[Colonel Worf]

Name: William Benjamin Bova
Born: 1932
A six-time winner of science fiction's Hugo award and past president of the SF Writers of America and the National Space Society.

Novels:

Orion
Orion (1984)
Vengeance of Orion (1988)
Orion in the Dying Time (1990)
Orion and the Conqueror (1994)
Orion Among the Stars (1995)

Exiles
1. Exiled from Earth (1971)
2. Flight of Exiles (1972)
3. End of Exile (1975)

Kinsman
1. Millennium (1976)
2. Kinsman (1979)

Voyagers
1. Voyagers (1981)
2. The Alien Within (1986)
3. Star Brothers (1990)

To Save the Sun (with A J Austin)
1. To Save the Sun (1992)
2. To Fear the Light (1981)
3. To Fear the Lion (1994)


Privateers
1. Empire Builders (1985)
2. Privateers (1985)


Moonrise
1. Moonrise (1996)
2. Moonwar (1997)


Asteroid Wars
1. The Precipice (2001)
2. The Rock Rats (2002)
3. The Silent War (2004)

The Weathermakers (1966)
Out of the Sun (1968)
Escape! (1970)
THX 1138 (1971)
When the Sky Burned (1973)
The Winds of Altair (1973)
Gremlins, Go Home! (1974) (with Gordon R Dickson)
The Weather Changes Man (1974)
The Starcrossed (1975)
City of Darkness (1976)
The Multiple Man (1976)
Viewpoint (1977)
Colony (1978)
Test of Fire (1982)
Prometheans (1986)
Star Peace: Assured Survival (1986)
Battle Station (1987)
The Kinsman Saga (1987)
Moon Base (1987)
Peacekeepers (1988)
Cyberbooks (1989)
Future Crime (1990)
Mars (1992)
Sam Gunn, Unlimited (1992)
The Trikon Deception (1992)
Triumph (1993)
Death Dream (1994)
The Watchmen (1994)
Brothers (1995)
Sam Gunn Forever (1998)
Return to Mars (1999)
Jupiter (2000)
Venus (2000)
Saturn (2003)


Collections:

Forward in Time (1972)
Aliens: 3 Novellas (1978)
Maxwell's Demons (1978)
The Exiles Trilogy (1982)
The Astral Mirror (1985)
Challenges (1991)
The Future Quartet: Earth in the Year 2042 (1994) (with Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle and Charles Sheffield)
Twice Seven (1998)
Hour of the Gremlins (omnibus) (2002) (with Gordon R Dickson)
Tales of the Grand Tour (2003)


Non fiction:

Milky Way Galaxy
Uses of Space (1965)
In Quest of Quasars (1971)
The New Astronomies (1973)
The Fourth State of Matter: Plasma dynamics and tomorrow's technology (1974)
Analog Science Fact Reader (1974)
Notes to a Science Fiction Writer (1975)
The High Road (1981)
Vision of the Future: The art of Robert McCall (1982)
Assured Survival: Putting the Star Wars Defense in Perspective (1984)
The Beauty of Light (1988)
Interactions: A Journey Through the Mind of a Particle Physicist and the Matter of This World (1988) (with Sheldon Glashow)
First Contact: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (1990) (with Byron Preiss)
Immortality: How Science is Extending Your Life Span and Changing the World (1990)
Are We Alone in the Cosmos? The Search for Alien Contact (1992)
The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells (1994)
Aliens and Alien Societies: A writer's guide to creating extraterrestial life-forms (1996) (with Stanley Schmidt)
World Building (1996) (with Stephen Gillett)
Time Travel: A Writer's Guide to the Science of Interplanetary and Interstellar Travel (1997) (with Anthony R Lewis)
Space Travel (1997) (with Anthony R Lewis)
The Story of Light (2001)
The Living Universe: The Science and Politics of Finding Life Beyond Earth (2002)

Short stories

Answer, Please Answer (1962)
The Next Logical Step (1962)
The Perfect Warrior (1963) (with Myron R Lewis)
aka The Dueling Machine
Men of Good Will (1964) (with Myron R Lewis)
Test in Orbit (1965)
Stars, Won't You Hide Me? (1966)
The Weathermakers (1966)
Fifteen Miles (1967)
The System (1968)
Blood of Tyrants (1970)
Brillo (1970) (with Harlan Ellison)
A Slight Miscalculation (1971)
Zero Gee (1972)
Vince's Dragon (1981)
Love Calls (1982)
A Small Kindness (1983)
Born Again (1984)
Beisbol (1985)
Brothers (1987)
To Touch a Star (1987)
Crisis of the Month (1988)
The Man Who Hated Gravity (1989)
Fitting Suits (1990)
World War 4.5 (1990)
Bushido (1992)
Sepulcher (1992)
Conspiracy Theory (1993)
Interdepartmental Memorandum (1993)
The Mask of the Rad Death (1993)
Re-Entry Shock (1993)
Thy Kingdom Come (1993)
Inspiration (1994)
Delta Vee (1995)
In Trust (1995)
Life as We Know It (1995)
Appointment in Sinai (1996)
The Great Moon Hoax or A Princess of Mars (1996)
Legendary Heroes (1996)
Risk Assessment (1996)
The Babe, the Iron Horse, and Mr McGillicuddy (1997) (with Rick Wilber)
The Cafe Coup (1997)
Lower the River (1997)
Remember Caesar (1998)
Mount Olympus (1999)
________________________________________________

I've read Mars, Return to Mars, the first two Exiles novels, The Watchmen, Orion, and As on A Darkling Plain. I've also read a couple of short stories. I've read three of his Kinsman short stories, which actually appear in Kinsman, which is one of the novels that I am reading right now. I own Colony and I haven't read The Duelling Machine or End of Exiles yet, either.

Orion was the first science fiction book that I ever read. From then on, it was history. I am now totally hooked in the world of speculative fiction.

Mars and Return to Mars are two great character driven stories. Jamie Waterman is an excellently written character and I am still waiting for the third book in the series (as promised).

Overall, I think Bova is an excellent writer. You're always in for a treat when you read his books (at least so far for me.) He has been accused of being pretty sexist in the past, and I do see some of it... but It hasn't bothered me lately.

Oh well.. I'll quit rambling. Thoughts?

[Grasshopper]

I started reading some of Bova's newer stuff a few years ago, starting with the Mars books followed by Moon and then the other planets. I find his ideas pretty cool although not unique.
One thing that bugs me about Bova (and any other author that does this) is that he kind of creates a sitcom atmosphere in some areas. By that I mean two or more characters have a difference of stance, whether accidental, purposeful, or whatever, and it's something that a small helping of common sense could cure, therefore shouldn't be a part of the plot, IMO. The disparity continues to grow until it's so comical, it's stupid. I know this goes against the building of drama in a story, but it seems he's a bit more shallow in some (not all) of his character/plot building. I think the reason I see it this way is that he builds characters that are flawed, not literary-wise but as humans are flawed. The violent/sex/drug dependent habits that humans have, he writes about them, and his characters cannot overcome them. To me, that sort of gets in the way sometimes.
Other than that, I usually buy his stuff and read it. I like planetary scifi. I've not had a chance to get into some of his older stuff.

[Gooch]

I've read the Moonrise books, the first Mars book, and just recently Saturn.

I usually enjoy reading Bova's books, and have lately been trying to make a point of reading more.

Bova always seems to write as more a sociology experiment rather than a hard scifi slant. Meaning he concentrates more on the character development and interaction rather than the science side of things, but, I also thing that's what makes his books a little more enjoyable.

He's never necessarily 'wowed' me, but I've always enjoyed his stories.

Matter of fact, 'Jupiter' is on deck on the to read pile!

[Archren]

I read "Mars", and loved it. Then I tried to read "Moonrise", and couldn't finish it. I have "Orion", and based on Worf's comments, I think I'll throw it on the to-read pile. Any other recommendation on good Bova to read? I also own "Jupiter", is it worth it?

[Zsinj]

For Christmas I recieved the first Orion novel by Ben Bova. It looks like a fun sword-and-sorcery style sci-fi adventure. I'm really looking forward to reading it, and the whole Orion series for that matter, plus Bova's other works of course.

[AlGore]

Kinsman is my favorite. Venus was also very good!

[Colonel Worf]

I finished Kinsman and am about 2/3rds through Millenium.

[Tomsk]

I have read a few Ben Bova books, they were ok, but I doubt I would read them again.

I read Venus first, which I thought was quite good, then Jupiter, and it was OK, then Saturn, and I started to notice a recurring theme. Saturn was pretty boring, and it has put me off him. I might try Mars, as that is apparently his best, but I'm not sure.

**SPOILERS**


















I think it is crap how he just has life on all the planets.... ok, so were off to a new planet, which in no way can support life... oh look, LIFE!!! What a surprise! Saturn didn't even have good life, and most of the book was taken up with them travelling there, which is fair enough as it would take ages, but still, something more could have happened than nothing of any interest...

[Ken Korczak]

It's interesting how Bova puts life on our local planets - -when in fact, he does not believe there is any other life anywhere else in the universe. He truly thinks we are alone -- he said so in a recent article in Analog magazine, I think it was.

Still, I love most of Bova's books -- although he writes the occasional cluncker.

I once had a chance to meet Bova and sit down and talk with him for about two hours -- I've written about it elsewhere somewhere on this site before, but I can share some more if any one wants to hear about it.

He's an interesting guy, and a great writer, and a genuine SF legend.

[AlGore]

I once had a chance to meet Bova and sit down and talk with him for about two hours -- I've written about it elsewhere somewhere on this site before, but I can share some more if any one wants to hear about it.
Yes, please do!!!