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Star Watchmen
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Modern mankind has spread throughout the stars and must join together to fight ancient enemies in STAR WATCHMAN. Set in the same universe as STAR CONQUERORS and THE DUELING MACHINE this follows the evolution of the Star Watch: Humans rule a giant galactic empire, but not all the worlds are pleased. Can the Star Watch prevent a revolt?
Space Station Down
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Hugo Award-winning author Ben Bova joins forces with Nebula Award finalist Doug Beason for an action packed technothriller with Space Station Down."Think Die Hard happening two hundred and fifty miles above the earth... Will have you watching the skies overhead much more closely."—Steve BerryWhen an ultra-rich space tourist visits the orbiting International Space Station, NASA expects a $100 million win-win: his visit will bring in much needed funding and publicity. But the tourist venture turns into a scheme of terror. Together with an extremist cosmonaut, the tourist slaughters all the astronauts on board the million-pound ISS—and prepares to crash it into New York City at 17,500 miles an hour, causing more devastation than a hundred atomic bombs. In doing so, they hope to annihilate the world's financial system.All that stands between them and their deadly goal is the lone survivor aboard the ISS,...
Neptune
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
In the future, humanity has spread throughout the solar system, on planets and moons once visited only by robots or explored at a distance by far-voyaging spacecraft. No matter how hostile or welcoming the environment, mankind has forged a path and found a home. In the far reaches of the solar system, the outer planets—billions of miles from Earth, unknown for millennia—are being settled. Neptune, the ice giant, is swathed in clouds of hydrogen, helium, and methane and circled by rings of rock and dust. Three years ago, Ilona Magyr's father, Miklos, disappeared while exploring the seas of Neptune. Everyone believes he is dead—crushed, frozen, or boiled alive in Neptune's turbulent seas. With legendary space explorer Derek Humbolt piloting her ship and planetary scientist Jan Meitner guiding the search, Ilona Magyr knows she will find her father—alive—on Neptune. Her plans are irrevocably altered when she and her team discover the...
Test of Fire
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
A small group of survivors fight to rebuild civilization after the Earth is devastated by a huge solar flare.Cities became ovens. Grasslands became seas of flame. As the touch of dawn swept westward across the spinning planet Earth, its fiery finger killed everything in its path. Glaciers in Switzerland began to melt, floodwaters poured down on the burning, smoking villages dotting the Alpine meadows. Paris became a torch, then London. North of the Arctic Circle, Lapplanders in their summer furs burst into flame as their reindeer collapsed and roasted on the smoking tundra.The line of dawn raced westward across the Atlantic Ocean, but as it did the brightness diminished. The sun dimmed as quickly as it had brightened.The Americas escaped the Sun's wrath. Almost."A hard, dark book, the story of mankind after the fall... compulsive reading... the battle to rebuild Earth after its almost total destruction by a gigantic solar flare."—Harry Harrison
Gremlins, Go Home!
Ben Bova
Suppose that elves, gremlins, and leprechauns are really tiny aliens marooned on Earth for hundreds of years. They want to go home, and human technology finally can make it possible—if they can get aboard NASA’s Mars rocket and hijack it! Pity the poor human who has to help them with the big heist…
Hour of the Gremlins (2002) Omnibus
Gordon R. Dickson; Ben Bova
Three novels of fast-moving adventure -- and side-splitting humor -- in one book:
Gremlins, Go Home by Gordon R. Dickson and Ben Bova: Suppose that elves, gremlins, and leprechauns are really aliens marooned on Earth centuries ago. Now they can go home -- if they can hijack NASA's Mars rocket!
Hour of the Horde by Gordon R. Dickson: Against an approaching merciless alien horde is an outnumbered galaxy-wide legion.
Wolfling by Gordon R. Dickson: Earth was only a primitive outpost, its people dubbed primitive wolflings by the galaxy's rulers -- until Jim Kell was sent to the rulers' Throne World.
The Peacekeepers
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
When four ancient cities are destroyed in a nuclear exchange, a force known as the Peacekeepers comes into being, charged with preventing any nation from attacking another with nuclear weapons. However, their power is soon challenged by a renegade terrorist with six nuclear bombs.
My Favorites
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
In this new collection, Ben Bova has compiled fourteen of his favorite short stories. Each story includes an all-new introduction with compelling insight into the narrative. Exploring the boundaries of the genre, Bova not only writes of spaceships, aliens, and time travel in most of his titles, but also speculates on the beginnings of science fiction in "Scheherazade and the Storytellers," as well as the morality of man in "The Angel's Gift. " Stories such as "The Café Coup" and "We'll Always Have Paris" dip into speculative historical fiction, asking questions about what would happen if someone could change history for the better. This expansive collection is a key addition for Bova fans and sci-fi lovers alike! Stories included in this collection: "Monster Slayer," "Muzhestvo," "We'll Always Have Paris," "The Great Moon Hoax, or A Princess of Mars," "Inspiration," "Scheherazade and the Storytellers," "The Supersonic Zeppelin," "Mars Farts," "The Man Who Hated Gravity,"...
The Best of Bova: Volume III
Part #3 of "Best of Bova" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
VOLUME #3 IN A STERLING COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM LEGENDARY HARD SCIENCE FICTION MASTER BEN BOVA. Selected stories from Bova's amazing career at the center of science fiction and space advocacy. He is the creator of the New York Times best-selling Grand Tour science fiction series, a six time Hugo award winner, and past president of the National Space Society.
Volume #3 of 3 of the very best of Ben Bova, a grandmaster of science fiction storytelling. These stories span the five decades of Bova's incandescent career.
Here are tales of star-faring adventure, peril, and drama. Here are journeys into the mind-bending landscapes of virtual worlds and alternate realities. Here you'll also find stories of humanity's astounding future on Earth, on Mars and in the Solar System beyond—stories that always get the science right. And Bova's gathering of deeply realized, totally human characters are the heroic, brave, tricky, sometimes dastardly engineers, astronauts, corporate magnates, politicians, and scientists who will make these futures possible—and those who often find that the problems of tomorrow are always linked to human values, and human failings, that are as timeless as the stars.
About *The Best of Bova Volume III:
“Ben Bova is a living legend. . . .The hallmarks of Bova’s fiction . . . are believable human characters and complete rationality. He adheres to the philosophy articulated by John W. Campbell, Jr. . . . that the best science fiction involves not just science and technology, but their impact on people. . . . [I]f you care about the history of science fiction, or if you just want to read some good stories, you’ll be happy with this one.”—Analog*
About the award-winning stories and novels of Ben Bova:
“Technically accurate and absorbing. . .”—Kirkus
“[Bova is] the science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.”—Ray Bradbury
“A masterful storyteller”—Vector
“Gives a good read while turning your eyes to what might be in the not so distant future, just like Clarke and Asimov used to do so well.”—SFX
About Mars, Inc., by Ben Bova.:
“. . .perfectly enjoyable as an SF book (could Bova write anything that wasn’t enjoyable?), Mars, Inc. has that torn-from-the-headline vibe that’s obviously intended for a larger audience. . . . the bottom line? Mars, Inc. has inspiration, excitement, thrills, romance, a dash of satire—and is a good, fun read . . . .”—Analog
“The Hugo winner returns to his most popular subject: the quest for Mars.”—Publishers Weekly
“. . . escapist fantasy for rocket scientists and space engineers, those dreaming of these kinds of missions. Yet Bova’s story is rigorously realistic. . . . a fun read showing you do not need car chases or shootouts to deliver a fast-paced and exciting story.”—Daily News of Galveston County
**
Power Challanges
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
It is time to start the colonizing the solar system. Ex-astronaut, current space advisor, and all-out trouble shooter for the President, Jake Ross, is determined to make it happen.
And what better way to return to America's glory than by returning to the moon and setting up a permanent moon-base which can then serve as the launching pad for Mars and beyond.
But as usual, political intrigue and conflicting priorities are threatening the whole program. Add to that a President who is about to die, a strong contingent in the legislative body which thinks that money spent on a moon-base is money wasted and the general apathy of the public, and you have an almost impossible task.
Even NASA, natural enthusiasts of a project like this, are dragging their feet because they have lost control of the top spot in the project.
However, none of those opposing forces have contended with the resolve and the skill of Jake Ross. He will create the base on the moon. He will send humans out to many worlds.
Twice Seven (1998) SSC
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
From the acclaimed bestseller Mars to his phenomenal Moonbase Saga, Ben Bova deftly uses the mysterious possibilities of science and technology t create SF that astonishes and captivates us. Here are fourteen exhilarating stories--each a shining testament to this Hugo-Award-winning author's extraordinary talent as a master storyteller. Accompanied by specially written introductions that illuminate his thoughts on the creative process, these stories pull us into Bova's uniquely crafted worlds--realms that challenge, enthral and entertain.
Consider the possibilities: a time traveler on a desperate mission from the future brings together H.G. Wells and Albert Einstein at an Austrian cafe. The strange but true fate of President John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe is revealed by none other than Howard Hughes. A lonely young woman aboard an asteroid-mining ship is all that stands between earth and cosmic annihilation. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and other baseball legends compete in a game sure to be every fan's field of dreams come true.
Exiles Trilogy
Part #99 of "Exiles" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
EPUB (reformatted)When all the best of Earth's scientists are forced into exile to a space station to prevent their work from upsetting the status quo, they decide to embark on an even grander adventure to the stars. An epic three-volume saga from a science fiction master, all in one book: EXILED FROM EARTH FLIGHT OF EXILES END OF EXILE THE EXILES TRILOGY was highlighted in Discover Magazine as one of the top ten sources that inspired people's interest in science! Dr. Ben Bova is a six-time Hugo Award winner, and author of over 125 futuristic novels and nonfiction books about science and technology.
Short Fiction Complete
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Scanned, converted, re-formatted, proofed, custom title page, custom book cover and eBook creation by Jerry
Sam Gunn Jr.
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
The final completed novel by Ben Bova.Intergalactic explorer, venture capitalist, and Casanova Sam Gunn may be gone, but his legacy lives on in his son, Sam Gunn Jr.In his first-ever adventure, Sam Gunn Jr. sets off to fulfill his father's left-behind mission of interplanetary enterprising. He soon learns his father's shoes are tough to fill, but he is up for the task. Junior takes a journey through the stars, falling in love with beautiful women and leaving his unique mark everywhere he ventures. Soon, however, this trip through the universe takes a dangerous turn when Junior lands on Saturn and learns about a recent scientific discovery that will change everything, possibly forever.Will he be able to save the universe and live up to his father's name? Take an unforgettable ride through space in master sci-fi author Ben Bova's exciting novel!
Power Failure
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Award-winning writer Ben Bova returns with Power Failure, another tense political thriller starring Jake Ross, science advisor to Senator Frank Tomlinson, as they continue their complex power maneuvers in this near future science fiction novel. Dr. Jake Ross came to Washington to try to make a difference, but he's learned the only way to get something done in Washington, assuming your ideals survive the corrosive atmosphere, is to gather power. Ross has gathered a great deal, riding in the wake of Frank Tomlinson. But now Tomlinson has decided to shoot for the moon. If they win, they get it all. If they lose, the game is over for Jake Ross. In the Power trilogy, Bova's vision of a future powered by solar satellite transmission is tantalizingly within reach.Jake Ross Series#1 Power Play#2 Power Surge#3 Power FailureAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights...
Kinsman Saga
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
EPUB (reformatted)Hero or Killer?In a
startling future that's coming closer every year, Chet Kinsman is an
astronaut ace who has done everything in space--including committing the
first murder. It's a secret he can never escape, not even on the Moon,
where he's head of the first U.S. lunar colony.But suddenly, a
series of shocking yet strangely inevitable circumstances forces Kinsman
to confront his hidden past and decide Earth's destiny. In a desperate
countdown to nuclear annihilation, Kinsman struggles against a deadly
paradox: if he rescues the world, he may end up destroying himself.
The Dueling Machine
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Imagine a mechanism that would end all wars and bloodshed. A machine that can create a virtual world where conflicts seem to be fought, but no one dies. Dr. Leo\'s Dueling Machine is just that. But when a warrior from the Kerak Empire finds a way to circumvent the machine, actually killing his opponents, the results are devastating. His secret knowledge of the machine could lead to actual, not virtual, war. Dr. Leo and his assistant must work quickly to discover what Kerak knows. Their lives, their planet, and the preservation of peace depend on it.
The Best of Bova
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
VOLUME #2 IN A STERLING COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM LEGENDARY HARD SCIENCE FICTION MASTER BEN BOVA. Selected stories from Bova's amazing career at the center of science fiction and space advocacy. He is the creator of the New York Times best-selling Grand Tour science fiction series, a six time Hugo award winner, and past president of the National Space Society.
Volume #2 of 3 of the very best of Ben Bova, a grandmaster of science fiction storytelling. These stories span the five decades of Bova's incandescent career.
Here are tales of star-faring adventure, peril, and drama. Here are journeys into the mind-bending landscapes of virtual worlds and alternate realities. Here you'll also find stories of humanity's astounding future on Earth, on Mars and in the Solar System beyond—stories that always get the science right. And Bova's gathering of deeply realized, totally human characters are the heroic, brave, tricky, sometimes dastardly engineers, astronauts, corporate magnates, politicians, and scientists who will make these futures possible—and those who often find that the problems of tomorrow are always linked to human values, and human failings, that are as timeless as the stars.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
About the award-winning stories and novels of Ben Bova:“Technically accurate and absorbing. . .”— Kirkus
“[Bova is] the science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.”—Ray Bradbury
“A masterful storyteller”— Vector
“Gives a good read while turning your eyes to what might be in the not so distant future, just like Clarke and Asimov used to do so well.”— SFX
About Mars, Inc. , by Ben Bova.:“. . .perfectly enjoyable as an SF book (could Bova write anything that wasn’t enjoyable?), Mars, Inc. has that torn-from-the-headline vibe that’s obviously intended for a larger audience. . . . the bottom line? Mars, Inc. has inspiration, excitement, thrills, romance, a dash of satire—and is a good, fun read . . . .”— Analog
“The Hugo winner returns to his most popular subject: the quest for Mars.”— Publishers Weekly
“. . . escapist fantasy for rocket scientists and space engineers, those dreaming of these kinds of missions. Yet Bova’s story is rigorously realistic. . . . a fun read showing you do not need car chases or shootouts to deliver a fast-paced and exciting story.”— Daily News of Galveston County
Ben Bova has written more than one hundred twenty futuristic novels and nonfiction books, and has been involved in science and high technology since the very beginnings of the space age. President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past president of Science Fiction Writers of America, Bova received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation in 2005, "for fueling mankind's imagination regarding the wonders of outer space." His 2006 novel Titan received the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel of the year. In 2008 he won the Robert A. Heinlein Award "for his outstanding body of work in the field of literature." Bova is a frequent commentator on radio and television and a widely-popular lecturer. His articles, opinion pieces and reviews have appeared in Scientific American, Nature, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal , and many other newspapers and magazines. Earlier, he was an award-winning editor and an executive in the aerospace industry. Bova has taught science fiction at Harvard University and at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, where he has also directed film courses. Bova currently lives in Florida.
The Next Logical Step
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
The Next Logical Step is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Ben Bova is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Ben Bova then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.
Moonrise
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
In the 21st century, the world is on the brink of a scientific renaissance, about to birth a future where space has become privatized and the moon transforms into a fertile commercial ground. As former astronaut Paul Stavenger works to turn a handful of abandoned government moon shelters into a full-fledged moonbase, powerful corporate lobbies align against him. Against the neo-Luddites is Masterson Aerospace, a company funding and creating major scientific breakthroughs.But Masterson is nearly crippled when its CEO commits suicide and his wife, Joanna, backs her lover Paul Stavenger, the former astronaut, over her mentally unbalanced son Greg in the board election that follows her husband's death. So begins a power struggle that leads to murder and the ultimate conflict over Moonbase.
Uranus
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Ben Bova, author of Earth, continues his exploration of the future of a human-settled Solar System with the science fiction action adventure Uranus, the first of his Outer Planets trilogy. On a privately financed orbital habitat above the planet Uranus, political idealism conflicts with pragmatic, and illegal, methods of financing. Add a scientist who has funding to launch a probe deep into Uranus's ocean depths to search for signs of life, and you have a three-way struggle for control.Humans can't live on the gas giants, making instead a life in orbit. Kyle Umber, a religious idealist, has built Haven, a sanctuary above the distant planet Uranus. He invites "the tired, the sick, the poor" of Earth to his orbital retreat where men and women can find spiritual peace and refuge from the world.The billionaire who financed Haven, however, has his own designs: beyond the reach of the laws of the inner planets Haven could...
City of Darkness
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
He's passed his college entrance exams with flying colors. He can do pretty much whatever he wants. But what teenager Ron Morgan wants most is for his father to quit telling him what to do. Quit running his life. What better way to unwind than having a last blowout on Labor Day in the domed playground of Fun City: Manhattan.Inside the dome, however, Ron loses his wallet and identity card. Worse, he's trapped when the dome closes for the season. There's no way out. Gangs roam the street. Food is scarce. Ron is on his own.All Ron wanted was some fun. He'll be lucky to escape New York alive....At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Future Crime
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
No matter what strange forms the future takes, says Ben Bova in his introduction, crime and criminals will always be with us--and with them, the need for law enforcement. Included with many other stories are the full-length novel City of Darkness and "Brillo"--the famous collaboration between Bova and Harlan Ellison.Table of ContentsCity of DarknessVince’s DragonBrillo by Harlan Ellison and Ben BovaOut of TimeTest in OrbitStars, Won’t You Hide Me?Diamond SamEscape!
The Dueling Machine sw-3
Part #3 of "Star Watch" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Here are the deadliest warriors in the universe—awesome gladiators caught in the ultimate one-on-one battles of all eternity. These explosive tales of future combat are collected here for the first time—featuring today’s acclaimed masters of science fiction.
Faint Echoes, Distant Stars
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Our neighboring planets may have the answer to this question. Scientists have already identified ice caps on Mars and what appear to be enormous oceans underneath the ice of Jupiter's moons. The atmosphere on Venus appeared harsh and insupportable of life, composed of a toxic atmosphere and oceans of acid -- until scientists concluded that Earth's atmosphere was eerily similar billions of years ago.An extraterrestrial colony, in some form, may already exist, just awaiting discovery.But the greatest impediment to such an important scientific discovery may not be technological, but political. No scientific endeavor can be launched without a budget, and matters of money are within the arena of politicians. Dr. Ben Bova explores some of the key players and the arguments waged in a debate of both scientific and cultural priorities, showing the emotions, the controversy, and the egos involved in arguably the most important scientific pursuit ever begun.
Mars, Inc. - eARC
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
A new novel from Ben Bova, creator of the New York Times best-selling Grand Tour science fiction series. Bova is a six time Hugo award winner, and past president of the National Space Society. Here, Bova returns to his most popular and best-selling subject: the quest for Mars!How do you get to the Red Planet? Not via a benighted government program trapped in red tape and bound by budget constrictions, that’s for sure. No, what it will take is a helping of adventure, science, corporate powerplays, a generous dollop of seduction—both in and out of the boardroom—and money, money, money! Art Thrasher knows this. He is a man with a driving vision: send humans to Mars. The government has utterly failed, but Thrasher has got the plan to accomplish such a feat: form a “club” or billionaires to chip in one billion a year until the dream is accomplished. But these are men and women who are tough cookies, addicted to a profitable bottom-line, and disdainful of pie-in-the-sky dreamers who want to use their cash to make somebody else’s dreams come true. But Thrasher is different from the other dreamers in an important regard: he’s a billionaire himself, and the president of a successful company. But it’s going to take all his wiles as a captain of industry and master manipulator of business and capital to overcome setbacks and sabotage—and get a rocket full of scientist, engineers, visionaries, and dreamers on their way to the Red Planet. The man for the job has arrived. Art Thrasher is prepared to do whatever it takes to humans on Mars—or die trying!About Mars, Inc.:"The Hugo winner returns to his most popular subject: the quest for Mars."—Publishers Weekly About the award winning novels of Ben Bova: “Technically accurate and absorbing. . ..”—Kirkus “[Bova is] the science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.”—Ray Bradbury “A masterful storyteller”—Vector “Gives a good read while turning your eyes to what might be in the not so distant future, just like Clarke and Asimov used to do so well.”—SFX
The Science Fiction Megapack
Bova, Ben; Brown, Frederic
Hours of great reading await, with tales from some of the 20th century's most renowned science fiction authors, Here are 25 science fiction stories (plus a bonus short-short):ARENA, by Frederic BrownEXPEDITER, by Mack ReynoldsONE-SHOT, by James BlishSHAMBLEAU, by C. L. MooreSHIPWRECK IN THE SKY, by Eando BinderZEN, by Jerome BixbyTHE LITTLE BLACK BAG, by C.M. KornbluthLANCELOT BIGGS COOKS A PIRATE, by Nelson S. BondLIGHTER THAN YOU THINK, by Nelson BondTHE ISSAHAR ARTIFACTS, by J. F. BoneTHE NEXT LOGICAL STEP, by Ben BovaYEAR OF THE BIG THAW, by Marion Zimmer BradleyEARTHMEN BEARING GIFTS, by Fredric BrownHAPPY ENDING, by Fredric Brown and Mack ReynoldsMONSTERS OF MOYEN, by Arthur J. BurksACCIDENTAL DEATH, by Peter BailyAND ALL THE EARTH A GRAVE, by C. C. MacAppEGOCENTRIC ORBIT, by John CoryDEAD RINGER, by Lester del ReyTHE CRYSTAL CRYPT, by Philip K. DickTHE JUPITER WEAPON, by Charles L. FontenayTHE MAN WHO...
Mercury
Part #16 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
The planet closest to our Sun, Mercury is a rocky, barren, heat-scorched world. But there are those who hope to find wealth in its desolation. Saito Yamagata thinks Mercury's position makes it an ideal place to generate power to propel starships into deep space. Astrobiologist Victor Molina thinks the water at Mercury's poles may harbor evidence of life. Bishop Elliot Danvers has been sent by the Earth-based "New Morality" to keep close tabs on Molina. But all three of these men are blissfully unaware of their shared history, and of how it connects to the collapse of Mance Bracknell's geosynchronous space elevator a generation ago. Now they're about to find out, because Mance is determined to have his revenge… **From Publishers WeeklyAfter secretly infiltrating a scientific mission on Mercury, a disgraced yet brilliant scientist exacts his revenge on those who framed him in this flawed, yet accessible and fun, hard SF novel, the latest in Bova's Grand Tour series (and the best since 2001's Jupiter). 2005 Audie Award winner Rudnicki is in top form again, handling primary narrative duties with panache-his deep, resonant voice and deliberate cadence grip listeners' attention like a vise. Rudnicki's remarkable ability to subtly modulate his voice allows him to enact male and female characters with equal proficiency, and to shift seamlessly between the various accented dialects of the multinational cast of characters. In supporting roles, Johnson is outstanding, with his skill at dramatizing dialogue being particularly noteworthy; Quirk offers competent, if at times overly-emotive, narration. The characters are the weak point of the audiobook-at times they are megalomaniacal and over-the-top-but the science fictional concepts presented here-skyhooks, solar power satellites, and the near-future exploration and colonizing of our solar system-along with Rudnicki and cast's top-notch performance, are enough to make an otherwise minor novel by the six-time Hugo Award winner into an audiobook well-worth listening to.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistBova's impressive series on human exploration of the Solar System (Venus, 2000; Jupiter, 2001; Saturn, 2003) turns to the planet nearest the Sun. Saito Yamagata wants to build power satellites around Mercury, engineer Dante Alexios has designs for them in hand, and biologist Victor Molina wants to explore Mercury's polar caps, where there may be water, for possible signs of life. Theocrat Bishop Danvers is looking over their shoulders, and visionary Mance Bracknell wants to avenge the sabotage of his power satellites years ago by in turn sabotaging the Mercury project. Their motivations bring the characters to life, and readers may also savor the complex and plausible hardware, and the lethal environment in which humans need it to have any chance of survival. Briskly paced into the bargain, this superior entry in one of the classic hard-sf sagas going is pretty much a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
The Exiles Trilogy
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
When all the best of Earth's scientists are forced into exile to a space station to prevent their work from upsetting the status quo, they decide to embark on an even grander adventure to the stars. An epic three-volume saga from a science fiction master, all in one book: EXILED FROM EARTHFLIGHT OF EXILESEND OF EXILE Limited time special! ReAnimus Press is pleased to offer The Exiles Trilogy purchasers of a free copy of Ben Bova's science fiction novel The Multiple Man for your Nook. If you purchased an ebook copy of The Exiles Trilogy from the Barnes & Noble Nook store web site on or after October 1, 2013, please submit a copy of your receipt to ReAnimus Press via reanimus.com/bnpromo as proof of purchase to receive your copy.
The Rock Rats gt-11
Part #11 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Brimming with memorable characters and human conflict, rugged high-tech prospectors and boardroom betrayals, The Rock Rats continues the tale of our near-future struggle over the incalculable wealth of the Asteroid Belt. Before it ends, many will die—and many will achieve more than they ever dreamed was possible.
The Starcrossed
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Pink scented smog, 3-D TV and earthquake-proof aluminium skyscrapers capable of hurtling themselves and their occupants to a safe Pacific splashdown should tremors exceed desired tolerances. This is the twenty-first century of Ben Bova’s hilarious novel, where the Vitaform Process grants nubile new bodies to the aged and a new 3-D TV series offering the illusion of almost live entertainment in the home is all that Bernard Finger, the cigar-chewing loudmouth mogul of Titanic Productions needs to save his company from the brink of financial disaster. Enter one Bill Oxnard, inventor of the 3-D holographic system, Brenda Impanema, Finger’s sexy lady assistant, Ron Gabriel, hot-tempered hot-shot script writer who hates Finger nearly as much as Finger hates him, and you’ve got the winning formula for a smashing new family series guaranteed to bring 3-D to the heart of the viewing public and make a fortune for Titanic. Or will it? Stay tuned as the whole sick crew of Titanic Productions struggles to bring you the greatest intergalactic show on earth… THE STARCROSSED.
Farside
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Six-time Hugo-Award winner Ben Bova presents Farside.Farside, the side of the Moon that never faces Earth, is the ideal location for an astronomical observatory. It is also the setting for a tangled web of politics, personal ambition, love, jealousy, and murder.Telescopes on Earth have detected an Earth-sized planet circling a star some thirty light-years away. Now the race is on to get pictures of that distant world, photographs and spectra that will show whether or not the planet is truly like Earth, and if it bears life.Farside will include the largest optical telescope in the solar system as well as a vast array of radio antennas, the most sensitive radio telescope possible, insulated from the interference of Earth’s radio chatter by a thousand kilometers of the Moon’s solid body.Building the Farside observatory is a complex, often dangerous task. On the airless surface of the Moon, under constant bombardment of hard radiation and infalling micrometeoroids, builders must work in cumbersome spacesuits and use robotic machines as much as possible. Breakdowns—mechanical and emotional—are commonplace. Accidents happen, some of them fatal.What they find stuns everyone, and the human race will never be the same.About the AuthorBEN BOVA is a six-time winner of the Hugo Award, a former editor of Analog, former editorial director of Omni, and a past president of both the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. Bova is the author of more than a hundred works of science fact and fiction. He lives in Florida.
Mars, Inc.: The Billionaire's Club
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
A new novel from Ben Bova, creator of the New York Times best-selling Grand Tour science fiction series. Bova is a six time Hugo award winner, and past president of the National Space Society. Here, Bova returns to his most popular and best-selling subject: the quest for Mars! How do you get to the Red Planet? Not via a benighted government program trapped in red tape and bound by budget constrictions, that’s for sure. No, what it will take is a helping of adventure, science, corporate powerplays, a generous dollop of seduction—both in and out of the boardroom—and money, money, money! Art Thrasher knows this. He is a man with a driving vision: send humans to Mars. The government has utterly failed, but Thrasher has got the plan to accomplish such a feat: form a “club” or billionaires to chip in one billion a year until the dream is accomplished. But these are men and women who are tough cookies, addicted to a profitable bottom-line, and disdainful of pie-in-the-sky dreamers who want to use their cash to make somebody else’s dreams come true. But Thrasher is different from the other dreamers in an important regard: he’s a billionaire himself, and the president of a successful company. But it’s going to take all his wiles as a captain of industry and master manipulator of business and capital to overcome setbacks and sabotage—and get a rocket full of scientist, engineers, visionaries, and dreamers on their way to the Red Planet. The man for the job has arrived. Art Thrasher is prepared to do whatever it takes to humans on Mars—or die trying! About Mars, Inc.:"The Hugo winner returns to his most popular subject: the quest for Mars."—Publishers Weekly About the award winning novels of Ben Bova:“Technically accurate and absorbing. . ..”—Kirkus “[Bova is] the science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.”—Ray Bradbury “A masterful storyteller”—Vector “Gives a good read while turning your eyes to what might be in the not so distant future, just like Clarke and Asimov used to do so well.”—SFX**
The Precipice gt-8
Part #8 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Once, Dan Radolph was one of the richest men on Earth, but now that the planet is spiraling into environmental disaster, he must look to the wealth of the stars to save the economy. Martin Humphries is also aware of the potential of space-based industry, but he does not care if Earth perishes.
New Frontiers
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Thirteen startling visions of yesterday, today, and tomorrow from the six-time winner of the Hugo AwardFrontiers can be found in all directions. Frontiers of time and space, as well as frontiers of courage, devotion, love, hate, and the outer limits of the human spirit. This outstanding collection of stories by one of science fiction's premier talents spans the length and breadth of history and the universe, while exploring thought-provoking new ideas and dilemmas.From the Baghdad of the Arabian Nights to a vast interstellar empire thousands of years in the future, from the Vatican to a one-man vessel drifting in the vast emptiness of the Asteroid Belt, from virtual reality duels to the subtle intricacies of time travel and a golf tournament on the Moon, here are tales of scoundrels and heroes, scientists and explorers, aliens and artificial intelligences, and even a young Albert Einstein. Each of them stands at the border of a new frontier and must...
Empire Builders
Part #3 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Dan Randolph never plays by the rules. A hell-raising maverick with no patience for fools, he is admired by his friends, feared by his enemies, and desired by the world's loveliest women. Acting as a twenty-first privateer, Randolph broke the political strangle-hold on space exploration, and became one of the world's richest men in the bargain. Now an ecological crisis threatens Earth--and the same politicians that Randolph outwitted the first time want to impose a world dictatorship to deal with it. Dan Randolph knows that the answer lies in more human freedom, not less--and in the boundless resources of space. But can he stay free long enough to give the world that chance? At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.From Publishers WeeklyTen years after breaking the Russian Federation's monopoly on space travel, 21st-century swashbuckler Dan Randolph returns in this third-rate sequel to Privateers . Now an industrialist, Randolph is suddenly arrested and his billion-dollar lunar mining corporation confiscated by the corrupt and bureaucratic Global Economic Council--which happens to be headed by his archnemesis, Vasily Malik. Randolph escapes, and learns that his misfortune is linked to an impending global environmental disaster which the G.E.C. is using as an excuse to seize control of the world's economy--starting with his company. He also learns that organized crime has infiltrated the G.E.C. and is looking forward to a handsome profit from the seizure. With enemies chasing him between Earth and the moon, Randolph works to stop these schemes and save the earth without compromising its people's freedom. In a hackneyed, predictable plot and bad B-movie dialogue, Bova combines familiar environmental doomsaying with dewy-eyed capitalist optimism. Presumably a lovable rake, the totally unsympathetic Randolph acts more like an insensitive lecher; although Bova makes many careful gestures toward gender egalitarianism in his casting, the major female characters are inevitably sexually harassed, manipulated and victimized. Bova can do better than this childishly macho, feeble and unoriginal attempt at space adventure. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalImagine that the economics of the world is determined by seven major companies, and scientists have recently discovered that the greenhouse effect is not just a theory but a "cliff" ready to overwhelm the coastal cities with a tidal wave of undreamed proportions. A global economic cartel is desperate to keep this information from the public, since it could hurt their attempts to gain control of the seven influential industrial powers. In addition, the Mafia wants a piece of the action. Enter Dan Randolph, whose job it is to keep Earth from destroying itself. Unfortunately, nearly everyone is out to keep Dan quiet. Herein lies the plot and all the action. Robert Lawrence reads this sf tale with a clear voice and a moderate amount of characterization. His fine narration brings the characters to life and keeps the frantic action flowing to the very end. For sf collections.- Miriam Kahn, Columbus, OhioCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jupiter gt-10
Part #10 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Grant Archer merely wanted to work quietly as an astronomer on the far side of the moon. But a coalition of censorious do-gooders who run 21st century America sends him to a research station in orbit around Jupiter to spy on the scientists who work there. What they don’t know is that Grant’s loyalty to science may be greater than his loyalty to the New Morality.
The Immortality Factor
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Provocative, gripping, startling: bestselling author Ben Bova delivers a knockout read with his trademark blend of cutting edge science and unrelenting suspense....Some see stem-cell research as mankind's greatest scientific breakthrough. Others see a blasphemous attempt to play God. Suddenly, the possibility of immortality exists. Two brothers, both doctors, stand on opposite sides of the controversy. To Dr. Arthur Marshak, his work is a momentous gift to humanity. To Dr. Jessie Marshak, it is a curse. Between them stands a beautiful, remarkable woman both brothers will do anything to save.Somehow, before it's too late, Arthur and Jessie Marshak must bridge the gap that divides them...on an issue that could mean nothing less than life or death for millions.At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
Gremlins, Go Home!
Ben Bova; Gordon Dickson
Suppose that elves, gremlins, and leprechauns are really tiny aliens marooned on Earth for hundreds of years. They want to go home, and human technology finally can make it possible—if they can get aboard NASA’s Mars rocket and hijack it! Pity the poor human who has to help them with the big heist...
Voyagers II - The Alien Within
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Eighteen years ago, astronaut Keith Stoner had been the American member of a joint U.S.–Soviet mission to capture an alien ship that had entered the solar system. It was the greatest adventure in the history of Earth—but disaster struck when a bomb placed on the Soviet craft forced its recall. Stoner refused to return to Earth, staying behind in the strange ship alone where he fell into suspended animation.Jo Camerata, the ambitious young student who fell in love with Stoner, is now head of Vanguard Industries. Jo’s dogged determination has forced the recovery of the alien ship, and now her company is in control of the vast new technology—and in control of Keith Stoner. What Camerata doesn’t know, however, is that when Stoner wakes, someone else awakens, too. The alien presence in Stoner’s mind that has kept him alive all these years is now free, and intends to explore the world.And it will let nothing stand in its way.
Carbide Tipped Pens
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Seventeen hard science fiction tales by today's top authorsHard science fiction is the literature of change, rigorously examining the impact—both beneficial and dangerous—of science and technology on humanity, the future, and the cosmos. As science advances, expanding our knowledge of the universe, astounding new frontiers in storytelling open up as well.In Carbide Tipped Pens, over a dozen of today's most creative imaginations explore these frontiers, carrying on the grand tradition of such legendary masters as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and John W. Campbell, while bringing hard science fiction into the 21st century by extrapolating from the latest scientific developments and discoveries. Ranging from ancient China to the outer reaches of the solar system, this outstanding collection of original stories, written by an international roster of authors, finds wonder, terror, and gripping human drama in topics as diverse as space...
Leviathans of Jupiter gt-18
Part #18 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
In Ben Bova’s novel JUPITER, physicist Grant Archer led an expedition into Jupiter’s hostile planet-wide ocean, attempting to study the unusual and massive creatures that call the planet their home. Unprepared for the hostile environment and crushing pressures, Grant’s team faced certain death as their ship malfunctioned and slowly sank to the planet’s depths. However one of Jupiter’s native creatures—a city-sized leviathan—saved the doomed ship. This creature’s act convinced Grant that the huge creatures were intelligent, but he lacked scientific proof. Now, several years later, Grant prepares a new expedition to prove once and for all that the huge creatures are intelligent. The new team faces dangers from both the hostile environment and from humans who will do anything to make sure the mission is a failure, even if it means murdering the entire crew.
The Multiple Man
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
The dynamic new President of the United States, James J. Halliday, seems determined to singlehandedly turn an embittered nation around from economic, political, and social ruin. No one could be prouder than his devoted press secretary Meric Albano. But is the President accomplishing this monumental task alone? After one of the President’s rare public appearances, a derelict is found dead nearby. A derelict who not only looks like the President, but whose blood, retinas, even fingerprints match those of the man in charge. Is the real President, the man Albano swore loyalty to, still in office? Is this part of a plot to topple American democracy? That’s what Albano has to find out—if he doesn’t, his life, as well as his country, will be destroyed…
Mercury gt-14
Part #14 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
A tale of revenge and technological endeavor set on our solar system’s most desolate stage. The closest planet to the sun, Mercury is a rocky, barren, heat-scorched world. The planet’s surface faces the sun for nearly sixty earth days at a time, and the only places that stay cool are the ice caches at Mercury’s poles.
Rescue Mode - eARC
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Gritty and scientifically accurate science fiction adventure from New York Times best-selling author Ben Bova and NASA space scientist Les Johnson. The first human mission to Mars meets with near-disaster when a meteoroid strikes the spacecraft, almost destroying it. The ship is too far from Earth to simply turn around and return home. The eight-person crew must ride their crippled ship to Mars while they desperately struggle to survive. On Earth, powerful political forces that oppose human spaceflight try to use the accident as proof that sending humans into space is too dangerous to continue. The whole human space flight program hangs in the balance. And if the astronauts can’t nurse their ship to Mars and back, the voyagers will become either the first Martian colonists—or the first humans to perish on another planet.About Mars, Inc.:"The Hugo winner returns to his most popular subject: the quest for Mars."—Publishers Weekly About the award winning novels of Ben Bova:“Technically accurate and absorbing . . .”—Kirkus “[Bova is] the science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.”—Ray Bradbury “A masterful storyteller”—Vector “Gives a good read while turning your eyes to what might be in the not so distant future, just like Clarke and Asimov used to do so well.”—SFX**
The Sam Gunn Omnibus
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
THE IRREPRESSIBLE SAM GUNN A hero without peer or scruples, Sam
Gunn has a nose for trouble, money, and women--though not necessarily in that
order. A man with the ego (and stature) of a Napoleon, the business acumen of a
P. T. Barnum, and the raging hormones of a teenage boy, Sam is the finest
astronaut NASA ever trained...and dumped. But more than money, more than
women, Sam Gunn loves justice. (And he really does love money and
women.) Whether he's suing the Pope, helping twin sisters entangled in the
"virtual sex" trade, or on trial for his life on charges of interplanetary
genocide, you can be sure of one thing: this is one space jockey who'll meet
every challenge with a smile on his lips, an ace up his sleeve...and a weapon in
his pocket. Now, for the first time between covers, Hugo-winner Ben Bova
presents all the tales of Sam Gunn to date, including three never before
collected in book form. Here is the entire chronicle of Sam Gunn, trailblazer
and scoundrel, as he scams his way from one end of the Solar System to the
other, giving bold new meaning to the term "venture capitalist."
Moonwar gt-7
Part #7 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
The sequel to “Moonrise”. Douglas Stavenger and his dedicated team of scientists are determined to defend their life’s work, but technology-hating factions on Earth want to close the flourishing space colony, Moonbase. Can a combination of military defence and political wisdom save the colony?
The Green Trap
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Microbiologist Michael Cochrane has been murdered. His brother Paul wants to find out who did it...and why. Accompanied by a beautiful industrial spy, Elena Sandoval, Paul follows the trail from California to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Along the way, a lot of people seem to be interested in getting in their way, or discovering what they know. It's clear that Michael was working with cyanobacteria, the bacteria that crack water molecules and release free oxygen. It's less clear why this would get anybody killed. Or why oil billionaire Lionel Gould wants to pay Paul and Elena big money for the details of Michael's work. Then the truth emerges: Michael had found a way to get cyanobacteria to crack hydrogen out of simple water molecules. A process that could be industrialized, producing enough hydrogen to cleanly power the world. Practically free fuel, out of one of the planet's most abundant resources: water. No wonder everyone, from Middle Eastern...
Carbide Tipped Pens: Seventeen Tales of Hard Science Fiction
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Seventeen hard science fiction tales by today’s top authors Hard science fiction is the literature of change, rigorously examining the impact—both beneficial and dangerous—of science and technology on humanity, the future, and the cosmos. As science advances, expanding our knowledge of the universe, astounding new frontiers in storytelling open up as well. In Carbide Tipped Pens, over a dozen of today’s most creative imaginations explore these frontiers, carrying on the grand tradition of such legendary masters as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and John W. Campbell, while bringing hard science fiction into the 21st century by extrapolating from the latest scientific developments and discoveries. Ranging from ancient China to the outer reaches of the solar system, this outstanding collection of original stories, written by an international roster of authors, finds wonder, terror, and gripping human drama in topics as diverse as space exploration, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, climate change, alternate history, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, interplanetary war, and even the future of baseball. From tattoos that treat allergies to hazardous missions to Mars and beyond, from the end of the world to the farthest limits of human invention, Carbide Tipped Pens turns startling new ideas into state-of-the art science fiction. Includes stories by Ben Bova, Gregory Benford, Robert Reed, Aliette de Bodard, Jack McDevitt, Howard Hendrix, Daniel H. Wilson, and many others! **
Return to Mars
Part #6 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Six years after the first manned Martian expedition, a second has been announced -- one motivated purely by its profitable potential -- and half-Navajo, half-Anglo geologist Jamie Waterman's conflicted soul is beckoning him back to the eerie, unforgiving planet. As commander of the new exploratory team, he will have to contend with a bitter and destructive rivalry, a disturbing new emotional attraction, and deadly, incomprehensible "accidents" that appear to be sabotage, all of which could doom the mission to failure. But there is much more at stake than Waterman's personal redemption and the safety of his crew. For there are still great secrets to be uncovered on this cruel and enigmatic world -- not the least being something he glimpsed in the far distance during his first Martian excursion: an improbable structure perched high in the planet's carmine cliffs; a dwelling that only an intelligent being could have built.**Amazon.com ReviewIn Ben Bova's 1992 bestselling book Mars, geologist Jamie Waterman and his crewmates discovered the existence of primitive lichen on the floor of the great Martian canyon known as the Valles Marineris. In Return to Mars, Waterman is headed back to the Red Planet, this time in charge of an expedition that hopes not only to study Martian life but also to prove that exploring Mars can be profitable. Waterman also wants to revisit a part of the canyon where he thought he spotted a primitive cliff dwelling during the first Martian mission. The second voyage to Mars runs into trouble right away, however, as Waterman clashes with Dex Trumball, the son of a billionaire who's backing the expedition. Dex wants to turn Mars into a tourist attraction, while Waterman wants to preserve the planet for scientific research. Both men are also attracted to the expedition's beautiful psychologist, Vijay Shektar, who can't seem to decide which of the two she likes best. As if that weren't enough, one of the Mars team may be trying to sabotage the mission, while back home the elder Trumball is pulling strings in order to force Waterman to step down as the expedition's leader.Like Jamie Waterman, Bova takes on a lot of responsibility in this second Mars book. He's trying to create a complex story that relies equally on science, characterization, and politics, mixed in with a healthy dose of mystery and a dash of thriller. As usual, Bova nails the science but fares less well--though by no means poorly--with his characters. He pulls off the politics with confidence, but the thriller subplot seems forced. Finally, the mysteries (there are several) all succeed reasonably well, though some are more compelling than others. The whole makes up a thoroughly enjoyable novel both about what life might be like on an expedition to Mars and what Martian life might be like. It's a better book than its predecessor, and it can be read entirely on its own thanks to Bova's carefully interwoven details about the back story that took place in Mars. --Craig E. EnglerFrom Publishers WeeklyThe sequel to Bova's popular Mars (1992) returns Navajo Jamie Waterman to the Red Planet as the mission director in tenuous command of a crew of scientists and astronauts jockeying for political power, romantic liaisons and scientific renown. And as anonymous journal entries also indicate, one of the explorers is seriously deranged. Waterman's chief rival on the mission is C. Dexter Trumball, the heir of the man who substantially funded the flight. Trumball has promised his wealthy father that the mission will make money, and he is determined to win his father's love and respect, even if it means turning Mars into a tourist attraction. For ideological reasons, Waterman is equally bent on keeping Mars free of tourists, especially his beloved "cliff dwellings"Aa nearly inaccessible structural anomaly that he believes will prove there was once intelligent life on the planet. Waterman must struggle to find the Navajo way of negotiating the crew's various desires and manias. He must also contend with the powers-that-be back on Earth to ensure that scientific concerns continue to supersede crass commercial interests. Bova makes the speculative hard science aspects of this novel vivid and appealing. His characters, however, are less enchanting, and the inclusion of a saboteur seems like overkill, since the environment he describes is more than capable of destroying anyone for simple carelessness. The novel ends with plenty of room for a sequel to pick up and continue the saga. (June) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Death Dream
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
It's the ultimate adult playground. Cyber World will use the latest technology in computer produced virtual reality to provide thrills and chills beyond any ever experienced at a theme park. Here children of all ages will live out their wildest fantasies: fly jet fighters in combat, take part in a gunfight in the OK Corral, play in the World Series, or take a walk on the moon or a trip inside the human body.From the Paperback edition.From Publishers WeeklyMayhem is afoot at Cyber World, the futuristic setting of this ambitious but not entirely satisfying thriller by SF stalwart Bova ( Voyagers ). While computer programmers Damon Santorini and Jason Lowrey are in Florida creating a virtual reality (VR) park that will simulate a walk on the moon, combat in a jet fighter and other exotic adventures, users of a VR flight simulator they developed for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are suffering inexplicable strokes. Santorini agrees to investigate, tugging the story line into several curious twists--and nearly as many false starts and blind alleys. Bova concocts a complicated melange of high government and Air Force officials, old love affairs and possible identity changes, but he fails to deal fully with several plot fragments. Although each major adult character here is sexually dysfunctional, their peccadilloes--one of which leads to a significant subplot--are rendered in the same subdued voice as the rest of the novel. Also, descriptions of the VR programs in strictly workmanlike prose prove disappointing--as does the book's incredible denouement. Though Bova's attempt to combine SF and high-tech thrills occasionally engrosses, it ultimately fails to slip into high gear. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalYA?This novel of "technology gone too far" could easily take place today. At Para-Reality, a company that hopes to get a leg up on Disney in the entertainment industry, Dan Santorini has been hired to develop the ultimate virtual-reality simulation game. He moves to Florida only to find that something is very wrong. First his daughter has some disturbing encounters in the games that the company provides for her school, and then a colleague is killed while practicing one of his VR programs. As Dan races against time to find the answers and to save his family, he is hampered at every turn by greedy investors, a desperate boss, and government investigators. A well-researched and timely book that will appeal to YAs interested in cyberspace as well as those who love a good story.?Susan McFaden, Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The Hittite
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Lukka, a Hittite warrior, returns to the Hittite capital city to find it engulfed in civil war, his father murdered, and his wife and two young sons taken away by slavers. Along with a small cadre of soldiers under his command, Lukka launches an epic search for his family, which leads him to the gates of Troy as it is beseiged by the army of Agamemnon. Bova then proceeds to an original retelling of the final stages of the legendary Trojan War. In this account, Lukka serves as a literary mirror, revealing the personalities of some well-known characters, with a few surprising results. Odysseus, predictably, is practical, crafty, and a natural survivor in treacherous waters. Achilles is a born killer, but he is shown as short and ugly, and his death is decidedly unheroic. Helen is, of course, the babe of all babes, but she is also petty and whiny.
Power Surge
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Six-time Hugo winner Ben Bova brings us Power Surge, a gripping political thriller on the cutting-edge of science and technology. Dr. Jake Ross came to Washington, D.C., to make a difference. As the science advisor to a newly-elected freshman senator, Jake has crafted a comprehensive energy plan that employs innovative new technologies to make America the world's leader in energy production while simultaneously boosting the economy and protecting the environment. The facts, and the science, are on Jake's side, but his plan soon runs afoul of entrenched special interests, well-funded lobbies, cynical bureaucrats, pork-barrel politics, and one very powerful U.S. Senator. To keep his plan alive and secure a sustainable future for America, Jake needs a crash course in the way Washington really works. Everyone keeps telling him that his plan has no hope of succeeding, but Jake is determined to prove them wrong even if it kills him... something that certain hostile parties may be all too happy to arrange.
Apes and Angels
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Six-time Hugo Award winner Ben Bova chronicles the saga of humankind's expansion beyond the solar system in Apes and Angels, the last installment in the Star Quest Trilogy. Humankind headed out to the stars not for conquest, nor exploration, nor even for curiosity. Humans went to the stars in a desperate crusade to save intelligent life wherever they found it. A wave of death is spreading through the Milky Way galaxy, an expanding sphere of lethal gamma radiation that erupted from the galaxy's core twenty-eight thousand years ago and now is approaching Earth's vicinity at the speed of light. Every world it touched was wiped clean of all life. But it's possible to protect a planet from gamma radiation. Earth is safe.Now, guided by the ancient intelligent machines called the Predecessors, men and women from Earth seek out those precious, rare worlds that harbor intelligent species, determined to save them from the doom that is hurtling toward...
THX 1138
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
A novelization of the 1971 film directed by George Lucas.
The perfectly controlled society. Its citizens are conceived in test tubes, nourished in vats, educated intravenously, watched by monitors, made docile by drugs. The Adam of this 25th century Eden is THX 1138; the Eve is his beautiful roommate LUH 3417. Having yielded to the temptation not to take her state-prescribed drugs, she lures THX into committing the same crime. How could anyone know? she argues. But the electronic monitor is all-seeing; instead of archangels with flaming swords there are police robots with cattle prods—and if there are any gates to this Eden, no one knows where…
Moonrise gt-5
Part #5 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Former astronaut Paul Stavenger is driven by his vision of colonizing space. His dream becomes a reality with the creation of a viable, flourishing, nearly self-sufficient community at Moonbase. But Paul has made an implacable enemy; one who will carry his vendetta to the frontiers of space.
Orion and the Conqueror
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
John O'Ryan is Orion--more than human, less than a god, cast away on the seas of Time to do battle among the Creators for the future of mankind.Now the eternal warrior finds himself separated from his great love, Anya, and marooned in Macedonia under the reign of Phillip--fighting alongside the young Alexander, and at the mercy of a Queen Olympias who is far more than she seems.From Publishers WeeklyThe intrigues of fourth-century-B.C. Macedonia and Greece are brought vividly to life in this sweeping historical fantasy. To avert the possibility that the strands of space-time might unravel, Orion, rebellious instrument of the Creators previously encountered in Orion in the Dying Time , is sent to the court of Philip II to ensure that his son Alexander succeeds in his territorial conquests. Orion comes to admire Philip but falls under the control of his wife (and Alexander's mother) Olympias, an embodiment of the Creator Hera. Olympias is determined to arrange the assassination of Philip so that Alexander may gain the throne before a rival heir can be born to the king's new wife. Orion fights in the battle at Chaeroneia, where Macedonia defeats Athens and Thebes, and is sent to Persia where he is forced to desert when he has an opportunity to meet with his great love Anya, a Creator fighting other battles in a different time. She urges him to obey Olympias to save the Creators' universe. Despite Orion's admiration for the Macedonian king and all his attempts to flee his doom, he is drawn into a final confrontation. Bova's adroit use of detail makes the time setting ring true; his depictions of historic personages as well as his fictional creations are psychologically sound. The sounds, the scents and the sensibility of the ancient world permeate this well-wrought adventure. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalOrion, the eternal warrior, joins forces with Alexander the Great in this latest episode from veteran Bova's series about time, space, and mythic adventure.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Mars gt-4
Part #4 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Jamie Waterman, a Native American geologist, is chosen at the last minute for the first manned exploration of the planet Mars. On touchdown, he is so overwhelmed with the emotion of the moment that he utters a Navajo phrase instead of the political statement he is supposed to read. This sets off a chain reaction among the leaders and politicians on Earth. Thus starts Bova’s sprawling space opera. The expedition, seen from Jamie’s point of view, is really the protagonist here. The story is filled with lots of characters of different nationalities and there’s plenty of political intrigue. Of course, there are obstacles to overcome: a meteor almost destroys the lab, the doctor neglects his duty and nearly kills them all, crew members come down with mysterious “Martian flu,” and through it all is the never-ending search for evidence of life on this planet. Bova has done extensive research and his descriptions of Mars and the conditions under which the study is conducted are very plausible. All in all, a satisfying story. The novel is a part of currently 17-volume series “Grand Tour” that presents the theme of exploration and colonization of the Solar System by humans. Written in 1992 “Mars”, according to the internal in-universe chronology, stands 4 th in the series and is immediately continued by “Return to Mars” published in 1999 which stands 7 th . Events depicted in “Moonrise” (1996) and “Moonwar” (1998) take place between those of “Mars” and “Return to Mars” and are loosely related to them.
Orion and the Conqueror o-4
Part #4 of "Orion" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
John O’Ryan is Orion—more than human, less than a god, cast away on the seas of time to do battle among the Creators for the future of mankind. Now the eternal warrior finds himself separated from his great love, Anya, and marooned in Macedonia under the reign of Philip—fighting alongside the young Alexander, and at the mercy of a Queen Olympias who is far more than she seems.
Orion in the Dying Time
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
A sequel to "Orion" and "Vengeance of Orion". At the end of the Cretaceous Period, Earth is in the grip of the dinosaurs. Their leader is a reptile, worshipped by the Egyptians as a powerful god for thousands of years. His mission is to destroy the Creators - Orion's masters - and rule the planet.
Vengeance of Orion o-2
Part #2 of "Orion" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Orion finds himself thrust back to the ancient world of Greece and must prevent the Greek army from destroying the citadel of Troy. If he fails, he will lose the only woman he has ever loved. But if he succeeds, the history of the world will be changed forever. The stunning sequel to Orion .
Cyberbooks
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Computer genius Carl Lewis has invented the "Cyberbook", an electronic device that instantly and inexpensively brings the written word to the masses. But not everyone warms to Carl's ideas. Add corporate spies, authors threatening to strike, and a wave of mysterious murders, and you have Ben Bova at his best.**
Orion in the Dying Time o-3
Part #3 of "Orion" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Orion the Hunter, an eternal being made by the Creators to battle their greatest enemy, and Anya, a Creator who has abandoned her power to accompany him, come closer than ever to understanding and defeating their foe.
Orion and King Arthur
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Orion has fought across time and space at the whims of his Creators, godlike beings from the future who toy with human history like spoiled children playing with dolls. Orion has been both assassin and hero, all the while striving to be reunited with Anya, the ageless goddess who is his one true love.Now Orion finds himself in Britain in the years after the Romans abandoned the island kingdom. Minor kings and warlords feud among themselves even as invading hordes threaten to sweep over the land. There Orion befriends a young warrior named Arthur, who dreams of uniting his quarreling countrymen and driving the invaders from their lands. Along with a few brave comrades, Arthur hopes to the stem the tide of barbarism and create a new era of peace and prosperity. But Orion’s Creator, Aten, has other plans for the timeline. Arthur’s noble ambitions interfere with Aten’s far-reaching schemes to reshape history to his own ends. He wants Arthur dead and forgotten—but Orion does not.Orion will battle the gods themselves to see that Arthur fulfills his destiny. But can even he save Arthur from the tragedy that awaits him?Orion and King Arthur is a thrilling new chapter in Ben Bova’s unforgettable cosmic saga. Review"Orion is rip-roaring science fiction…tightly constructed and fast moving"—Science Fiction Chronicle"One of the best SF military series around."—VOYA on Orion Among the Stars “Non-stop action and mind-bending concepts combine to make Orion absolutely unforgettable…. Bova brings it to life on a canvas spread over time and space.”—Isaac AsimovAbout the AuthorBEN BOVA is a six-time winner of the Hugo Award, a former editor of Analog, former editorial director of Omni, and past president of the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. Bova lives in Florida.
Orion Among the Stars o-5
Part #5 of "Orion" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
More than human and less that a god, John O’Ryan is Orion, made by the Creators who rule outside of time. His purpose is to do their bidding. Now, Orion has becomee a key piece in a cosmic game between two of the Creators—Anya, the goddess he loves, and Aten, the god who toys with his destiny.
The Trikon Deception
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
The Trikon Deception opens up the next frontier in technothriller excitement with a page-turning novel of intrigue and assassination in high orbit—co-written by the former commander of Skylab. 1998: Trikon is a vast steel island in the vacuum of space, the first industrial research laboratory to be built in orbit, designed as the only risk-free environment for genetic experiments too controversial—or dangerous—to be performed on Earth. Devised by a visionary scientist and industrialist, Trikon is a shared project of North America, Japan, and United Europe. In theory, the international companies that make up the Trikon consortium are supposed to be working together for the betterment of all humanity; in reality, espionage and sabotage are Trikon’s major projects. Mankind has gone to space, but he has brought all his greed and deceit, all his lust and violence, with him—and the hidden conspiracies aboard Trikon may bring the gigantic space station crashing down upon the innocent and the guilty alike. No one can write about space like someone who’s been there, and The Trikon Deception is an authentic space age thriller on the cutting edge of tomorrow.
Moonwar
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Moonwar, the sequel to Moonrise, is a fast-paced high-tech adventure that tells the story of the fledgling lunar colony—Moonbase—and how it is now in jeopardy as political forces seek to control or destroy it. This book is the continuation of the story of Douglas Stavenger, the Kennedy-esque scion of Moonbase's founding dynasty.While Moonbase has been flourishing under Stavenger's management, it's existence, and even Stavenger's life, both depend on nanotechnology which have been outlawed on Earth in response to a wave of luddite fear and violence. Soon, United Nations peacekeepers arrive on the moon to enforce the anti-nanotech laws, bringing with them intrepid news reporter Edith Elgin, who soon falls for Doug. Meanwhile, Doug's mother Joanna has chosen to return to Earth, but upon arrival she is held hostage by the secretary general of the UN who wants Doug to surrender his forces and more, to be killed.Slick politicians, beautiful television...
Saturn gt-12
Part #12 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Second in size only to Jupiter, bigger than a thousand Earths but light enough to float in water, home of cushing gravity and delicate, seemingly impossible rings, it dazzles and attracts us: Saturn. Earth groans under the rule of fundamentalist political regimes. Crisis after crisis has given authoritarians the upper hand. Freedom and opportunity exist in space, for those with the nerve and skill to run the risks. Now the governments of Earth are encouraging many of their most incorrigible dissidents to join a great ark on a one-way expedition, twice Jupiter’s distance from the Sun, to Saturn, the ringed planet that baffled Galileo and has fascinated astronomers ever since. But humans will be human, on Earth or in the heavens — so amid the idealism permeating Space Habitat Goddard are many individuals with long-term schemes, each awaiting the right moment. And hidden from them is the greatest secret of all, the real purpose of this expedition, known to only a few…
End of Exile e-3
Part #3 of "Exiles" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Born and brought up on a space ship that is slowly deteriorating, Linc discovers its secrets and the way to get the remaining occupants to their ultimate destination.
Death Wave
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
In Ben Bova's previous novel New Earth, Jordan Kell led the first human mission beyond the solar system. They discovered the ruins of an ancient alien civilization. But one alien AI survived, and it revealed to Jordan Kell that an explosion in the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy has created a wave of deadly radiation, expanding out from the core toward Earth. Unless the human race acts to save itself, all life on Earth will be wiped out. When Kell and his team return to Earth, many years after their departure, they find that their world has changed almost beyond recognition. Not only has a second wave of greenhouse flooding caused sea levels to rise, but society has been changed by the consequences of the climate shift. Few people want to face Jordan Kell's news. He must convince Earth's new rulers that the human race is in danger of extinction unless it acts to forestall the death wave coming from the galaxy's heart.Six-time Hugo Award...
Survival--A Novel
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Ben Bova continues his hard SF Star Quest series which began with Death Wave and Apes and Angels. In Surivival, a human team sent to scout a few hundred lightyears in front of the death wave encounters a civilization far in advance of our own, a civilization of machine intelligences.These sentient, intelligent machines have existed for eons, and have survived earlier "death waves," gamma ray bursts from the core of the galaxy. They are totally self-sufficient, completely certain that the death wave cannot harm them, and utterly uninterested in helping to save other civilizations, organic or machine.But now that the humans have discovered them, they refuse to allow them to leave their planet, reasoning that other humans will inevitably follow if they learn of their existence.The Star Quest Trilogy#1 Death Wave#2 Apes and Angels#3 SurvivalAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights...
Jupiter
Part #9 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Grant Archer only wanted to study astrophysics. But the forces of the "New Morality," the coalition of censorious do-gooders who run 21st-century America, have other plans for him. To his distress, Grant is torn from his young bride and sent to a research station in orbit around Jupiter, to spy on the scientists who work there. Their work may lead to the discovery of higher life forms in the Jovian system-with implications the New Morality doesn't like at all. What Grant's would-be controllers don't know is that his loyalty to science may be greater than his desire for a quiet life. But that loyalty will be tested in a mission as dangerous as any ever undertaken-a mission to the middle reaches of Jupiter's endless atmosphere, a place where hydrogen flows as a liquid, and cyclones larger than planets rage for centuries at a time. What lurks there is more than anyone has counted on...and stranger than anyone could possibly have imagined. **Amazon.com ReviewHe made planetfall on Venus and all but colonized Mars, so it's not surprising that SF don Ben Bova finally set his sights on our solar system's swirling, red-eyed sovereign.As with his previous planetary exploration books, Jupiter plants you right in the heart of the action, witness to the speculative science and political intrigue--and in this case, religious machination--that surround a fast-paced, dangerous, and technically fleshed-out mission. Our unlikely hero on this touchdown is an earnest, likeable, hard-working grad student named Grant Archer, a frustrated astrophysicist who's been shanghaied aboard Jupiter's Gold space station to fulfill a ROTC-style public-service commitment. What's worse, this devout young man has been ordered by the New Morality--the American flavor of the conservative religious order that runs Earth nowadays--to spy on some suspicious research involving alleged Jovian life forms.Bova begins his book with an A.C. Clarke quote: "The rash assertion that 'God made man in His own image' is ticking like a time bomb at the foundation of many faiths." This tells you pretty much everything you need to know about where this book's going, and who, respectively, will be wearing the white and the black hats (unfortunately, some of the characterizations don't get much deeper). That the central protagonist is both a Christian and a scientist makes for some fertile character development, but Bova's not exactly gunning for God here--he's happy just to blast away at narrow-minded ideologues and other assorted religious fanatics. (But that, of course, is about as easy as making teenagers depressed.) --Paul HughesFrom Publishers WeeklyIn continuing to explore the marvels of the solar system, Bova (Venus) tracks the metamorphosis of his protagonist, Grant Archer, from a selfish, petulant grad student into a man who does what's right despite massive pressures. Sent to study on Jupiter's orbital space station, rather than the more desirable lunar colony, astrophysicist Archer resents everyone and complains about his bad luck; he isn't even allowed to study in his field of expertise. The New Morality, the ultrareligious creationist group who controls the U.S., has given him the additional task of spying on the station's untrustworthy scientists who are suspected of looking for Jovian life. The mere existence of extraterrestrials would conflict with New Morality doctrine. Grant is a true believer, but he's also a scientist resentful of the New Morality's control over his life. When he's given a chance to aid in the Jovian research, he jumps at it, even though it means horrifying modifications to his body and repeated drownings. This easy read provides solid action and wonder with credible alien life forms and inspired technology for exploring the Jovian depths. Jupiter is a new favorite destination for sci-fi exploration, and Bova's take on the planet is unique and enticing. (Jan. 1) Forecast: Bova is one of the more popular SF writersAhe's won six HugosAand fans of Venus will delight in the continuation of the series, which gets a push in the Nov. issue of Locus, with Bova as the cover interview. Heavenly sales could ensue. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
To Save the Sun
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
ANCIENT EARTH IS DOOMED... Earth's Sun will explode, not millions of years hence but in mere lifetimes—violently enough to scour Earth clean and leave the Empire of the Hundred Worlds adrift. The Empire's scientists deem that nothing can be done. The age of heroism is past: this is the long, stagnant afternoon of the human race. Until—over massive opposition—a single young woman makes her way to the Emperor with that rarity, a new scientific insight... and a plan, flowing from its implications, to mobilize humanity's slumbering energies toward a thousand year effort of applied astrophysics. Of engineering carried out on the hearts of stars. A plan to save the Earth. To save the Sun.
The SF Hall of Fame Volume Two B
Ben Bova (Ed)
Anthology of NovellasVolume 2BThe Martian Way, by Isaac AsimovEarthman, Come Home, by James BlishRogue Moon, by Algis BudrysThe Spectre General, by Theodore CogswellThe Machine Stops, by E. M. ForsterThe Midas Plague, by Frederik PohlThe Witches of Karres, by James H. SchmitzE for Effort, by T. L. SherredIn Hiding, by Wilmar H. ShirasThe Big Front Yard, by Clifford D. SimakThe Moon Moth, by Jack Vance
Orion o-1
Part #1 of "Orion" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
The exciting beginning of Bova’s popular “Orion” saga, this is the story of John O’Ryan, a man who awakens one day to discover that he is the leader of a race of beings so far beyond humanity that they are almost gods. And, like a god he is locked in an endless struggle with an enemy whose powers are so far beyond the merely human that they seem demonic. Their eternal battle spans time itself.
Battle Station
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Battle Station is a collection of short stories by Ben Bova.
Flight of Exiles e-2
Part #2 of "Exiles" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
A group of scientists and other space travellers face life and death decisions after their spacecraft is damaged by fire.
Escape!
Bova, Ben
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
No end to Danny's sentence, watched by a sentient computer, and no way out of the escape-proof prison, there was only one thing to do... From six-time Hugo Award-winning author Ben Bova.
Privateers
Part #2 of "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
America Has Ceded The Heavens To The Tyrants -- And The Renegades. The U.S. has abandoned its quest for the stars, and an old enemy has moved in to fill the void. The potential wealth of the universe is now in malevolent hands. Rebel billionaire Dan Randolph -- possessor of the largest privately owned company in space -- intends to weaken the stranglehold the new despotic masters of the solar system have on the lucrative ore industry. But when the mineral-rich asteroid he sets in orbit around the Earth is commandeered by the enemy, and his unarmed workers are slaughtered in cold blood, the course of Randolph's life is changed forever. Now cataclysm is aimed at the exposed heart of America -- a potential catastrophe that Randolph himself inadvertently set in motion. And the maverick entrepreneur must use his skills, cunning, and vast resources to strike out at his foes hard, fast and with ruthless precision -- and wear proudly the mantle that fate thrust upon him: space pirate!At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
Mars
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Jamie Waterman is a young Navaho geologist who is picked for the ground team of the first manned expedition to Mars. He will be joining an international team of astronauts and scientists. But once the crew land on Mars, they soon discover they must battle not only the alien land on which they have invaded but earthbound bureaucrats as well. When they come face to face with a chasm ten times as deep and large as the Grand Canyon, all twenty-five astronauts must face the most shocking discovery of all...
Faint Echoes, Distant Stars_The Science and Politics of Finding Life Beyond Earth
Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Our neighboring planets may have the answer to this question. Scientists have already identified ice caps on Mars and what appear to be enormous oceans underneath the ice of Jupiter's moons. The atmosphere on Venus appeared harsh and insupportable of life, composed of a toxic atmosphere and oceans of acid -- until scientists concluded that Earth's atmosphere was eerily similar billions of years ago.
An extraterrestrial colony, in some form, may already exist, just awaiting discovery.
But the greatest impediment to such an important scientific discovery may not be technological, but political. No scientific endeavor can be launched without a budget, and matters of money are within the arena of politicians. Dr. Ben Bova explores some of the key players and the arguments waged in a debate of both scientific and cultural priorities, showing the emotions, the controversy, and the egos involved in arguably the most important scientific pursuit ever begun.
**From Publishers Weekly
In 1910 the earth whirled through the tail of Halley's comet. Eight years later, in the final months of WWI, the "Spanish flu" pandemic struck, killing tens of millions worldwide. Could biological organisms in the comet's tail have made their way to Earth, causing this great outbreak of disease, like some early Andromeda strain? After all, many scientists hold to the panspermia thesis, that comets seeded the infant Earth with water-and life. But how could any organism survive the cold, radiation-drenched vacuum of space? Bova, a popular science fiction author and National Space Society president emeritus, demonstrates in this lively survey how resilient life really is. One little organism called D. radiodurans, a regular Conan the bacterium, can survive radiation that would fry any other known life form. Interstellar bodies often contain water in the form of amorphous ice, whose fluid structure is closer to that of glass than regular ice and can allow life to exist, or even come into being, inside it. Bova gives a comprehensive overview of the changing fortunes of astrobiology, so often the victim of political and economic expediencies, and lays out our species' best options for surviving our own actions as well as objects that may come zooming at us from out of the cosmos. The author sometimes lets his enthusiasm carry him into flights of hyperbole and even misstatements. Most scientists don't believe that life on earth needs to worry about the moon losing momentum and one day breaking apart above our heads. And early forms of life did colonize Antarctica, contrary to Bova's claim; the continent wasn't in a deep freeze millions of years ago. This book will excite science buffs while being accessible to general readers hoping to one day meet our extraterrestrial relations. 16 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Bova proffers a good general history of astrobiology, or the history and structure of life in the cosmos--one of the newest fields of scientific research. He covers astronomy briefly and gives more detail about the political and technological history of NASA, showing the effects of politics and accidents on the field. He also notes what we have discovered about the history of life on this planet, what we are looking for beyond Earth and the solar system, and how we are presently going about it. With so much to cover, this is hardly an in-depth account, but it is a very good introduction for the general reader and even the specialist who wants a look at the larger picture. Bova seasons his account with entertaining and illustrative historical anecdotes, so that, as a bonus, we get an idea of what NASA has been doing since the end of the Apollo program and something about what it hopes to do in the future that many readers will live to see. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Exiled from Earth e-1
Part #1 of "Exiles" series by Ben Bova
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Science
Computer engineer Lou Christopher’s life falls apart when the World Government decrees that the project he is working on is too dangerous to continue. Thus, he and thousands of other scientists and their families are sentenced to permanent exile from Earth on a space station. But Lou and several others decide to escape—by converting the space station into a starship setting off for the interstellar journey.

















