Customer Reviews

The Galactic Gourmet: A Sector General Novel (Sector General Series)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once again James White gives us a novel where we see the action through the eyes of an interesting alien character, Gurronsevas, the great gourmet chef. As with Lorien in *The Genocidal Healer*, Gurronsevas is allowed to learn and grow -- always to be welcomed in fiction. I've read all the previous Sector General books I love the fact that the aliens are fully people in their own right and humans don't always hog the limelight. The official reviews are correct about the humor. (The exchange two aliens have over an old human saying cracked me up.) I really enjoyed reading about Gurronsevas' role in the first contact situation and the people he tried to help. I did have one minor problem with the book, though: it was too easy to figure out what was going on (although there were a couple of things I didn't see coming). However, I'm 44 years old and I have over 30 years' experience reading SF and mysteries. Even if you're another "old" fan, don't worry. The book is well worth your time even when you're mildly irritated at the characters for taking so long to catch on. Ann E. Nichols

James White isn't a well-known sci-fi name, despite the huge sales of his delightful "Sector General" series. His books aren't flashy; there's little violence, even less sex, and no coarse language. But when it comes to writing thought-provoking, inventive, and just plain entertaining stories, in my opinion White is up there with Asimov and Heinlein.

In all the Galactic Federation there is not a more revered and honored chef than Gurronsevas, whose culinary talents are well-known by every species. He can easily command any salary in any of the most prestigious hotels and resorts in the galaxy, but after a lifetime of cooking for the rich and powerful, he finds to his horror that he is growing bored. What he needs is a challenge, and what bigger challenge could there be for a chef than the kitchens of the gigantic, awesome, famous and infamous Sector General Hospital?

The challenge proves a whopper even for this legend. How, for instance, can Gurronsevas improve the meals of beings that breathe chlorine, when one whiff of their air would poison him? How can he prepare a feast for someone whose mind contains the consciousness of more than one species, none of whom eat the same thing? And how can he navigate the delicate and fragile world of a multi-species hospital when he's built like an elephant? This last one gets him into one scrape too many, and it is in disgrace that he is sent on a dangerous final mission: Convince the population of a dying world to stop starving themselves to death. Can the greatest cook in the universe save an entire planet?

The problems are interesting, the solutions ingenious, and as always with White the journey fun and fascinating. All his books are page-turners, and this one's no exception. And while tenth in the "Sector General" series, "The Galactic Gourmet" is a stand-alone and can be read by a newcomer. If you like this, please get ahold of the first three "Sector General" novels, often sold together in an omnibus. While the beginning of the series deals more with the medical aspect of White's brilliant creation, all the tales of "Sector General" are worth reading. Please don't let this one pass you by!

GRADE: B+/A-

Of all the books I've read, this one was the most difficult to put down - a fantastic novel with a story that really sucks you in and flows well. Also, this is the only book that has ever made me laugh out loud. It's the only Sector General novel I've ever read, but after all these years it remains my favorite book. Treat yourself to this entertaining story and enjoy the ride!

While I haven't read this particular entry in James White's books, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it in our local library.

All of his other Sector General books have been marvelous and intriguing and the only reason that I've missed a couple of them is the fact that I HAVE TO STAY OUT of book stores (hospital bills) and I can blow a couple of hundred without breathing hard.

I would recommend any of this series to anybody. It's extremely good, well written and if you run into any of the stories, they will stand alone. Although you WILL be looking for more of them.

mcmouse

I have a fondness for L. Ron Hubbard's Ol' Doc Methusalah stories (1947-50) and for Murray Leinster's Med Service tales (1957-66). But make no mistake. The champion medical science fiction series is James White's Sector General stories. The background is much more detailed and imaginative, White's plots are less formulaic and more clever, and his characters are more colorful and engaging. The Sector General stories skilfully blend humor with a low-key liberal humanism so that it convinces the reader that different races and cultures can really get along.

White started with a basic premise. Let us suppose that we have a loose, galaxy-wide Federation that is filled with radically different life forms jostling about. How would they be treated for medical problems? His answer: Sector General, a gigantic multilevel space station in the shape of "a misshapen Christmas tree" designed to accomidate a multitude of different environments. White has worked out the details of the station, its staff, and its patients in a manner that is great fun for the reader.

_The Galactic Gourmet_ (1996) is a fairly late entry in the series (the first Sector General story was published back in 1957). It centers around a massive alien who is a master chef. He wants to take on a new challenge and revolutionize the cooking at Sector General. His character is just right for that of a chef: intelligent, talented, dedicated... and a bit egotistical. He is accustomed to receiving his due in praise. Part of the fun is watching Gurronsevas make mistakes before he achieves the triumph that he was aiming for.

I do have one small quibble with the novel. It implies that hospital food is almost universally bad. Maybe this is so in White's native Ireland. I have never been there, so I don't really know. But I have found that a lot of hospital food in this country is actually quite good. Maybe not _cordon bleu_, but tasty. In any event, _The Galactic Gourmet_ is an excellent novel. If you are already familiar with the series, you don't have to be told. If you are starting the series for the first time, I envy you.

This is the most enjoyable of the Sector General
novels that I can recall. The first half, as new
Chief Dietician Gurronsevas works on
"improving" the hospital's food, is pretty-near
perfect:

[G is interviewing a patient.]

"I would like to talk to you about Chalder
food."

"With pleasure, " said the AUGL-113. "It is an
interesting topic that causes much argument
but rarely leads to violence."

"About hospital food."

"Oh."
* * *

The second half - Sector General trying to help a
particularly bull-headed bunch of aliens - drags
a bit, but only by comparison.

If you liked any of the previous books in the
Sector General series, don't miss this one. If
you've never tried James White, this would be
a fine time to start.

PS - don't be put off by the ghastly cover art. . .

GG is the eighth novel in the series, which
White started publishing in 1962. He's sold over a million
copies in the series so far. Mr White is sorely missed.

review copyright 1996 Peter D. Tillman

James White's interpretation of the main character of this novel is quite astonishing and seems very lifelike for an alien. This book should be highly praised for its high achievement.

James White's novel is one of the later stories of his "Sector General" series; written in 1995. The first part of the series had been written back in the mid-sixties, and it is very entertaining to see how he gradually filled the simple stories of the sixties with so much life that it's persons survived three decades. The actual novel is the story of gourmet cook Gurronsevas, a Tralthan, who starts as a very famous cook in search for a new challenge, like cooking for many different species at Orbit Hospital. But whereas his food creations are exceptional, his lack of technical skills nearly leads to his discharge. But Gurronsevas' time will come... One of the best novels in the series, if you like the plain style. I definitely do!

In the third latest edition to the ever popular Sector General Series a well know federation chef arrives at the hospital, and chaos ensues. When he chef is banned from the station a series of events happen that save a race from extiction and Cheif Dietician Gurronsevas, as he is better know now, is, well... you'll have to read this excelent book to find out.