Rating: 
Summary: Clear, believable science fiction of the highest caliber
Review: Assuming a "worst case scenario" for global warming, this new "Asteroid Wars" series is fascinating in it's clarity of laying out a possible near-future path for mankind's expansion into space. It is a wonderful work of fiction that makes some timely predictions about the 21st century (and beyond) and how mankind may cope with the many changes that are coming. It follows loosely behind his "Moonwar" series, which brings in settings and a character or two on Selene, the lunar city where much of this novel takes place.
THE PRECIPICE also incorporates and expands on much of the scientific and technological advances that have appeared in Dr. Bova's books over the past decade-including nanotechnology, fusion power, and some very practical approaches to spaceflight within the boundaries of our solar system. A highly recommended novel, followed by THE ROCK RATS, book 2 in the Asteroid Wars series.
Rating:
Summary: great entertainment from my favorite writer
Review: Continuing the story of Dan Randolph, the hero of Ben's books Privateers and Empire Builders, I found this book to be very enjoyable. Ben Bova writes the clearest, most epic, and most believable near future fiction I've ever encountered. The Precipice is most interesting, though, because it combines storylines from many other books besides the Dan Randolph series, notably Moonbase and Moonwar, allowing me to become reacquainted with some characters I'd long forgot about. Also, Ben's book Venus alludes to the Asteroid War, and since The Precipice is just book one of a chronicle of the War, I'm going to be eagerly awaiting the next books.
Rating:
Summary: great entertainment from my favorite writer
Review: Continuing the story of Dan Randolph, the hero of Ben's books Privateers and Empire Builders, I found this book to be very enjoyable. Ben Bova writes the clearest, most epic, and most believable near future fiction I've ever encountered. The Precipice is most interesting, though, because it combines storylines from many other books besides the Dan Randolph series, notably Moonbase and Moonwar, allowing me to become reacquainted with some characters I'd long forgot about. Also, Ben's book Venus alludes to the Asteroid War, and since The Precipice is just book one of a chronicle of the War, I'm going to be eagerly awaiting the next books.
Rating: 
Summary: Earth in the balance--one man must act
Review: Dan Randolph has spent his life in a failed attempt to save the earth from her own errors. Now, global warming has accelerated, the seas are rising, and starvation is a real threat. Worse, politics prevents the earth from taking full advantage of space technologies and Dan's company teeters on the brink of bankruptcy. When a rich, if crooked entrepreneur suggests using fusion ships to mine the asteroid belts, Dan sees a way to finally make a difference, or lose everything. Set in a near-future earth, author Ben Bova presents a frightfully realistic view of how the world may go. In the face of obvious disaster, the Earth has changed--but not in always constructive ways. The dominant New Morality movement sees anything that changes the present as a threat, and Dan's old enemies unite to prevent him from achieving his dreams. Only by using forbidden nano-technology, and by relying on a wild pilot/thief, can Dan have a chance to achieve his dream. Bova is a long-time master of science fiction and writes a smooth and convincing tale. Both Dan Randolph and space-jock Pancho Lane are well developed and motivated characters. Bova, however, missed a chance to move his novel up a notch by making villain Martin Humprhies one-dimensional rather than allowing him a misguided heroism of his own. Unlike many other novels of the near-future dystopia, Bova believes that the heroic individual can make a difference, and that makes THE PRECIPICE an enjoyable read. The novel is the first of THE ASTEROID WARS series, but may be read independently. Three Stars
Rating:
Summary: A SCI-FI NOVEL I REALLY LIKED
Review: For those of you who don't like Sci-Fi books (like myself) I urge you to try this one. I picked it up at the library by mistake and when I saw what it was about decided not to read it. BUT curiosity got the better of me and I did ENJOY it very much. As a kid I loved Flash Gorden but lost interest along the way. If you want good detail read the other reviewers who really understand the subject. I enjoyed the idea of living under the surface of the moon, the fast commutes betweenearth and moon and the idea of mining the Asteroid Belt for energy sources, That women were capable of piloting an exploratorytrip to the Belt (unauthorized ofcourse) had me thinking "Go Girl"just to prove it could be done.Ben Bova provided an excellent adventure and I think just maybe I will deliberately bring home another one of his books. Do give it a try if you have been avoidingspace travel or colonazation but remember there is always the bad guy waiting for you.
Rating:
Summary: A SCI-FI NOVEL I REALLY LIKED
Review: For those of you who don't like Sci-Fi books (like myself) I urge you to try this one. I picked it up at the library by mistake and when I saw what it was about decided not to read it. BUT curiosity got the better of me and I did ENJOY it very much. As a kid I loved Flash Gorden but lost interest along the way. If you want good detail read the other reviewers who really understand the subject. I enjoyed the idea of living under the surface of the moon, the fast commutes betweenearth and moon and the idea of mining the Asteroid Belt for energy sources, That women were capable of piloting an exploratorytrip to the Belt (unauthorized ofcourse) had me thinking "Go Girl"just to prove it could be done.Ben Bova provided an excellent adventure and I think just maybe I will deliberately bring home another one of his books. Do give it a try if you have been avoidingspace travel or colonazation but remember there is always the bad guy waiting for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Science/Politics Undermines Otherwise Decent SciFi Work
Review: I got this book as part of SFBC's three-book Asteroid Wars anthology - this being the first book from the "trilogy". I had been hesitant to purchase it in the first place, as the series was based on the premise of "runaway global warming", which is a shaky premise to begin with... however, the rest of the storyline appeared to be interesting, and I wanted to try a Ben Bova offering, so I decided to go for it.
Exact dates are never actually mentioned in the book, but certain clues place the story sometime in the later part of the 21st century, most likely around the year 2075.
Decent character development - with some characters switching sides back and forth from the "bad guys" to the "good guys", and one really "evil" character. A few interestingly suspenseful parts; and while the fusion drive, nanotechnology, and solar radiation science parts weren't bad, I was dismayed with the number of inconsistancies, bad science, and poor predictions made in this book written 2001, for example:
- It is stated that automobile companies in the middle 21st century were still having trouble getting the public to buy electric-powered automobiles, and wanted to add gasoline-powered engine sound effects to make their cars more sellable to the public - heck, here we are in the year 2005, and we already have a number of manufacturers offering efficient electric hybrids, which are beginning to sell quite well, and we obviously don't need any sound-effect gimmicks.
- In the Mid-21st century, religious right-wingers control the government (fair enough), but they are over-taxing businesses and control the media? Odd, because these are two specific things right-wingers just won't do (overtax business, or control media).
- The runaway global warming premise is taken to absurdity - with Greenland's ice cap on the verge of a total meltdown, and there is even talk of Antarctica's ice cap melting down - all due to man-made causes? This is junk science cubed.
- The author uses one spanish phrase in the book, and muffs it; "your welcome" is "de nada", not "da nada"... that, and other grammatical errors suddenly start to show up in the last few sections of the book, like the book's editors ran out of gas right at the end.
While these (and other) items were annoying, the invisible stealth suit gimmick that shows up half way into the book was absolutely awful. I don't want to "spoil" anything, as this situation plays a significant part in the story, but suffice it to say that this gimmick was so poorly concocted, and so badly out of place that it was almost laughable.
Rating:
Summary: Good Science and Politics in the Future
Review: I really wanted to give this book 3 1/2 stars. Why I chose 4 is that it seems to give a realistic view of the near future where the moon has been settled to the point where it is now an independent nation. The Earth is beginning the cataclysmic effects from global warming. Nanotechnology has evolved to new heights to the point where nanobots can be implanted into humans to enhance the immune system to the point where human bodies no longer grow old. Religious fanatics have banned all such persons from the Earth because they feel that eliminating natural death is tampering with G-d. Dan Randolph (from some of Bova's previous novels) has become a do-gooder enterprenur who wants to build a fusion powered rocket and begin mining the Asteroid belt for the benefit of humanity. He is teamed with Martin Humphries, the prototypical "evil capitalist" who will provide the funding to make a great deal of money with the ultimate goal of double-crossing Randolph and taking his company. Randolph plans to use two women pilots to fly his expedition, the tough as nails Pancho (her real name is Pricilla, but she will sic her snake on anyone that calls her that) and Amanda, who is a combination of looks and brains. Humphries has plans to make Amanda his third wife and wants to prevent her from flying to the belt, because of the danger involved. Why I didn't rate this book higher is because the characters seem to be stiff and the male/female relationships are extremely boring.
Rating:
Summary: Good Science and Politics in the Future
Review: I really wanted to give this book 3 1/2 stars. Why I chose 4 is that it seems to give a realistic view of the near future where the moon has been settled to the point where it is now an independent nation. The Earth is beginning the cataclysmic effects from global warming. Nanotechnology has evolved to new heights to the point where nanobots can be implanted into humans to enhance the immune system to the point where human bodies no longer grow old. Religious fanatics have banned all such persons from the Earth because they feel that eliminating natural death is tampering with G-d. Dan Randolph (from some of Bova's previous novels) has become a do-gooder enterprenur who wants to build a fusion powered rocket and begin mining the Asteroid belt for the benefit of humanity. He is teamed with Martin Humphries, the prototypical "evil capitalist" who will provide the funding to make a great deal of money with the ultimate goal of double-crossing Randolph and taking his company. Randolph plans to use two women pilots to fly his expedition, the tough as nails Pancho (her real name is Pricilla, but she will sic her snake on anyone that calls her that) and Amanda, who is a combination of looks and brains. Humphries has plans to make Amanda his third wife and wants to prevent her from flying to the belt, because of the danger involved. Why I didn't rate this book higher is because the characters seem to be stiff and the male/female relationships are extremely boring.
Rating:
Summary: Bova used to be good
Review: I used to really enjoy Ben Bova's books. Examples such as "Colony" and "Millennium" spring to mind. Unfortunately his more recent works (including this one) tend to read like poorly written soap operas. The science is still good though in this world where hard science fiction seems to be disappearing in favour of fantasy. This will probably keep me buying his novels but I do it with more trepidation than before.
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