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My Favorites: A Collection of Short Stories
In this new anthology, Ben Bova has compiled fourteen of his favorite short stories. Each story includes an all-new introduction with compelling insight into the narrative.
Exploring the boundaries of the genre, Bova not only writes of spaceships, aliens, and time travel in most of his titles, but also speculates on the beginnings of science fiction in “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” as well as the morality of man in “The Angel’s Gift.” Stories such as “The Café Coup” and “We’ll Always Have Paris” dip into speculative historical fiction, asking questions about what would happen if someone could change history for the better. This expansive collection is a key addition for Bova fans and sci-fi lovers alike!
Stories included in this anthology: “Monster Slayer,” “Muzhestvo,” “We’ll Always Have Paris,” “The Great Moon Hoax, or A Princess of Mars,” “Inspiration,” “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” “The Supersonic Zeppelin,” “Mars Farts,” “The Man Who Hated Gravity,” “Sepulcher,” “The Café Coup,” “The Angel’s Gift,” “Waterbot,” and “Sam and the Flying Dutchman.”
Exploring the boundaries of the genre, Bova not only writes of spaceships, aliens, and time travel in most of his titles, but also speculates on the beginnings of science fiction in “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” as well as the morality of man in “The Angel’s Gift.” Stories such as “The Café Coup” and “We’ll Always Have Paris” dip into speculative historical fiction, asking questions about what would happen if someone could change history for the better. This expansive collection is a key addition for Bova fans and sci-fi lovers alike!
Stories included in this anthology: “Monster Slayer,” “Muzhestvo,” “We’ll Always Have Paris,” “The Great Moon Hoax, or A Princess of Mars,” “Inspiration,” “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” “The Supersonic Zeppelin,” “Mars Farts,” “The Man Who Hated Gravity,” “Sepulcher,” “The Café Coup,” “The Angel’s Gift,” “Waterbot,” and “Sam and the Flying Dutchman.”
338 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2020
135 people are currently reading
2282 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
690 books1,042 followersBen 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 was an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He was an environmentalist, but rejected Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer for Project Vanguard and later for Avco Everett in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. It was there that he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz later of the Foresight Institute.
In 1971 he became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death. After leaving Analog, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.
In 1974 he wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science fiction television series Land of the Lost entitled "The Search".
Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. His novel The Starcrossed was loosely based on his experiences and featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. He dedicated the novel to "Cordwainer Bird", the pen name Harlan Ellison uses when he does not want to be associated with a television or film project.
Bova was the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1996.
Bova has drawn on these meetings and experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.
Bova was the author of over a hundred and fifteen books, non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he was the Author Guest of Honor at the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000).
Hollywood has started to take an interest in Bova's works once again, in addition to his wealth of knowledge about science and what the future may look like. In 2007, he was hired as a consultant by both Stuber/Parent Productions to provide insight into what the world is to look like in the near future for their upcoming film "Repossession Mambo" (released as "Repo Men") starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker and by Silver Pictures in which he provided consulting services on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon".
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benbova
Bova was an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He was an environmentalist, but rejected Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer for Project Vanguard and later for Avco Everett in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. It was there that he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz later of the Foresight Institute.
In 1971 he became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death. After leaving Analog, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.
In 1974 he wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science fiction television series Land of the Lost entitled "The Search".
Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. His novel The Starcrossed was loosely based on his experiences and featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. He dedicated the novel to "Cordwainer Bird", the pen name Harlan Ellison uses when he does not want to be associated with a television or film project.
Bova was the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1996.
Bova has drawn on these meetings and experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.
Bova was the author of over a hundred and fifteen books, non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he was the Author Guest of Honor at the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000).
Hollywood has started to take an interest in Bova's works once again, in addition to his wealth of knowledge about science and what the future may look like. In 2007, he was hired as a consultant by both Stuber/Parent Productions to provide insight into what the world is to look like in the near future for their upcoming film "Repossession Mambo" (released as "Repo Men") starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker and by Silver Pictures in which he provided consulting services on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon".
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benbova
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
November 16, 2020
"My Favorites" is Ben Bova's handpicked collection of science fiction/ speculative fiction stories culled from decade upon decade of experience writing and editing. What really stands out in this collection is that the characters are ordinary down-to-earth folks like the Znative American construction worker who takes his skills up to the new space station or the water miner prospecting the asteroid belt with the most personable computer since Hal2000. We readers travel to Mars, to the moon, and back through time. Sometimes Bova re tells a classic like the ending for Casablanca or rearranges history. But, no matter what, the stories are easy to read, fun to explore, and simply great reads.
May 29, 2020
A collection of fourteen short stories, selected by the author, with a new introduction for each story.
There are stories on working in zero G, time travel, alternative history, bits of suspense, quite a lot of humour, and even some sci-fi-noir.
I particularly enjoyed the first story (Monster Slayer), which has a kind of "builders in space" grittiness. Not every story is that strong, with one being a tongue-in-cheek parody of a One Thousand And One Nights story, where all the storytellers are versions of Nova's sci-fi author friends. It's one of those things that is probably great fun for the author and said friends, but I found it rather tiresome.
The introductions never spoil the story that follows, and are a bit slight, not sure they add that much, but they are charming.
3.5 stars
Monster Slayer - 5 stars
Muzhestvo - 4 stars
We'll Always Have Paris - 3 stars
The Great Moon Hoax , Or, A Princess
Of Mars - 4 stars
Inspiration - 3.5 stars
Scheherazade And The Storytellers - 2 stars
The Supersonic Zeppelin - 3 stars
Mars Farts - 4 stars
The Man Who Hated Gravity - 3 stars
Sepulcher - 3.5 stars
The Café Coup - 3 stars
The Angel's Gift - 3.5 stars
Waterbot - 3.5 stars
Sam And The Flying Dutchman - 3 stars
(Kindly received an ARC from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley)
There are stories on working in zero G, time travel, alternative history, bits of suspense, quite a lot of humour, and even some sci-fi-noir.
I particularly enjoyed the first story (Monster Slayer), which has a kind of "builders in space" grittiness. Not every story is that strong, with one being a tongue-in-cheek parody of a One Thousand And One Nights story, where all the storytellers are versions of Nova's sci-fi author friends. It's one of those things that is probably great fun for the author and said friends, but I found it rather tiresome.
The introductions never spoil the story that follows, and are a bit slight, not sure they add that much, but they are charming.
3.5 stars
Monster Slayer - 5 stars
Muzhestvo - 4 stars
We'll Always Have Paris - 3 stars
The Great Moon Hoax , Or, A Princess
Of Mars - 4 stars
Inspiration - 3.5 stars
Scheherazade And The Storytellers - 2 stars
The Supersonic Zeppelin - 3 stars
Mars Farts - 4 stars
The Man Who Hated Gravity - 3 stars
Sepulcher - 3.5 stars
The Café Coup - 3 stars
The Angel's Gift - 3.5 stars
Waterbot - 3.5 stars
Sam And The Flying Dutchman - 3 stars
(Kindly received an ARC from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley)
May 19, 2020
Ben Bova has a long history of writing novels, most renown for his Grand Tour series leading around the moons and planets of the Solar system. But he has also a quite impressive list of short stories starting in the 1960s with the newest one published in 2014. As I've never read anything from this author, I welcomed this collection with 14 short stories and novelettes published between 1982 and 2014. Most of the stories are SF, with four of them set in his Grand Tour universe. But he also included time travel stories, fairy tales, and magical realism and one movie Tie-in from Casablanca. This leads to a pretty diverse collection. There was no really outstanding story in it for me, but most of them were amusing and entertaining with the exception of one time travel story "The Café Coup" which is an utterly disaster in my opinion.
This collection is not a must-have but I can certainly recommend it.
To appear October 13th 2020 by Blackstone Publishing.
GoodReads doesn't handle short stories well, entries here with all reviews and discussions are deleted by librarians quite often. That's why I review single stories on my blog and the review links below will lead outside GR.
Contents:
• ★★★+☆☆ • Monster Slayer • 2003 • Grand Tour short story • A Native American as construction worker in Earth's orbit • review
• ★★★+☆☆ • Muzhestvo • 1992 • Grand Tour short story • A Native American having fun with cosmonauts in Kazakhstan • review
• ★★★☆☆ • We'll always have Paris • 2014 • Main Stream Short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • The Great Moon Hoax, or, a Princess of Mars • 1996 • Old Mars short story • review
• ★★☆☆☆ • Inspiration • 1994 • Time Travel short story • review
• ★★+☆☆☆ • Scheherazade and the Storytellers • 2010 • Fairy Tale short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • The Supersonic Zeppelin • 2005 • Near Future SF novelette • review
• ★★★★☆ • Mars Farts • 2013 • Hard SF short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • The Man who hated Gravity • 1989 • Near Future SF short story • review
• ★★★★☆ • Sepulcher • 1992 • SF novelette • review
• ★☆☆☆☆ • The Café Coup • 1997 • Time Travel short story • review
• ★★☆☆☆ • The Angel's Gift • 1984 • Magical realism short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • Waterbot • 2008 • Grand Tour novelette • review
• ★★★☆☆ • Sam and the flying Dutchman • 2003 • Grand Tour novelette • review
This collection is not a must-have but I can certainly recommend it.
To appear October 13th 2020 by Blackstone Publishing.
GoodReads doesn't handle short stories well, entries here with all reviews and discussions are deleted by librarians quite often. That's why I review single stories on my blog and the review links below will lead outside GR.
Contents:
• ★★★+☆☆ • Monster Slayer • 2003 • Grand Tour short story • A Native American as construction worker in Earth's orbit • review
• ★★★+☆☆ • Muzhestvo • 1992 • Grand Tour short story • A Native American having fun with cosmonauts in Kazakhstan • review
• ★★★☆☆ • We'll always have Paris • 2014 • Main Stream Short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • The Great Moon Hoax, or, a Princess of Mars • 1996 • Old Mars short story • review
• ★★☆☆☆ • Inspiration • 1994 • Time Travel short story • review
• ★★+☆☆☆ • Scheherazade and the Storytellers • 2010 • Fairy Tale short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • The Supersonic Zeppelin • 2005 • Near Future SF novelette • review
• ★★★★☆ • Mars Farts • 2013 • Hard SF short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • The Man who hated Gravity • 1989 • Near Future SF short story • review
• ★★★★☆ • Sepulcher • 1992 • SF novelette • review
• ★☆☆☆☆ • The Café Coup • 1997 • Time Travel short story • review
• ★★☆☆☆ • The Angel's Gift • 1984 • Magical realism short story • review
• ★★★☆☆ • Waterbot • 2008 • Grand Tour novelette • review
• ★★★☆☆ • Sam and the flying Dutchman • 2003 • Grand Tour novelette • review
January 11, 2023
This collection of short stories were picked by the author and includes a quite wide variety. Several of the stories are set in the 'Grand Tour' universe and there are many references to characters, locations and events. Having read most of that series these were all familiar to me, but they are all self contained enough to be a decent read for newcomers. One of the stories was actually rewritten and storyline included in one of the books but I can't remember which one.
April 22, 2021
My Favorites: A Collection of Short Stories, Ben Bova, 2020 *B*
Stories included in this anthology: “Monster Slayer,” *** “Muzhestvo,” ** “We’ll Always Have Paris,” ** “The Great Moon Hoax, or A Princess of Mars,” ** “Inspiration,” *** “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” ** “The Supersonic Zeppelin,” ***
“Mars Farts,” **** “The Man Who Hated Gravity,” **
“Sepulcher,” ** “The Café Coup,” ** “The Angel’s Gift,” * “Waterbot,” *** “Sam and the Flying Dutchman.” ***
Stories included in this anthology: “Monster Slayer,” *** “Muzhestvo,” ** “We’ll Always Have Paris,” ** “The Great Moon Hoax, or A Princess of Mars,” ** “Inspiration,” *** “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” ** “The Supersonic Zeppelin,” ***
“Mars Farts,” **** “The Man Who Hated Gravity,” **
“Sepulcher,” ** “The Café Coup,” ** “The Angel’s Gift,” * “Waterbot,” *** “Sam and the Flying Dutchman.” ***
October 10, 2022
My Favorites is a collection of fourteen short stories which Bova states in the Introduction are his favorites of all his many short stories. It was released in 2020, the same year he passed away from COVID-related pneumonia. Before each story, he added an introduction to explain what inspired it. There is an Afterword titled 1491 in which he compares what Europe was like prior to Columbus to what the world is like now, on the brink of making longer leaps in to space. It's kind of poignant knowing this Afterword probably contains the last published words he wrote. He left us with words of hope for a future of exploration.
I enjoyed this collection, there were a couple stories that I thought were just OK for whatever reason but most were really good. My favorites were:
Muzhestvo: an American astronaut's initiation by Russian astronauts prior to the first Mars mission.
The Man Who Hated Gravity: a disabled, depressed circus performer finds a new calling in the lower gravity of the Moon.
Waterbot: the captain of an old, outdated water mining ship in the asteroid belt must work together with the ship's AI to survive a catastrophic event.
Ratings for each story:
Monster Slayer ****
Muzhestvo *****
We'll Always Have Paris ***
The Great Moon Hoax ***
Inspiration **
Scheherazade and the Storytellers ***
The Supersonic Zeppelin ****
Mars Farts****
The Man Who Hated Gravity *****
Sepulcher ****
The Cafe Coup ****
The Angel's Gift ***
Waterbot *****
Sam and the Flying Dutchman ****
I enjoyed this collection, there were a couple stories that I thought were just OK for whatever reason but most were really good. My favorites were:
Muzhestvo: an American astronaut's initiation by Russian astronauts prior to the first Mars mission.
The Man Who Hated Gravity: a disabled, depressed circus performer finds a new calling in the lower gravity of the Moon.
Waterbot: the captain of an old, outdated water mining ship in the asteroid belt must work together with the ship's AI to survive a catastrophic event.
Ratings for each story:
Monster Slayer ****
Muzhestvo *****
We'll Always Have Paris ***
The Great Moon Hoax ***
Inspiration **
Scheherazade and the Storytellers ***
The Supersonic Zeppelin ****
Mars Farts****
The Man Who Hated Gravity *****
Sepulcher ****
The Cafe Coup ****
The Angel's Gift ***
Waterbot *****
Sam and the Flying Dutchman ****
November 15, 2020
Disclaimer: I would like the author and publisher for providing a review copy of this book.
What scifi fan could turn down a chance to read a collection of short stories entitled "My Favorites" by a legendary author such as Ben Bova? Certainly not I. I was worried that I may have already read many of the stories in this collection, however, fortunately, most of the stories were new to me. This collection contains 14 stories that were originally published between 1974 and 2014. A self-selected collection of "favorite" stories sets a rather high level of expectation. And this collection certainly delivers. Many of the stories are gritty realistic pieces about the actual people who will eventually build space stations, mine asteroids, explore space, invent technology, etc along with more fanciful stories about those that try to improve the future through time travel to the past, and entertaining historical fiction. Some of the more memorable stories are about survival and discovery. Most contain a subtle macho sense of humor. Fortunately, to a long term fan, even the more recent stories read like classic Ben Bova, and even bring back that nostalgia of first discovering his fiction back in the day.
It is reassuring to me that Bova has published over 120 books and many short stories, since I want to read much more of his writing. This collection is an excellent introduction to the world of Ben Bova. I also recommend it to long time Bova fans.
What scifi fan could turn down a chance to read a collection of short stories entitled "My Favorites" by a legendary author such as Ben Bova? Certainly not I. I was worried that I may have already read many of the stories in this collection, however, fortunately, most of the stories were new to me. This collection contains 14 stories that were originally published between 1974 and 2014. A self-selected collection of "favorite" stories sets a rather high level of expectation. And this collection certainly delivers. Many of the stories are gritty realistic pieces about the actual people who will eventually build space stations, mine asteroids, explore space, invent technology, etc along with more fanciful stories about those that try to improve the future through time travel to the past, and entertaining historical fiction. Some of the more memorable stories are about survival and discovery. Most contain a subtle macho sense of humor. Fortunately, to a long term fan, even the more recent stories read like classic Ben Bova, and even bring back that nostalgia of first discovering his fiction back in the day.
It is reassuring to me that Bova has published over 120 books and many short stories, since I want to read much more of his writing. This collection is an excellent introduction to the world of Ben Bova. I also recommend it to long time Bova fans.
June 9, 2020
My Favorites by Ben Bova- A collection of Ben Bova's short stories is always welcome, but when the writer gets to pick and choose what he wants to represent as his favorites, it's pretty sure to please. Some of these outings stray from outright science fiction, like an imagined meeting with Rick from "Casablanca" after the war(We'll Always Have Paris), or Howard Hughes trying to convince President Kennedy not to push for a Moon landing because it might upset the Martians(The Great Moon Hoax), but there are others that conform to rigors of hard SF. Most of the stories have a feel-good vibe about them and are pleasant diversions from the relentless tension in today's space opera. They're enjoyable and go down easy. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
August 20, 2021
Ben Bova selected 14 gems spanning three decades as his "Favorite" stories. They cover the gamut of SF from alternate history to time travel, tongue-in-cheek satires to tall tales to retelling of old fables, with a little space opera thrown in. My favorites here include 'The Supersonic Zeppelin' which skewers big business and government alike; 'We'll Always Have Paris,' because who wouldn't want to know about Rick and Louie, Ilsa and Victor, plus I had to bark a laugh at the last line; and I'm a sucker for a Sam Gunn story anytime. Ben Bova will be missed but we'll always have tales like these to remember his talent, insight, and humor.
August 6, 2025
This book was okay. Many of the stories had typos which tells me either the writer or the editor didn't care, so why should I? Some of the short stories I wouldn't even call science fiction. So that was weird. If you just need any book to read and you're in a hurry to leave the library, this would definitely serve that purpose. That's what happened to me. I'll be sure to give myself more time next time.
November 6, 2022
Waterbot is simply superb!
November 23, 2020
Ben Bova has collected 12 of his short stories that he considers his favorites. They are a cross section of his fiction ranging from space adventures to the real reason behind Nixon's goof-up. There are some time-travel tales and a new twist on the ending of Casablanca. Interestingly, there was only one of the tales that I had read before, so I am very glad to have a chance to make my acquaintance with this collection. If you have not indulged in Ben Bova before, now is your chance. And if you have imbibed before, dive in and enjoy some more!
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this collection!
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this collection!
June 10, 2020
Short stories are not a favorite read of mine as they generally deal with one-dimensional characters. However, Ben Bova is a master of the short story. While the stories in this anthology were written early in his career, Bova added an accomplished writer’s editorial polish to them before including the stories in this book. I found them to be extremely well written and a joy to read.
Often, Lessor authors end short stories with cliff hangers intended to make you ponder and say ‘Wow’. But such stories leave me with a mystery or a puzzle that can’t be gladly resolved and leave me troubled. Life is already troubling and having more of it in my daily life is not what I want from my reading. I read science fiction to escape.
My favored short stories are those like the ones in Bova’s new book, My Favorites: An Anthology, as they entertain and are a perfect length for morning train commutes or doctor's office waits. Bova’s writings leave me feeling content at the story's conclusion.
My Favorites: An Anthology is a book of short science fiction stories that are a joy to read, provide an escape from daily stress, and are the perfect length for the frustrating waiting times in our daily lives.
Often, Lessor authors end short stories with cliff hangers intended to make you ponder and say ‘Wow’. But such stories leave me with a mystery or a puzzle that can’t be gladly resolved and leave me troubled. Life is already troubling and having more of it in my daily life is not what I want from my reading. I read science fiction to escape.
My favored short stories are those like the ones in Bova’s new book, My Favorites: An Anthology, as they entertain and are a perfect length for morning train commutes or doctor's office waits. Bova’s writings leave me feeling content at the story's conclusion.
My Favorites: An Anthology is a book of short science fiction stories that are a joy to read, provide an escape from daily stress, and are the perfect length for the frustrating waiting times in our daily lives.
November 17, 2020
I like all of Bova’s novels. I enjoy his very lengthy narrative and carachter development. I was doubtful I would enjoy small bites. I was wrong! I enjoyed these special short stories. Thought provoking and funny! Go into it with an open mind and have fun.
October 21, 2020
My Favorites: A Collection of Short Stories by Ben Bova is a very highly recommended collection of fourteen of Bova's personal favorite short stories. All the stories in this collection have been previously published and for this compilation a brief introduction by Bova proceeds each story. Fans will be reminded why they have enjoyed Bova's writing for years and will appreciate and enjoy re-reading his favorite stories. New readers will enjoy this diverse introduction to Bova's writing and will likely be inspired to start reading his many novels and other short stories. As with all short story collections, some will resonate with individual readers more than others, but I though that over all it represents an excellent choice of diverse stories. This is a wonderful choice of stories by an award winning master writer.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Blackstone Publishing
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/1...
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Blackstone Publishing
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/1...
November 28, 2022
Glad I read it but these short stories, though well-written, are not what I like, lacking a real lesson or twist or fascinating concept. I would not read it again. I would recommend this maybe for older sci-fi fans or just fans of dramatic short stories.
August 30, 2020
This is a collection of short stories that the author wrote over many years and are his favorites (a few are mine also). He offers a brief introduction to each to provide some background for the plot. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Ben Bova or like science fiction/fantasy.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
September 29, 2020
I normally have trouble reviewing anthologies but not this one. These are great! There is a lot of story building in these stories. I especially enjoyed Scheherazade and the Storytellers. I'm really not normally a fan of funny stories but there are a few in this set that I thought were very well written. I also hate cliffhangers and there are none here! Extra star for that alone.
If you enjoy short stories that are well told, this is the anthology for you!
If you enjoy short stories that are well told, this is the anthology for you!
May 3, 2021
Not being a science fiction fan, I thought I would at least give this popular scifi author a try. This collection of short stories, the authors favorites, were highly enjoyable. They covered all aspects of space travel from an initiation of a new astronaut by his cosmonaut trainers to a damaged and stranded rover on Mars.
Whether you enjoy science fiction or not, this collection is perfect for quick reads when you are not up for your next novel.
Whether you enjoy science fiction or not, this collection is perfect for quick reads when you are not up for your next novel.
January 21, 2021
This is a series of Ben Bova’s favorite short stories. I’ve read a couple of them before, but most were new to me. This is a wonderful collection, and not necessarily one just for Science Fiction fans. Bova is a master at characterization, and in his well-developed characters, we see a bit of ourselves. Often when I finished one of these stories I would say “Hmmm”. This is a volume to enjoy.
March 23, 2022
Short stories are the best!!
I loved every one of these stories and only think one could have been a repeat for me,but not sure read them all over three days and learned something from each one!
They are all some of the most interesting I've ever read and several merged together by mentioning characters from other stories in this collection!!
I loved every one of these stories and only think one could have been a repeat for me,but not sure read them all over three days and learned something from each one!
They are all some of the most interesting I've ever read and several merged together by mentioning characters from other stories in this collection!!
June 18, 2020
A solid collection from an excellent writer; A good variety and shows his range and his creativity. This is a safe bet for scifi and anthology fans. Good stuff.
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!
January 9, 2021
My first readings by this author. The short stories were very interesting. I enjoyed the twist during or at the end of the story. Characters were believable, even without the in-depth character buildup.
I am sure I will read more of his books this year. I will Rememberer him.
I am sure I will read more of his books this year. I will Rememberer him.
February 5, 2021
A good collection of stories
A good collection of stories - some more thoughtful and entertaining than others.
Ben Bova was one of the earliest SF writers I read when very young. Was enjoyable re-aquainting myself.
A good collection of stories - some more thoughtful and entertaining than others.
Ben Bova was one of the earliest SF writers I read when very young. Was enjoyable re-aquainting myself.
January 16, 2021
Love Ben Bova, didn’t love this collection
I read and loved many novels by the Great Bova, and so I was excited to pick up a collection of his favorite short stories. It was a disappointment.
I read and loved many novels by the Great Bova, and so I was excited to pick up a collection of his favorite short stories. It was a disappointment.
August 20, 2020
Being nearly 88, the American sci-fi writer Ben Bova is still very active, with new books getting published until today. ‘My favorites, an anthology’ is brand new, but then again it is not. The book contains 14 short stories which Bova considers his best. They were published before, between 1984 and 2014. Several stories are situated in Bova’s ‘Grand Tour’ universe but can be read without any prior knowledge. Each story is preceded by a small introduction, saying something about its background, or about its origin. The introductions could have been somewhat more elaborated though. You’re not really getting much information out of them.
Science fiction often contains a good deal of space travel, and often happens in the future. This book contains such stories, but it’s much broader than that. Some stories are set in the past, or don’t contain a lot of science, or don’t happen in space. Or all of the above. ‘We’ll always have Paris’, for example, is a sequel to the movie ‘Cassablanca’ and contains no sci-fi at all. (It’s also the only story I didn’t like at all, because this kind of romance is out of my scope of interest, and I can imagine many readers of this anthology will not expect to find this kind of story inside.)
It’s a very diverse anthology. A few stories are really about space, with spaceships and fighting and all. Real macho stuff :-) Some explain real events of the past by adding a small touch of science fiction, like a time traveller or a secret alien presence (e.g. ‘Inspiration’). In other stories, the protagonist is somebody who changes or experiences inner growth because of certain events. Most of these have some science fiction in them but that is not really what these stories focus on (e.g. ‘The man who hated gravity’).
Each story is well written and well constructed. But being so diverse, the anthology will unavoidably contain stories to a reader’s liking and others that the same reader won’t like, depending on their personal interest. On the other hand, this is exactly what makes it an entertaining anthology and what continuously keeps a reader interested in every next story to come. Despite two lesser stories this is a very recommendable book.
Rated separately, this would be my score:
****: ‘Monster Slayer’, ‘Inspiration’, ‘Mars Farts’ (reminded me of ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir), ‘Sepulcher’, ‘Waterbot’, ‘Sam and the Flying Dutchman’
***½: ‘The Great Moon Hoax, or, a Princess of Mars’, ‘The Man Who Hated Gravity’, ‘The Café Coup’
***: ‘Muzhestvo’, ‘Scheherazade and the Storytellers’ (Ted Chiang wrote a better story set in ancient Baghdad though, called ‘The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate’; see ‘Exhalation’), ‘The Supersonic Zeppelin’
**: ‘The Angel’s Gift’
*: ‘We’ll Always Have Paris’
Science fiction often contains a good deal of space travel, and often happens in the future. This book contains such stories, but it’s much broader than that. Some stories are set in the past, or don’t contain a lot of science, or don’t happen in space. Or all of the above. ‘We’ll always have Paris’, for example, is a sequel to the movie ‘Cassablanca’ and contains no sci-fi at all. (It’s also the only story I didn’t like at all, because this kind of romance is out of my scope of interest, and I can imagine many readers of this anthology will not expect to find this kind of story inside.)
It’s a very diverse anthology. A few stories are really about space, with spaceships and fighting and all. Real macho stuff :-) Some explain real events of the past by adding a small touch of science fiction, like a time traveller or a secret alien presence (e.g. ‘Inspiration’). In other stories, the protagonist is somebody who changes or experiences inner growth because of certain events. Most of these have some science fiction in them but that is not really what these stories focus on (e.g. ‘The man who hated gravity’).
Each story is well written and well constructed. But being so diverse, the anthology will unavoidably contain stories to a reader’s liking and others that the same reader won’t like, depending on their personal interest. On the other hand, this is exactly what makes it an entertaining anthology and what continuously keeps a reader interested in every next story to come. Despite two lesser stories this is a very recommendable book.
Rated separately, this would be my score:
****: ‘Monster Slayer’, ‘Inspiration’, ‘Mars Farts’ (reminded me of ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir), ‘Sepulcher’, ‘Waterbot’, ‘Sam and the Flying Dutchman’
***½: ‘The Great Moon Hoax, or, a Princess of Mars’, ‘The Man Who Hated Gravity’, ‘The Café Coup’
***: ‘Muzhestvo’, ‘Scheherazade and the Storytellers’ (Ted Chiang wrote a better story set in ancient Baghdad though, called ‘The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate’; see ‘Exhalation’), ‘The Supersonic Zeppelin’
**: ‘The Angel’s Gift’
*: ‘We’ll Always Have Paris’
June 10, 2020
My Favorites is a self-curated selection of stories from his illustrious career.
Personally, I love short stories in general. Immoral fiction that manages to fit a whole novel's worth of story building into (at most) a few dozen pages impresses me. Bova does exactly this with his stories. About a third of these are based around the vision of the future he created in his Asteroid Wars novels. Since he selected these himself, you can talk that he enjoys when his stories have humor along with a message.
While there are a few of these that I could take or leave, the ones that are good truly excel. My favorites are "Monster Slayer", "Sepulcher", and "Scheherazade and the Storytellers".
Monster Slayer is a story of falling and redemption set against a backdrop of the destruction of a way of life and the search for a future. I feel like this story was a science fiction look at how the strength inside one person can save a people.
Scheherazade and the Storytellers is a slightly tongue-in-cheek retelling of the legend of Scheherazade. It gives a possible explanation for how she could have come up with all her 1001 tales. Incidentally, it also shows the importance of collective bargaining.
My favorite though was Sepulcher. I am a logically minded person who has very specific ideas about art. Even so, the idea of a piece of alien art being a window into understanding the alien mind is fascinating and likely true. The reactions of the various characters in the story to the artwork discovered runs the gambit of human reaction to any great piece of art. A very well done story.
If you enjoy sci-fi or short stories, this collection will not only be worth picking up, it is one you will likely suggest to others.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this book.
Personally, I love short stories in general. Immoral fiction that manages to fit a whole novel's worth of story building into (at most) a few dozen pages impresses me. Bova does exactly this with his stories. About a third of these are based around the vision of the future he created in his Asteroid Wars novels. Since he selected these himself, you can talk that he enjoys when his stories have humor along with a message.
While there are a few of these that I could take or leave, the ones that are good truly excel. My favorites are "Monster Slayer", "Sepulcher", and "Scheherazade and the Storytellers".
Monster Slayer is a story of falling and redemption set against a backdrop of the destruction of a way of life and the search for a future. I feel like this story was a science fiction look at how the strength inside one person can save a people.
Scheherazade and the Storytellers is a slightly tongue-in-cheek retelling of the legend of Scheherazade. It gives a possible explanation for how she could have come up with all her 1001 tales. Incidentally, it also shows the importance of collective bargaining.
My favorite though was Sepulcher. I am a logically minded person who has very specific ideas about art. Even so, the idea of a piece of alien art being a window into understanding the alien mind is fascinating and likely true. The reactions of the various characters in the story to the artwork discovered runs the gambit of human reaction to any great piece of art. A very well done story.
If you enjoy sci-fi or short stories, this collection will not only be worth picking up, it is one you will likely suggest to others.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this book.
June 10, 2020
My Favorites is a self-curated selection of stories from his illustrious career.
Personally, I love short stories in general. Immoral fiction that manages to fit a whole novel's worth of story building into (at most) a few dozen pages impresses me. Bova does exactly this with his stories. About a third of these are based around the vision of the future he created in his Asteroid Wars novels. Since he selected these himself, you can talk that he enjoys when his stories have humor along with a message.
While there are a few of these that I could take or leave, the ones that are good truly excel. My favorites are "Monster Slayer", "Sepulcher", and "Scheherazade and the Storytellers".
Monster Slayer is a story of falling and redemption set against a backdrop of the destruction of a way of life and the search for a future. I feel like this story was a science fiction look at how the strength inside one person can save a people.
Scheherazade and the Storytellers is a slightly tongue-in-cheek retelling of the legend of Scheherazade. It gives a possible explanation for how she could have come up with all her 1001 tales. Incidentally, it also shows the importance of collective bargaining.
My favorite though was Sepulcher. I am a logically minded person who has very specific ideas about art. Even so, the idea of a piece of alien art being a window into understanding the alien mind is fascinating and likely true. The reactions of the various characters in the story to the artwork discovered runs the gambit of human reaction to any great piece of art. A very well done story.
If you enjoy sci-fi or short stories, this collection will not only be worth picking up, it is one you will likely suggest to others.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this book.
Personally, I love short stories in general. Immoral fiction that manages to fit a whole novel's worth of story building into (at most) a few dozen pages impresses me. Bova does exactly this with his stories. About a third of these are based around the vision of the future he created in his Asteroid Wars novels. Since he selected these himself, you can talk that he enjoys when his stories have humor along with a message.
While there are a few of these that I could take or leave, the ones that are good truly excel. My favorites are "Monster Slayer", "Sepulcher", and "Scheherazade and the Storytellers".
Monster Slayer is a story of falling and redemption set against a backdrop of the destruction of a way of life and the search for a future. I feel like this story was a science fiction look at how the strength inside one person can save a people.
Scheherazade and the Storytellers is a slightly tongue-in-cheek retelling of the legend of Scheherazade. It gives a possible explanation for how she could have come up with all her 1001 tales. Incidentally, it also shows the importance of collective bargaining.
My favorite though was Sepulcher. I am a logically minded person who has very specific ideas about art. Even so, the idea of a piece of alien art being a window into understanding the alien mind is fascinating and likely true. The reactions of the various characters in the story to the artwork discovered runs the gambit of human reaction to any great piece of art. A very well done story.
If you enjoy sci-fi or short stories, this collection will not only be worth picking up, it is one you will likely suggest to others.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this book.
September 13, 2023
Occasionally, I like to read just for fun, and when I do, I sometimes turn to the kind of books I enjoyed reading as a teenager: science fiction. I don't ever recall reading a collection of SF short stories, and Ben Bova was a good place to start. He is an award-winning author in the genre. Because I rarely read SF books these days, I was a bit surprised to find that many of Bova's stories don't take place out in deep space or far into the future. Several of the stories in this collection are set on earth within the last 150 years or so. A few of them I wouldn't even classify as SF at all, but more like alternate realities of the past.
This collection does include some stories about space travel and the distant future. Perhaps my favorite selection that fits in these categories, “Sepulcher,” is about a work of art created by alien intelligence from the remote past that is traveling around the solar system on an asteroid. This tale is an exaggerated metaphor for the mesmerizing power that art has on each beholder and how individuals bring their own life experiences, for better or worse, to their interpretation of creative works.
Another interesting tale is “Waterbot,” which is particularly relevant now because it explores the idea of the future of artificial intelligence, very much in the same way that Arthur C. Clarke did with 2001: A Space Odyssey and the onboard ship computer, Hal 9000. Not all of Bova's stories here are winners, and a few missed the mark for me, but overall the book was entertaining -- good enough for me.
This collection does include some stories about space travel and the distant future. Perhaps my favorite selection that fits in these categories, “Sepulcher,” is about a work of art created by alien intelligence from the remote past that is traveling around the solar system on an asteroid. This tale is an exaggerated metaphor for the mesmerizing power that art has on each beholder and how individuals bring their own life experiences, for better or worse, to their interpretation of creative works.
Another interesting tale is “Waterbot,” which is particularly relevant now because it explores the idea of the future of artificial intelligence, very much in the same way that Arthur C. Clarke did with 2001: A Space Odyssey and the onboard ship computer, Hal 9000. Not all of Bova's stories here are winners, and a few missed the mark for me, but overall the book was entertaining -- good enough for me.
June 14, 2020
This collection of short stories, selected by the author as his personal favorites, features several standout stories, including the Nebula-nominated Inspiration, as well as Muzhestvo, a prequel short to his Mars series and Sam and the Flying Dutchman, a story in his well-loved SF/caper series featuring the intergalactic conman Sam Gunn. Several play with themes of alternate history, both in the fictional post-World War II Casablanca followup, We’ll Always Have Paris, and in his story about a well-meaning but ultimately futile attempt to avoid the horrors of that war and what came after, in The Cafe Coup. Three humorous stories, The Great Moon Hoax, Scheherazde and the Storytellers, and The Supersonic Zeppelin, poke good-natured fun at (respectively) alien invasions, the origins of SF/F, and government aerospace contracts while both maintaining and lampooning, the genre from which they sprang.
VERDICT: This collection has something for all SF readers. However, as good as these stories are, this is not an essential collection. All of these stories have been published previously, nearly all in The Best of Bova. However, Bova is one of the grandmasters of the field, and this collection reflects the breadth of his writing. Recommended for readers looking for an introduction to this author, and for libraries that do not have the more complete collection.
VERDICT: This collection has something for all SF readers. However, as good as these stories are, this is not an essential collection. All of these stories have been published previously, nearly all in The Best of Bova. However, Bova is one of the grandmasters of the field, and this collection reflects the breadth of his writing. Recommended for readers looking for an introduction to this author, and for libraries that do not have the more complete collection.
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