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Jupiter Project #1
Jupiter Project
Serialized in Amazing Science Fiction Magazine in 1972, published as a novel in 1975.
The Jovian Astronautical-Biological Orbital Laboratory, a.k.a. "the Can", is the only home 17-year-old Matt Bohles has ever known. Concerned about the aging space station's failure to find evidence of alien life on Jupiter or its moon, the cost-conscious powers back home have determined that all non-essential personnel must be evacuated. Now, unless Matt can somehow prove himself to be an invaluable member of the scientific team, he faces exile to a dangerous, frightening, and unfamiliar place: Earth.
The Jovian Astronautical-Biological Orbital Laboratory, a.k.a. "the Can", is the only home 17-year-old Matt Bohles has ever known. Concerned about the aging space station's failure to find evidence of alien life on Jupiter or its moon, the cost-conscious powers back home have determined that all non-essential personnel must be evacuated. Now, unless Matt can somehow prove himself to be an invaluable member of the scientific team, he faces exile to a dangerous, frightening, and unfamiliar place: Earth.
195 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
3 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Benford
574 books612 followersGregory Benford is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine.
As a science fiction author, Benford is best known for the Galactic Center Saga novels, beginning with In the Ocean of Night (1977). This series postulates a galaxy in which sentient organic life is in constant warfare with sentient mechanical life.
As a science fiction author, Benford is best known for the Galactic Center Saga novels, beginning with In the Ocean of Night (1977). This series postulates a galaxy in which sentient organic life is in constant warfare with sentient mechanical life.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 24, 2022
Benford, Gregory. Jupiter Project. Jupiter Project No. 1. 1975. Eos, 1998.
In Jupiter Project Gregory Benford, a working astrophysicist, demonstrates that he can write the kind of hard science fiction story for young adults that Heinlein wrote in the 1950s. Benford does not have the engaging first-person voice Heinlein has, but he is free of some of Heinlein’s political nuttiness. The setting is a research station in orbit around Jupiter. Our hero is the son of a couple of scientists. He is training to be a shuttle pilot. Funding is a problem. There are anomalies in the Jovian radiation belt that are messing up their equipment. Game on. Old as I am, I miss young adult stories with good science. Benford is refreshing even 45 years on.
In Jupiter Project Gregory Benford, a working astrophysicist, demonstrates that he can write the kind of hard science fiction story for young adults that Heinlein wrote in the 1950s. Benford does not have the engaging first-person voice Heinlein has, but he is free of some of Heinlein’s political nuttiness. The setting is a research station in orbit around Jupiter. Our hero is the son of a couple of scientists. He is training to be a shuttle pilot. Funding is a problem. There are anomalies in the Jovian radiation belt that are messing up their equipment. Game on. Old as I am, I miss young adult stories with good science. Benford is refreshing even 45 years on.
April 24, 2022
The gee-whiz science stuff works well, stirring curiosity for the Jupiter system, physics, even hydroponics and lab-grown meat. The 1950s gender roles straining to enter the 1970s is equally thought-provoking, especially when it steers near to the toxicity of Weird Science or Revenge of the Nerds. The casual racism — our heroes are Matt and Jenny, the fat wise cracking side kick is Zak, Ishi is inscrutable, Yuri is a liar and a bully, buuut the chief science officer is African — made me flinch but wasn’t enough to stop me.
Probably the nicest thing about this is that future space exploration and exploitation is a nonprofit science-driven project run by the International Space Administration. Please, can we have that instead of some totalitarian corporation like SpaceX making it all suck?
Probably the nicest thing about this is that future space exploration and exploitation is a nonprofit science-driven project run by the International Space Administration. Please, can we have that instead of some totalitarian corporation like SpaceX making it all suck?
December 21, 2017
If you like Heinlein, you will probably like this book a lot. It went by much too quickly and the ending was so quick.
November 19, 2020
Pages and pages of "science stuff" dumps interspersed with teenage angst but still not that bad a read. The most exciting stuff happens in the last 20 pages and then suddenly the book is over.
August 4, 2024
This young adult science fiction novel started off really well, with a refreshing character voice and a game low-g squash in a space station orbiting Jupiter. The back cover of the book spoke of stealing a spaceship and going in to danger, but that doesn't happen until the very last part of the book. I suspect the blurb focuses on that because there is not a lot of action in the rest of the book.
There are plenty of scientific explanations about the setting, but the focus of the story is really on the coming of age of the main character, and that focus is on physicality (sex and fighting).
First to the sex. There is a lot about how difficult it is to come of age on the space station since their environment is so controlled - they can't explore their sexualities or take risks like other young people. Apparently the social set up forces boys to begrudge girls because they won't put out.
I didn't enjoy the representation of women in the story - we are told that there are several female bridge officers, but really the only women in the story that get any airtime are mothers, food providers, housekeepers, and sex objects. Although the MC's girlfriend is a shuttle pilot, if the captain really wanted an experienced shuttle pilot to go on the final trip in the story he would have chosen her, not the MC, who she only just taught everything she knows. (Not to mention the tidbit that with overpopulation on Earth, only men get the jobs).
Next to the fighting. The main conflict of the story is that the MC is being bullied by another boy at the space station, Yuri. He was badly bullied as a child on earth in one incident that still gives him nightmares, and the ragging he gets from Yuri reminds him of that. (It is unfortunate that both bullying incidents involve other people of other cultures). He tries to fight Yuri a few times but the other boy is both older and bigger and he keeps losing. I was hoping that his coming of age would be to learn that physical strength isn't the answer, but no, he just digs deep and manages to kick the other guy's ***.
What happens at the end with the stealing of a shuttle and not only getting away with this incredible risk but triumphing, felt like a wish fulfilment fantasy. Overall, I wanted to like this book but I just found the machismo (even though it's a thoughtful machismo that I can tell is trying hard for the date it was published) a bit much.
There are plenty of scientific explanations about the setting, but the focus of the story is really on the coming of age of the main character, and that focus is on physicality (sex and fighting).
First to the sex. There is a lot about how difficult it is to come of age on the space station since their environment is so controlled - they can't explore their sexualities or take risks like other young people. Apparently the social set up forces boys to begrudge girls because they won't put out.
I didn't enjoy the representation of women in the story - we are told that there are several female bridge officers, but really the only women in the story that get any airtime are mothers, food providers, housekeepers, and sex objects. Although the MC's girlfriend is a shuttle pilot, if the captain really wanted an experienced shuttle pilot to go on the final trip in the story he would have chosen her, not the MC, who she only just taught everything she knows. (Not to mention the tidbit that with overpopulation on Earth, only men get the jobs).
Next to the fighting. The main conflict of the story is that the MC is being bullied by another boy at the space station, Yuri. He was badly bullied as a child on earth in one incident that still gives him nightmares, and the ragging he gets from Yuri reminds him of that. (It is unfortunate that both bullying incidents involve other people of other cultures). He tries to fight Yuri a few times but the other boy is both older and bigger and he keeps losing. I was hoping that his coming of age would be to learn that physical strength isn't the answer, but no, he just digs deep and manages to kick the other guy's ***.
What happens at the end with the stealing of a shuttle and not only getting away with this incredible risk but triumphing, felt like a wish fulfilment fantasy. Overall, I wanted to like this book but I just found the machismo (even though it's a thoughtful machismo that I can tell is trying hard for the date it was published) a bit much.
October 22, 2021
A young man grows up on a space station orbiting in the Jupiter system. The tensions between rules required for safety and the curiosity of adolescence is a background theme to this authentically described and well thought out drama. It’s perhaps a bit too preachy but those very constraints cause the spirit of rebellion to flourish. It examines the reality of fickle political goodwill for the Jupiter Project funding lifespan and argues passionately for the benefits of pure research…a topic that I personally struggle with, given the recent advance of SpaceX et al. contrasting with the concurrent destruction of the natural resources here on Earth. IMHO Humanity is hopelessly insane for wrecking its own habitat and yet is capable of being beautifully creative and inspirational with its search for knowledge.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2023
Matt Bohles is about to turn 18 on the rotating habitat in a trojan point of Ganymede’s orbit of Jupiter. With typical teen angsts he is a budding shuttle pilot and instrument designer but when the Earth-based administration inform them of drastic cutbacks, their lives are thrown into disarray. The scientific mission had as its main goal looking for life in the Jovian clouds but none had been found when the plug gets finally pulled. While debate rages about whether to abide by the decision of a mandated return to Earth, Matt performs a rash stunt with a shuttle trip to a satellite where he discovers some gunk jamming the sensors. What the gunk turns out to be is the salvation of the mission and a kind of validation for Matt. Marketed straight at teens and YAs Gregory Benford’s early tale is not without its moments.
July 24, 2022
The process was somewhat tedious and most of the book was quite commonplace. Only at the end the author stirred things a bit. I hope this mediocre exitement at the end of the book is a preparation for book 2 and last of the series. I try not to render the books I start reading as DNF. DNF nearly happened with this one. I'm starting the second just in case it gets better. If not I may dump it early enough. But it sounds promising if I believe various reviews...
March 28, 2019
A great little YA novel.
December 9, 2023
A little too much teenage boy stuff goes on in here but it's a great bit of science and escapism.
May 28, 2025
A straight forward coming of age take set in orbit around Jupiter. This title has no major surprises or twists however it’s a well told tale, a good beach read.
July 26, 2012
Good science fiction, with a 'too quick' ending.
PROS: Lot's of science; good sense of wonder; good job at mimicking Heinlein's "juvenile" writing style.
CONS: The main story line abruptly switched near the end.
BOTTOM LINE: A quick, fun Heinleinian read.
"The Can" is a research station orbiting Jupiter populated by scientists and their families. Their mission is to monitor incoming signals for signs of alien life. For seventeen-year-old Matt Bohles, who was too young to remember living Earthside, The Can is the only home he knows. When budget cuts threaten to send him back to an overpopulated Earth, Matt must prove his worthiness while dealing with family, friends, enemies and lots of space hazards.
Project Jupiter is Gregory Benford's homage to Heinlein's juvenile novels, specifically Farmer in the Sky. At least that is what is to be believed by the first Amazon reviewer of Project Jupiter, who identifies himself as the Benford. Actually, he does a pretty good job at it. It (mostly) reads like early Heinlein and even has lots of physics thrown in. For example, the space station is accurately described as "The Can"; it's cylindrical in shape with a hollow core (shuttlecraft and a makeshift squash court are kept there) and each successive rotating layer imposing a higher degree of gravity until the 1G outer level. Positioned at the end caps are pancake-shaped bags of water to block space radiation. And the opening scene, showing a squash game between Matt and Yuri, is cool and helps evoke the sense of wonder that prevails throughout the book.
The story is mainly about a rite of passage of a teen into adulthood. Here Matt must prove himself worthy to the ship's captain as well as his dad. His main competition, Yuri, is a backstabbing, conniving cheat who knows how to play the game of politics very well. There's a love interest, too, where Matt eventually gets to experience another rite of passage, if you know what I mean.
The story maintained a consistent pace until about the last 15% of the book when things went into high-speed mode. This was a good thing as far as pacing goes, since I thought the first 85% could have moved a bit quicker. But as far as plot goes, it undermined the whole story line of Matt proving his worth. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that it seemed superfluous to the main story line. At that point, it's like Benford was trying to launch a new story. According to Benford's Amazon review, his later novel Against Infinity, is a quasi-sequel to this novel where Matt is an old man, so I suspect the launch of this new story line was intentional. I just thought it was too much of a gear change at this late point in the story. It probably would have made a better opening for the next book.
PROS: Lot's of science; good sense of wonder; good job at mimicking Heinlein's "juvenile" writing style.
CONS: The main story line abruptly switched near the end.
BOTTOM LINE: A quick, fun Heinleinian read.
"The Can" is a research station orbiting Jupiter populated by scientists and their families. Their mission is to monitor incoming signals for signs of alien life. For seventeen-year-old Matt Bohles, who was too young to remember living Earthside, The Can is the only home he knows. When budget cuts threaten to send him back to an overpopulated Earth, Matt must prove his worthiness while dealing with family, friends, enemies and lots of space hazards.
Project Jupiter is Gregory Benford's homage to Heinlein's juvenile novels, specifically Farmer in the Sky. At least that is what is to be believed by the first Amazon reviewer of Project Jupiter, who identifies himself as the Benford. Actually, he does a pretty good job at it. It (mostly) reads like early Heinlein and even has lots of physics thrown in. For example, the space station is accurately described as "The Can"; it's cylindrical in shape with a hollow core (shuttlecraft and a makeshift squash court are kept there) and each successive rotating layer imposing a higher degree of gravity until the 1G outer level. Positioned at the end caps are pancake-shaped bags of water to block space radiation. And the opening scene, showing a squash game between Matt and Yuri, is cool and helps evoke the sense of wonder that prevails throughout the book.
The story is mainly about a rite of passage of a teen into adulthood. Here Matt must prove himself worthy to the ship's captain as well as his dad. His main competition, Yuri, is a backstabbing, conniving cheat who knows how to play the game of politics very well. There's a love interest, too, where Matt eventually gets to experience another rite of passage, if you know what I mean.
The story maintained a consistent pace until about the last 15% of the book when things went into high-speed mode. This was a good thing as far as pacing goes, since I thought the first 85% could have moved a bit quicker. But as far as plot goes, it undermined the whole story line of Matt proving his worth. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that it seemed superfluous to the main story line. At that point, it's like Benford was trying to launch a new story. According to Benford's Amazon review, his later novel Against Infinity, is a quasi-sequel to this novel where Matt is an old man, so I suspect the launch of this new story line was intentional. I just thought it was too much of a gear change at this late point in the story. It probably would have made a better opening for the next book.
April 8, 2015
Project Jupiter (1975) 182 pages by Gregory Benford
This book was similar in style to Podkayne of Mars, Orphans of the Sky, Double Star, Farmer in the Sky, Starship Troopers, Farmer in the Sky, you get the drift. There are plenty of stories where the young hero is in a low position or just on the outskirts looking in. A raw recruit, the son or daughter of one of the people on the remote location, a student. What distinguishes all of the Heinlein novels is the manner in which he tells it. He tries to inform us of how a particular job is done, and sometimes going so far as to say this is how it should be done. I got that feel from Project Jupiter.
There's a space station in orbit around Jupiter with a small population of permanent residents, being permanent they came in family groups (because that's the way to do it.) Matt Bohles is the 17 year old son of a couple of scientists, and he's been learning about how the station runs and some of the different jobs.
Benford starts with a zero-g game of squash between Matt and Yuri. Explaining to us how zero gravity works, at the same time we find that Matt doesn't get along with Yuri. Are you with me on how this is so like those Heinlein novels? His dad comes to him to discuss his future, saying the next ship from Earth will be here in eleven months, maybe you ought to look at colleges there. This doesn't appeal to Matt. Then we hear that the station is going to get shut down and everybody is going back to Earth, until the current budget crisis is over.
They're thinking of ways to at least leave a skeleton crew at the station, and at least for the now they'll go on with there routine. The scientists with their work. Matt and Zak go to Gannymede on their mandatory once every sixth month vacation. Matt and Zak plan on voluteering to take the rovers out to check on instrument sites. Zak sprains his ankle on the first day of their vacation and won't be able to go, but there's someone who can take his place. It's Yuri.
I don't want to give away the entire plot. The book went quickly, it was interesting, not extremely deep, but I liked it quite a bit. If you like Heinlein, this is right up your alley.
This book was similar in style to Podkayne of Mars, Orphans of the Sky, Double Star, Farmer in the Sky, Starship Troopers, Farmer in the Sky, you get the drift. There are plenty of stories where the young hero is in a low position or just on the outskirts looking in. A raw recruit, the son or daughter of one of the people on the remote location, a student. What distinguishes all of the Heinlein novels is the manner in which he tells it. He tries to inform us of how a particular job is done, and sometimes going so far as to say this is how it should be done. I got that feel from Project Jupiter.
There's a space station in orbit around Jupiter with a small population of permanent residents, being permanent they came in family groups (because that's the way to do it.) Matt Bohles is the 17 year old son of a couple of scientists, and he's been learning about how the station runs and some of the different jobs.
Benford starts with a zero-g game of squash between Matt and Yuri. Explaining to us how zero gravity works, at the same time we find that Matt doesn't get along with Yuri. Are you with me on how this is so like those Heinlein novels? His dad comes to him to discuss his future, saying the next ship from Earth will be here in eleven months, maybe you ought to look at colleges there. This doesn't appeal to Matt. Then we hear that the station is going to get shut down and everybody is going back to Earth, until the current budget crisis is over.
They're thinking of ways to at least leave a skeleton crew at the station, and at least for the now they'll go on with there routine. The scientists with their work. Matt and Zak go to Gannymede on their mandatory once every sixth month vacation. Matt and Zak plan on voluteering to take the rovers out to check on instrument sites. Zak sprains his ankle on the first day of their vacation and won't be able to go, but there's someone who can take his place. It's Yuri.
I don't want to give away the entire plot. The book went quickly, it was interesting, not extremely deep, but I liked it quite a bit. If you like Heinlein, this is right up your alley.
July 17, 2015
I prefer The Martian Race by Benford but to be fair, this book about a colony living near Jupiter was written in 1972 and people have changed since then, in our behaviour, social media and expectations.
A group of families and single people are carrying out scientific research on Jupiter and its moons. They have yet to discover life or anything very economically useful. The teenagers are the main characters we follow as the 17 year olds have spent more time in the orbiting 'Can' than planetside, with excursions to Ganymede. Their elders try to socialise them to Earth norms as they expect to be shipped back to Earth someday, but all is not so pleasant on Earth and financial support may be cut to the colony. They can't survive for more than a year or two without input, so they'll have to return. Only - the kids don't want to go.
What amazes me is how much mundane high school atmosphere percolates through this tale, with the playground bullies and awkward frustrations, competition, lying and tale telling we'd expect of much younger kids. Naturally in this environment friction can have bigger consequences, maybe deadly ones.
There's scenic views of Jupiter, a few bounces around the biodomed area on Ganymede and more interior cramped living in the Can and shuttles than most of us would want. Add the realism of space and radiation, and there's plenty of food for thought.
A group of families and single people are carrying out scientific research on Jupiter and its moons. They have yet to discover life or anything very economically useful. The teenagers are the main characters we follow as the 17 year olds have spent more time in the orbiting 'Can' than planetside, with excursions to Ganymede. Their elders try to socialise them to Earth norms as they expect to be shipped back to Earth someday, but all is not so pleasant on Earth and financial support may be cut to the colony. They can't survive for more than a year or two without input, so they'll have to return. Only - the kids don't want to go.
What amazes me is how much mundane high school atmosphere percolates through this tale, with the playground bullies and awkward frustrations, competition, lying and tale telling we'd expect of much younger kids. Naturally in this environment friction can have bigger consequences, maybe deadly ones.
There's scenic views of Jupiter, a few bounces around the biodomed area on Ganymede and more interior cramped living in the Can and shuttles than most of us would want. Add the realism of space and radiation, and there's plenty of food for thought.
February 16, 2022
Once upon a time, I found this in a library rack-remember those? The wire racks where they kept paperback books for lending. I borrowed it and read it. I remember talking to a friend about it and he sneered at it-well, he sneered at everything back then. But I enjoyed it. I really could get into it as I always had dreams of going to Jupiter. Sadly, it didn't happen and I'm starting to suspect that it might not. I had to ask reddit to find the name and then picked the book up once again. I was glad for it because the book does hold up and I even seemed to have forgotten a part of the ending which was cool to discover. I really enjoyed it. I believe there is a sequel and have it on my kindle to read...sometime.
April 4, 2009
A very nice YA book that looks at the issues of growing up in a research station orbiting Jupiter in the rather near future timeline. Good science, good people relations and a different take on the "dealing with a bully in space" issue. Benford is a Ph.D. research scientist and his painting of a research community in space, along with great details on Jupiter, are well-done. As good as any early Heinlein YA.
September 14, 2016
Disappointing story set in a space station orbiting Jupiter. Again lots of hardware but no real depth to the story with no ethics and no real sense of direction. Actually written for 12 year olds, and it shows! They must have been awfully unsophisticated 12 year olds in 1975!
August 1, 2011
Awesome book. Makes me want to be a kid again and travel the galaxy!
October 28, 2016
This is a solid read about a young man on the verge of manhood while living in an outer space laboratory. Cool.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews