Sometimes I’m caught up in a wave of Nostalgia and reread a book that takes me back to my youth. I first read Doctor to the Stars when it was first published in 1964 by Pyramid Books–a publisher who no longer exists. No, Doctor to the Stars is NOT a Hollywood tell-all Exposé. It’s a collection of Murray Leinster’s stories about a doctor named Calhoun who practices his medical across interstellar space.
I was about 15 years old when I first read Doctor to the Stars. I’m sure the eye-catching John Schoenherr cover artwork had something to do with it. In the mid-1960s, I vacillated my reading between Science Fiction and Mysteries. This was about the time I binged on a couple dozen Agatha Christie mysteries.
Rereading these stories brought back that Sense of Wonder I loved as a kid. Are you fan of Murray Leinster? What do you reread? GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
“The Grandfather’s War,” Astounding Science Fiction, October 1957 — 7
“Med Ship Man,” Galaxy Science Fiction, October 1963 — 75
“Talian Three (aka, “The Hate Disease”), Analog Science Fact/Science Fiction, August 1963 — 120
I devoured the Med Ship series as each story was released, George. Leinster was a favorite of my youth (and of my dotage). He had an understated style unlike many of his contemporaries. A true pulpster, he was best known for his science fiction but his mysteries, westerns, and general fiction were also entertaining. (He also wrote a number of romance stories and three novels in the Twenties as “Louisa Carter Lee” which I would love — no pun intended — to read.)
Jerry, we share admiration for Murray Leinster and his work. I find it amazing that Leinster could write SF, mysteries, general fiction, and even romance stories equally well!
When I was reading SF in the Fifties Leinster’s stories were everywhere, and I’m sure I read some of them, but he was never a particular favorite. I don’t reread much, and when I do it’s mostly short stories. Flannery O’Connor is a particular favorite, especially “A Good Man is Hard to Find”.
Michael, I’m going to have to reread some Flannery O’Connor. I binged on her work in the Seventies and marveled at her talent!
I’ve been a Leinster fan since reading MONSTER AT THE EARTH’S END. His Westerns are worth your time too.
Dan, I think I have some copies of Will Jenkins westerns around here somewhere. I need to find them and read them!
I’ve enjoyed the Leinster I’ve read – mostly in a couple of his short story collections – and this sounds like one I’d definitely enjoy.
I almost never reread, other than the odd short story. There are too many unread things I want to read. But occasionally I do get the urge to revisit an old favorite, which is why I keep them handy on the shelves…just in case!
Jeff, same here. I rarely reread books or stories unless I feel a strong compulsion to revisit them. I’ve weeded out a couple boxes of books that I’ll donate to SUNY at Buffalo later this year based on the criteria: Will I ever reread these books? Clearly, for this batch, the answer was “No.”
I’m sure I read some Leinster short stories over the years but the only novel was “The Time Tunnel.” It had no connection to the Irwin Allen 1966 series of the same name other than the title that Allen essentially stole and compensated Leinster for by letting him write some tie-in paperbacks for the show. It was a solid read.
I miss that era of jack-of-all-trade writers who were competent and comfortable in a variety of genres. This looks very much like a book I would have read when I was 14 had I come across it. I’m long overdue for a used book store run so I’ll keep an eye open for it. I also really miss Pyramid books. They are the reading equivalent of hot chocolate for me.
Bryon, I was a huge supporter of Pyramid Books back in the 1960s. I bought plenty of their SF and Fantasy books. I also had a complete set of Pyramid’s GREEN DOOR mystery series. Many Pyramid paperbacks had great cover artwork, too!
I don’t think a book cover has ever seduced me. Perhaps because the kind of books I read rarely have covers of note. Funny how genre novels do such a better job with cover art.
Patti, I admit to being seduced back in 2009 by Megan’s BURY ME DEEP cover artwork: https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781416599098/bury-me-deep-9781416599098_hr.jpg
Some publishers, such as Ballantine and Washington Square, managed to put good covers fairly regularly on their contemporary mimetic releases. The ones who actually cared!
Read a lot of Leinster as a teen but not much in later years. I just find his dialogue appalling, something that didn’t bother me as a teenager. I reread on occasion. Lately James Tiptree, Jr., Jack Vance, Flannery O’Connor, Michael Swanwick. Ross MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, I mean to reread more of my favorites but those damn new releases keep getting in my way.
Steve, same here. A torrent of books flow into my house each week! I can barely keep my head above the stacks!
I love and have read all of Leinster’s Med Series, many of the stories in Astounding/Analog.
Rick, I loved the Med Series, too, when I read them back in the Sixties. BAEN Books published a big, fat book collecting them: http://georgekelley.org/forgotten-books-29-med-ship-saga-by-murray-leinster/
I have read anything by Leinster, to my knowledge, but the Med Series sounds worth reading.
Tracy, you would enjoy Murray Leinster’s MED SERIES. The BAEN Books paperback is available and affordable.
Thanks.
One of interesting things about Jenkins is that he adopted a Jewish-sounding name for what became his most sustained pseudonym, as opposed to his Welsh real name, William Jenkins. Wonder if he was going out of his way to tweak the noses of anti-Semites.
I’ve generally liked his work I’ve read, including his sf, which he began publishing before there were sf magazines.
I mostly re-read of late for FFB/SSW reviews, but will reread some short fiction or the very rare novel, and some essays and nonfiction, for the love of it.
Todd, the press of new books arriving weekly moves rereading anything to the Back Burner. But occasionally, I’m hit with a mood to revisit books and stories that I know I’ll enjoy.
Of course I remember Leinster. Have around 40 books he wrote …
The MED series is really great!
One of his collections of short stories is named:
GET OFF MY WORLD
Now who does that remind me of?
Wolf, I think I have a copy of GET OFF MY WORLD around here somewhere. I’ll look for it and it may show up in a future FFB!