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The Secret Visitors
When the World Security Organization asked Doctor Lockhart to treat their mysterious prisoner, they hadn't known that the dying old man would reply to their questions in a totally unknown language. They had expected the stranger to reveal something about the world war which seemed imminent. But they had been thinking in terms of foreign spies - not alien beings!Now suddenly they found themselves confronted with a Gargantuan task. They had to find a way to another world, a means of communicating with creatures they could barely imagine.They had to stop a war which was originating in the farthest stars - or else surrender the Earth unconditionally to THE SECRET VISITORS.
125 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
2 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
James White
94 books137 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
James White was a Northern Irish author of science fiction novellas, short stories and novels. He was born in Belfast and returned there after spending some early years in Canada. He became a fan of science fiction in 1941 and co-wrote two fan magazines, from 1948 to 1953 and 1952 to 1965. Encouraged by other fans, White began publishing short stories in 1953, and his first novel was published in 1957. His best-known novels were the twelve of the Sector General series, the first published in 1962 and the last after his death. White also published nine other novels, two of which were nominated for major awards, unsuccessfully.
White abhorred violence, and medical and other emergencies were the sources of dramatic tension in his stories. The "Sector General" series is regarded as defining the genre of medical science fiction, and as introducing a memorable crew of aliens. Although missing winning the most prestigious honours four times, White gained other awards for specific works and for contributions to science fiction. He was also Guest-of-Honour of several conventions.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
James White was a Northern Irish author of science fiction novellas, short stories and novels. He was born in Belfast and returned there after spending some early years in Canada. He became a fan of science fiction in 1941 and co-wrote two fan magazines, from 1948 to 1953 and 1952 to 1965. Encouraged by other fans, White began publishing short stories in 1953, and his first novel was published in 1957. His best-known novels were the twelve of the Sector General series, the first published in 1962 and the last after his death. White also published nine other novels, two of which were nominated for major awards, unsuccessfully.
White abhorred violence, and medical and other emergencies were the sources of dramatic tension in his stories. The "Sector General" series is regarded as defining the genre of medical science fiction, and as introducing a memorable crew of aliens. Although missing winning the most prestigious honours four times, White gained other awards for specific works and for contributions to science fiction. He was also Guest-of-Honour of several conventions.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 6, 2019
Short enough to be read in a sitting. Tightly plotted, with a current of '50s post-war paranoia.
December 29, 2025
Fun classic pulp sci-fi!
August 27, 2023
I found this book readable since its saving grace imo is that, buried within the plotline of interstellar plotting and chicanery and a somewhat lame love story, the protagonist - a doctor – treats a gigantic but very ill alien. This passage is a piece of magic in an otherwise fairly routine story and is obviously the seed from which James White’s wonderful Sector-General series sprouted and grew. The story, which is pretty much a single plotline, hung together quite well apart from some questionable notions such as why the galactics are Earthlike humans who have never had anything to do with Earth except as tourists.
One piece of annoying scientific hand-waving was the notion that the lack of diversity in every other inhabited planet in the galaxy was due to none of these planets having an axial tilt causing seasons and hence evolutionary challenges that generated biodiversity…and great scenery (hence the touristy theme). It’s annoying not just because it’s clearly absurd per se – there are three other planets in our solar system alone that have axial tilts, and that doesn’t including Uranus which is rolling along its orbit on its equator - but because it is the pivot around which the entire story is anchored. I found the characters were reasonably varied (albeit all bar one being men) but sketchy and somewhat shallow, with only the protagonist being drawn in anything resembling three dimensions, and that mainly because he was the POV character in the story. The notion that the galactics were quite stagnant and backwards in some ways tickled my funny bone.
The ending had an unnecessary space battle climax that was apparently foisted upon the author by the editor or publisher so don’t blame White for that.
One piece of annoying scientific hand-waving was the notion that the lack of diversity in every other inhabited planet in the galaxy was due to none of these planets having an axial tilt causing seasons and hence evolutionary challenges that generated biodiversity…and great scenery (hence the touristy theme). It’s annoying not just because it’s clearly absurd per se – there are three other planets in our solar system alone that have axial tilts, and that doesn’t including Uranus which is rolling along its orbit on its equator - but because it is the pivot around which the entire story is anchored. I found the characters were reasonably varied (albeit all bar one being men) but sketchy and somewhat shallow, with only the protagonist being drawn in anything resembling three dimensions, and that mainly because he was the POV character in the story. The notion that the galactics were quite stagnant and backwards in some ways tickled my funny bone.
The ending had an unnecessary space battle climax that was apparently foisted upon the author by the editor or publisher so don’t blame White for that.
July 27, 2025
For the young'uns who might be reading this, an Ace Double was a nifty idea from Ace Books. Two short SF novels in one fat (for the time period) paperback, each with its own cover. While either story might be a bit thin to sell on its own, the package made it good value for money.
The two novels in D-237 are Robert Silverberg's "Master of Life and Death", and James White's "The Secret Visitors." Both are copyright 1957.
The James White novel is set in contemporary times (the 1950s), with Cold War paranoia running rampant. Doctor Lockhart is called in to assist a CIA agent investigating a rash of "dying grandfathers." It seems that elderly men with no traceable background have been showing up in cities all over the world and dying if asked their names. The agent and doctor manage to keep one of the "grandfathers" alive long enough to get some partial information, which eventually leads them to a hotel in Ireland.
It turns out that the deaths are part of a galaxy-wide conspiracy focused around an evil travel agency, and our heroes must travel to the galactic core, where Earth will be put on trial....
This story does have a token romance between Dr. Lockhart, and Kelly, an alien secret agent. Sadly, while Kelly is a pretty interesting and resourceful character, she stops doing anything useful about halfway through the story. Yes, there's a reason, but still.
Through most of the novel, it looks like Dr. Lockhart's advanced medical skills will be what saves the day. (The aliens have practical immortality, so their interest in other medical fields has withered away.) Then towards the end, it appears that no, Earthmen's propensity for violence and war is the key--until the final twist. (Which is much better foreshadowed than the DXM in the Silverberg story.)
The two novels in D-237 are Robert Silverberg's "Master of Life and Death", and James White's "The Secret Visitors." Both are copyright 1957.
The James White novel is set in contemporary times (the 1950s), with Cold War paranoia running rampant. Doctor Lockhart is called in to assist a CIA agent investigating a rash of "dying grandfathers." It seems that elderly men with no traceable background have been showing up in cities all over the world and dying if asked their names. The agent and doctor manage to keep one of the "grandfathers" alive long enough to get some partial information, which eventually leads them to a hotel in Ireland.
It turns out that the deaths are part of a galaxy-wide conspiracy focused around an evil travel agency, and our heroes must travel to the galactic core, where Earth will be put on trial....
This story does have a token romance between Dr. Lockhart, and Kelly, an alien secret agent. Sadly, while Kelly is a pretty interesting and resourceful character, she stops doing anything useful about halfway through the story. Yes, there's a reason, but still.
Through most of the novel, it looks like Dr. Lockhart's advanced medical skills will be what saves the day. (The aliens have practical immortality, so their interest in other medical fields has withered away.) Then towards the end, it appears that no, Earthmen's propensity for violence and war is the key--until the final twist. (Which is much better foreshadowed than the DXM in the Silverberg story.)
January 30, 2021
hardly a modern classic, but with White's usual nod to flowery language I found this enjoyable enough. I was particularly intrigued at the medical parts, which of course echo White's Sector General work. Not a book for everyone and probably only of great interest to a small group, I nonetheless felt the story picked up and enjoyed it more as it went on.
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October 21, 2007http://nhw.livejournal.com/793622.html[return][return]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. However, it's definitely a novel of its time; the galactic federation is interested in Earth, apparently, because our planet is unique in having a) an axial tilt and b) decent scenery. Added to this, our Earthmen heroes discover that the ultra-civilised galactics have lost all knowledge of a) surgery and b) battle tactics, and are able to help them out of a tricky spot or two. But it's fun; and it's particularly fun for me because of the use of Northern Ireland (in particular Portballintrae) as a setting for much of the first half of the book
July 20, 2016
I was going to give this two stars.....but I just cannot. I have read some interesting and some smart James White. This novel, his first, is not good.
It starts in media res in a mess that never really clears up. The characters become very monotonous and absurd. There is a girl who we all focus on for half the book - until we simply don't anymore. The main character is a medical doctor who has somehow got himself attached to the British Intelligence office/FBI - why and how, we aren't told.
Then we have an action scene on a beach in which it is difficult to picture or sort out what happened.
And now in space. Outer space. On ships with strange clothing, customs, and politics. There is a sidetrack, though, where the doctor fixes up a big alien on a weird planet.
The ending is a huge "Independence Day" naval battle in space over a faraway planet.
woooo boy.... this one is a rough read. Good luck, fellow vintage science fiction readers!
It starts in media res in a mess that never really clears up. The characters become very monotonous and absurd. There is a girl who we all focus on for half the book - until we simply don't anymore. The main character is a medical doctor who has somehow got himself attached to the British Intelligence office/FBI - why and how, we aren't told.
Then we have an action scene on a beach in which it is difficult to picture or sort out what happened.
And now in space. Outer space. On ships with strange clothing, customs, and politics. There is a sidetrack, though, where the doctor fixes up a big alien on a weird planet.
The ending is a huge "Independence Day" naval battle in space over a faraway planet.
woooo boy.... this one is a rough read. Good luck, fellow vintage science fiction readers!
November 18, 2019
Sie sehen aus wie Menschen, doch sie stammen von unbekannten Welten in den Tiefen der Galaxis. Auf Schleichwegen gelangen sie zur Erde und beginnen die Menschheit zu unterwandern. Niemand weiß, wer die Fremden zur Erde bringt und welche Ziele die Initiatoren der heimlichen Invasion damit verfolgen. Dabei ist die Beantwortung dieser Fragen schicksalsbestimmend für die weitere Existenz der Menschheit.
Gelesen als deutsche Version: Die Außerirdischen
Im Englischen gibt es zwei Versionen dieses Buches. die UK-Originalversion (Tourist Planet) und eine Version (The Secret Visitors) für den amerikanischen Markt, sie unterscheiden sich hauptsächlich in der Endsequenz. Die deutsche Version ist eine Übersetzung der UK-Version.
Das Buch liest sich nicht schlecht, auch wenn es da und dort in der Handlung doch sehr holpert, aber alles in allem hat es mich ganz gut unterhalten. Wenn man auch die Sector General Reihe gelesen hat, bemerkt man bei diesem Buch die Anfänge dazu.
Gelesen als deutsche Version: Die Außerirdischen
Im Englischen gibt es zwei Versionen dieses Buches. die UK-Originalversion (Tourist Planet) und eine Version (The Secret Visitors) für den amerikanischen Markt, sie unterscheiden sich hauptsächlich in der Endsequenz. Die deutsche Version ist eine Übersetzung der UK-Version.
Das Buch liest sich nicht schlecht, auch wenn es da und dort in der Handlung doch sehr holpert, aber alles in allem hat es mich ganz gut unterhalten. Wenn man auch die Sector General Reihe gelesen hat, bemerkt man bei diesem Buch die Anfänge dazu.
November 7, 2013
Great read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews