Venus

Martin Humphries, a fabulously wealthy industrialist living on a lunar colony, passionately despises his second son, Van. Cruelly labeling him as "the runt" and bullying him relentlessly as a directionless, untalented weakling, Humphries blames Van for the death of his wife during Van's birth and, in fact, resents him for even being alive. Humphries' beloved eldest son, Alex, who Van also loved dearly, lost his life in the first manned exploration of the surface of Venus. When Humphries announces that he is terminating his son's stipend and that he is offering a $10 billion prize to the first person who recovers his beloved Alex's remains from Venus, it is quite clear that Van, who is without any other means of support, is being manipulated and forced by his own father into choosing a path that will likely lead to his death. The waters become muddied and the fight for that almost unimaginably large prize becomes a heated race when Lars Fuchs, a rock rat from the Asteroid belt and Humphries' long time corporate foe, announces he is also making a play for the prize. "Venus" won't win any prizes when it comes to literary status. Nor does it convey any subliminal moral messages, political satire, mystical symbolism or any of those other things that deep thinkers often consider necessary for a novel to be deemed truly great. But if you're looking for a hard-driving plot with palpable suspense and superb hard science fiction supported by a wealth of current hard scientific fact, then "Venus" is a novel you'll want to read. Bova's ability to weave science seamlessly into a fast-paced plot is simply wonderful - orbital and celestial mechanics, plate tectonics, volcanism, planetary evolution, chemistry, biology, physics, aerospace engineering, rocketry and more. In fact, it's safe to say that Venus, with a hostile surface environment straight out of Dante's Inferno, is the major character in the novel! But, let's take nothing away from the rest of the novel. Bova's characters, in a word, succeed! They evoke emotions in a reader fully ensnared in the action who will care about what happens. His heroes have their flaws and weaknesses but they're likable and they develop meaningfully over the course of the novel. His villains are despicable but they too evolve in an understandable human way. The dialogue is appropriate to the environment of a quasi-military space exploration vehicle. And the twist ending - well, suffice it to say that there is one! Let's not give anything away other than to say it will bring a smile to most reader's faces! Highly recommended. Paul Weiss

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!

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).

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 sweats to effectively mutilate the book's beautiful cover. In addition, this is one of a few books written in first person, and 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 Earth2. 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

I had never read anything by Ben Bova but decided on a whim to read Venus. Boy, was I ever glad I did! What an exciting story! I couldn't put it down. And I don't usually read a lot of science fiction (mostly I read fantasy and mystery). Venus reminded me of classic science fiction adventure stories of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Makes you wonder what's out there. I highly recommend this book to all readers!