Rating: 
Summary: Incredible
Review: Just incredible. He keeps building "our galaxy" for us. He even keeps unity whith his previous books.He makes science fiction so "credible" that is dificult no to think taht things will be that way in the future. I need the next chapter of Jupiter (and Venus too). I hope he'll write it soon. I'd like him to write books as fast as I devour them.
Rating:
Summary: Bova hits a home run
Review: Only in the last few years have I been reading a number of Bova's books, always on audio, usually unabridged. My enjoyment of them has been generally at the "good but not great" level; they fill my time in the car as I drive long stretches, and that's been good enough for me. So I went into this one expecting the same old Bova, but I was pleasantly surprised to find more. I think Bova outdid himself on this one. The story starts slowly, and suffers from his usual repetitive presentation style, keeping the story from getting going as quickly as it might. But once it gets going, it's great. Even the influence of the New Morality, which I've found a tedious element in other works, was motivated enough here to be tolerable. And though I've learned to expect Bova to be a bit sexist and shallow in his treatment of women, he even toned that down for Jupiter--good job, Ben! It's hard without exposing the details of the plot to say why I think this book is such a winner, but I'll try to speak in generalities. I think the key things he did was to find an interesting point of view to inject into the plot to keep things interesting, and also he showed remarkable self-restraint in not reaching for too much in the completion of the story. There is a single sentence in the last third of the story which completely made the entire book for me. I would love to quote it here, but instead I'll just say that it deals with the perception of an offer of friendship being rewarded with pain, and leave you to find the speaker and the context when you listen to or read the book for yourself. I'd like to believe that if I had written this book, I could have written this sentence, and placed it as he did. I sometimes think Bova's overall writing style is a bit formulaic, but this story is proof that with the right formula, there's nothing wrong with that style. Bova's Mars was somewhat of a letdown, and I thought its sequel was even more of one. I wish he'd had this "formula" when he'd written Mars! Jupiter's ending is not a letdown at all. It leaves the reader with a lot to think about, and I have little doubt that when Bova gets around to writing Return to Jupiter, it will deliver as well.
Rating: 
Summary: I was moderately impressed by Jupiter, my first Bova book
Review: Quick plot summary. Grant is a recent college graduate in the not to distant future (maybe one or two hundred years). Religious fanatacism has gained a large influence on Earth through the "New Morality." The government also requires two years of community service from its citizens after college. For Grant's community service, the New Morality sends Grant to a space station orbiting Jupiter to spy on their research of extraterrestrial life. Grant encounters an "intellecually altered" gorilla and gets involved in a top secret deep sea mission. Jupiter is an interesting read but the ending is slightly unimaginative and a little idealistic. I could have done without the religious overtones. They were necessary for the plot but Bova really laid the religion on heavy at the end. Having said that, the end was by no means bad and the rest of the book was very good. The ideas presented on non-human intelligent life were interesting. If you don't mind religious influence in a science fiction book, Jupiter is a good, simple (but not elementary) read.
Rating:
Summary: I was moderately impressed by Jupiter, my first Bova book
Review: Quick plot summary. Grant is a recent college graduate in the not to distant future (maybe one or two hundred years). Religious fanatacism has gained a large influence on Earth through the "New Morality." The government also requires two years of community service from its citizens after college. For Grant's community service, the New Morality sends Grant to a space station orbiting Jupiter to spy on their research of extraterrestrial life. Grant encounters an "intellecually altered" gorilla and gets involved in a top secret deep sea mission. Jupiter is an interesting read but the ending is slightly unimaginative and a little idealistic. I could have done without the religious overtones. They were necessary for the plot but Bova really laid the religion on heavy at the end. Having said that, the end was by no means bad and the rest of the book was very good. The ideas presented on non-human intelligent life were interesting. If you don't mind religious influence in a science fiction book, Jupiter is a good, simple (but not elementary) read.
Rating:
Summary: I was moderately impressed by Jupiter, my first Bova book
Review: Quick plot summary. Grant is a recent college graduate in the not to distant future (maybe one or two hundred years). Religious fanatacism has gained a large influence on Earth through the "New Morality." The government also requires two years of community service from its citizens after college. For Grant's community service, the New Morality sends Grant to a space station orbiting Jupiter to spy on their research of extraterrestrial life. Grant encounters an "intellecually altered" gorilla and gets involved in a top secret deep sea mission. Jupiter is an interesting read but the ending is slightly unimaginative and a little idealistic. I could have done without the religious overtones. They were necessary for the plot but Bova really laid the religion on heavy at the end. Having said that, the end was by no means bad and the rest of the book was very good. The ideas presented on non-human intelligent life were interesting. If you don't mind religious influence in a science fiction book, Jupiter is a good, simple (but not elementary) read.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheesy but occasionally exciting
Review: Really unconvincing, stereotype characters with painfully corny dialogue. Solid, tense pacing though.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing tale of the age-old issue of science and religion
Review: There is a theory that societal trends run in cycles, which implies that a return to a highly-moral society lies just around the corner. Jupiter explores two different themes: a moral society created via religion-based government (although its not completely clear to what extent religous orginizations ARE the government vs. simply influencing the government) and exploring Jupiter for new life. The book's tension arises from the conflict between these two threads: scientific reesearch that might undermine religous tenets is supressed when possible, discredited when not. And the biggest thread is of course extraterristrial life, for it calls into the question of "in His own image" clause of dogma. Both threads are followed very well. The culture of a born-again society is woven into the scientific exploration of Jupiter very well, and the life of Jupiter is well thought-out and well-defined. The techniques of exploration are believable extrapolations of current technology (breathing liquid is just fascinating in its own right). Just to keep things interesting, characters are not always what they initially appear to be. The only knock I have: although the conflict between religous belief systems and scientific growth is set up very well as an interpersonal one, the issue is never really explored at an individual level. Despite the main character making a few noises about it, Grant doesn't ever really reach the point of having to choose - there is never really any doubt where his loyalties lie. But this is a minor complaint. Overall, this book is an engrossing read.
Rating:
Summary: Pedestrian
Review: This is a first contact novel with a religous dimension. The protagonist is an ernest, actually bland, graduate student detailed to become a spy on a research station orbiting Jupiter. He is supposed to be spying for religous organizations who have come to dominate the politics of most of Earth. These groups are threatened by the discovery of new life forms within the Jovian system and immensely concerned by the possibility that intelligent life will be discovered on Jupiter itself. This is a good foundation for a book; a possibility to explore the relationship of science and religion as well as individual dilemmas of conscience. Instead, this is a conventional adventure story with pedestrian writing. A real lost opportunity. Readers interested in religion and the issues raised by first contact would do well to find a copy of James Blish's A Case of Conscience. This outstanding book, published over 40 years ago, has a similar point of departure, but is immensely superior to Jupiter.
Rating:
Summary: JUPITER
Review: This is excellent science-fiction. An interesting plot sprinkled with believable characters moves along at a firm pace that never bogs down. I'll leave the book-report style of review for someone else; I'll leave going over it with a fine tooth comb to someone else, too. What I mean, is, analyzing and picking it apart is easy to do, but I choose to overlook minor annoyances because of the novels' greater merits. I would pick up on small things because I'm writing myself. In light of that, things that I might have found minor annoyances probably become microscopic to the general reader. A comment from a best selling author at a writers coference was, "once you become a writer, you will no longer be able to enjoy reading." And for a majority of novels, its proven true. Hack novels become intolerable; less then the best effort becomes despised; authors that go off track have their books hated. Text books become enjoyable reading; this is no joke. (Of course, I'm not referring to any and all text books.) Bova delivers with JUIPTER a writers book. Good enough to gloss over places I'd have done different, and good enough to ignore the places I didn't like. And most especially, fascinating, exciting, and thoroughly stimulating. (Why can't everyone write like this?) This is a book that could have been much longer very easily. If I'm gripping the book was too short, you already know it's a worthy read. One more thing: Bova gets an A+ for writing a story that brought up Christianity without slamming it. How'd he do that? Read it and find out. My understanding is he didn't tread places he didn't belong. For that, he earned a bunch of bonus points. It's about time, too, someone took the leap and invited God into the picture. Gottcha curious? To those who have his spirit, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. To those who don't have the spirit, you might not even catch it. Bova was that subtle. Heck, Bova might not have caught it. But he did it anyway, and it could of been all because he didn't tread where he wasn't supposed to. I mean, could anyone tell me whos' year it is?
Rating:
Summary: Another triumph for SFs' greatest writer
Review: This is my third Bova book, and they just keep getting better. Jupiter is an unforgettable novel. It combines brilliant characterization with a fast-paced, tension-filled plot filled with action and suspense. Grant Archer is a young scientist assigned to a station in orbit around Jupiter. A quiet, reserved man, he is torn between his natural curiosity and his desire for a simple, quiet life with his new bride. Along the way he discovers a new depth of spiritual faith while at the same time doing battle with dangerous religious zealots. Jupiter grapples with age-old question while at the same time never failing to entertain. Read this book!
| 
