Machine

Hmmmm! If I hadn't reread James White's Sector General books so recently, I wouldn't have seen as many parallels between those works and this. The thing is, I first read White 50-odd years ago; the concept of a galactic hospital and the way every story was a detective work really stayed with me. So this book, which was definitely not the sequel I thought it would be, was a bit like a sideline. I wanted to see more of the previous story, and I got a homage to a brilliant set of books.

Hmmm again... because this WAS good, it certainly held my attention and kept me scrolling down, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. However, and however: TWO Priliclas, a gender queer O'Mara, even elephantine alien surgeons? A little too much homage, possibly!

The AIs were good and original, though, and exploring the pathology inherent in the conflicting imperatives of the microbot swarm was well and delicately done. A good book.