Grand Tour Books In Order

Publication Order of The Grand Tour Books

Publication Order of Moonbase Saga Books

Publication Order of The Asteroid Wars Books

“Grand Tour” is a series of space exploration novels written by American writer Ben Bova. Classified as science fiction, the novels majorly focus on the themes of environmentalism and capitalism. The “Grand Tour” series of novels debuted with “Privateers” a novel published in 1985 to much critical acclaim. Ben Bova was born Benjamin William Bova in 1932 and went to South Philadelphia High School ,before attending Philadelphia’s Temple University. He has been married three times and has two children from his first marriage to Rosa Cucinotta. As a young man, Bova was passionate about fencing and was the administrator and organizer of the Avco Everett’s fencing club. He identifies as an atheist and has often written articles criticizing the unquestioning nature of religion, and asserting that non believers can be just as moral as believers. Bova got his masters in Arts from the State University of New York and his PhD in 1996 from the California Coast University. Bova has written more that 100 science fiction and science fact novels that have won him the Hugo Award six times. He has served as editorial director of Omni, editor of Analog Magazine, and president of Science Fiction Writers of America and the National Space Society.

Bova’s career is probably his biggest influence on his writing as he has worked for many scientific organizations including the Avco Everret Research Laboratory and Project Vanguard. Most of his work at Vanguard was about fluid dynamics and laser research, which make an appearance in some of the “Grand Tour” series of novels. After the death of Analog Science Fact & Fiction editor James Williams, Bova took over and won six Hugos for his work editing the science fiction magazine. He worked as science consultant for “The Starlost” a television series about space exploration, but left when the first episode featured unrealistic depictions of science. He was involved in the writing of “The Search” episode of the “Land of the Lost” childrens science fiction children television series. He is the president of the Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of America and the National Space Society, a position he holds in Emeritus. He was the lead consultant on the film “Repo Men” by Parent/Stuber Productions that starred Forrest Whitaker and Jude Law. The film was intended to offer insights into what a future world may look like. He also worked on the film adaptation of “Altered Carbon” a science fiction novel by Richard K Morgan that Silver pictures intended to make into hard-boiled cyberpunk science fiction film. Bova has written more than 120 novels in science fiction and science fact, drawing on his work experiences to write of space flight, photography, nanotechnology, lasers, martial arts, fencing, environmentalism, artists, and artificial arts.

The “Grand Tour” series of novels are books that detail the colonization and exploration of the solar system by humans of the late 21st century. Most of the novels of the series are about the exploration of a planetary moon or particular planet. Many of the celestial bodies that are explored in the novels are shown as having had or having life. For the most part, the expeditions sent out into space encounter serious challenges with the protagonists starting out as lacking in ability and confidence. They grow in character and confidence through their experiences to end up as heroes when they complete their mission successfully. The future of humanity is depicted as being a struggle between religious fundamentalists and scientists/secularists and the wealthy industrialists versus the environmentalists/greens. The conflicts are often introduced at the start of the narrative and will often be a background story throughout the book. One of the most important themes of the novels is the struggle between independent operators and wealthy industrialists for the vast untapped mineral resources in the solar system. There is also constant search for life on the different moons and planets being explored. Leviathans of Jupiter, Titan, Saturn, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars Life and Mars all focus on the issue. After the explorers find life on a given planets what usually follows is a struggle between the scientist and religious fundamentalists, with the latter denying its existence as it is in conflict with their beliefs. Even as each novel can be read as a standalone and the series in any order, there are several story arcs that develop over several books.

In “Privateers” the first novel of the “Grand Tour” series, the United States just gave up control of space to renegades and tyrants. America has given up on its quest to control the solar system and has let the Soviet Union their mortal enemy to fill in the void they left. The unknown but potentially massive wealth that could be found in the universe could now go into the hands of malevolent dictators, that may not use it for the good of humanity. Dan Randolph is a rebel billionaire that runs one of the largest space exploration companies in the world. He is not going to take America’s capitulation lying down and will do all that he can to loosen the stranglehold of the Russians on the lucrative ore industry of the solar system. But when he thinks he made himself some good profit by setting a mineral rich asteroid in orbit, he is shocked to learn that the Russians had commandeered the asteroid killing all his employees in cold blood driving him into a hot rage that can only be cooled by revenge. The tyrants have aimed the resulting cataclysm on a weak America in reply to the actions of the revenge seeking Randolph. Randolph must now put all his resources, cunning, and skills to outmaneuver the Russians in a ruthless and fast strike he cannot afford to miss. He has now become a proud space pirate.

In “Empire Builders” the second novel of the “Grand Tour” series, the hell raising Dan Randolph has gained the admiration of friends, the love of beautiful women, and the fear of his enemies. Acting as a modern space pirate he had successfully broken the domination of the tyrants on space exploration to become one of the richest men in the world. But now the earth is in the grip of an ecological crisis that the politicians that he had ousted believe can only be solve through a dictatorship. However, Randolph believes that the answer to any crisis is entrepreneurship and freedom and not more tyranny. But does he still have the cunning to stay ahead of the tyrants determined to arrest him so that they can go ahead with their plans?