Mind Changer is a 1998 science fiction book by author James White

James White (author)

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 his early years in Canada. After a few years in the clothing industry, he worked at Short Brothers Ltd. from 1965 until taking early retirement in...

 and is part of the Sector General

Sector General

Sector General is a series of twelve science fiction books and various short stories by the Northern Irish author James White. The series derives its name from the setting of the majority of the books, the Sector 12 General Hospital, a huge hospital space station located in deep space, designed to...

 series.

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...

described Mind Changer as "White's finest performance, replete with wit, originality, medical expertise and sheer decency" and commented that the series shows no signs of aging, and Booklist

Booklist

Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...

 described the book as an "enjoyable, witty resumé" of Chief Psychologist O'Mara's career. Todd Richmond wrote that the Sector General series declined after Star Healer

Star Healer

Star Healer is a 1985 science fiction book by author James White and is part of the Sector General series.- Plot :Conway is replaced on the ambulance ship Rhabwar by Diagnostician Prilicla. Conway visits healer Khone on the planet Goglesk, and witnesses first-hand their destructive racial...

(1985), hitting a low point with the Galactic Gourmet

The Galactic Gourmet

The Galactic Gourmet is a 1996 science fiction book by author James White and is part of the Sector General series.Todd Richmond wrote that the Sector General series declined after Star Healer , hitting a low point with The Galactic Gourmet, and that the later books tended to stretch a short...

(1996), and that the later books tended to stretch a short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

's worth of content to the length of a novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

. However he thought that Mind Changer (1998) represented an improvement.

Plot summary

Sector General's director O'Mara is headed for retirement. His memories of life at the hospital are shown through flashbacks, while in the book's 'present' time he goes through the process of selecting his own replacement.