Star Surgeon

by Alan E. Nourse

Book Overview

A Sector General Novel In the far future Humans are part of an intergalactic civilization populated with countless alien races. Humans are prized for their medical expertise and make up almost all of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441783430
• ISBN13: 9780441783434
• Release Date: May 1986
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Unique, inspiring read

I first encountered this book when I was six or seven. It was the first novel that I read (mostly on my own!). A few days ago, I stumbled on it again while reorganizing my mother's extensive library of sci-fi and fantasy. Though I am now a college student and a writer, the book holds the same appeal to me now as it did when I was a child. It's one of a very select few that tells a story from an alien's POV. I could see as I read where the seeds of interest in science fiction, other life forms, and medical sciences had been sewn so many years ago. This book has something for everyone, I think, since I can still enjoy it as much at 21 as I did at 7.

There's more to this book than meets the eye.

First, I believe several Star Trek concepts may have been based on some part of this book (then again, I'm not well versed in Sci Fi so Nourse may have based these element on Campbell or someone else even earlier, so if I didn't get this totally right someone with more savvy set the record straight).The hero, who is of a different race making this book about how alien we preceive aliens, also has a empathic relationship with a little creature that sits on his shoulder and is awfully much like a Tribble.Also the concept of an intellegent parasite and sybolic relationships pre-date Star Trek Next Generation and Deep Space Nine concepts of the Trill as well as Stargate concepts of the Gu-a-uld.This book will teach young readers that things aren't always as they appear and that you have to dig deeper and look beyond the superficial!It also teaches them not to use a crutch!Some very advanced concepts for even adult sci-fi, but aimed at an audience 9 - 14 years old.Good, intellegent reading.

Adolescent Ignition

I read this book originally as an adolescent, and later began to understand that this was really a book about racism and its evils. Its theme got me thinking early in life about what happens when a person is disenfranchised solely because of the way they look. The book is well written and it got me seriously interested in the whole realm of speculative/science fiction, which remains to this day, nearly 40 years later. I sure would like to see "Star Surgeon" by Alan E. Nourse reprinted so I could have a copy for my permanent library!

Fond memories

Alan Nourse was one of my favorite sf authors as a youth, and, unlike some other authors I read at the time, his work still stands up. Being an MD, he writes good "medical sf," and this was one of my favorite works of his.

Believable and Entertaining

I found the star surgeon's character well developed by the author. The detail provided of the surgeon's thoughts and feelings were more then enough to enable me to strongly identify with him and the plot had plenty of variety to keep the story interesting. I read this in about 1964 while in the 7th grade and greatly enjoyed it.