing style, and gives notes on some of the stories.

Released 4 yrs ago (11/19/2019 UTC) at Little Free Library (UBCZ), 14 Epping Rd in Exeter, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in the Little Free Library on this chilly, rainy day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2019 Science Fiction release challenge. ***

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