The Aftermath by Ben Bova
reviewed by Michael M Jones
In the depths of the Asteroid Belt, many years from now, the aftermath of a short but brutal war for the resources of the asteroids
leaves a number of lingering repercussions. One family is torn apart by an unprovoked attack, while an entire space habitat is
destroyed, its inhabitants slaughtered. The perpetrator, soon afterwards, undergoes traumatic changes and sets out on a new
path, one of attempted redemption.
The Silent War by Ben Bova
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Far from Earth, in the depths of the Asteroid Belt, a silent war rages, and to the winner will go the untold riches and
resources to be found by mining the asteroids. Two major factions have emerged: Humphries Space Systems and Astro
Corporation. Bitter rivals and opponents for years, their feud has carried on even after the tragic death of Astro
founder and former industrialist-adventurer, Dan Randolph.
Tales of the Grand Tour by Ben Bova
reviewed by Michael M Jones
This is a collection of excerpts from the "Grand Tour" series of novels, which have slowly but surely filled in the
not-so-distant future of mankind, and short stories relating to the grand overview,
featuring a number of familiar characters and offering the occasional insight into events detailed elsewhere.
Bit by bit, these books have created a farflung tapestry, filled with recurring and overlapping characters,
sharp plots, and edge-of-the-seat suspense.
Venus by Ben Bova
reviewed by Donna McMahon
When billionaire Martin Humphries offers a prize of ten billion dollars to the first person to reach the surface
of Venus and retrieve the body of his son Alex, he gets an unexpected taker. Alex's younger brother, Van, always
worshipped his heroic big brother -- and anyway he needs the money. Dad just cut off his allowance.
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Return to Mars by Ben Bova
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
Sequel to Mars, this novel stands very well on its own. Jamie
Waterman returns to the Red Planet as the head of the 2nd expedition, which
has been financed by a wealthy industrialist. The mission mandate is to make
Mars profitable, and if the members of the expedition try to do anyting
outside that mandate, they risk having all funding cut for any future
missions. One can't help but cross one's fingers while reading this book --
because in this future, the thrill of scientific discovery takes a back seat
to the bottom line.
Colony by Ben Bova
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
Colony reads a little like the old film Destination: Moon
plays to a modern audience. Fun, but it didn't happen that way. This is a
perfect example of how to write a good, solid, entertaining novel of ideas with
strong political ties to the world we know.
Immortality by Dr. Ben Bova
reviewed by Todd Jackson
Written by one of the grand names of both science fiction and science writing, Immortality speculates that
various biomedical advances could achieve human immortality within fifty years -- meaning some people alive
today would be immortal. Happily, you wouldn't have to be born "fixed" to benefit; human immortality, once
possible, would be retroactive.
Moonrise by Ben Bova
reviewed by Steven H Silver
In Steven's opinion, this novel is a retelling of technophobic themes dating
back to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. But while Shelly considered the
sciences of anatomy and biology to be societal demons in her day, Bova's
monster takes the form of nanotechnology.
Moonwar by Ben Bova
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
The author keeps the action going in grand space opera style, relying often on stock characters, indulging
only occasionally in the truly cornball to tie up loose ends. The technology is intriguing, the settings
exotic, and the story involving -- promising endless material for the proposed saga.
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