Rating: 
Summary: Not One of Bova's Best...
Review: This book truly baffles me. I've read a bit of Ben Bova lately, and I can't quite comprehend why he did what he did with this book. I think that what's the best about Bova's books is his attention to scientific detail and his exploration of the sites of our solar system. However, in Saturn, all this stuff takes a back seat to a character story that isn't all that great. In fact, the title "Saturn" is most definitely a misnomer, as this book has very little at all to do with Saturn. In fact, they don't get to Saturn until the latter stages of the books, and don't even really TALK about Saturn until maybe 100 pages into the book.The real focus of the story is the giant spaceborne habitat "Goddard" which, for some reasons unknown to us, is being sent to Saturn to be a colony there. Why, I'm still not sure. The story mostly follows Susie (Holly) Lane, Pancho Lane's sister come back to life due to a miracle of cryogenics... or something. I wish this was explained a little better, especially after it was set up in detail in The Precipice. The other main character is a recently released convict named Malcolm Eberly who strives to gain political control of the habitat. To be blunt, the story starts off really slow. I kept waiting for Bova to get to the good stuff (i.e. the science and exploration), but it really never happened. The science takes a back seat, and unfortunately, the character story that drives the book is second-rate, at best. Granted, it did get better towards the end, and there was a bit of suspense added to make me care more for the characters. However, this is not one of Bova's best. Stick to the science next time, Ben.
Rating: 
Summary: A gift for pain
Review: This book was so bad it was painful. One almost pitied the characters for the lack of of vision of their creator and the lack of life with which they were imbued.
Rating: 
Summary: a great stretch for Ben Bova
Review: To many people this book is a major failure. To say that the science takes a back seat is a valid argument. Bova literally throws in some science, but basically the planet Saturn is ignored throughout most of the book. Bova even ignores all of Saturns moons except for Titan. That is a letdown to long time readers of Bova's works including myself. His science is one of his great strengths (check out the book Jupiter)
Instead, the book Saturn is really an examination of how any democracy can turn into a dictatorship right under peoples noses. Professor Wilmot really is the focal point that drives this story forward. Unlike his previous books, there are no heros or villians. This is not a western. Instead we see society at it's ugliest and it is both engrossing and frightening to witness. The religious vs. secular tensions that are pointed out in this book are a direct parallel to what the US is experiencing right now. Consider this: Malcolm Eberly, the power crazed manipulator along with the vicious Morgenthau and Vyborg represent the double standards and moral superiority that allows them to do anything and everything they want knowing that God is behind them. It is a reminder that power in anyones hands , even those who pray, can be destructive. Killing, torture, lying, deceit are all morally OK, but somehow the science of nanotechnology is the devil's work according to Morgenthau. That argument of course is over simplified and it would have been better for balance to include more complexity in that situation but that is not Bova's strength.
This book in many ways is Bova venting off some steam and it sometimes comes through. Sometimes Bova preaches a bit through his characters and the complexity of the situation gets oversimplified. Part of that is Bova's main weakness which is creating complex characters. It's not an easy thing to do. Issac Asimov only began doing it really well toward the end of his life (Check out the later Foundation prequels as compared to the early Foundation series itself)
My biggest disapointment is Bova inserting some action/mystery sequences that just don't work. It's a distraction. This is an essay of society and it is one everyone should read but take it for what it is, and it will be something that leaves you thinking and hopefully wondering a bit more about the future (or lack of) of the United States democracy.
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