“Five miles below the surface, Ross was awakened from the deep sleep of suspended animation to find himself in an empty world. There was no noise, or people, and no motion save for the steady activity of the hospital robots” (blurb). Ross, the sole survivor of World War Last, must meet up with some other human beings — even if he’s got to create them himself. And, with the hibernation technique and omnicompetent robots at his command, he eventually does just that. After a fashion. White’s most beautifully fitted piece of work, with this fitting Dedication: “TO PEGGY, who isn’t the last girl on Earth, just the only one.” Nominated for Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1962.

WHEN IRISH SPIES ARE SMILING The Kingdom of Hibernia had risen from its sleepy emerald isle to befriend the native Redmen of the West, and, with technology brought out of ancient Egyptian lands, had forged a mighty industrial empire. And after generations of development under the Pax Hibernia, the Empire was poised for human-kind's greatest adventure—settling a new world under a distant star. Healer Nolan was a lone male in the traditionally female healing profession and an unbeliever in the religion of the priest-kings of Hibernia. He had to be careful to avoid any trouble that could jeopardize his place among the crew of the starship Aisling Gheal. But the lowly Healer was unaware of his part in a subtle struggle for control of the future colony ... until he discovered evidence of a plot against the project: a secret plan for the new world that did not include heretics like Nolan. And as betrayal and deceit followed Nolan into the silent depths of space and on to the surface of a raw, untamed planet, he was challenged to become the one thing he had never even dreamed of—a hero.

Hospital Station is a 1962 science fiction book by author James White and is the first volume in the Sector General series. The book collects together a series of five short stories previously published in New Worlds magazine between 1957 and 1960. “Medic” — During the construction of Sector 12 General Hospital, construction worker O'Mara is suspected of negligently causing the death of two alien workers. Pending an investigation he is restricted to quarters and given the aliens' child to care for. “Sector General” — The first story of the main series' narrative. Doctor Conway has spent two months on the station and is about to be confronted with several emergencies as well as his first educator tape. “Trouble with Emily” — Conway is ordered to assist with a project involving a large dinosaur-like alien. “Visitor at Large” — A SRTT shape-changing alien runs amok in the hospital. Conway and a newly arrived Prilicla are enlisted to capture it. “Out-Patient” — Following the recovery of a badly injured alien from a wrecked ship, Conway must pursue a radical treatment.

Code Blue — Emergency is a 1987 science fiction novel written by author James White and is part of the Sector General series. White said in an interview that originally he intended to end the series with Star Healer (1985), by which time the central characters had reached the top levels in their careers. However Ballantine Books persuaded him to continue, and he extended the stories’ range by introducing new central characters beginning with Code Blue — Emergency . The protagonist of the story is Sommaradvan healer Cha Thrat. She bravely saved a human pilot who crashlanded on her planet, despite a complete lack of knowledge about his physiology. Contact with her species was established by the accident, so knowledge of their social customs is still virtually non-existent. However, she is invited to join the Sector General staff. Cha Thrat innocently wreaks havoc by following her instincts and social customs. First she befriends a hypochondriac Chalder. Next, she is invited to assist at a therapeutic surgery operation to amputate the limb of a Hudlar, which will prolong its life (see Star Healer.) When given the honor of cutting the limb, she obliges — and then deliberately cuts her own arm off as well, in accordance with the custom of her people. Next she saves the untouchable patient Khone (see Star Healer), and then finds a weird parasite species on a derelict spaceship. Due to the chaos she causes, every department in the hospital now refuses to allow her near their patients. O’Mara values her unusual approaches, and decides to add her to his staff.

Mind Changer is a 1998 science fiction book by author James White and is part of the Sector General series. Publishers Weekly described Mind Changer as “White’s finest performance, replete with wit, originality, medical expertise and sheer decency” and commented that the series shows no signs of aging, and Booklist described the book as an “enjoyable, witty resumé” of Chief Psychologist O’Mara’s career. Todd Richmond wrote that the Sector General series declined after Star Healer (1985), hitting a low point with the Galactic Gourmet (1996), and that the later books tended to stretch a short story’s worth of content to the length of a novel. However he thought that Mind Changer (1998) represented an improvement.

The dejected Surgeon-Captain Lioren is disappointed that his Court-martial has rejected the death penalty for him, and instead has assigned him to O’Mara at Sector General. He is plagued with guilt, because he is responsible for the genocide of an entire race. At moments during his new tasks, he ponders the individual events that led up to the alien deaths. First contact with the Cromsag planet was quickly followed by the discovery that their entire population was wasting away from some unidentified disease. They were starving, and their birth rate was absymal. Additionally, they were continually in hand-to-hand combat with each other, presumably competing for food. The Sector General ships hurriedly provided food to malnourished people everywhere, along with medical aid for combat injuries, and tried to determine the cause of the mysterious disease. Despite their best efforts, deaths from the plague continued to increase. Lioren grew frustrated with the slow process of sending samples back to Sector General and awaiting diagnostics and full tests to ensure the effectiveness of potential cures. In his arrogance, he administered a treatment to the entire population… and they rose up and slaughtered each other, wiping out their own race. Interspersed with recalling these events, he shares some of his story with people at Sector General. Lioren speaks to the terminally ill Dr. Mannen, eventually reviving Mannen’s interest in life. Lioren also offers encouragement to the isolated alien Khone (see Star Healer.) Next he is asked to speak to a gigantic Groalterri, whose race is so advanced they have until now refused all contact with the federated planets. The humans are desperate to make any sort of progress with this race, but the Groalterri patient won’t communicate with anyone. Bit by bit, Lioren shares his own guilty history and talks the suicidal alien into lowering its emotional barriers. From its story he manages to figure out the Groalterri’s hitherto unknown injury and arrange surgery that will change its life. Finally, at the end, Lioren meets with the handful of Cromsag survivors.

Ambulance Ship is a 1979 science fiction novel by author James White and is part of the Sector General series. “Contagion” — An ancient sleeper ship is found whose last occupants died only months before. The rescue ship and ambulance crews come down with a mysterious illness. “Quarantine” — The sole survivor from a spacewreck is brought back to the hospital, and stuns everyone by downing half the surgical team. “Recovery” — A ship is found with absolutely no visible markings. A torture corridor inside beats on whatever passes, including a violent non-sentient and a telepathic sentient who communicates with the ambulance staff about the Blind Ones’ need.

--an Amazon reviewer:This may be my favorite Sci-Fi book of all time. It may have also been the first Sci-Fi book I ever read. James White has created a prisoner of war camp that is a whole planet. How do you escape from a planet where your captor restricts your technology to the bronze age level and most of the "prisoners" have long since stopped regarding themselves as soldiers. James White makes the attempt seem plausible and exciting. It reminds me of a Sci-Fi "The Great Escape". And, he also pulls a twist at the end that wraps the book up nicely and makes you rethink the rest of the book. I know it's not in stock, but try to find it! While it's different than White's Sector General stories, he still instills the attention to detail that makes his SG stories authentic.

The Galactic Gourmet is a 1996 science fiction book by author James White and is part of the Sector General series. Todd Richmond wrote that the Sector General series declined after Star Healer (1985), hitting a low point with The Galactic Gourmet , and that the later books tended to stretch a short story’s worth of content to the length of a novel. However he thought that Mind Changer (1998) represented an improvement. A famous chef wangles an appointment to Sector General for the challenge of creating food for so many different species. Like the Sommaradvan healer Cha Thrat (Code Blue — Emergency), he creates chaos everywhere he goes. He first meets the swimming "crocodile-like" Chaldars, who complain that their food is unsatisfying. Realising that they are accustomed to capturing their food live, he develops motile food for them. They are delighted, but they completely destroy their hospital ward charging around chasing it. Next, he learns that the spray-on food used to nourish the Hudlar is uninteresting. His investigations show that it needs small toxins to "flavor" it, which would be found naturally on their home planet. He visits a Hudlar ship, but causes a huge cargo bay accident expelling him into space. He rescues himself by riding some sprayers back to the station, but is in everyone’s bad books. Sympathetic staffers hide him on the ambulance ship Rhabwar for an upcoming assignment. In the meantime, an epidemic at the hospital turns out to be a major nutmeg overdose caused by a sous-chef foolishly using ten times the required amount in a recipe. The Rhabwar is sent to a starving planet, whose people think their dwindling meat supply is the only desirable food and are shamed by its lack. He is able to commune with their first Cook better than the diplomats are doing. He finds ways to improve their sad vegetarian diet, and helps to set more positive attitudes toward it. The Cook’s son is wounded on a game-hunting expedition, and the medical ship takes him on board for healing. The populace grows very angry, mystifying the team. They finally recall the aliens’ cannibal tradition and produce him alive.

Final Diagnosis is a 1997 science fiction novel by author James White and is part of the Sector General series. A man suffering from multiple mysterious illnesses and allergic reactions is labelled a hypochondriac. Finally he is sent to Sector General as a last resort. He befriends his fellow alien patients, telling them his life history. Rather than dismissing his complaints, the attentive hospital doctors develop a theory, and bring him back to his home planet. At the scene of a childhood accident that seems to have started it all, explanations are found.

The project was so secret that it had no name and no records, yet--without even knowing it-the entire personnel of Hart-Ewing were busy building something weird and incomprehensible... something involving a new method of conquering space... something so brilliant that it reduced the astronauts to a condition of imbecility. And Carson, the hated and seemingly inefficient security officer of the aerospace workshop, was the man who stumbled on the secret-the man who had to buy his survival at a steep price...