Venus

Rating:
Summary: The Reluctant Astronaut
Review: I realize the above phrase may trivialize this novel's import, but the truth is that this story is narrated by a 25-year-old man suffering from pernicious anemia who is forced into a voyage to Earth's sister planet by his domineering, spiteful father. Van Humphries is not brave, he is not a pioneer by nature, he doesn't even have a clear vision of what he wants to do with his life. But he is tired of his father's iron fist, his father's ceaseless criticism, and so he voluntarily, tremulously embarks on a voyage that could very well kill him.

In short, a reluctant astronaut.

The reader will sympathize with any number of characters...and despise others. This is not an action-without-character-development sci-fi story. This a real story about people plagued by doubts and suspicions, who are looking for the truth, set against the backdrop of interplanetary exploration in the late 21st century. Van Humphries freely admits he's never been in love, he half-agrees with his father's disdain of himself (for he was sickly and weak from birth), and he rationalizes his fears and lack of ambition adroitly. But above all else, Van worships his brother, and he is determined to discover what killed him. For Van Humphries will be the second man to land on Venus--his brother was the first. And he never came back.

Ben Bova offers an excellent Venus 101, sharing elementary facts about the planet without condescension. Each scientific fact is well laid out, and each scientific speculation is presented in a believable context. You feel the 900-degree-heat of Venus' surface. You choke on its sulfuric atmosphere. You wonder if you've discovered Hell itself.

I recommend Ben Bova unreservedly; I remember his name from Omni Magazine (yes, I'm that old), but this is my first exposure to one of his novels. I intend to read more.

Rating:
Summary: Character driven story
Review: Ben Bova's "Venus" is a fairly good story. I was a little turned off at first because it is written in first person, which I am not a big fan of and hadn't read a first person novel in a really long time. However, about halfway through the book, I realized the importance of the first person point of few when other strong characters were introduced.

This is less a science fiction story and more a character journey in a scientific world. If you are looking for hard core scientific observations and manipulations I recommend other stories, such as Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars." However, there is a lot of speculative science fiction the Bova introduces on the interior of the Venusian world, which is interesting and facinating.

It does take a while for this book to really grasp you, but none-the-less it is worth the read if you are a Bova fan, or interested in our solar system. It is great the way Bova has researched the real world of venus, and then put in his own fantasy elements based on possibilities.

To sum up, this is a first person book that is driven by the characters. It is more the characters coming to realization of who and what they are and them trying to overcome their weaknesses while completing their objectives than hard core science. My favorite character is definately Fuchs.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This was a great book it included many subplots. Bova did a spectacular job two thumbs up. It was great how Fusch wasnt so bad and hating after all, just misunderstood.

Rating:
Summary: Bova's Disappointing Venus
Review: I just finished this book on tape. Had I not been behind the wheel for 1000 miles, I probably would not have completed it. The plot is elementary and completely predictable. The chapter titles in general are able to summarize the entire plot in 1-3 words. The main character's personna is built around a medical condition that is completely untenable, particularly with respect to rapidity of symptoms. A number of factual errors regarding Venus and the mechanics of space flight are made. The writer seems to have a limited bag of cliche' phrases which are sighted often (also in other offerings from him). The ultimate outcome is predictable from chapter #1 and no surprises, apart from occasional random acts of violence, are seen.

Rating:
Summary: Bit of a disappointment
Review: After reading Mars, Venus felt like a letdown. Felt like I was reading Jack London's SEA WOLF mixed with a Lester Del Rey SF novel meant for young teens. The two just don't mix well.

Rating:
Summary: who would want to go there?
Review: Having had, long ago, a novelette published that was set on Venus, I was curious to see how Ben would handle the modern concept of Venus as uninhabitable and unapproachable. He does a good job of it and the book is definitely worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: BEYOND excellent!!!!!!
Review: Bova is a genius! This novel combined scientific speculation, romantic tension, and good old-fashioned nail-biting adventure. The result is an unforgettable read. The main character is an unlikely hero who finds out he is made of tougher stuff than he realized. The settings are the cold blackness of outer space, as well as a planet that is rightly compared to Hell. There are villians, co-adventurers, and fascinating characters to beat the band. This book deserves 10 stars. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Skip Venus and move on to the next Planet!
Review: Yes, I know that Ben Bova is a master of Science and usually his books are a treat. But No, Venus is not. I did learn a few things about the hellish planet but couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Bova got bored half way throught the book and "rushed it out."

I was left with too many questions about the characters and a very disapointing ending. But silly me, I knew a big surprise ending would be worth the effort. Nope! Very predictible.

Rating:
Summary: Ouch!
Review: This is a painful experiance to read.

Overal I found it boring and cliche riddled. The characters are purely 'off the shelf' and are about as uninteresting as you can get. The science will grab you attention for a few seconds, but there is far too little of it for my liking.

After finishing 'Venus' I quite literally threw it out my window into the rubbish bin outside. Maybe you'll like it, but this sci-fi fan found it poor beyond words.

Rating:
Summary: Too much interpersonal conflict for my tastes
Review: Venus is in many ways the ideal woman of literature, beautiful, but improperly approached, deadly. Named after the mythological goddess of beauty, it is the closest planet to Earth and for years, considered the most Earthlike. Hovering like a jewel in the sky, it can sometimes be so bright that it casts a shadow. However, true to the literary femme fatale, the beauty is in appearance only. With acid in the atmosphere, hellish heat and tremendous atmospheric pressure, it is quite likely the driest atmosphere in the solar system and it could serve as the origin of the biblical tales of fire and brimstone.
Given this backdrop, it seems that it would be one of the last places humans would explore, but that is the premise of this story. A ship exploring the planet crashes and a wealthy tycoon offers an incredible reward to anyone who can land on the surface of Venus and bring back the remains of his son. The younger son, scorned by his father but with a very loving relationship with his dead brother, takes up the challenge and embarks on a mission to the planet. Another man, who has a great deal of "issues" with the tycoon, also constructs a ship in an attempt to get the reward.
In general, I enjoyed the science and engineering portions of the story. The strategies employed in the construction of the ships and the methods of navigation really kept my attention. If the story had just involved their difficulties in eliminating the bugs in their equipment, I would have given the book five stars. However, the author chose to include so many familial conflicts between the main characters that it wore very thin. It turns out that the relationships between many of the people are not what they appear to be.
Given the ferocity of the environment on Venus, constructing a plausible scenario whereby people could land on the surface and safely return is a complex and interesting tale. Cluttering it up with interpersonal conflicts takes a great deal away from that story and it would have been a better book if much of that had been left out.