Rating: 
Summary: Good book. Really.
Review: Despite Mr. Hofsa's oh, so condescending and poorly-written review (since when has *anyone* "gripped" about the length of a novel? And watch your spelling and punctuation, too...), I happen to have greatly enjoyed this book. I have to admit that I haven't read much of Bova, but what I have has always been top-notch. Furthermore, after hearing Mr. (Dr.?) Bova (before technical difficulties intruded) interviewed on the radio last night, it's clear that the book is not a fluke: the man is intelligent and he knows how to put it on paper, avoiding pedanticism. His people, situations, and science are all enjoyable and believable, and the topic he's chosen (and the subtext of science vs. unreasonsing religious and political paranoia) is top-notch. Not since Heinlein's _Farmer in the Sky_ have I enjoyed a trip to Jove this much. Buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Speculative SF from a master
Review: Grant Archer is the prototypical reluctant hero. All he wants is to work out his public service obligation on the moon, writing his dissertation on harmless (to the ruling religious parties) astronomy. Instead, the draft board sends him to Jupiter to spy on the scientific base there.Grant is torn between his identity as a man of faith, and that as a scientist. Still, something is going on in orbit around Jupiter and he finds himself involved. Ben Bova is a longtime master of SF, and JUPITER is certainly a credible addition to the collection. In some ways, Grant is a throwback to the SF of the fifties and sixties (teen is thrown into adventure and saves the universe), but Bova adds science, political speculation, and a bit of a mystery to round out the novel. Positioning Grant as a man of both faith and science adds a dimension to the character missing in more pot-boiler SF.
Rating:
Summary: A very interesting read.
Review: Great ideas about religion vs science. The idea that religion is digital (page 13) is a winner.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Having read Bova's books on Mars exploration I was very disappointed in this book. It was not up to the standard he set with Mars and Return to Mars. I found it to be juvenal. It was hard to believe it was written by Bova. The characters were shallow and it contained goofy elements like a talking gorilla and dolphins on the space station. Much of the book was what I consider "fill". The whole story could be written in a few paragraphs and it was expanded to novel length by silly arguments and conflicts between the shallow characters. I know he can write a good yard and I hope he does better in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Score one for Bova... again.
Review: Having read _Venus_, which was one of the most engaging books I've ever read, I couldn't wait for the paperback version of _Jupiter_ to come out, and got the hardcover right away. (It turned out very good looking- decorate you shelves with it.)In a sense, the new novel is better since it has a larger number of multi-dimensional characters involved. Even the fates of the would-be villains turned out not what I had expected. The authoritarian Darth Vader of the Jupiter orbit station became a respectable mentor; The evil, dour-faced captain of the atmosphere probe at one instance convinced me that she would be punished by a fiery death when their ship ran into problems, but something else happened, and I'd like to stop feeding you dangerous information right here. To those who are familiar with the biggest star-would-be planet of solar system, the hint of an intelligent species living under the thick clouds would seem forced and hard to accept. For a while I thought I was on (or "in," for the matter) an extra-solar planet rather than Jupiter. Despite that, the intense part of the story kept my eyes focused on the pages until my vision became blurred.
Rating: 
Summary: Sometimes the science was better than the fiction
Review: I almost put this one down during the first part of the book. The writing was in parts cringingly trite, choppy and simplistic. I'm glad I persevered, because once the protagonist gets to the Jupiter station, it picks up speed, and the author hit his stride more. The end was quite a page turner. It could have been better with some editing at the start, but it was still worth reading. Unlike others who have reviewed this one, I liked Mars better.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking!
Review: I enjoyed "Mars" and "Return to Mars," but this is something else, on an entirely different level. The tension between a recognizable everyday reality in the near future, with familiar human emotions and insecurities, and a plausible journey to a whole new world, literally takes one's breath away. Bova gives an account of man's first encounter with intelligent alien life, from both man's and the alien's perspective! Stunning.
Rating:
Summary: I really liked this one. . .
Review: I enjoyed the Mars books; I enjoyed the Moonbase books; I HATED Venus; and it was with a question of whether "Jupiter" would be more like the former than the latter that I cautiously decided to try this book. I'm very glad that I did so! Bova, as he as occasionally done before, actually has a thoughtful, religious major character, while at the same time, railing against the worst sorts of religious fundamentalism. This type of balance is difficult to achieve. I enjoyed the (somewhat predictable) plot and the interesting descriptions of what sort of a manned ship could actually penetrate deep into the Jovian clouds, and the descriptions of the sort of life which might exist under those circumstances. This book was worth my time. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: I really liked this one. . .
Review: I enjoyed the Mars books; I enjoyed the Moonbase books; I HATED Venus; and it was with a question of whether "Jupiter" would be more like the former than the latter that I cautiously decided to try this book. I'm very glad that I did so! Bova, as he as occasionally done before, actually has a thoughtful, religious major character, while at the same time, railing against the worst sorts of religious fundamentalism. This type of balance is difficult to achieve. I enjoyed the (somewhat predictable) plot and the interesting descriptions of what sort of a manned ship could actually penetrate deep into the Jovian clouds, and the descriptions of the sort of life which might exist under those circumstances. This book was worth my time. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Repression expands at the speed of bureaucracy....
Review: I had the chance to read this work in galley just before the holidays. I am a long-time Bova fan, beginning in my tender years when he took over Analog. Bova, probably more than anyone of his generation KNOWS the space program and this book shows it. He has a firm grasp of the physics and mechanics not only of the hardware but the human heart. There are no lightyear leaps, no warp drive, no phasers, but if you are interested in what the sons and daughters of your sons and daughters MIGHT be doing, then Bova has an option for you.
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