Venus

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: Though obviously set within the same continuum that gave us both the "Moonrise" books and the Mars series, Ben Bova's "Venus" aims to set itself apart from either of the two. In "Venus", set in the middle of the next century, a ruthless millionaire offers an even $10 billion (what will that buy in 50 years?) to the first person who can retrieve the remains of his eldest son from the surface of Venus. Martin Humphries first son apparently died while trying to land on Venus years ago. His surviving son, Van, is a whiny, spoiled brat who suffers from a rare and incurable anemia. In a stroke of irony, Bova makes Van (as unsympathetic a character as you can get) the hero. Van is no fearless strapping pioneer - he explores planets using VR goggles - but his love for his dead brother draws him to Venus. (Also pushing him is the prospect of the prize money, since Van's father has cut off Van's stipend to pay for it.) Also vying for the prize is the mysterious Lars Fuchs. An old enemy of Humphries, Fuchs made his fortunes as a "rock rat", a sort of wildcat driller essentially exiled to the asteroid belt. The enmity between the two provides some of the mystery to the story. Though Humphries is the typical villain in the Bova mold (an anti-environmentalist tycoon, essentially evil incorporate), Fuchs is clearly a throwback to the mysterious genius of Verne - of dark moods, many secrets, oversized ego and an ominous sense in naming his spaceships (Fuch's mothership is named "Lucifer"; the descent module is named "Hecate" after the underworld goddess worshipped by many a coven). Bova even tosses in a sort of love-interest in the beautiful Marguerite Duchamp. When tragedy strikes, and the two must throw their lot in with the enigmatic Fuchs, Bova is deliberately vague about what Duchamp must do to protect Humphries from his father's seemingly unbalanced rival.

But the real star is Venus, one of those nearby worlds that approximates hell. Closer to the sun, it's exposed to more heat than Earth. Ringed by clouds of sulfuric acid, Venus is unable to vent its heat. Unable to hold liquid water, life (as we know it) is an unlikely find. Worse, because the lack of water has also frozen the movement of the planet's upper crust, volcanic pressure of Venus's core has been steadily building up without release, turning the planet into a geological time-bomb. With its slower planetary rotation, Venus accepts the brunt of the sun's energy on one side, (the "subsolar"), generating huge storms called "super-rotations". Bova makes all of this clear to the reader because he not uses Van as the narrator but makes Van something approachable to readers - a planetologist making the leap, not from one planet to another, but from a virtual version of one planet to another. The moralism of the Moonrise and Mars books (the corporatization of planets, and the hypocrisy of those who oppose exotic technologies) is lightened here, though expensive technology firmly demarcates the line between haves and have-nots more forcefully than in those other books. Though Van's transformation to hero is a bit too pat, and there's little-enough sense of time or tension as to what the landing will find when he lands, and even the landing doesn't get the build-up it deserves, but "Venus" still excels. "Venus" will probably be ruined by a sequel, but it will probably be at least as good as the sequel to "Mars", and it definitely deserves one more than "Moonrise" did.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting science, terrible story.
Review: I approached this novel as a fan of good literature, not as a SF fan, so maybe I am the wrong audiance. But after recently reading SF classics like Stapledon's Last and First Men and Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea I have begun to understnad what good SF is and how powerful it can be. SF can be great lit. Unfortunatly this novel is not an example of that and it pales in comparison to those novels. Bova cares very little for his characters, he ignores his plot and uses all the aspects of storytelling as merely a vehicle to talk about the possibilities of treking to Venus. I admit some of his scientific ideas appear well researched and are very interesting, but the rest of the book is packed with cliches, flat characters and rediculous plot devices. This may appeal to fans of Bova, or fans of SF, but not to someone looking for a great story or good literature.

Rating:
Summary: I was gravely disappointed. . .
Review: . . .with this shallow, unbelievable novel.

Ben Bova has, over the years, provided the Science Fiction reader with solid "hard-science" fiction novels, set in the near future, exploring technological ideas which are reasonable. Although character development has never been his strong suit, this has not, to my mind, been a significant detraction.

Until now.

In this novel, Bova's reliance on science is far weaker than in his novels dealing with Mars or the Moon -- and bases his plot around a totally unsympathetic, whining, spoiled brat of a pseudo-scientist who travels to Venus in order to prove to his equally unpleasant father that he is, in fact, a man.

Along the way, we are treated to some truly pathetic episodes drawn from soap opera plots and the worst that pulp science fiction has to offer. The sulfer-based bacteria creatures in the atmosphere was believable -- but the molten-lead eating tentacled monster? Come on, Mr. Bova! You can -- and have -- done better than this.

All in all, a huge disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Attracts Non Science Fiction Readers
Review: I usually don't read science fiction, but the cover of this book caught my eye in the bookstore. For people who aren't readers of science fiction, this book is a good introduction to the genre. It is an excellent, can't-put-it-down read. The author describes everything so well that you can picture it in your mind. Because of this book, I've become a fan of Ben Bova and plan to purchase all of his books.

Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet
Review: What a tough task for me, to choose a rating for this book, and write a small editorial. Because I enjoyed reading Venus, but felt it could've been a lot better; on the other hand, I also have the feeling that Mr. Bova realizes it could have been better, but had a goal for quick, easy, light reading.

That was my main problem with Venus. It was a little too quick, easy, and light. While I enjoyed the storyline, at times it seemed more like I was reading a comic book or watching a soap-opera than a novel. Again, I think the comic book effect seemed to be what he was shooting for, though!

To his credit, it was very fast-paced... there's a lot of action for such a short novel! Often SciFi can be cumbersome to read, as some authors overdo the scienctific explanations and fantasies, and historical backgrounds. Bova is very straight and to the point though....that's where it's hard to explain, that a strength is like a weakness, because at times I would've liked the book to get a little deeper than it does!

One of the big revelations/turning points might remind you a little bit of one of the big plot twists in Star Wars. I won't give out any more info. on it though, not to spoil it!

The main character, Van Humphries, is indeed a very unique one...spacey, sickly, naieve...but of course he pulls it together.

So overall not bad...it was my first Bova, although I will say I know he is capable of better, because I'm about 100 pages into Mars right now and can tell it's a much more solid piece of novelism. I'll post a review on Mars soon!

Rating:
Summary: The best novel on Venusian exploration ever written...,
Review: In terms of readability and the skill in employing credible scientific facts, I found Venus better than Robinson's Mars Trilogy, Herbert's Dune series, and even Asimov's Foundation series

Although some of the plots are predictable, its rate of screams/page is enough to make your hands sweat to effectively mutilate the book's beautiful cover. In addition, this is one of a few books written in first-person narrative, which I found pretty pleasurable, as if reading a veteran explorer's diary.

Plus, you get informed about some of the most discussed speculations in the fields of science. The following are among a few:

1. Green house effects on both Venus and Earth

2. A complete walk-through of the Venusian atmosphere and how to design, build, and navigate your spacecraft through it.

3. The search for extra-planetary life.

There is a great deal more to this novel; you'll be surprised at how much the 400-pages of text will add to your reservoir of knowledge

Rating:
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: I loved Ben Bova's "Mars," so I was looking forward to "Venus." I was disappointed, to say the least. "Mars" was good because it integrated likable, interesting characters into a believable plot, and described both space travel and planetary exploration in engrossing detail that never got boring. "Venus" felt like a gyp. Mostly it was just a soap-operaish plot with unlikable characters (even the protagonist wasn't particularly likable) and very little sense of wonder, as there was during "Mars."

I'm going to read "Jupiter" next, and I hope it has more in common with "Mars" than with "Venus."

Rating:
Summary: Jules Verne goes to Venus
Review: This was just my second Bova book. His writting style reminds me of my youth when I first started reading books by Edgar Rice Borroughs and Jules Verne. Once I started a book, I couldn't put it down. All the while reading this, I was thinking Nataulis and Captain Nemo. Well done Bova!

Rating:
Summary: Exhilarating!
Review: This is the first of Ben Bova's books that I have read, and I found it to be exhilarating. It was a very exciting read that while leaving you on the edge of your seat, firmly planted on Earth, led you on an unbelievable journey to Venus. Ben Bova allows you to open your mind in science, as well as your heart, for his characters. His descriptions of Venus' blazing surface and throat-closing atmosphere were so detailed, that I don't think I'll be taking a sauna anytime soon!

Rating:
Summary: Worth a read.
Review: This book is intruiging and imaginative. It is a seemingly tasteful blend of science and the human condition. I must say that I have not yet read a book quite like this one. The book focuses strongly on character development and dynamics. I truly grew attached to the characters in this novel and I was rather disappointed that the book had to end. I want more!!! I want the story to go on indefinitely!!!!

A great read, this book is well worth your time. I conjecture that this book will be a unique speculative fiction adventure for anyone who reads it (regardless of whether or not your are an astronomy fan).