Writer James White: creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

James White is a Northern Irish writer who became famous for his cycle of novels and short stories about a space hospital. He is the founder of the genre of medical science fiction. Winner of the Eurocon Literary Prize (1972).

Biography

James White was born in the capital of Northern Ireland - the city of Belfast - April 7, 1928. He became interested in science fiction in his youth, becoming a co-author in an amateur magazine at the age of 13. After leaving school, James worked in a field far from science and adventure - a seller of garments. However, his thoughts hovered in deep space, in the center of inhabited worlds.

Family life was happy. In 1955 White married Margaret Sarah Martin, also a fan of fantasy. The couple had three children. In 1966, thanks to his creative abilities, James White became closer to the stars. The writer, who had been accomplished by that time, was taken to the Short Brothers Ltd airline, first as a technician, and then as deputy head of the public relations department. In 1984 he retired. Died August 23, 1999.

Creativity

White dreamed of becoming a doctor, but there was no money for training. He is his dreamsembodied on paper, writing the novels "Star Surgeon", "Ambulance", "Doctor Killer", "Space Psychologist" and others. In his heart, the future famous writer does not accept violence, which is why his works are imbued with the spirit of mutual assistance, sacrifice and salvation.

First stories published in 1953, first novel in 1957. In parallel, White collaborates with science fiction magazines. In 1947, he met fellow Irish science fiction writer W alter Willis. Together they contributed to the publication of the NF magazines Slant (1948-1953) and Hyphen (1952-1965). Among the authors of "fanzines" were literary stars John Brunner, Bertram Chandler, Bob Shaw.

James White claimed that he took up the pen only because he was tired of the apocalyptic stories of that time, from the prophecies of death in a nuclear war. He wanted to show the supremacy of life over death, which was fully reflected in the Sector General cycle about a space hospital where people coexist with the most unusual alien creatures.

Space Hospital

The cycle of works of the same name (in the original Sector General) consists of 12 books published between 1962 and 1999. Short stories were also added. The Intergalactic Hospital is a gigantic, multi-species hospital that houses patients and staff from dozens of sentient races with varying environmental requirements, behaviors, and the most exotic diseases. The station also serves as a peacekeeping center.

Series includes novels:

• Star Surgeon.
• Star Doctor.
• Interstellar Emergency.
• "Killer Doctor".
• Galactic Chef.
• "Final Diagnosis".
• "Space Psychologist".
• "Double contact".

And compilations:

• Space Hospital.
• "Big Operation".
• Ambulance.
• Emergency events.

Storyline

In the first three parts, White describes purely medical problems that people may encounter when treating living organisms with a completely different physiology. The plot revolves around the vicissitudes of Dr. Conway's career as he rises from junior surgeon to highly qualified diagnostician.

In book four, the Galactic Federation decides that a hospital emergency service offering assistance to victims of space accidents and planetary catastrophes is the most effective means of making peaceful contact with the new sentient alien species. Through this literary move, James was able to expand the range of plots and characters.

Starting from the seventh book, the emphasis is on the different perception of the world by alien life forms, psychological problems. A range of problems that go beyond medicine, philosophical questions about guilt and forgiveness are being solved. In fact, the British science fiction writer was the first to describe the interspecies relationship between humanoids and non-humanoids from a medical point of view. The series also became one of the first "peacemaking" space operas, wheredominated by pacifism - the rejection of violence in any of its manifestations. This was unusual during the Cold War.

Other works

James White wrote not only about space doctors. There are many interesting topics in his arsenal. For example, in the collection Deadly Litter (1964), the author outlined the problem of space debris, although at that time there were only a few orbital launches. The novel "Sanctuary" (1988) won the Analog Analytical Laboratory Award. All Judgment Fled (1968), a book about humanity's first contact with an alien race, was awarded the Eurocon in 1972. White's work has been nominated four times for Hugo and Newbel awards.

Examples of other iconic works:

• The Secret Visitors (1957).
• Tomorrow is Too Far Away (1971).
• Millennium Dream (1974).
• "World Federation" (1988).
• Earth: Final Conflict (1999).

Devotion to the dream

James White loved to write. Returning from work, he composed stories on topics that he liked. Even when his eyesight dropped due to diabetes, he did not give up the main passion of his life. For many years he was a member of the Council of the British Science Fiction Association, his colleagues were Harry Harrison and Anne McCaffrey. He was also a patron of the Science Fiction Association of Ireland.