Jupiter, Ben Bova

Jupiter by Ben Bova is a book written in a series called "The Grand Tour" which has a book for each planet (and some asteroids).  I like the way that Ben Bova takes some science and mixes it with some "extensions" to come up with a really interesting twists for his novels.  By "twists" I mean moral dilemmas, not surprise endings.

Started: 1/19/2011
Completed: 1/27/2011
Recommendation: Gotta be a hard core SF fan to enjoy it
Recommended By: Nobody, I like Ben Bova's stuff and saw this at a yard sale


Review:


This is a book for the hardcore SF reader.  Lots of stuff is assumed, plasma drives, AI, nanotechnology, etc.  If these terms aren't familiar to you, well, the book uses them but doesn't explain them.  There are also several instances of wild hand waving that will frustrate anyone with a science background (aerodynamics seem to be largely ignored though frequently referenced, "scoop ships" get many references but seem to defy any sort of description, and while it is possible to reline with ceramic a running engine nozzle, there is virtually no form of healthcare for the crew anywhere).  The topics evaluated are very broad (if Radar from M*A*S*H was on a space station around Jupiter, what would he do?)  and range from the ethical to religious and off to scientific rather seamlessly.  Some of the science can be jarring (walls for video, but floors that display images are unusual) but the parts that are clearly speculative are treated that way in the novel and the questions that any one of us might ask are briefly addressed (what would it "feel" like if neurons were connected directly to feedback from an engine that was giving out?).  In general, I liked the book.  It was a compelling read, had simple and easy to understand characters.  It is basically a beach book and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.