Ben Bova Books In Order

Publication Order of Watchmen/The Others Books

Publication Order of Exiles Books

Publication Order of Kinsman Books

Chronological Order of Kinsman Books

Publication Order of Voyagers Books

Publication Order of Orion Books

Publication Order of The Grand Tour Books

Publication Order of Star Quest Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Outer Planets Books

Publication Order of Sam Gunn Books

Publication Order of Moonbase Saga Books

Publication Order of The Asteroid Wars Books

Publication Order of Billionaire's Club Books

Publication Order of Jake Ross Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Science Fiction Writing Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Benjamin William Bova is an American Author; he has written over 120 books in both the science fiction and fact arenas, with the majority of his stories seeking to explore the idea of humanity’s expansion across the solar system.

With numerous awards to his name, Ben Bova has played important roles in both the Science Fiction Writers of America as well as the National Space Society, mostly in the role of president.

Biography

Ben Bova was born in Philadelphia in 1932; he met, courted and then married Rosa Cucinotta while attending Temple University in 1953, the couple producing a son and daughter before divorcing in 1974. He would go on to marry Barbara Berson Rose, who passed away in September 2009.

An avid fencer (responsible for organizing Avco Everett’s fencing club), Ben Bova is an outspoken atheist; he has dedicated a considerable portion of his life to critiquing the unyielding and unquestioning nature of religion, often taking considerable steps to promote the atheist’s ability to live a life that is as morally upright as any religious believer.

Of his many professionals during his younger days, Ben Bova’s time at the Project Vanguard as a technical writer in the 1950s stands out; he would later transition to the Avco Everett Research Lab, pursuing research in the area of lasers and fluid dynamics, this opportunity allowing him to encounter Arthur R. Kantrowitz of the Foresight Institute.

Of his transition into writing and fiction, many would point to the screenplay he wrote for The Search’, an episode of Land of the Lost; a children’s science fiction Television series in the 1970s. Ben initially invested his time into the failed Television series The Starlost’ as technical advisor, but quite after the first episode in supposed disgust.

The novel The Starcrossed’ chronicles these experiences in Ben Bova’s life, including a thinly veiled yet none the less visible characterization of friend and colleague Harlan Ellison, the writer making no secret of his distaste for those he thought were responsible for the failure of The Starlost’.

Ben Bova earned his Masters of Arts degree in communication from California Coast University after going back to school in the 1980s, as well as a Doctor of Education degree in the 1990s.

With over a hundred books to his name, Ben Bova’s reputation as an aficionado in the realm of science fiction is unparalleled, with the aging doctor not only continuously sought out to provide consultation services to many a movie (including 2010’s Repo Men with Jude Law and Forest Whitaker) but enjoying commendations from numerous sources in the movie and science fiction writers arena.

Ben Bova’s works are often very extensive, chronicling man’s exploration of the stars in gross detail, often from numerous points of view and across various novels, series and plots, one of the most popular of which is the Grand Tour, which constitutes more than a dozen novels whose chronological order is often the subject of debate, even with Ben Bova having provided what should have been the final word on the matter

The StarCrossed

Ben Bova hoped to serve as a science adviser for the TV series The Starlost’. However circumstances forced Bova to remove himself from the series in utter disgust after the first episode. The Starlost’ failed as a Television series. The Starcrossed aims to bring Bova’s experiences across to his readers, The StarCrossed most famously known for its thinly veiled characterization of Harlan Ellison, his friend and Colleague; the entirety of the novel manifests Bova’s determination to remove any association between his person and the Television series.

The starcrossed might be slight as a book but it is none the less delightful, with most readers likely to interpret the entire novel as more extended joke than serious affair. The StarCrossed follows a group of Hollywood industry hopefuls as they try to create a science fiction show.

Many reviewers of the book have suggested that readers first prepare themselves for the unique tone of humor present throughout the novel, possibly by seeking out and exposing them to The StarLost’ a terrible science fiction TV series whose failure was sealed by the saturation of interference from less than intelligent elements.

With a understanding of Ben’s life and the television industry of a bygone era, it isn’t difficult to make the connection that Ben Bova is most likely Bill Oxnard, the fictional show’s most underused and ignored science adviser, while Ellison manifests in Ron Gabriel.

For all its presentation as a science fiction story, though, The Starcrossed is anything but; precluding the hi-tech entertainment opportunities and smog clouds blanketing Los Angeles, little effort is poured into revealing the futuristic elements of Ben Bova’s world; which is somewhat understandable considering that Ben Bova’s intention is to reveal the satirical nature of the world of movies and television rather than provide a thrilling ride within a wondrously futuristic city.

City of Darkness

Ron Morgan is a teenager seeking freedom from his father; having passed his college entrance exams with flying colors, Morgan seeks out a thrilling setting within which to unwind; he finds the answer in Fun City: Manhattan, a domed playground, his destination on Labor Day. Whatever phantoms of excitement Morgan was looking for, however, melt away when he loses his wallet and identity card, suddenly trapped in a dome that is now closed for the season.

Ron is on his own, with no food or shelter, ruing the decisions that led him into his predicament and hoping that he can escape New York in one piece.

The story of City of Darkness’ essentially follows Morgan as a pampered kid from Virginia who, incensed at his father’s determination to control his life, quickly finds that the streets of New York can be a mean and dangerous place. When the city closes, the gangs come out to play. And with no one to turn to, Morgan will have to trust his wits to survive, in the process learning something about his being.

Critics have always been divided on City of Darkness’; there are readers that appreciate the journey Morgan must undergo and the maturation he eventually has to experience. Yet for others the transformation isn’t particularly thrilling, with Morgan presenting a personality averse to conflict, which eliminates opportunities for epic drama and noteworthy revelations.