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251st out of 345 books
—
593 voters
Power Play
by
Ben Bova
Dr. Jake Ross, a university astronomer, wants nothing more than to teach a few classes each semester and continue on his research. However, he is being aggressively recruited to be the science advisor to Frank Tomlinson, an ambitious politician with his eye on the U.S. Senate.
Tomlinson is in need of an edge that will allow him to defeat his opponent at the polls, and Dr. R...more
Tomlinson is in need of an edge that will allow him to defeat his opponent at the polls, and Dr. R...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
January 3rd 2012
by Tor Books
(first published January 1st 2012)
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This was even less of SF than normal. Ben Bova's books are normally very accessible (and often very mainstream rather than even soft SF) but I did get the feeling I was reading a Robin Cook thriller instead of science fiction/science fact. The characters were shallow and two-dimensional all the way through(view spoiler)...more
This book probably doesn't deserve the one star I gave it but coming on the heels of reading "Cain at Gettysburg" and its five stars, this book was very disappointing. The lead character Jake is so shallow and naive that you can't believe a candidate for US Senate would not see through him. Apparently his wife died in a horrible accident prior to the start of the book, but he's like a randy teenager, wanting to bed every woman he comes across during the course of the story. Bova doesn't name the...more
I read this novel for our Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club meeting tomorrow night (on May 14th, 2013); I was not impressed with the book, as it has very little science fiction inside, and a great deal of Politics 101 instead. (While the cover of my book proclaims that Ben Bova is “Six Time Winner of the Hugo Award”, obviously this book is not one of the six.)
On an August day Dr. Jacob “Jake” Ross is a young Professor of Astronomy, without tenure, in an unnamed university in an unnamed Western state (bes...more
On an August day Dr. Jacob “Jake” Ross is a young Professor of Astronomy, without tenure, in an unnamed university in an unnamed Western state (bes...more
General ogling at the begining. Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is she sleeping with him?Is...more
While Ben Bova is best known for his science fiction stories he brings the same expertise that he uses to forge those stories, to any story he writes.
This story fits in that category as the main science fiction aspect is something called magnetohydrodynamics or MHD for short, which is a higher efficiency method of generating electricity.
Jake Ross, or more accurately, Dr Jacob Ross’s life was plugging along very nicely thank you. He was teaching astronomy and on his way to tenure at the state uni...more
This story fits in that category as the main science fiction aspect is something called magnetohydrodynamics or MHD for short, which is a higher efficiency method of generating electricity.
Jake Ross, or more accurately, Dr Jacob Ross’s life was plugging along very nicely thank you. He was teaching astronomy and on his way to tenure at the state uni...more
I picked this out of our library's new and notable books section. After reading I'm pretty sure it's closer to new than notable.
The only sci-fi element is the energy generation system (which would be awesome if real). The book touches on some of the energy related topics in the US--the abundance of coal, trapping harmful gasses from combustion, a couple of generation processes--through its discussion of the device and its political ramifications. As far as I can tell the science seems plausible...more
The only sci-fi element is the energy generation system (which would be awesome if real). The book touches on some of the energy related topics in the US--the abundance of coal, trapping harmful gasses from combustion, a couple of generation processes--through its discussion of the device and its political ramifications. As far as I can tell the science seems plausible...more
This was difficult to rate. The book was excruciating slow. I really forced myself to finish it. Seemed like there was a lot of words wasted on very trivial detail and on the sex lives of the characters. Coming up to the end of the book, however, I began to wonder if the book wasn't actually a commentary on the people and the games played by the people in politics and universities. These are the people who would lead countiries? Are there no adults out there????? If it was the author's intent to...more
A super intelligent, kind , considerate man I know once told his wife " If you women knew what we men are thinking 90% of the time, you would kill us " So.
Have these authors aged to the point of regression? Good question.
I saw in in Heinlan's last stories and Anthony's I just cannot read anymore because of it. It is happening too much, is it a syndrome?
Publishing companies with a book a year contracts have pushed some great authors to publish some awful books and it happens way too much.
Ma...more
Have these authors aged to the point of regression? Good question.
I saw in in Heinlan's last stories and Anthony's I just cannot read anymore because of it. It is happening too much, is it a syndrome?
Publishing companies with a book a year contracts have pushed some great authors to publish some awful books and it happens way too much.
Ma...more
2/2012 How can a decent sci-fi writer move to political intrigue and revert back to early puberty thoughts projected through his main characters? Seriously, how realistic would it be to have a young widowed Astronomy professor, serving as science advisor to a senate candidate, have constant thoughts about whether this woman or that woman could possibly be interested in him romantically? Really dumb story!
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If you're writing a modern political thriller and you don't mention the candidate's political party until halfway through the book, and you never mention the political leanings of the main character who has been recruited to be the science advisor to the candidate, you are either equivocating so as to not offend half your reader base, or you are absolutely clueless about today's political climate.
I have read a number of Bova's Science Fiction books and I thought this was another one, but it was more of a political thriller with a minor bit of SF thrown in. Its style was similar to his other books I have read, but without all the SF elements and this made me feel it lacked something and without it, it was just an ordinary book.
It was a fairly quick read, there was some substance, however I found it fairly predictable.
One thing that I thought Bova did a little in his other books, but I rea...more
It was a fairly quick read, there was some substance, however I found it fairly predictable.
One thing that I thought Bova did a little in his other books, but I rea...more
If you're looking for a science-fiction story this book does not qualify. It's mostly simplistic politics and relationship fluff, for a sci-fi reader this book is a waste of time. I thought I remembered Bova as a sci-fi writer but either he's changed or I remembered incorrectly. I don't know who this book would appeal to. I don't think I'll be reading any more by this author.
A near-future Science Fiction thriller - a cross between James Paterson and Michael Crichton. This novel moves quickly as innocent Dr Jake Ross gets drawn into a world of sex and violence. However, as with most hybrid forms, it has something to disappoint everyone. See more at: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2012/0...
It's been a while since I read any Ben Bova books, but the wait was well worth it. "Power Play" is a mix of political insider and intrigue with a science-driven plot.
I adored it for being able to mix those two genres well.
If I had to fault it for anything, I would say that the ending was a bit anti-climactic, but it was still very good.
I adored it for being able to mix those two genres well.
If I had to fault it for anything, I would say that the ending was a bit anti-climactic, but it was still very good.
Not what I expected in terms of content or writing finesse. Characters I could not come to care about and the science part of this fiction was almost too small to warrant being included in this genre. Traded on Bova's name to draw people in to a very poor effort possibly written while watching American Idol or Dancing with the Stars.
This book is a disappointment, and totally incomparable to all of the other Bova books I have read. As many have stated, this can hardly be called science fiction, and is instead a slow moving, actionless, political "fight". To those who like Bova, I recommend not reading this book. To those who have not read Bova, don't pick this one, it doesn't do his writing justice.
A book that has some potential, but has too much of a generic plot line. The dialogue was stilted a lot of the time and pretty predictable. However, it was interesting to follow how the campaign was run, even though I already guessed correctly how it would all turn out.
Interesting ideas. Nice to have an author tackle politics, it is where most things get done & I have to agree with his assessment of corruption. Sad to see him take it out on the democrats, but understandable. Decent story. Loved the narrator.
I love Ben Bova, but I was kind of disappointed in this book. Partly it was my own fault, because I went in expecting a more SF experience without really reading the blurb, but partly I didn't really like most of the characters very much.
Wish I could say there is story here, but one thing I can say is when an author jars you out of the book by stopping to describe what the women are wearing preceded by the words "he could see that she was wearing" you simply want to scream "I DON'T CARE!!!!!"
Not impressed at all.
Pointless publication.
Not impressed at all.
Pointless publication.
Totally predictable with a whiny annoying protagonist and a Republican Senate candidate that supports science research, which is far-fetched to say the least.
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This is really a pretty pathetic offering by Ben Bova.
His protagonists constant whining about females is disgustingly amateurish.
His protagonists constant whining about females is disgustingly amateurish.
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Meh. Picked up because I've liked other stuff by this author and it was on the library shelf. Wouldn't really recommend it.
Click here to find it in the catalogue.
Not a science fiction book, more like political fiction. Still decent writting though.
Decent read, fairly entertaining - but i prefer his space novels. That's where Bova really shines.
A pleasant enough diversion on a hot, lazy summer afternoon.
Decent Ben Bova (he doesn't have much that sucks), but it gave me the impression that it was a book written to fill a contract, not a labor of love...
It was less science fiction and more politics than I wanted when I picked it up. However, it's a quick read with a bit of a mystery (sort of). It was good for a mindless afternoon.
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![Power Play [With Earbuds]](https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348783038s/14576520.jpg)
Ben Bova was born on November 8, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1953, while attending Temple University, he married Rosa Cucinotta, they had a son and a daughter. He would later divorce Rosa in 1974. In that same year he married Barbara Berson Rose.
Bova is an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He is an environmentalist, but rejects Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer fo...more
More about Ben Bova...
Bova is an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He is an environmentalist, but rejects Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer fo...more
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