[Sector General 01] • Species Classification

Several well-loved props run through the series. The most famous is the species

classification system (originally a homage to E.E. "Doc" Smith's less

thought-out version in Children of the Lens) which sums up aliens' shape

and biology in a few terse letters. Earth-humans are DBDG and "similar"

warm-blooded oxygen-breathers have similar codes, with teddy-bear Orligians also

being DBDG while caterpillar-shaped Kelgians are DBLF. Weirder creatures include

chlorine-breathing PVSJs and psi-talented V-codes. One buried joke concerns the

unfortunate Gogleskan species, classification FOKT, who are unable to prevent

themselves from forming mindlessly destructive mobs. James White's Sector General stories used a unique four letter classification

system that helped describe the species quickly and effectivly, as one would

require when the hospitol is a multi species enviroment.

Gary Louie was working on a James White concordance. As part of that he

completed a classification system, for the sector general series which covers

all characters up to Final Diagnosis.

This article appeared in the White Papers. Unfortunatly Gary Louie passed

away, before the concordance was completed.