Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Science fiction; Dueling; Overpopulation; Juvenile Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / General; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

duel against boredom
This is a great futuristic science fiction for young adolescents. Imagination and adventure existed long before The Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter.Enjoy the Dueling Machine and avoid the commercialized exploitation.

The Dueling Machine (Alas, does not only facilitate duels)
This novel feels like two separate stories connected by the presence of the dueling machine.The story when the dueling machine is a dueling machine and the story when the Bova decides that the dueling machine is also teleporter and a therapy device and only occasionally used for duels.The first part of the novel deserves five stars while the second (after the machine's use transformation) flounders around at the level of dismal cliché.

(When the Dueling machine is a Dueling machine)
This part is simply amazing.It conjures images of Asimov's Foundation series with some forward plot movement.Dueling machines invented by Dr Leoh (one of the main characters) have helped to bring stability to the galaxy since when people get very angry at each other they simply hop into the box and fight in imaginary worlds they have created in their minds: on planetoids with pebbles, on horses with pikes, in deserts with clubs, on glaciers with oxygen bombs, and in a lab that explores the basic rules of physics with physics.This does present the greatest confusion of the story, how in the world can a mind create worlds as complicated as these?Does the machine add stability to an imaginary world?But, Ben Bova raises interesting questions about the effect such a machine would have on society and politics.The plot is simple, a purely evil Kerak Dictator has his assistant infuriate people so that they initiate duels and then somehow (contradictory to the supposed nature of the machine) actually kills them in the imaginary world so that he can gain political advantage and take over neighboring systems.The novel should have ended here.Except....

(When the Dueling machine fills in whatever science fiction gimmick he can imagine)
Ben Bova decides that 69 pages is not long enough for a novel and embarks on a great mindless adventure using the dregs of Sci-Fi's rehashed ideas.Dueling in cool worlds with unusual weapons is not enough, the machine also has to be a teleporter (since Kerak is initially defeated he has to have another nefarious scheme up his sleeve) etc.The influence of the machine on society is not longer important but rather all the problems that science fiction plots routinely have to deal with (extreme distances between planets, telepathy, etc) are all solved with the dueling machine.The ending is anti-climatic, although Bova does throw in some wacky-sentence structure mind melding, for kick.

Overall, this is a fun read.While some parts are laughable, others are positively mind tickling and genuinely entertaining.

Not Free SF Readersf, c, not free sf reader
Cheaters hopefully never prosper.


A machine has been invented that allows complete virtual reality conflicts to take place, private duels betwen citizens. It is not supposed to leave any lasting harm after the duel is complete. Some top duellists get paid to do jobs for others. After one of them keeps winning and bad things happen to his opponents, law enforcement smells a rat.

The boss guy chooses a naive young man to try and help him out, because of his particular mental qualities, and a rather less naive woman to assist.

When surrounded by giants..
Bova comes from out of the past at us like a bright light on a fast moving train. He worked around, beside, with and knew Asimov, RAH, Campbell, and [fill-in-your favorite author here]... Giants all of them, and Bova a work-a-day damn fine writer.

In a crowd like THAT even the best and brightest can be unappreciated. THE DUELING MACHINEwas one of the early book I cut my S-F teeth on that WASN'T one of the names above and it has stayed with me to this very day. Why? because the people in it, yes I said PEOPLE, had faces and hearts and troubles beyond the framistat finagling in in the raygun fight.. Like RAH you got a sense that these were people you'd like to know and even the bad guys were interesting.
Glad to see it back in print even if briefly. Like somebody once said 'when surrounded by giants it pays to be a little quiet.. and carry a razor sharp ax.'. ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Product Description
Ben Bova, best-selling and award-winning author of the “Grand Tour” and “Asteroid Wars” series, takes a sardonic look at the humorous possibilities of future technology.

            The Starcrossed: Bill Oxnard, a young technological genius, had perfected true three-dimensional television, making ordinary TV obsolete. He thought he would be rich and famous—but he hadn’t realized how deranged the executives running the industry were; nor what sort of programs they were planning to broadcast using the new process in the maniacal quest for ratings.

            Cyberbooks: Carl Lewis has a dream—to make books accessible and affordable to every person in the country, and thinks his “cyberbook,” about as large and as cheap as a pocket calculator, will make it possible for anyone to download books directly and cheaply. But he has no idea what he’s about to get into, nor does his contact at Bunker Books, lovely but naïve aspiring editor Lori Tashkajian. Will they survive this foray into the cut-throat world of big publishing? And just who is suddenly murdering all those nice elderly people on the streets of New York, anyway?

            These two full-length novels of twistedly comic, but very possible futures, plus six shorter but equally witty works, add up to a generous volume of futuristic fun and hilarious high-tech.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Of Course,It's Ben Bova
Of course it's a fun book to read. Why wouldn't it be? I have enjoyed every Ben Bova book I've read since Mars. I think that was the first I learned of Mr. Bova. I was amazed to see how long he had been writing. I missed many years of Bova books. Maybe one day I'll catch up.By the way....Jupiter is my very favorite.D.

Serving Very Dry Humor
Laugh Lines (2008) is an SF and fantasy collection containing two short novels, six short stories and an introduction by the author.All these stories are supposed to be humorous, but the wit is very dry throughout the book.These works are mostly satirical and often outright farcical.Both novels are based on personal and painful experience.

The Starcrossed (1975) is a novel about the creation and production of a Hollywood 3-D Sci-Fi series.The technology is an improvement on prior efforts by the same inventor, but with royalties.Nonetheless, the shows are terrible according to both the critics and SF fandom.Naturally, Murphy's Law and human perversity dominate the whole process despite efforts by the creator, the producer, the director, and the technical advisor to make it a true masterpiece.

Cyberbooks (1989) is a novel about the invention of the first electronic book and the efforts to produce and destroy the product.Again, Murphy's Law and human perversity are very evident.

"Crisis of the Month" (1988) is about the Crisis Command Center, a secret organization that provides media around the world with a single point of focus in their sensational reporting.The CCC has run out of crises to feed the ever hungry media and is desperately trying to find another.

"The Great Moon Hoax" (1996) explains the reasons for the American effort to reach the Moon in the 1960s.The Martians had something to do with it.

"The Supersonic Zeppelin" (1974) relates the rise of a supersonic lighter-than-air project and the political consequences.The idea itself dates back to the 1920s, but it had one major flaw.In this story, that flaw is corrected, but human nature raises many political issues.

"Vince's Dragon" (1981) is a fantasy story about a female dragon and a minor mobster.Vince meets Sizzle when he sets out to burn down a warehouse.He often talks to the dragon, but seldom listens.

"The Angel's Gift" (1983) tells of a deal with an angel made by a crooked politician to keep himself out of Hell.After all, deals with the Devil are rather commonplace, so why not a deal with God?The results are highly sensational.

"A Slight Miscalculation" (1981) concerns the prediction of earthquakes. This tale has haunted me for decades.I could describe the plot -- and often used it as a morality tale-- but could not remember the name of the author.Now I once again know that Ben Bova wrote it and now you know that it is more than a read and forget story.

As stated above, these tales display a very dry wit.The two novels definitely derive from incidents that lead one to either laugh or cry.The author chose to laugh, inflating these events into ridiculous situations and adding a touch of future technology.A moral of these stories is that technology probably will change, but human nature almost certainly will not.

Recommended for Bova fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of dry humor, human folly, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Product Description
The Science Fiction Writers of America's Nebula Award--now celebrating its silver anniversary--is presented each year. Collected here are the ten best Nebula Award-winning works. Each author has contributed a new essay about his or her book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
A collection that is taken from the list of Nebula winners between 1965 and 1985.As such, chosen by an experienced editor like Bova, you would expect it to be an excellent selection.It is, averaging the magic 4.0 per story exactly.

Best of the Nebulas : The Doors of His Face the Lamps of His Mouth - Roger Zelazny
Best of the Nebulas : Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman - Harlan Ellison
Best of the Nebulas : He Who Shapes - Roger Zelazny
Best of the Nebulas : Aye and Gomorrah - Samuel R. Delany
Best of the Nebulas : Passengers - Robert Silverberg
Best of the Nebulas : Behold the Man [SS] - Michael Moorcock
Best of the Nebulas : When It Changed - Joanna Russ
Best of the Nebulas : Gonna Roll the Bones - Fritz Leiber
Best of the Nebulas : Dragonrider - Anne McCaffrey
Best of the Nebulas : Love Is the Plan the Plan Is Death - James Tiptree Jr.
Best of the Nebulas : Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones - Samuel R. Delany
Best of the Nebulas : A Boy and His Dog - Harlan Ellison
Best of the Nebulas : The Day Before the Revolution - Ursula K. Le Guin
Best of the Nebulas : Slow Sculpture - Theodore Sturgeon
Best of the Nebulas : Houston Houston Do You Read? - James Tiptree, Jr.
Best of the Nebulas : Catch That Zeppelin! - Fritz Leiber
Best of the Nebulas : Of Mist and Grass and Sand - Vonda N. McIntyre
Best of the Nebulas : The Persistence of Vision [SS] - John Varley
Best of the Nebulas : Grotto of the Dancing Deer - Clifford D. Simak
Best of the Nebulas : Sandkings - George R. R. Martin
Best of the Nebulas : Jeffty Is Five - Harlan Ellison


Big fish, or cut bait bloke.

3.5 out of 5


Joker fan not keen on digital watches, but does quite like a jelly bean.

3.5 out of 5


Psychiatric seeing rather stoopid.

3.5 out of 5


Gender altered space workers provide exotic rough trade on shore leave.

3 out of 5


Mind ridden physical reservations.

4 out of 5


Jaysus, it's time for.

4 out of 5


Separation anxiety.

3.5 out of 5


Dicing with Death.

4.5 out of 5


Time for some serious dragon recruiting.

5 out of 5


I'm for dinner, mum.

4 out of 5


Singing shiny password.

4 out of 5


Never you mind my mind, people are tasty.

4 out of 5


Political extroversion is tiring.

4 out of 5


Charged cancer cure.

4 out of 5


Solar flare spaceship time lost in space, plague earth now has paucity of separatist clone chick population.

4.5 out of 5


Airship transport changes.

3 out of 5


Double serpent treatment.

4.5 out of 5


Communication fuller but lots weirder with fewer senses.

4.5 out of 5


Only fair to have an immortal Cro-Magnon given the odd immortal neanderthal.

4 out of 5


Parents eventual terminal lack of patience with kid with the brilliant new old stuff.

5 out of 5



... Read more

Product Description
This book is designed to give science fiction writers the solid grounding they need in real science to make their fictions read like fact. World Building is a blueprint in words, calculations, tables and diagrams to help writers transport readers from one world to another.Amazon.com Review
Another in Ben Bova's series on Science Fiction Writing, heregeologist and SF scribe Stephen Gillett helps you construct starsystems and planets from the atoms up. While it may take you a littlemore than the proverbial seven days (well, six with rest), whenyou're done, your knowledge of gravity, weather patterns, cosmic massand stellar patterns--in this universe--will be greatly enhanced. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

A practical resource for writers.
I used to repeatedly check this book out of my local library until I found it far too useful to not buy my own copy. Unlike so many too-general books on writing science fiction on the market, this one actually includes specific information.It is full of practical and relatively precise mathematical formulas to fit any creations within plausible limitations, and makes a point of the lesser known ramifications of what even the slightest tweaks in astronomical details can bring about.Additionally, the author has generated several examples that extend the chemical details into a planetary "big picture."

Miss leading title
The author of this book is very well versed in the subject of plantary geology, but the title is somewhat miss leading. I bought this issue because I wanted to create beleviable worlds in my own stories, but I did'nt want to be bogged down in detail.
This book is perfect for theortical science and plantary geologists, but to have so much detail in a work of fiction can seem overwhelming.
The scientific information was there in large sums, but the author does not instruct in this "how to" book on including the info he provided into your own stories.

This book is really good, but I think the author skipped the "how to" and just went for the facts.

A Little Dissappointed
I was a little dissappointed with this book.The author never really got down into the guts of the worldbuilding topic.It teaches the logistics of star systems and orbits and stuff, but it doesn't talk about what happens down on a specific world.

The bottom line: the book would've been better if you had focused more on what happens on the planet rather than in the solar system.

Great for English Majors
Awesome book for figuring out all the science stuff I never learned or didn't pay attention to in school.

I am an English major who likes to read and write science fiction. But, before reading this book, I really did not know how to go about creating other worlds or making things feel more authentic.

I don't go as far as the author (and other hard science fiction fans) about the absolute need for such attention to details because I feel that my audience is broader and won't care (or know) about whether a planet is too big or too small. But, the information is useful and helped me come up with some more ideas for planets and solar systems for my characters to explore.

The writing is concise, yet detailed and simple enough for me to understand. The author gives lots of formulas and tips and the information is organized well. Now that I've read it straight through, I will be able to use it as a reference source fairly easily.

The only thing I want is a CD or website where I can download the spreadsheets that the author talks about using.

Think Astronomy!
Polishing up my own work, I recently considered purchasing this book. I checked it out at my local library, who had it in stock! (Helpful tip: check out possible purchases at the library, or request your library district buy what you're looking for!)
While the information between the pages was very interesting and useful to possibly a space sci-fi writer, it wasn't what I was looking for. If you purchase this book looking for the world of a character, you'll be disappointed.If you purchase this book looking for how different geological elements and gases, orbits and the like work together, you'll be rewarded with a great peice of reference. I, for one, will not buy and stick to astronomy books from college. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well, not really...
The collection is entitled "The Best of Analog" but what it realy is "the Best of Analog from the Early 70's".The real "Best of Analog" would be fairly 50's and 60's heavy. Still some treasures, of course!

The binding is bad on this version, too, the book is falling apart as I read it.

An Anthology of the Finest Kind
I had thought I was fairly jaded when it comes to SF reading. I had thought that in the anthos of Groff Conklin, Anthony Boucher, Leo Margulies, and the annual "Bests", and in single author collections of writers like Sturgeon, Asimov, Clarke, Connie Willis, I have read all the good SF short stories particularly of the last century. It was a pleasant surprise to be proven wrong through this anthology.

Here is brief look at just two of the stories in the book:

1. "How I Lost the Second World War and Helped Turn Back the German Invasion", by Gene Wolfe: In my opinion this is the best Gene Wolfe story that I have read (I can hear the howls of protest from several Gene Wolfe fans, each of whom would have a different favorite story in mind). The story involves Hitler and Churchill - not to mention a man named Dwight - and car racing and electron flow. There is no way I can describe the story more. You will have to read it to find out how they all fit together.

2. "Unlimited Warfare", by Hayford Peirce: Britain plans to wage war on France - a war that would not be called a war, a war where no shot would be fired. So the British general looks around trying to find one thing the destruction of which would undermine the very soul of France. He pinpoints one such item and it is wine. So the French wine crop is sabotaged beyond redemption. Now France has to retaliate. The French general ponders upon what could be considered as the soul of the British. And he comes up with an answer - and I will not tell you that answer. No spoilers here. Once again, go and read the story. It is a delight.

Just these two stories are worth more than the price of the book. The rest of the stories are then an added bonus.

Get this book.

[...] ... Read more

Product Description
When genetic research yields the hope of immortality, two brothers, both doctors, find themselves on opposite sides of the controversy, and they must bridge the gap that divides them on an issue that could mean nothing less than life or death for millions. Reprint. K. LJ. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Not Free SF Reader
Fraternal regen triangle.


One brother is your average decent bloke.The other brother is seen as a corporate biotech hustler, who may have come up with a process for organ regeneration.However, it is not all that well tested, and this gun jumping process may have caused a death.

The two brothers end up being involved with the one wife, and also on opposite sides in a courtroom drama.

2 sibling rivals in search of a good story
Ben Bova usually writes workmanlike science fiction novels that are stronger in the exploration of scientific ideas than in characterization.In Brothers, Bova tries to work on characterization and fails miserably.

The story is about two brothers, Arthur and Jesse Marshak, who are opposing each other in a science trial.Arthur has been developing the technology to re-grow organs, a technology that may have led to the death of one his employees.Against this backdrop, the sibling rivalry of the brothers is played out.The story of the problems with the technology isn't bad but the characters just are too unbelievable.

Arthur Marshak is the older brother and a good and decent man.His brother Jesse is portrayed as selfish and self-centred early on but becomes more likable as the story progresses.Jesse is either a jerk or he isn't and Bova doesn't give him enough complexity to balance it.Nor does he undergo a conversion of great significance during the story.Jesse's characterization is bad but his wife Julia's is abysmal.Julia is portrayed as the most sympathetic and compassionate individual in the story.Yet this woman quite literally goes from Arthur's bed to Jesse's.In real life actions like this break up families and are not done by caring, compassionate individuals.Subordinate characters fare no better.The key politician is stereotypically just out for votes.The fundamentalist Christian preacher is unprincipled and perhaps even a crook. It strikes me that writers can only get away with these types of attacks on Protestants and the stereotypes are highly discriminatory.

Will the science trial turn out favourably?Will the two brothers be reconciled?The conclusion doesn't make a lot of sense.Bova can do better.

Easy to Read, Easy to Forget
I was 2/3rd's of the way through this book and realized that nothing was going on.Two very self absorbed brothers make amends while each maintaining their own opposing views.I guess I was disappointed to saythe least.The ending was very anticlimactic.

Hey, it's not that bad!
When I first examined "Brothers" I was a bit dismayed to find its construction utilizing the "different chapter, different viewpoint" technique, the very same style which had forcedme to readMonsarrat's "Kapillan Of Malta", in two unsatisfyingoperations... all the odds, and then all the evens.
But Ben Bova hasdone a rather better job withwhat is, in fact, a very difficulttechnique. His chapters are short, so that the reader does not lose thethread of the narrative, and the register and voice of each viewpoint'sdialogue is authentically maintained. Even the many flashback orflash-forward sequences are well signalled and slip seamlessly into thestructure. Perhaps those of my reviewing colleagues at Amazon, who sopanned this work, should try their hand at this genre....Folks, it isharder than it looks, and Bova has done it well!

Working in pharmacy,and also serving, from time to time, on a panel which examines potentialnames for newly patented prototype medications, I was naturally interestedin the medical research background to this story...and could well imaginethe authenticity of the underlying conflicts as the factions representingmedical and social ethics, academic lobbying,political aspirations,avarice versusselflessness, and humanitarianism versuspersonal ambitionfought it out against a University laboratory background...test tubes atten paces!

The theme of genetic modification , in this case theviability of empoweringthe human body to grow its own replacementparts,thus requiring no donor organs and no surgery, is probably evenmore keenly debated now than when this book was written five yearsago...and the points this book makes, or leaves for us to ponder, are stillthe subject of much media exploration, and a lot of bandwagonning andbandstanding! .....

The brothers of the story, Arthur, the protectiveelder, and Jesse , the indulged younger, represent the conflict of research for financial gain versus research to aid the poor andneedy...though, as in real life, the two philosophies waver, weaken attimes, even change direction, thewhole issue complicated by the fact thatboth men have been engaged to the same woman, but only one has marriedher!

Add to this a few potboiler subplots.......a mother dying ofcancer, too late for the research to help her, a suicidal, cancer-pronegenetic researcher in love with the lab's experimental , near-human chimp,an ultrasound that predicts a spina-bifida child (who COULD be helped), anevangelizing clergymen, ambitious politicians, patent-poaching foreignfirms, agressive journalists, and the inevitable animal-rightsliberationists , and you have something for everyone here!

And with theNew York background so vividly described, and the details of eachcharacter's appearance,wardrobe and restaurant selections made soavailable to us, one need almost not wait for the movie to be made....except that one has the sneaking suspicion that Bova intended this novel tobe televised.......pity Sean Conneryand Robert Redford are getting a bitlong in the tooth.....suppose we'll just have to settle for John Travoltaand Hugh Grant...and fake New York accents!

READ "BROTHERS"BY BEN BOVA...IT ISN'T AS BAD AS EVERYONE SAYS!
DARE I ADMIT I ENJOYEDIT?

Terrific Concept, Horrible Book
I think the concept of moral issues in relation to science and tissue regeneration is very interesting and deserves an actual debate, an in-depth presentation of both sides of the issue."Brothers" does notprovide this.The numerous results of a technique to re-generate organsand nerves are barely touched upon.Only the two most popularly discussedaspects (animal research and elitism)are actually discussed, while thingslike the question of whether, from a humanist rather than religiousperspective, immortality is a good thing, are barely mentioned.The purescience aspects are simplified to a level where even I, a grade twelvestudent, feel like I've suddenly regressed to Kindergarten. That said, thestory itself is no better. Both Arthur and Jessie's characters are shallow,while the others are so flat as to be almost not worth mentioning. Ben Bovadelves no deeper into his characters than the actions they are forced to bythe bare requirements of the plot. He puts his characters into simple,easily defined moral boxes, and they behave accordingly: withoutpersonality.On all counts, philosophy, science, and character, thisbook's a failure. ... Read more

Product Description
Sam Gunn--visionary, scoundrel, lover, liar, and the twenty-first century's biggest capitalist pig--vows to go where no one has gone before and bring back a profit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very engrossing
I didn't think I would like this one, which is odd - I enjoy sci-fi/fantasy, but nothing about this book screamed "read me!" I only did because it was on my 'recommended list' - which I am determined to get through! Anyway, while it didn't seem that interesting from the outside, once I started I did not want to put it down. He sets a great pace in this book, with the main character (and you, along side her) hunting for information. It's a style that very much draws you into the book and drags you along, and I loved it. You have to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy the plot, but I found the style very engaging.

Cover review
from the back cover of the October 1993 Bantam paperback edition
Cover art by Stephen Youll
Sam Gunn is the twenty-first cintury's greatest entrepreneur and its most hated public figure.Visionary, scoundrel, lover, liar, he is small in stature but larger than life, and his story is that of space exploration itself.He will make and lose fortunes from Earth to the Asteroid Belt, one step ahead of his creditors, one step behind his grand dreams.Through all his varied careers, Sam's goal will always be the same:to go where no one had ever gone before...and come back with a profit.Here is the rollicking tale of his amazing life, an adventure told by the men and women who loved or hated him but could never forget him as he carved out man's destiny amongst the stars.

HIGH FIVE FOR THIS ONE
Ben Bova never disappoints.He's at the top of his form in this thoroughly entertaining collection of short stories featuring Sam Gunn - a man sans scruples, a wannabe Lothario who is usually on the make.He's vertically challenged, and a defender of justice.

These five chapters from Gunn's life are artfully rendered, taking us on hair-raising adventures as this jack-of-all-trades perseveres in his pursuit of money, power and women. He's not averse to suing the Pope or defeated when brought to trial for interplanetary genocide.

One of the best Sci-fi books around--two thumbs up.
I read this a long time ago, but since I am a voracious reader, I have prolonged coming back to this classic so that I can fully enjoy it again. If you can find it(try resale stores)I recommend you buy it(and no, I did not receive any kickbacks for writing this revue).Enjoy the book!

Worth it if you can get it.
One of his better books, nice twisting plot, and a long book! If you like any of his other books you'll love this one. And best of all it can be read, over, and over, and over and over.....you get the idea. ... Read more

Product Description
Five extraordinary stories by one of Science Fiction’s most revered writers.THE TOWERS OF TITAN — Across the frozen cliffs they loomed—the unbelievably ancient towers with the unimaginable engines deep inside them still pouring out their endless power. Dr. Sidney Lee, back from living death, vowed to find the secret of the Towers of Titan! THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP — Ordinarily the military least wants to have the others know the final details of their war plans. But, logically, there would be times … ANSWER, PLEASE ANSWER —Astronomer Bova draws upon the facts of his field to weave a story that will grip your emotions and tantalize your mind—long after you have finished reading it. THE DUELING MACHINE — The trouble with great ideas is that someone is sure to expend enormous effort and ingenuity figuring out how to louse them up. A LONG WAY BACK— He held the future of the world in his numbed hands. And from 22,500 miles out, he made the gamble. ... Read more

Product Description
Spanning thirty years of an illustrious science fiction career, twelve short stories and six essays explore science and science fiction and include insightful commentary on the challenges of writing each piece and the future of humanity. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Awesome!
Awesome! That's all I can say about Challenges. This is a great collection of classic Science Fiction stories that actually leaves in the science. I think Ben Bova does better short story SF than most of his novels (except Mars). There is a motley rogues gallery of characters and themes in these shorts. They make you think and more importantly, come back for more.If you can find this book I definetly say get it! It is worth the read!

Challenges are Bova's short story Sci-Fi Masterpieces!!!
This was a book I recieved in 1993 and have kept since. This collage of short stories (and Mars the novel) really turned me on to Ben Bova's books. In Challenges Bova manages to weave humor, tradgedy, and triumph all together in one great book. His evocative collection of short serials published earlier in magazines like Analog will really make you think. They are reflections of technology and humanity. Bova does wonders with the short story as you will see in this book. Unlike some of the characters in his more recent novels, Bova's short story characters are terrific. Bova writes that he is a writer who hates to throw old material away and I can see why. (Ben if you read this please do some more short story books or ressurect some of these characters;) My favorite story picks from this book were:Answer Please Answer (for SETI fanatics;),To Touch A Star, Sepulcher, World War 4.5,Crisis of The Month (best contemporary parallel;)

This is one Ben Bova book worth finding and reading!!

Good book
Ben Bova was the editor of Analog in the 1970s.He took over for the great John W. Campbell.Ben Bova also writes a lot of his own fiction, which fits in with the type of stuff that Analog is famous for: HardScience Fiction.

This book puts forward much hard science fiction, alittle fantasy, and several non-fiction essays about science and SF.It isthe non-fiction here that makes this book truly stand out though.Bova isvery good at - not perditing the future, but pointing out where it isObviously going.This is good, because very few folks rarely see theperfectly Obvious.Most politicians and so-called statesmen can not do itwhen it comes to science.Bova can do it.He does it in the tradition ofArthur C. Clarke and Isaas Asimov too.

Recommeneded.

Very good collection of Short Stories
There were some very good pieces in this book.It was very good to read because the stories were just the right length that i could read a couple and then take a break and then pick it up another time.The writing wasvery good.Also, the notes that the author put beforehand were very usefulin knowing a little bit of what the stories were about.definitely is avery good book ... Read more

Product Description

Sam Gunn has a nose for trouble, money and women--though not necessarily in that order. He's a hero without peer...or scruples; a man with the ego and stature of a Napoleon, the business acumen of a P.T. Barnum, and the raging hormones of a newly pubescent teenage boy. He's Sam Gunn, the finest astronaut NASA ever trained...and dumped.

But more than money, more than women, Sam Gunn loves justice! (Though he does dearly love women and money.) Whether he's suing the Pope, coming to the aid of voluptuous twin sisters in the "virtual sex" trade, or on trial for his life on charges of interplanetary genocide, you can be sure of one thing: this pint-sized space jockey will meet every challenge with a smile on his lips, an ace up his sleeve...and a blaster in his pocket!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Science fiction and comedy - a superb blend.
What a marvelous character Ben Bova has created. Just when you think Sam cannot possibly get out of a situation, be it political, sexual or space related, he pulls a fast one. This guy has more moves than John Travolta. Awonderful book that shows that science fiction can also have a lighthearted side. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Perchance to Dream
When I was aboy, before Spaceshuttles exploded and Star Trek was full of old actors I dreamed of space. This book, a collection of artwork beginning in the Kennedy era of the space program and continuing to a future beyond imagination, is the stuff dreams are made of. I personaly read it cover to cover untill it wore out. I'm sure I even slept with it. Not only are there patriotic paintings of the U.S Space Program and a wistfull painting of the meeting of the Appollo/Soyez, but there is a huge section on some of the most ambitious Sci-fi films of era (2001, The Black Hole, Star Trek: The Motion Picture) then in the end of the book there are illustrations that go off the chart. Massive future cities, planet sized starships, cavernous concert halls, and limitless possibilities.

I'm surprised no one else has reviewed this book, but it DOES predate the internet. So if you have a young child, give him/her something to dream about. ... Read more

Product Description
This annual tradition from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America collects the best of the year's stories, as well as essays and commentary on the current state of the genre and predictions for future science fiction and fantasy films, art, and more.

This year's award-winning authors include Jack McDevitt, James Patrick Kelly, Peter S. Beagle, Elizabeth Hand, and more. The anthology also features essays from celebrated science fiction authors Orson Scott Card and Mike Resnick. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not the Best of the Year
I mostly agree with the previous reviewer but liked it maybe one star better.I have all the Nebula collections from the first, and this had about the fewest actual stories in it ever.Maybe the editor figured hardcore fans have already read the nominated stories in the magazines, but I read only a few SF collections a year instead to get the cream of the crop.Also, even the Nebula winners included are not that impressive.Try Gardner Dozois's Year Best collection instead.

Contains essays not stories
The book's title says "the year's best SF and fantasy" -- but the book really contains essays that are *about* the year's best SF and fantasy. The actual SF and fantasy stories are, with a handful of exceptions, not actually in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
In a gripping alternative history, Winston Churchill hatches a daring plot to assassinate Josef Stalin as World War II comes to a close and the Allies battle over the future of the globe. Reprint. K. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Excellent setup, good interpretations of Churchill and others, but very little payoff
I'm not sure what Ben Bova was trying to accomplish with this novel.He takes an interesting idea - that the British manage to assassinate Stalin in the dying months of WWII.He makes a logical conclusion - that the Western Allies would use Stalin's death as an excuse to ignore the Yalta treaties and push through Germany to Berlin.But ultimately what is the consequence of this action?We never get to find out, because the novel ends just as it is about to diverge from actual history (no one could believe that the loss of Stalin or Churchill in April 1945 would have any more effect on the result of WWII than did the loss of FDR).This is the most frustrating aspect of the book - that Bova sets up his new world so convincingly, but then doesn't make any conclusions about the effect of his alternate-history scenario.

So the plot is not the reason to read this book.For me, the most interesting and entertaining aspects are the depictions of the most famous of the characters.Gen. Montgomery and Harry Truman seem a little over-the-top, but the characterizations of Churchill, Roosevelt, Marshall, Patton, Hitler and Goering and most others are, from the perspective of 60-years later, spot-on.The book also is very easy to read, moving quickly and cutting between different perspectives to make it interesting.I think WWII afficionadoes will find a lot of little gems here - walk-on historical figures abound, and it appears that Bova has done his homework.But an intimate knowledge of WWII is not necessary to enjoy the book - you do not need to know who Eden and Beria and Kaltenbrunner are, because Bova's writing makes it clear what positions each character is, without it sounding like exposition.

Ultimately, this is a fun and entertaining book, an easy read with well-realised characters.Unfortunately, it's too short to allow for any kind of development of his alternate universe.

Good book
This is a great book about WW II.More a spi book then a soldier book. Well worth your money.

Tightly written and easy to read
A very nicely written novel. Triumph, by Ben Bova, does not attempt to paint detailed character maps or development. What the book does is take characters we are already familiar with, i.e. Stalin, Roosevelt, etc, or those that we can immediately relate to and use them to tell a tightly scripted tale.

This is not a traditional fiction novel or even a traditional alternate history tale. This book covers a very few days, about one month, and explores how events in April 1945 would have changed if Franklin Roosevelt had not died in mid April but Stalin had. The book is not as concerned with story telling as it is with plausibility.

Triumph is a relatively short, tightly written book that I recommend with no reservations.

A Triumph no....but not bad either.
Although in my opinion this is almost more of a novella than an actual novel Ben Bova does a respectable job with his first foray into alternate history.The premise is quite believable as Churchill had a multitude of reasons for wanting Stalin out of the way and the method used would quite possibly have worked. (Slipping a sliver of plutonium into a ceremonial gift to Stalin.) By showing how the random events of history can be so easily altered Ben Bova leaves us to speculate on the possibilities of what could have been which is one of the main objectives of alternate history novels.In this case this novel accomplishes its objective.However, as a fan of Harry Turtledove's I have come to expect a little bit more.As other reviewers have stated this book does leave the reader hanging at the end.My only true complaint is I wish Mr. Bova had invested a little more time and effort in this book and fleshed it out a bit more.Or as one other reviewer stated perhaps he will eventually come up with a sequel. By itself it is a decent piece of specualtive fiction that could have been so much more.

This was both an excellent and a disappointing book
Excellent, because Bova has researched his target period well. The assassination plan makes sense, and the results of his POD seem both reasonable and - if you can use this term when describing an alternate history - inevitable.

Disappointing, however, because after all that setup, we don't get to see what the results of this all are.

The story starts on April 1st (as do the divergent events) and ends, only a month later, on April 30th just after the fall of Berlin, with Stalin dead, Khrushchev and Molotov in power in Moscow, and Roosevelt planning an atomic Pax Americana. Now, obviously this is a world that could diverge massively from our own, but the...story...just...stops!

This is terribly frustrating.

Still, this definitely a book worth reading and, who knows, maybe Bova will come down with a case of series-itus (why not, most other authors have...) and we'll get a sequel. I'd sure like to read that. ... Read more

Product Description
The second book of "The Kinsman Saga", which also includes "Kinsman" and "Colony". The story of a man driven to create the future, and forced to save two worlds from the death throes of the millennium. Other science fiction titles by the author include "Orion" and "Voyagers". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MOON POLITICS

I read this book many years ago and remember it as one of the best SF novels I ever read and I am actually disappointed that I can not find a copy even in the US!

Anyway... I do not remember much of the plot: somekind of political fight between Earth and Moon colonies, the leader of thepeople of the Moon coming down to Earth trying to live in peace with thepeople of Earth and so on...

It pre-dates a lot of similar plots: justthink of all the Gundam series where the space colonies figth with theEarth alliances! And it adds that sort of "Rocky IV" feeling (doyou remember Stallone winning in USSR and the sovietic politiciansapplauding? ), but this time the outsiders are the good ones. But"Millennium" is neither violent nor that retoric.

More thanthis, it is well thought and realistic, at least about what concernsbiological phenomena: e.g., when the Moon leader comes to Earth, it needs acomplicated series of mechanical body-aids to stand Earthgravity.

However well written, it suffers from the usual classical SFsindrome: we are living in the year 2000 and nothing of what is foretold inthe book happened (but a lot of books of the time have the same problem,like Orwell's "1984" or the "Future History" series byHeilein). ... Read more

Product Description
Idealistic young American scientist Grant Archer joins a clandestine expedition to this awesome new world. But Grant does not share the ideals of the scientists he accompanies:he has been planted on their expedition by the New Morality, a religious group that wants to ferret what the 'godless humanists'have discovered.His mission:to reassure the new religious leaders of Earth that Jupiter holds no intelligent life. But unknown to the New Morality, Grant, though the son of a minister, is both a believer and a man who sees no reason why science and faith can not co-exist.He has come to the vast, planet-girdling ocean of Jupiter with an open mind, and he is about to tell his masters something that may shatter their conviction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
The father out you go, the worse this gets.


Or, this book isn't as good as the Venus novel, which is not as good as the Mars novel, so this is about where I stop.For this sort of thing, a plot involving your religious moral majority nut types forcing a not too bright kid to get a job in the Jovian arena to spy for them is really as dull as dishwater.


... Read more