Prostho Plus

Prostho Plus is a fix-up novel from 50 years ago that should never have stuck in my head like it has. I could not remember the title, but I did remember the premise of a dentist being kidnapped by aliens and forced to work on a baby Leviathan whose fillings required tons of gold. In later episodes, he becomes the galaxy’s leading prosthodontist. I am trying to avoid saying that dentists as science fiction heroes are as rare as hen’s teeth. Oops.

Light, fluffy, fun, and the perfect gift for any dentist who likes science fiction!

No deep science fictional ideas here, but there's something quite delightful about hearing little homilies from the main character about how very important it is to take good care of your teeth.... directed to one alien or another.

Dr. Dillingham, an ordinary Earth dentist, gets abducted by aliens with serious dental issues, leading him on a humorous space opera adventure fixing bizarre teeth across the galaxy, eventually enrolling in the Galactic University of Dentistry and becoming involved in interstellar dental politics, while encountering strange creatures and situations.

A dentist is kidnapped by aliens and tours the galaxy fixing teeth.

Not quite as funny as I remember it from when I read it in my twenties, but still very enjoyable.

This is fun light reading. It starts off quickly, there is no long build up to lead us into the story but instead the doctor’s adventure starts right away. The quick start does get the book moving at a good pace but it also sends us off without knowing the characters very well. It is an interesting concept to look at galactic travel from the viewpoint of a dentist and Anthony does a great job of giving the good doctor a variety of mouths, teeth, and problems to work on. And Dillingham finds that there is much more to dentistry in space then he ever could have imagined as he finds himself mixed up in politics, being sold, being hunted and having to do some impromptu electrical work on robot teeth. Dillingham does tend to explain his show more procedures a lot at times and you get lessons on how to fill cavities or what happens when your occlusion is imperfect. It also sometimes reads like a public service announcement on the importance of brushing and flossing. But I think that adds to the fun of reading about a poor kidnapped Earth dentist who really cares about healthy teeth, no matter where they are found. It’s fun, short and moves quickly and is an interesting slant on the story of mankind’s first contact with alien life. It is well worth your time, especially if you are looking for something that is not too deep. show less

What's keeping you from your grand tour of the universe? Are you afraid of being caught out in the vastness of space with a painful cavity and no one capable of fixing it? Well fear not--the galaxy is simply teeming with dentists!