Says this review: "This was James White's first novel, published in 1961, and like many of his others the central character is a human doctor confronted with peculiar health problems, a precursor to his best-known works, the Sector General galactic hospital series."

Sector General was a space station that served as a medical facility for many different alien species. One critic described his style thus: "I suspect that he generates so much tension within himself while writing a book that he literally cannot bear to come to grips with crucial scenes."

Also: "None of White's works won Hugo or Nebula Awards, although four were short-listed." And: "Since 2000 the James White Award has been presented for the best short story by a non-professional writer." You get the idea.