F. PAUL WILSON

HEALER

Doubleday  hardcover book  First Edition (1976)

Condition:  AWFUL!   The pages of this novel, themselves, are well bound and in good condition… except for the beginning and the end. There are big blots of what appears to be dried glue on the front and back flyleafs and the dust jacket, a couple of numbers written on the second front page, and the binding is cracked at front and back; also the rear jacket flap is somewhat torn.   If not for all this, I would want at least $20 for this hard-to-find 1st edition.  Instead, how about a third or even less of that amount?

Healer is the 1976 Debut novel by American author and practicing physician F. Paul Wilson, originally published as a hardcover edition by Doubleday & Company. The book serves as a cornerstone of his science fiction writing…

The story follows Steven Dalt, a human who forms a symbiotic bond with an immortal alien entity named Pard

Commentaries on line:

This installment focuses on Steve Dalt, who through a freak accident with an alien, becomes linked with the alien "symboite" who is able to make Dalt virtually immortal. Dalt becomes the legendary "Healer" and assists the Federation people through a series of disasters by using his special skills. Well written with an intesting plot, the best part of the book for me was the relationship between Dalt and the symbiote "Pard" who through their sharing of consciousness learn from each other and become better "people" as a result. 

I'm not usually a Science Fiction girl but for some reason I really connected with the main character. There was little enough detail about technology that the story is timeless.

For some reason, this book has always stuck in my head, long after reading it

… should have read the other two books in the set but a decent read and a good ending.

A very nice science fiction read, in the style of Isaac Asimov's Foundation in the classic era, complete with pre-chapter fictional book quotations and centuries-long time scale. I enjoyed reading it, the writing is simple and clear. Even tough it's a part of a cycle of novels, this one can be read independently, I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the LaNague Federation series.

A great concept, I read the book years ago and when I found it on my kindle I couldn't wait to read it again. I wish it had been much longer and had a lot more stories of what jobs and paths Dalt had followed over time. Still an interesting and enjoyable book that gave me hours of escape.

It is one of my most favorite science fiction books. The premise of a man having a symbiotic relationship with an entity inside him, that makes him immortal? Awesome. Then to go on and read about his several lives? Way cool.

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