#benbova — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #benbova, aggregated by home.social.
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Updates: Recent Science Fiction Purchases No. CCCXLVIII (Eric Frank Russell, Ben Bova, Pat Frank, and John Collier)
Which books/covers/authors intrigue you? Which have you read? Disliked? Enjoyed?
1. Men, Martians, and Machines, Eric Frank Russell (1955)
- Paul Lehr’s–uncredited but certainly his style–cover for the 1965 edition
From the back cover: “VOYAGE OF THE MARATHON. Even at the time when space ships were making regular voyages across the universe, the MARATHON was a remarkable craft. Powered by the Flettner system, its speed was so great that for the first time exploration of the outer galaxies was made possible.
MEN, MARTIANS AND MACHINES describes some of the great voyages made by the MARATHON. There was, for example, the planet which was solely inhabited by machines–survivors, perhaps, from a civilization in which the first machine-makers had perished. On another planet, the inhabitants had developed the power of hypnotism to a fantastic degree, so that the observer saw only what he was willed to see.”
Contents: “Jay Score” (1941), “Mechanistria” (1942), “Symbiotica” (1943), “Mesmerica” (1955).
Initial Thoughts: I’ve only indirectly explored a few of Russell’s visions. I selected this one as the Jay Score / Marathon sequence stories contain examples of early genre magazine non-white characters.
2. Forbidden Area, Pat Frank (1956)
- Barye Phillips’ cover for the 1957 edition
From the back cover: “ONLY SEVEN AMERICANS KNEW WHAT WAS COMING. The time of the enemy attack was cunningly chosen–Christmas Eve in a nation sleeping in peace.
Death would rain down from giant bombers–horror, fire and destruction.
Only seven Americans–six men and one girl in a secret room in the Pentagon–knew absolutely, factually, and without the shadow of a doubt that the United States was about to be destroyed.
They knew there wasn’t much time left. They told the brass; they reported to their general. But nobody would listen to them.
AND TOMORROW WAS CHRISTMAS EVE.”
Initial Thoughts: Yes, this might not be technically SF. However, it’s a nuclear-themed thriller that might be in Frank’s “near future.” I recently read Frank’s Alas, Babylon (1959) and wanted to read a bit more of his work. I also adore the cover!
3. The Exiles Trilogy, Ben Bova (1980)
- Uncredited cover for the 1st edition
From the back cover: “EXILED TO THE STARS! They were Earth’s best and brightest: the brilliant young generation of scientists who were the last hope of an overburdened planet.
But their breakthrough in genetic engineering threatened the despotic World Government, and they were rewarded for their success by the cruelest punishment ever devised.
Banned from Earth forever, they turned their exile into humankind’s greatest adventure. They left behind a million years of evolution and embarked on a one-way voyage across the Universe!”
Contents: Exiles from Earth (1971), Flight of Exiles (1972), End of Exile (1973)
Initial Thoughts: I am aware that these novels are most likely bottom-of-the-barrel generation ship stories. To add insult to injury, my cover is misprinted at an angle. However, I am on a (misguided?) quest to read all pre-1985 examples of the subgenre. If you’re new to the site, here’s my index on the topic. Also, here’s my most recent installment of my series: Mari Wolf’s “The First Day of Spring” (1954) and Francis G. Rayer’s “Continuity Man” (1959).
4. Tom’s A-Cold, John Collier (1933)
- Uncredited (there’s a “K” initial) cover for the 1st edition
From the inside flap: My edition came sans dust jacket. Couldn’t find a pristine edition within my price range. Alas.
Initial Thoughts: All I know about this one are a few brief mentions in Andrew Hammond’s Cold War Stories: British Dystopian Fiction, 1945-1990 (2017) and the substantial SF Encyclopedia entry that I’ll reproduce for you:
“Radically dissimilar to his most familiar work is Tom’s A-Cold (1933; vt Full Circle 1933), a remarkably effective Scientific Romance set in a 1990s Ruined Earth, long after an unexplained Disaster has decimated England’s (and presumably the world’s) population and thrust mankind back into rural barbarism, a condition out of which the eldest survivors, who remember civilization, are trying to educate the young third generation. The simple plot plays no tricks on the reader: the young protagonist, a born leader, rises through raids and conflict to the chieftainship, undergoes a tragedy, and reconciles himself at the novel’s close to the burdens of a government which will improve the lot of his people. Throughout the novel, very movingly, Collier renders the reborn, circumambient natural world with a hallucinatory visual intensity found nowhere else in his work. Along with Alun Llewellyn’s The Strange Invaders (1934), Tom’s A-Cold can be seen, in its atmosphere of almost loving conviction, as a genuine successor to Richard Jefferies’s After London (1885).”
Sounds great!
For book reviews consult the INDEX
For cover art posts consult the INDEX
For TV and film reviews consult the INDEX
#1940s #1950s #1960s #1970s #benBova #bookReviews #books #EricFrankRussell #fiction #JohnCollier #PatFrank #sciFi #scienceFiction -
Updates: Recent Science Fiction Purchases No. CCCXLVIII (Eric Frank Russell, Ben Bova, Pat Frank, and John Collier)
Which books/covers/authors intrigue you? Which have you read? Disliked? Enjoyed?
1. Men, Martians, and Machines, Eric Frank Russell (1955)
- Paul Lehr’s–uncredited but certainly his style–cover for the 1965 edition
From the back cover: “VOYAGE OF THE MARATHON. Even at the time when space ships were making regular voyages across the universe, the MARATHON was a remarkable craft. Powered by the Flettner system, its speed was so great that for the first time exploration of the outer galaxies was made possible.
MEN, MARTIANS AND MACHINES describes some of the great voyages made by the MARATHON. There was, for example, the planet which was solely inhabited by machines–survivors, perhaps, from a civilization in which the first machine-makers had perished. On another planet, the inhabitants had developed the power of hypnotism to a fantastic degree, so that the observer saw only what he was willed to see.”
Contents: “Jay Score” (1941), “Mechanistria” (1942), “Symbiotica” (1943), “Mesmerica” (1955).
Initial Thoughts: I’ve only indirectly explored a few of Russell’s visions. I selected this one as the Jay Score / Marathon sequence stories contain examples of early genre magazine non-white characters.
2. Forbidden Area, Pat Frank (1956)
- Barye Phillips’ cover for the 1957 edition
From the back cover: “ONLY SEVEN AMERICANS KNEW WHAT WAS COMING. The time of the enemy attack was cunningly chosen–Christmas Eve in a nation sleeping in peace.
Death would rain down from giant bombers–horror, fire and destruction.
Only seven Americans–six men and one girl in a secret room in the Pentagon–knew absolutely, factually, and without the shadow of a doubt that the United States was about to be destroyed.
They knew there wasn’t much time left. They told the brass; they reported to their general. But nobody would listen to them.
AND TOMORROW WAS CHRISTMAS EVE.”
Initial Thoughts: Yes, this might not be technically SF. However, it’s a nuclear-themed thriller that might be in Frank’s “near future.” I recently read Frank’s Alas, Babylon (1959) and wanted to read a bit more of his work. I also adore the cover!
3. The Exiles Trilogy, Ben Bova (1980)
- Uncredited cover for the 1st edition
From the back cover: “EXILED TO THE STARS! They were Earth’s best and brightest: the brilliant young generation of scientists who were the last hope of an overburdened planet.
But their breakthrough in genetic engineering threatened the despotic World Government, and they were rewarded for their success by the cruelest punishment ever devised.
Banned from Earth forever, they turned their exile into humankind’s greatest adventure. They left behind a million years of evolution and embarked on a one-way voyage across the Universe!”
Contents: Exiles from Earth (1971), Flight of Exiles (1972), End of Exile (1973)
Initial Thoughts: I am aware that these novels are most likely bottom-of-the-barrel generation ship stories. To add insult to injury, my cover is misprinted at an angle. However, I am on a (misguided?) quest to read all pre-1985 examples of the subgenre. If you’re new to the site, here’s my index on the topic. Also, here’s my most recent installment of my series: Mari Wolf’s “The First Day of Spring” (1954) and Francis G. Rayer’s “Continuity Man” (1959).
4. Tom’s A-Cold, John Collier (1933)
- Uncredited (there’s a “K” initial) cover for the 1st edition
From the inside flap: My edition came sans dust jacket. Couldn’t find a pristine edition within my price range. Alas.
Initial Thoughts: All I know about this one are a few brief mentions in Andrew Hammond’s Cold War Stories: British Dystopian Fiction, 1945-1990 (2017) and the substantial SF Encyclopedia entry that I’ll reproduce for you:
“Radically dissimilar to his most familiar work is Tom’s A-Cold (1933; vt Full Circle 1933), a remarkably effective Scientific Romance set in a 1990s Ruined Earth, long after an unexplained Disaster has decimated England’s (and presumably the world’s) population and thrust mankind back into rural barbarism, a condition out of which the eldest survivors, who remember civilization, are trying to educate the young third generation. The simple plot plays no tricks on the reader: the young protagonist, a born leader, rises through raids and conflict to the chieftainship, undergoes a tragedy, and reconciles himself at the novel’s close to the burdens of a government which will improve the lot of his people. Throughout the novel, very movingly, Collier renders the reborn, circumambient natural world with a hallucinatory visual intensity found nowhere else in his work. Along with Alun Llewellyn’s The Strange Invaders (1934), Tom’s A-Cold can be seen, in its atmosphere of almost loving conviction, as a genuine successor to Richard Jefferies’s After London (1885).”
Sounds great!
For book reviews consult the INDEX
For cover art posts consult the INDEX
For TV and film reviews consult the INDEX
#1940s #1950s #1960s #1970s #benBova #bookReviews #books #EricFrankRussell #fiction #JohnCollier #PatFrank #sciFi #scienceFiction -
The last novel in the Grand Tour series by sci-fi master #BenBova is #Pluto, which reflects the latest discoveries from the #NASA #NewHorizons mission. As the author of "The Case for Pluto," I was tickled to talk with space scientist Les Johnson, who wrote the novel based on the notes that Bova left behind when he died. Give a listen to the #FictionScience podcast to get the full details. https://cosmiclog.com/2025/10/31/a-fictional-grand-tour-portrays-pluto-as-it-really-is/
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The last novel in the Grand Tour series by sci-fi master #BenBova is #Pluto, which reflects the latest discoveries from the #NASA #NewHorizons mission. As the author of "The Case for Pluto," I was tickled to talk with space scientist Les Johnson, who wrote the novel based on the notes that Bova left behind when he died. Give a listen to the #FictionScience podcast to get the full details. https://cosmiclog.com/2025/10/31/a-fictional-grand-tour-portrays-pluto-as-it-really-is/
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The last novel in the Grand Tour series by sci-fi master #BenBova is #Pluto, which reflects the latest discoveries from the #NASA #NewHorizons mission. As the author of "The Case for Pluto," I was tickled to talk with space scientist Les Johnson, who wrote the novel based on the notes that Bova left behind when he died. Give a listen to the #FictionScience podcast to get the full details. https://cosmiclog.com/2025/10/31/a-fictional-grand-tour-portrays-pluto-as-it-really-is/
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The last novel in the Grand Tour series by sci-fi master #BenBova is #Pluto, which reflects the latest discoveries from the #NASA #NewHorizons mission. As the author of "The Case for Pluto," I was tickled to talk with space scientist Les Johnson, who wrote the novel based on the notes that Bova left behind when he died. Give a listen to the #FictionScience podcast to get the full details. https://cosmiclog.com/2025/10/31/a-fictional-grand-tour-portrays-pluto-as-it-really-is/
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The last novel in the Grand Tour series by sci-fi master #BenBova is #Pluto, which reflects the latest discoveries from the #NASA #NewHorizons mission. As the author of "The Case for Pluto," I was tickled to talk with space scientist Les Johnson, who wrote the novel based on the notes that Bova left behind when he died. Give a listen to the #FictionScience podcast to get the full details. https://cosmiclog.com/2025/10/31/a-fictional-grand-tour-portrays-pluto-as-it-really-is/
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📚 Cyberbooks by Ben Bova: Not great, but entertaining as a bit of retro-tech kitsch.
Read the rest: https://michaelhans.com/eclecticism/2023/09/17/%f0%9f%93%9a-cyberbooks-by-ben-bova/ (#BenBova)
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📚 Cyberbooks by Ben Bova: Not great, but entertaining as a bit of retro-tech kitsch.
Read the rest: https://michaelhans.com/eclecticism/2023/09/17/%f0%9f%93%9a-cyberbooks-by-ben-bova/ (#BenBova)
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📚 Cyberbooks by Ben Bova: Not great, but entertaining as a bit of retro-tech kitsch.
Read the rest: https://michaelhans.com/eclecticism/2023/09/17/%f0%9f%93%9a-cyberbooks-by-ben-bova/ (#BenBova)
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📚 Cyberbooks by Ben Bova: Not great, but entertaining as a bit of retro-tech kitsch.
Read the rest: https://michaelhans.com/eclecticism/2023/09/17/%f0%9f%93%9a-cyberbooks-by-ben-bova/ (#BenBova)
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📚 Cyberbooks by Ben Bova: Not great, but entertaining as a bit of retro-tech kitsch.
Read the rest: https://michaelhans.com/eclecticism/2023/09/17/%f0%9f%93%9a-cyberbooks-by-ben-bova/ (#BenBova)
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The resale shop I've been going to has slowly been putting out Bova's Grand Tour books. They clearly have a huge stash of donated books in the back and put new ones out as shelf space allows and in an entirely random fashion. I've added these two recently to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Titan. The only downside is this place wants $2 per paperback... which I can get down to $1.80 a copy with my senior's discount.
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#BenBova -
The resale shop I've been going to has slowly been putting out Bova's Grand Tour books. They clearly have a huge stash of donated books in the back and put new ones out as shelf space allows and in an entirely random fashion. I've added these two recently to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Titan. The only downside is this place wants $2 per paperback... which I can get down to $1.80 a copy with my senior's discount.
______________
#BenBova -
The resale shop I've been going to has slowly been putting out Bova's Grand Tour books. They clearly have a huge stash of donated books in the back and put new ones out as shelf space allows and in an entirely random fashion. I've added these two recently to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Titan. The only downside is this place wants $2 per paperback... which I can get down to $1.80 a copy with my senior's discount.
______________
#BenBova -
The resale shop I've been going to has slowly been putting out Bova's Grand Tour books. They clearly have a huge stash of donated books in the back and put new ones out as shelf space allows and in an entirely random fashion. I've added these two recently to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Titan. The only downside is this place wants $2 per paperback... which I can get down to $1.80 a copy with my senior's discount.
______________
#BenBova -
The resale shop I've been going to has slowly been putting out Bova's Grand Tour books. They clearly have a huge stash of donated books in the back and put new ones out as shelf space allows and in an entirely random fashion. I've added these two recently to Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Titan. The only downside is this place wants $2 per paperback... which I can get down to $1.80 a copy with my senior's discount.
______________
#BenBova -
#smallstreamers Name another #twitch stream where you'll find #informationsecurity discussion, #Startrek #picard , #dragonPrince, #wheelofTime and #benbova discussions? Right freaking here... along with my co-pilots "plant" and "Momma Kitty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkPpIcMtOE
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#smallstreamers Name another #twitch stream where you'll find #informationsecurity discussion, #Startrek #picard , #dragonPrince, #wheelofTime and #benbova discussions? Right freaking here... along with my co-pilots "plant" and "Momma Kitty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkPpIcMtOE
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#smallstreamers Name another #twitch stream where you'll find #informationsecurity discussion, #Startrek #picard , #dragonPrince, #wheelofTime and #benbova discussions? Right freaking here... along with my co-pilots "plant" and "Momma Kitty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkPpIcMtOE
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#smallstreamers Name another #twitch stream where you'll find #informationsecurity discussion, #Startrek #picard , #dragonPrince, #wheelofTime and #benbova discussions? Right freaking here... along with my co-pilots "plant" and "Momma Kitty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkPpIcMtOE
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I did not realize Ben Bova wrote a series called the Grand Tour in the 1990s and 2000s. I always think of him as a sci fi author of the 70s. Anyway, found these at the resale shop (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). $5.08 for the three. Ostensibly they're set in the same "universe" but it's not like a series where you have to read them in any order. They're mostly standalone novels.
_______________
#BenBova -
I did not realize Ben Bova wrote a series called the Grand Tour in the 1990s and 2000s. I always think of him as a sci fi author of the 70s. Anyway, found these at the resale shop (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). $5.08 for the three. Ostensibly they're set in the same "universe" but it's not like a series where you have to read them in any order. They're mostly standalone novels.
_______________
#BenBova -
I did not realize Ben Bova wrote a series called the Grand Tour in the 1990s and 2000s. I always think of him as a sci fi author of the 70s. Anyway, found these at the resale shop (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). $5.08 for the three. Ostensibly they're set in the same "universe" but it's not like a series where you have to read them in any order. They're mostly standalone novels.
_______________
#BenBova -
I did not realize Ben Bova wrote a series called the Grand Tour in the 1990s and 2000s. I always think of him as a sci fi author of the 70s. Anyway, found these at the resale shop (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). $5.08 for the three. Ostensibly they're set in the same "universe" but it's not like a series where you have to read them in any order. They're mostly standalone novels.
_______________
#BenBova -
I did not realize Ben Bova wrote a series called the Grand Tour in the 1990s and 2000s. I always think of him as a sci fi author of the 70s. Anyway, found these at the resale shop (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). $5.08 for the three. Ostensibly they're set in the same "universe" but it's not like a series where you have to read them in any order. They're mostly standalone novels.
_______________
#BenBova -
"The subject matter [for Blood of Tyrants] was something that I had been mulling over for years, the idea that our society is breeding barbarians in the decaying ghettos of our major cities, and sooner or later these barbarians are going to declare war against the civilization that produced them."
- #BenBova, 1988, 'Escape Plus'
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"The subject matter [for Blood of Tyrants] was something that I had been mulling over for years, the idea that our society is breeding barbarians in the decaying ghettos of our major cities, and sooner or later these barbarians are going to declare war against the civilization that produced them."
- #BenBova, 1988, 'Escape Plus'
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Legendary Science Fiction Author Ben Bova Has Passed at the Age of 88
Scientist, Hugo Award winner, and prolific science fiction author and editor Ben Bova passed away on Sunday, November 29, 2020 at the age of 88, Tor.com is able to confirm. The author of more than one hundred books, Bova also edited some of the genre’s best-known publications and served as the president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Word of Bova’s passing first came from Kathryn Brusco, who revealed that Bova had passed due to complications from COVID-19 and a stroke. ...
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Legendary Science Fiction Author Ben Bova Has Passed at the Age of 88
Scientist, Hugo Award winner, and prolific science fiction author and editor Ben Bova passed away on Sunday, November 29, 2020 at the age of 88, Tor.com is able to confirm. The author of more than one hundred books, Bova also edited some of the genre’s best-known publications and served as the president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Word of Bova’s passing first came from Kathryn Brusco, who revealed that Bova had passed due to complications from COVID-19 and a stroke. ...
