SOLVED. SciFi - Man explores the universe. Main characters are Conway and Priscilla. Discovery of a planet which is a living organism, but which gets nuked by its inhabitants. Read in the late 1980s.

[Kristof]

I'm searching for a book which I've read in the late 80ties. It's a scifi novel where men explores space. The main characters are called Conway (male human) and Priscilla, an elflike female creature with wings. They discover a new planet, and pick an wheel formed like inhabitant from its surface. Later on, they discover that the planet gets nuked by its inhabitants in order to remove some moss like infestation, but to their horror they find out that the planet is a living organism.

I would very much read it again, but have no clue anymore about the title or author.
Any help is appreciated !

[Sue]

One of the Sector General books by James White-possibly Ambulance Ship. The winged creature is called Prilicla, and is an empath. The characters are both doctors, not explorers.
Sector General is a deep-space hospital, which treats multiple alien races. Each book is a compendium of linked stories.

[Genesistrine]

Yeah, it's Major Operation, the 3rd book; the planet is nicknamed Meatball, and the hospital gets involved when the inhabitants send up their first astronaut who nearly dies because the humans don't realise it needs to keep rolling to move blood round its body.

[Kristof]

Correct ! I remember the Meatball name. Just bought the 'Beginning operations' omnibus Kindle edition containing the first 3 Sector General books (including the Major Operation book).

Thanks !

[Genesistrine]

Glad to help! It's a fun series.