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Ben Bova
Ben Bova in 1974
Born	(1932-11-08) November 8, 1932 (age 79) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation	Novelist, short story author, essayist, journalist
Genres	Science fiction
www.benbova.net

Benjamin William Bova (born November 8, 1932) is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970s.

Personal life[link]

Ben Bova was born on November 8, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1953, while attending Temple University in Philadelphia, 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.^[1] Barbara Bova died on September 23, 2009.^[2]

Bova was an avid fencer in his younger days, and organized Avco Everett's fencing club.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Bova worked as a technical writer for Project Vanguard in the 1950s and later for the Avco Everett Research Laboratory^[3] in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. At Avco Everett he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz (later of the Foresight Institute).

In 1972, Bova became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death in 1971. At Analog, Bova won six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor. After leaving Analog in 1978, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.^[4]

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 served as the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost,^[4] leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode (1973). His novel The Starcrossed, loosely based on his experiences, featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. Bova 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 holds the position of President Emeritus of the National Space Society and served as President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) from 1990 to 1992.

Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ed.D. (from California Coast University) in 1996.

Bova has drawn on his experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.

As of 2010^[update], Bova has written over 115 books - non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he attended the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000) as the Author Guest of Honor.

Recently, Hollywood has taken an interest in Bova's works due to his wealth of knowledge about science and about what the future may look like. In 2007, Stuber/Parent Productions hired him as a consultant to provide insight into what the world may look like in the near future for their film Repo Men (2010) starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker; also in 2007 he provided consulting services to Silver Pictures on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's novel Altered Carbon. In 2007, Velocity Management became Ben Bova's literary manager.^[5]

Bibliography[link]

Collections[link]

• Forward in Time (1973)
• Maxwell's Demons (1979)
• E (1984)
• The Astral Mirror (1985)
• Prometheans (1986)
• Battle Station (1987)
• Future Crime (1990)
• Challenges (1994)
• The Future Quartet - Earth in the Year 2042 (1995)
• Twice Seven (1998)

[edit] Exiles

• Exiled from Earth (1971)
• Flight of Exiles (1972)
• End of Exile (1975)

[edit] Grand Tour

Bova's Grand Tour series of novels presents a fictional treatment of human colonization of the Solar System in the late 21st century. Bova addresses the issue of chronology in this series on his website:

Such a chronology is difficult to compose, because many of the novels overlap one another in time. Mars and Moonrise, for example, overlap considerably. Given that caveat, here is an approximate time sequence for the Grand Tour novels. Remember, however, that any of these novels can be read completely independently of the others. There is no need to read the novels in any particular order.^[6]

The internal chronology of the series lacks complete consistency.

• Powersat (2005) - CEO Dan Randolph of Astro Corp. has a dream of providing a desperate world with tons of energy; provided by solar satellites located in geosync orbit around the Earth, and wirelessly transferred. However, stubborn politicians, and oil companies make the way hard; but Dan has built a space plane that will drastically reduce transportation costs, making way for cheaper and easier constructed Powersats. But when the space plane blows up upon re-entering the atmosphere, Randolph is convinced that it may not be an accident; as a shadowy terrorist group threatens to bankrupt him, and even kill him.
• Privateers (1985; immediately precedes Empire Builders, with most of the same cast of characters, but with an alternate history including a still-extant Soviet Union, because Bova wrote it before the U.S.S.R. collapsed.)
• Empire Builders (1993)
• Mars (1992) - Navajo geologist Jamie Waterman is surprised to find that he will be going on the first mission to Mars, as part of the landing crew. They will only have a few months to explore the Red Planet; a few months to prove that this world is worth another mission, as this one took decades to put together. With limited supplies, the six men and women set out to explore the top of Mt. Olympus and the bottom of Valles Marineris; having only each other to rely on. As the book draws to an end Waterman makes one of the biggest discoveries in the System, and finds a clue of even a bigger one.
• Moonrise (1996; The Moonbase Saga, v. 1) - Moonbase is an old lunar outpost, maintained by Masterson Corporation; it bleeds money, and most members of the Board disprove of it. However, old astronaut, and new husband to Joanna (née Masterson) and CEO of the Board, has a dream of creating a sustainable colony on the Moon; but not everyone agrees with him, or his marriage.
• Return to Mars (1999)
• Moonwar (1998; The Moonbase Saga, v. 2) - the fanatical group "New Morality", along with their sister organizations the "Holy Disciples" and "Sword of Islam" have gained global support and power; and are dead set against anything to do with nanotechnology, which they call the "Devil's work". So when the last nations on Earth ban the practice, Moonbase is all that is left of a technology that could potentially save the entire Earth; granting asylum for a few runaways. But when the UN starts to send troops over, Director Douglas Stavenger declares independence; and begins a war that will see no one dead or all of them.
• Venus (2000) - Van Humphries is the younger of the two sons of Martin Humphries; a man who ultimately despises him, and regards him as a weakling. Van's older brother, Alex, was always there to protect him, until his death on the first crewed mission sent to touch down on Venus. Now three years later, Martin Humphries is offering a 10-billion dollar reward to anyone who can bring his elder son's body home...from the hellish surface of Earth's sister. Van is bent on proving his father view of him wrong, while rescuing his beloved brother's body; and 10-billion dollars, which he desperately needs, as his father has cut off his "allowance". But as Van and his crew near Venus, Lars Fuchs comes racing out of the belt; determined to find Alex's body, and receive the reward from his nemesis M. Humphries. Unpredicted problems, and grand discoveries are made and prove disastrous, as the two crews are brought together..somewhat.
• The Precipice (2001; The Asteroid Wars, v. 1)- when Billionaire Martin Humphries comes to CEO of Astro Corp, Dan Randolph, and freely offers him a fusion space propulsion design, Dan is at the very least curious; but with his company near bankruptcy, the "bold astronaut" has no choice. However, Dan realizes that he may have gone too far this time.
• Jupiter (2001)
• The Rock Rats (2002; The Asteroid Wars, v. 2) - Martin Humphries returns to complete his conquest of the Asteroid Belt, along with it riches of water and metal ores; but first, two rivals stand in his way. The first being Pancho Lane, new member on the Board of Astro Corp. The second being Lars Fuchs, an independent miner who has a dream of building a space habitat in orbit above Ceres. Each begins to raise the ante, and none are willing to back down.
• The Silent War (2004; The Asteroid Wars, v. 3)
• Saturn (2002) - the space habitat Goddard is launched from Earth, on a two-year journey to Saturn; twice as far from the Sun as anyone has gone or lived before. The habitat is made up of ten thousand people; most of whom are exiles from Earth, thrown out by the New Morality, Holy Disciples or Sword of Islam. As the habitat goes further into deep space, some begin to plot and scheme; to create a new society in their eyes. However, most don't realize that they are all part of an experiment.
• Mercury (2005)
• Titan (2006, John W. Campbell Memorial Award)
• The Aftermath (2007; The Asteroid Wars, v. 4) - The novel begins at the destruction of the original Chrysalis habitat at Ceres; but with the view from the family aboard the Syracuse. As the family's ship is attacked, Victor the father separates the command module from the rest of the ship to draw the attackers away; but leaves his family no way of getting home, as they drift on a 5-year orbital journey. After life-altering changes, Dorn and Elverda travel the Asteroid Belt searching for the bodies of the dead who perished in the Asteroid Wars; but Martin Humphries is bent on destroying both of them. Kao Yuan is the captain of the spacecraft "Viking", which is on the mission to kill Dorn & Elverda; however, Humphries' former lover, Tamara is the real commander, and she begins to have plans of her own. Eventually, Fate brings all these people together at the right moments in order to restore Humanity, and bring justice.
• Mars Life (2008) - Jamie Waterman is back as Director of the Mars Program; along with his wife Vijay, the beautiful Indian-Aussie, and Dex Trumball, the Director of the Board in charge of Mars financing. The death of his son bring Waterman and his wife back to Earth, and puts them both in a slump. Over the years, the New Morality has slowly been taking over the American government, and gaining power; the NM restricts and censors anything that is a threat to them, and hide behind religion. One of their biggest concerns is the Mars program, which is taking money away from projects that would benefit the dystopian-style Earth. As money is slowly cut off from Mars, Dex & Jamie rush to find a solution to keeps the exploration of Mars open; however both have different views. Waterman wants to preserve the Martian life and culture, while Dex is willing to open Mars up to wealthy tourists. The Navajo scientist and Vijay return to Mars in time of great discovering; a Martian village and relics have been found, as well as what might be a graveyard, holding remains of an ancient, intelligent Martian race. Jamie struggles to find the balance of things, as time and money begin to run out; and the answer could be found in his dreams.
• Leviathans of Jupiter (Feb 2011)

According to [1], Bova suggested that the books can be read chronologically as followed; Powersat, Empire Builders, Moonrise, Mars, Moonwar, Return to Mars, The Precipice, Jupiter, The Rock Rats, The Silent War, Saturn, Titan, The Aftermath, Mercury, Mars Life, Venus, and Leviathans of Jupiter.

Bova also published a short story collection including stories that span much of the timeline^[6]:

• Tales of the Grand Tour (2004)

[edit] Sam Gunn

• Sam Gunn, Unlimited (1993) (short- story collection)
• Sam Gunn Forever (1998) (short-story collection)
• Sam Gunn Omnibus (2007)

Chet Kinsman[link]

• The Weathermakers (1967) Back-story of a major character from Millennium
• Millennium (1976)
• Colony (1978)
• Kinsman (1979)
• The Kinsman Saga (1987) (combines Millennium (1976) and Kinsman (1979); includes introduction and narrative by Bova explaining the reworking of these two novels)

Non-series novels[link]

• Out of the Sun (1968)
• Escape! (1969)
• THX 1138 (with George Lucas) (1971), based on the film THX 1138
• When the Sky Burned (1972)
• Gremlins, Go Home! (with Gordon Dickson) (1974)
• The Starcrossed (1975)
• City of Darkness (1976)
• The Multiple Man (1976)
• Test of Fire (1982) (A revised version of When the Sky Burned)
• The Winds of Altair (1983)
• Peacekeepers (1988)
• Cyberbooks (1989)
• The Trikon Deception (with Bill Pogue) (1992)
• Triumph (1993), ISBN 0-312-85359-9 (alternate-history work, set at the end of World War II, in which Winston Churchill plots the assassination of Joseph Stalin, and in which Franklin D. Roosevelt lives past 1945)
• Death Dream (1994)
• Brothers. NEL. 1995. ISBN 0-450-61335-6.  - expanded edition later republished as The immortality factor
• The Green Trap (2006)
• Laugh Lines (2008) (A collection of short stories, 'The Starcrossed' and 'Cyberbooks')
• The immortality factor. Tor. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7653-0525-1.  - earlier shorter edition published as Brothers
• The Hittite (2010) (A retelling of The Illiad)
• Able One (2010)

[edit] Orion

• Orion (1984)
• Vengeance of Orion (1988)
• Orion in the Dying Time (1990)
• Orion and the conqueror (1994)
• Orion Among the Stars (1995)
• Orion and King Arthur (2011)

[edit] To Save the Sun

• To Save the Sun (with AJ Austin) (1992)
• To Fear the Light (with AJ Austin) (1994)

[edit] Voyagers

• Voyagers (1981)
• The Alien Within (1986)
• Star Brothers (1990)
• The Return (2009)

[edit] Watchmen

• The Star Conquerors (1959)
• Star Watchman (1964)
• The Dueling Machine (1969)
• As on a Darkling Plain (1972)

Non-fiction[link]

• The Amazing Laser. Westminster Press. 1971. ISBN 0-664-34003-2. 
• Man Changes the Weather (1973)
• In Quest of Quasars. Signet. 1975. ISBN 0-451-61411-9. 
• Starflight and Other Improbabilities, Westminster Press, 1973, ISBN 0-664-32520-3
• Notes to a Science Fiction Writer, Houghton Mifflin paperback, 1981
• The High Road, Houghton Mifflin hardcover, 1981, ISBN 0-395-31288-4
• Assured Survival: Putting The Star Wars Defense In Perspective, UG743.B68 (1984)
• Welcome to Moonbase, Ballantine hardcover, 1987
• The beauty of light. John Wiley & Sons. 1988. ISBN 0-471-62580-9. 
• The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells, Writers Digest Books, 1994, ISBN 0-89879-600-8 (a guide to writing fiction of any genre)
• Immortality (1998)
• Are We Alone in the Cosmos? (1999)
• The Story of Light (2001)
• Faint Echoes, Distant Stars: The Science and Politics of Finding Life Beyond Earth (2004)
• "Across my life ...". Analog 130 (1&2): 112–114. Jan/Feb 2010. 

Anthologies edited[link]

• The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two, (1973), Volume two A OCLC 12264834 and Volume two B OCLC 12264899
• Aliens. Orbit. 1977. ISBN 0-86007-958-9. 
• The Best of the Nebulas (1989), ISBN 0-312-93175-1
• The Many Worlds of Science Fiction (1971), SBN: 0-525-34550-7

Short fiction[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ben Bova official site, sponsored by author
• Ben Bova at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Ben Bova at the Internet Book List
• An audio interview with Ben Bova (MP3 format) from Hour 25
• 25-page excerpt from Mars Life in PDF
• Mars Life: Mankind’s Future in Space by Ben Bova
• Interview on the SciFiDimensions Podcast
• Works by Ben Bova on Open Library at the Internet Archive
• Several electronic books (eBooks) written by Ben Bova are available in the Works by Ben Bova at Project Gutenberg for free.

Scott Brick (born (1966-01-30)January 30, 1966 in Santa Barbara, California), is an American actor and writer and a prolific, award-winning narrator of hundreds of audiobooks, including In Cold Blood, Dune, and Fahrenheit 451. He has narrated works for a number of high profile authors including Joseph Finder, Nelson DeMille, Brad Meltzer, Stephen R. Donaldson, Nathaniel Philbrick, Terry Brooks, Frank Herbert and Brian Herbert, Orson Scott Card, Steve Berry, Gene Wilder, Tom Clancy, Philip K. Dick, David Baldacci, Dennis Lehane, Douglas J. Preston, Lincoln Child, Stephen J. Cannell, Michael Crichton, John Grisham, Clive Cussler, Robert Ludlum, Ayn Rand, and Isaac Asimov, among others.

Career Overview[link]

Audiobooks[link]

In 2001, Brick began narrating audiobooks and soon found himself a popular choice for agencies and authors alike. AudioFile Magazine named him “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy"^[1] and in a front-page article in November 2004, The Wall Street Journal declared him "a golden voice."^[2] In 2007, Brick was named Narrator of the Year by Publishers Weekly.^[3] To date, he has won over 40 Earphone Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for his work on Dune: The Butlerian Jihad in 2003.

With over 400 recordings under his belt and a rapidly increasing demand for his talents, Scott formed his own audiobook studio with the goal of streamlining production and ensuring consistency throughout his body of work. On May 16, 2008, Brick By Brick Audio released Stephen R. Donaldson's Lord Foul's Bane and Fatal Revenant, and by April 4, 2009 the other two titles in the initial trilogy, The Illearth War and The Power That Preserves, had been completed and released. When completed, this debut project will result in new unabridged audio narrations of all 10 of the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever:

The First Chronicles trilogy was released in print from 1977 to 1979, The Second Chronicles trilogy was released in print from 1980 to 1983 and The Last Chronicles tetralogy released in print and audio format from 2004 to 2013.

In addition to the Thomas Covenant productions, Brick has been working on creating unabridged audiobook versions of The Phoenix Legacy, a science-fiction trilogy originally released in book form by M K Wren in 1981. An audiobook version of the first volume in the trilogy, Sword of the Lamb, was released on December 4, 2008^[4] and an audiobook version of the second volume in the trilogy, Shadow of the Swan, was released on January 11, 2009.^[5] The third and final volume in the trilogy, House of the Wolf, was released as an audiobook on February 4, 2009.

He has also begun offering audiobook versions of classic "First Editions". The first entry in that line was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. That particular version made use of the original 1818 text as written by Mary Shelley instead of the modified version released in 1831.

For Christmas 2008, Brick also released a special audio presentation of the classic Charles Dickens work, A Christmas Carol. The CD version of this release includes four audio disks as well as a fifth disk of bonus material, which include the original 1843 First Edition illustrations by John Leech and a photo of Mr. Brick playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a 1995 stage production of A Christmas Carol.

Brick cites as his favorite audiobook readings Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (released under the film adaptation's title, Blade Runner) and Budd Schulberg's What Makes Sammy Run?. "I would have them back just so I could redo them year after year after year. Because they never get old for me."^[6]

Screenwriting[link]

In 2000, Brick was hired to adapt Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama for the big screen by Morgan Freeman and Revelations Entertainment.^[7]

Stage & Cinema[link]

Brick spent 10 years with the LA-based traveling Shakespeare troupe, Will and Company, performing for schools throughout California. He has appeared as Cyrano, Hamlet, and Macbeth in productions throughout the country. Recently, he collaborated with author Orson Scott Card to adapt a collection of the latter’s short stories for the stage in a production titled Posing as People.

In 2008, Brick appeared in The Delivery, a short film from Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle DeCuir and Skyboat Films starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Michael York, John Rubinstein, Stephanie Zimbalist, Harlan Ellison and Orson Scott Card among others. The Delivery won First Place in Fantasy at the 2008 Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival.^[8] The trailer for The Delivery can be viewed online.^[9]

Fiction Writing[link]

Brick is currently writing his first novel, a modern-day supernatural thriller based on an 18th century murder in New England.

Biographical Information[link]

Brick studied acting and writing at UCLA before embarking on his professional career in 1989.^[10] He lives in the Greater Los Angeles area with his West Highland Terrier.

Selected bibliography[link]

• Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
• Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The First Counsel by Brad Meltzer
• The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer
• Foundation by Isaac Asimov
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• Legends of Dune Prequel Series:
  • Dune: The Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2003 Audie Award-Winner) ^[11]
  • Dune: The Machine Crusade by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
  • Dune: The Battle of Corrin by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
• Shannara Series - Initial Prequel and Original Shannara Trilogy:
  • First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks
  • The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
  • The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
  • The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks
• The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever (The First Chronicles):
  • Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson
  • The Illearth War by Stephen R. Donaldson
  • The Power that Preserves by Stephen R. Donaldson
• Jason Bourne Original Trilogy:
  • The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
  • The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum
  • The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum
• The Godfather Returns by Mark Winegardner
• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
• It's Superman by Tom De Haven
• Light in August by William Faulkner
• Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
• The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
• Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
• Sideways by Rex Pickett

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Scott Brick Presents - Primary Artist Site
• Scott Brick Presents - Online Sales Web Site
• Tantor Media Narrator Detail Page for Scott Brick
• Publishers Weekly 2007 Narrator of the Year Interview
• Audio File Magazine Golden Voice Interview and Audiography
• Video of Scott Brick reading Harlan Coben's novel THE WOODS
• Trailer for THE DELIVERY - a Short Film in which Scott Brick Appears