Posted: March 19, 2000 at 11:41:46: by John Banfield
: I know Andre Norton wrote it, and I know I loved it when I read it as a kid. The only scene I remember now is at the beginning as the hero is boarding a ship to go off-world to some planet he'd never been before. What sticks in my mind is that his race had short grey fur, and was looked down upon for it. I had it confused with "BeastMaster" and was pretty surprised when I re-read it that I had the wrong book in mind.I'm wondering if the book you're thinking of is 'Star Surgeon' by Alan E. Nourse. It was first published in 1959 and has been reprinted several times since. The main character is Dal Timgar, an alien who has been studying medicine on planet Earth. He is described as having a covering of 'fine grey fur' over his body. He has run into extreme prejudice as the first alien to try to enter Earth's Medical Service. As the book opens he has just graduated and is leaving Earth in a medical patrol ship.
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