Powersat: A Thriller of Technology, Terrorism, and Hope (The Grand Tour)

Award-winning sci-fi author Ben Bova has once again written an exciting, action-packed story set in the near future. Dan Randolph and his company, Astro manufacturing, have developed a power satellite capable of harnessing the energy from the sun and beaming the energy to earth. This energy will allow the United States to become independent of foreign oil. However, Dan has suffered a major setback, as his experimental space plane, which is to be used to ferry technicians to and from the powersat, has broken up on re-entry. The pilot, Hannah Aarons, was also killed. To make matters worse, Dan's company is on the verge of financial collapse. In the interest of saving is company, Dan has enlisted the advice and assistance from several others, including Yamagata Corp. and Tricontinental Oil. Also, Morgan Scanwell, a Senator from Texas, is making a run for the presidency, and Dan pitches his powersat idea to him. Morgan agrees to make energy independence a priority of his campaign. Morgan's advisor is Jane Thornton, a former girlfriend of Dan's. But is the affair really over between them? Asim al-Bashir is a middle-eastern businessman seated on the board of Tricontinental. Tricontinental agrees to loan Dan $1.5 billion to remain afloat, and al-Bashir is soon sent to monitor Astro's dealings. But is al-Bashir all he seems to be, or is there more to him? Upon viewing the wreckage of the space plane, Dan becomes convinced that the crash was a result of terrorists. But, how to prove it? Meanwhile, two of Dan's employees turn up dead; one the result of an explosion, the other from an apparent suicide. From here, Dan enlists the help of the FBI, explaining the deaths of his employees and his suspicions about the space plane. Meanwhile, Dan has agreed to back Scanwell for president. As it turns out, Scanwell is secretly married to Jane Thornton, but that hasn't kept Dan and Jane from re-kindling their romance. al-Bashir has kept in touch with his middle-east contacts and soon, a mission is planned to disable the powersat so, that instead of beaming energy, instead it will become a giant laser used for killing thousands of Americans, including the President. Will the terrorists succeed, or will Dan be able to stop them before it's too late? This book is actually a prequel to Bova's Asteroid Wars series and does a good job of giving the reader a background of Dan Randolph. I enjoyed this book very much. Bova has once again done a good job of developing the story and characters. The story itself is full of action and suspense, right up to the final chapter. I've read many of Ben Bova's books, and I would rate "Powersat" as one of the best I've read. Readers of science fiction will not want to miss this fine book.

This is not a hardcore Sci-Fi novel as some may have been expecting. Instead it takes the reader on a murder mystery journey with the added suspense of the Powersat and its fate. I enjoyed this book as it kept me coming back for more. It's somewhat like a soap opera as it is very suspenseful and contains a mystery plot with some surprising twists. And of course, it provides a dash of hope for us cornucopia minded people. Fun Read...thanks Ben Bova!

Another great book from Ben Bova. Now that I've discovered this author, I'm on a quest to read all his works. I like science fiction once again.

My review, enclosed below, was recently published in the Huntsville (AL) Times. Now in his early 70s, Ben Bova has been writing classic science fiction for over 40 years. His novels are usually set in the 21st century, chronicling adventures in humanity's early expansion into the solar system. Now, of course, the 21st century has arrived. Rather than becoming depressed that we're still stuck here on Earth, Bova seems to be energized, particularly by events of the last few years. In his latest novel, "Powersat," Bova gives us a "prequel" for Dan Randolph, the idealistic businessman hero of Bova's Asteroid Wars and other stories - and Randolph looks a lot like a younger version of SpaceShipOne's Burt Rutan. In an almost-believable near future, Randolph's struggling company has sunk billions into something he believes will revolutionize the energy industry: a solar power satellite. But completing it and maintaining it affordably depend on a reusable space plane project, grounded at the last minute. Those who extract wealth from oil, including a group of Arab terrorists, feel threatened by Randolph's project. Putative supporters come from all directions - but which ones can he trust? Through a surprisingly complex mix of characters, including some major ones who die along the way, Bova builds a predictable but intriguing plot to a suspenseful climax. "Power" here means more than energy: The power of politics is explored, and the conflict between a man and a woman, sacrificing happiness together in the pursuit of independent ambitions. The ending is well done, but bittersweet. This novel sometimes feels like a throwback - I suspect at least partly in self-parody - but the conflicts in love, lust and power are eternal, and Bova devotes much more space to them than to the technology the story is nominally about. A memorable page-turner, "Powersat" also provides a powerful message of hope for the future.

In the vast amount of pages shelved in the local bookstore's "science fiction" section, most is fantasy and what's left is mostly indistinguishable from fantasy. Once the staple of science fiction, the near-term space novel is an endangered species today. Thank goodness for Bova. His "Grand Tour" series is a monumental, if relatively uncelebrated, journey into the human adventure in the solar system that could take place in our lifetimes. Of course, predating Bova's "Grand Tour" there was Dan Randolph, Bova's industrialist hero in Privateers and Empire Builders. Powersat is a prequel to both Privateers and Empire Builders and in a sense can be seen as the beginning of the Grand Tour series. Powersat describes the beginning of Astro Manufacturing Corporation, Dan Randolph's attempt to open space to humanity, make America and freedom stronger, and (of course) make billions of dollars in the process! Randolph's first project, a solar power satellite to eliminate American dependence on oil, gives the book its title. The story shares much with Bova's earlier Randolph books... coroprate intrigue, terrorism, boardroom meetings, political philosphy, a pro-space pro-business message, and a good deal of action. Powersat is, in my opinion, one of Bova's best works. The story is solid, fast-paced, and rewarding stand alone. However, if you have read any of Bova's earlier books on Randolph (Privateers, Empire Builders, or The Precipice) you'll also enjoy scenes played out that are merely alluded to in the other books, including Dan's relationship with Jane, how Scanlon becomes president, the "alliance" between Yamagata and Astro, and the very first hints that Astro may have to move to Venezuela, among others. What is striking is how Bova pulled it off. In Dan's first book he was fighting the Soviet Union's monopoly on space (which looks, uh, unlikely to happen anymore.) Powersat uses the present reality of the war on terror as its historical backdrop. However, past occurences in the earlier books are written first hand in this book and are perfectly consistent with the complete change in geopolitical situation. Not a trivial feat. Randolph's story is a truly heroic one. Not many science fiction heroes live's may truly be lived. However, there is no reason that someone reading Powersat now may not one day build Astro Manufacturing and serve space, freedom, and the pocketbook in the same way Dan does!