Ben Bova - Venus

Pros: action, survival, twisted characters

Cons: I want the story to keep going

Review: I have to admit, I read some of Ben Bova's books a decade ago and didn't find them too memorable. But he has been writing a lot recently, and if Venus is any indication, I need to start collecting his books again.

The only problem with...

Pros: Good read, detail, science

Cons: Somewhat predictable

Review:
Martin Humphries is an Oedipal lad who winds up in an edible spaceship, after seeking fortune and self respect on a suicide mission to Venus.

Humphries, who is referred to by his father as “Runt,” lives “la dolce vita” between...

Pros: Venus is a great location, well paced plot.

Cons: Awkward dialogue, some silly plot gimmicks

The Bottom Line: A vast improvement over Bova's earlier works. Not a perfect novel, but a decent read on a summer afternoon.

Review: Ben Bova's novel about Earth's sister planet is an improvement over his novel about Mars. The improvement comes from his scaled-down ambitions and more memorable characters. There is also the fact that Venus has a more interesting plot. Let's face it, ...