Doctor Alien

In this introspective, intelligent trio of tales from Vajra (Her Scales Shine Like Music), psychiatrist Alanso J. Morganson tests his skills and expertise as he treats various alien beings for an assortment of ailments. First, the Tsf, a species dedicated to trading, ask him to look into the odd cases of three unidentified beings rescued from damaged ships. Then he must deal both with human neighbors objecting to the location of his new clinic and with a mysterious gift from a grateful patient. Finally, Morganson is summoned off Earth as part of a mission that could affect the entire universe. With each novella building off the last to chronicle Morganson’s experience with all things extraterrestrial, Vajra takes his everyman protagonist on a mind-boggling odyssey while keeping Morganson’s views and attitudes down-to-earth. While Morganson’s actual skills as a psychiatrist sometimes take a backseat to intuition, philosophy, and spirituality, his alien patients never fail to fascinate. Fans of old school SFF will enjoy these clever and entertaining adventures. (Apr.)