James White

[J-Sun]

Didn't see a thread on this author and figured he needed one. At least one.

I'd heard of White here and there but never really read him. I'd picked up one of his books and it was buried in the Pile but then I came across a big stack of his books used and got most all of them. Picked out a quartet to start with. The first two (Hospital Station (1962), Star Surgeon (1963)) were the first two Sector General books, for which he's probably most famous. I had some reservations about them but liked them okay. Then I read a collection (Aliens Among Us (1969)) which included a couple of SG stories but were mostly not and didn't really care for it. So I actually moved on to other things with that one book still left. After three/four months or so, I finally got around to it: All Judgment Fled (1968). Fan-freakin'-tastic.

A spaceship shows up and parks itself in orbit past Mars. Humans freak out. A half-dozen men (sorry, ladies but this was 1968) get in a couple of hastily repurposed spacecraft to see what's going on. Just the depiction of their psychologically difficult journey out there was great and avoids the traps of "Here we are, mighty heroes doing great deeds" or "space sucks" and just tells it as it is: people just doing what they have to do as best they can. Then, when they get there, things start out kind of weird to me, as you're not sure that what seems to be going on is going on. But, by the end of it, you've had an exciting action-adventure with a great deal of thought and creativity behind it. I really want to encourage people to check it out but really don't want to spoil anything so I feel like I can't even really detail like it ought to be, with all the best parts.

And, holy synchronicity, Batman, in the current issue of Galaxy's Edge, Mike Resnick reprints a "Forgotten Treasures" piece which mentions it. I'll link to it so you can temporarily check out the whole thing, but also quote the relevant portion because the links get replaced each month:

For as long as people have been asking me about All Judgment Fled, by James White (author of the famed and beloved Sector General series) I have been explaining that it is Rendezvous With Rama done right.

Consider:

In Rama, a strange construct of alien origin enters our solar system. In All Judgment Fled, a strange construct of alien origin enters our solar system.

In Rama, some carefully-chosen men fly out to examine it. In All Judgment Fled, some carefully-chosen men fly out to examine it.

In Rama, the men are presented with a series of puzzles. In All Judgment Fled, the men are presented with a series of puzzles.

And there the similarities end, because James White solves the puzzles he presents, fairly and logically and dramatically—and you don’t have to wait for the (nonexistent) sequels to find out what those solutions happen to be.

Now, it's been about one billion years since I read Rama and don't recall having any problem with it but I at least agree with similarities and that the White is as Resnick bills it. And White has priority by c.4 years - never heard if it directly inspired Rama, but it's an interesting thought.

White and the Sector General stories are famous for their pacifism and the main character of Sector General sometimes drives me batty with his contortions to remain pacifist in all situations but it is interesting just how much White can define some parameters and achieve a lot of action and excitement within those constraints. All Judgment Fled is almost a military SF novel in a bizarre way, though pointedly unmilitary in several respects, as well.

Things like this always bug me, though: if I'd bought just those first three books, the first two were spiffy, as I say, and the third wasn't bad or anything, but I'd have likely just shrugged and moved on and never have found about All Judgment Fled. On the other hand, if I'd read AJF first, I'd be scouring the shelves looking desperately for more White. It's weird - just random order. What else would have been The Next Awesome Book that I've missed? Ah well.

Anyway - just wanted to rave about a book I really enjoyed but also, if anyone has anything at all to say about White, especially with the SG books and so on, please hop aboard.

 

[BAYLOR]

I think he's out of print.

 

[hitmouse]

I think he's out of print.

But very easily available through the usual online book dealers.

 

[Extollager]

I've read All Judgment Fled several times. Also liked The Watch Below and Lifeboat.

 

[psikeyhackr]

In Rendezvous with Rama carefully chosen men were not sent. There was only one ship that could intercept it. I confess I never liked it as much as the PR seems to brag about it, but it was OK.

psik

 

[Verity]

I met James White once, at a Star Trek convention where he was Guest of Honour. He was lovely, and very entertaining. I knew a few nurses back then who were heavily into the Sector General books.

 

[BAYLOR]

I met James White once, at a Star Trek convention where he was Guest of Honour. He was lovely, and very entertaining. I knew a few nurses back then who were heavily into the Sector General books.

Sector General would make a great television series.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Great writer and Incredibly important in terms of Northern Irish science fiction with many NI themes in his books and an interesting take on pacifism through the Sector General stories. He wrote a fabulous short story about the sci fi writing scene in Belfast, touching on how they bypassed the Troubles and United in fandom, as we still do here. Fandom in Belfast was embedded through his writing and his contemporary Bob Shaw (whose Slow Glass stories are terrific).

can be got in secondhand although some titles are harder to get than others

 

[Astro Pen]

All Judgement Fled is one of my favourites. I read it as a youngster shortly after it's release.

 

[hitmouse]

The Sector General stories are available in 3 or 4 collected volumes on Amazon.

 

[BAYLOR]

But very easily available through the usual online book dealers.

And too good and important a writer to forget .

 

[BAYLOR]

All Jugement Fled an excelled novel .