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The Grand Tour: Jupiter #2
Leviathans of Jupiter
In Ben Bova's novel JUPITER, physicist Grant Archer led an expedition into Jupiter's hostile planetwide ocean, attempting to study the unusual and massive creatures that call the planet their home. Unprepared for the hostile environment and crushing pressures, Grant's team faced certain death as their ship malfunctioned and slowly sank to the planet's depths. However one of Jupiter's native creatures--a city-sized leviathan--saved the doomed ship. This creature's act convinced Grant that the huge creatures were intelligent, but he lacked scientific proof.Now, several years later, Grant prepares a new expedition to prove once and for all that the huge creatures are intelligent. The new team faces dangers from both the hostile environment and from humans who will do anything to make sure the mission is a failure, even if it means murdering the entire crew.One of Library Journal's Best SF/Fantasy Books of 2011 At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2011
37 people are currently reading
793 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
715 books1,036 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 101 reviews
November 25, 2021
It was like walking on the face of the deep. And then, as the station slowly rotated, massive Jupiter rose majestically into view. The planet loomed huge, immense, its varicolored clouds churning and whirling before [her] staring eyes. It filled her vision, engulfed her senses like a true god, encompassing everything. [She] felt herself trembling. Jupiter, king of the gods, mightiest of all the planets of the solar system.
I haven’t read any Grand Tour novels for quite a few years, so it was a pleasant reminder for me just how readable these books are. Bova manages not to get bogged down in all the science, but keeps his story chugging happily along. I absolutely loved Jupiter, and while Leviathans Of Jupiter didn’t captivate me in quite the same fashion, it was a very enjoyable read nonetheless.
Something that made Jupiter quite unique was the way Bova objectively played Science and Religion against each other, particularly in the character development of Grant Archer, but without disaffecting either. The take home message seemed to be one of tolerance as opposed to judgement. Anyway, there’s none of that here, with the focus of the story having shifted somewhat from Archer to a few new characters. And obviously… Leviathan. These massive creatures, even though integral to the plot of Jupiter, always remained enigmatic, which added a lot to the mystique and sense of wonder. They are somewhat demystified here (obviously – the title of the book is a dead giveaway), for better or worse. As per the other Grand Tour books there is some conniving going on behind the scenes; this time courtesy of a Cruella De Vil approved antagonist with some shady motivations for getting rid of Grant Archer (and just about anybody else who stands in her way).
Despite following a formula of sorts, these books are tremendous fun. They also read quicker than the page count would have you believe.
Something I’ve always found interesting in Bova’s writing is the theme of redemption. A lot of his protagonists have a dark history.
While this isn’t high concept Sci-Fi there is a good amount of wonder. It will be interesting to see how a book like Leviathans Of Jupiter ages. Many years from now readers might look back on something like this in much the same fashion as we look back on golden age of Sci-Fi stories featuring a Venus with forests. Although this still, certainly, qualifies as Hard Science Fiction.
Fun fact: I read an interesting (positive) review somewhere (I unfortunately can’t recall where) about Bova’s Jupiter books and how he extrapolated on the universe created by Arthur C Clarke in the Space Odyssey books, as opposed to reinventing the wheel. I’m not sure if I would have made that connection myself, but there it is.
So many stars! The universe was filled with hard unblinking points of light: red, blue, yellow, it was overwhelming. Clouds of stars, swirls of stars, endless boundless teeming stars that sprinkled the blackness of space with color and beauty.
There is a character from the Asteroid Wars that recurs here, and he is arguably the more endearing of the lot. If I were hard pressed to think of something negative to say about the novel, I would probably point out that some of the new characters are bit forgettable, but this didn’t detract from overall enjoyment. Bova is an old hand at this. In the end, the Leviathans steal the spotlight, as one would expect. It’s just difficult to imagine the size of the creatures described: they are absolutely colossal. The main plot arc of the novel is driven by the question of whether they are sentient or not. If you’re new to all of this, I would strongly recommend reading Jupiter first.
Seeing those incredible creatures, bigger than mountains, huge, immense, living deep in the Jovian ocean, lords of their world.
An easy 4.
September 27, 2024
I think it's safe to say that Ben Bova has secured himself a spot on my top authors of all time list. Now I need to read a few more books to see where he is on the list, but this book was another incredible entry in the series.
As always, he just has an excellent way of depicting hopeful space exploration while also having excellent conflicts.
The villain in this book, Katherine Westfall, is just a horrible, evil woman, and I was absolutely hooked on all of her scenes. She just has this discpicable nature that makes the reader so easily root against her.
On the flip side, our heroine Deidre Ambrose, is really charming. And her dynamic with the three guys on her team Andy Corvus, Max Yeager, and Dorn was really fun and special.
This is the most liberty that Bova has taken with reality in his Hard Sci-Fi series. Yet, the Leviathans in this book were compelling and interesting and believable. I'm sad that there isn't a third book in the series that continues on the story of Jupiter. Maybe it'll get touched on in other books from the Grand Tour series.
There is some freaky stuff in this book that actually mirrors what is happening today with AI and...um...how its being used for, shall we say...illicit purposes.
I wish this book explored the New Morality that the first book explored, but sadly it does not have more than a passing mention.
I will say that Grant Archer's character change is fascinating, and he feels like a later stage Jamie Waterman from the Mars series.
Overall, I loved this book, and I just love Bova's writing style. 9 out of 10!
As always, he just has an excellent way of depicting hopeful space exploration while also having excellent conflicts.
The villain in this book, Katherine Westfall, is just a horrible, evil woman, and I was absolutely hooked on all of her scenes. She just has this discpicable nature that makes the reader so easily root against her.
On the flip side, our heroine Deidre Ambrose, is really charming. And her dynamic with the three guys on her team Andy Corvus, Max Yeager, and Dorn was really fun and special.
This is the most liberty that Bova has taken with reality in his Hard Sci-Fi series. Yet, the Leviathans in this book were compelling and interesting and believable. I'm sad that there isn't a third book in the series that continues on the story of Jupiter. Maybe it'll get touched on in other books from the Grand Tour series.
There is some freaky stuff in this book that actually mirrors what is happening today with AI and...um...how its being used for, shall we say...illicit purposes.
I wish this book explored the New Morality that the first book explored, but sadly it does not have more than a passing mention.
I will say that Grant Archer's character change is fascinating, and he feels like a later stage Jamie Waterman from the Mars series.
Overall, I loved this book, and I just love Bova's writing style. 9 out of 10!
January 11, 2015
This book was the first Ben Bova book I've read, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Most sci-fi is basically fantasy ---- so far in the future that it's far off in another time or other part of the galaxy. This one was set in this century --- however, mankind has somehow managed to conquer space as surely as he, in the past, conquered air transport. That futuristic background makes this story of man's first encounter with an alien intelligence living within Jupiter fascinating.
Interestingly, while reportedly, the author is an atheist, he did have one of the main characters, Grant Archer, as a man who is both a scientist and a man of faith --- which I thought remarkably original since most texts, in my experience, authored by atheists seem to take malicious delight in either ignoring faith altogether or else portray it negatively.
Unfortunately, one flaw in the book exists, in my opinion. For some reason, Bova, on pg. 181 of the paperback version, has the following:
"Lowenstien...with...a six-pointed star tattooed on the back of his right hand. Refugee: His grandparents probably got killed when Israel was wiped out. They never forget."
The bit about Israel being wiped out was ugly, distracting, and unnecessary to the rest of the story. It really added nothing to the plot, and really made me wonder what Bova's point was in even putting that in this book. Is it supposed to mean that, in his opinion, for mankind to progress to the point where deep solar system travel is routine, nations like Israel have to be eliminated? Not sure, and I really think that, if an author is going to venture his futurist vision of how things will turn out within this century, then I think that more should have been included on this ---- or that bit omitted altogether. I really don't see the State of Israel going anywhere soon --- although I do see some of its neighbors falling apart more conceivable a scenario.
At any rate, other than that, this was an enjoyable read that I recommend to any sci-fi fan.
Interestingly, while reportedly, the author is an atheist, he did have one of the main characters, Grant Archer, as a man who is both a scientist and a man of faith --- which I thought remarkably original since most texts, in my experience, authored by atheists seem to take malicious delight in either ignoring faith altogether or else portray it negatively.
Unfortunately, one flaw in the book exists, in my opinion. For some reason, Bova, on pg. 181 of the paperback version, has the following:
"Lowenstien...with...a six-pointed star tattooed on the back of his right hand. Refugee: His grandparents probably got killed when Israel was wiped out. They never forget."
The bit about Israel being wiped out was ugly, distracting, and unnecessary to the rest of the story. It really added nothing to the plot, and really made me wonder what Bova's point was in even putting that in this book. Is it supposed to mean that, in his opinion, for mankind to progress to the point where deep solar system travel is routine, nations like Israel have to be eliminated? Not sure, and I really think that, if an author is going to venture his futurist vision of how things will turn out within this century, then I think that more should have been included on this ---- or that bit omitted altogether. I really don't see the State of Israel going anywhere soon --- although I do see some of its neighbors falling apart more conceivable a scenario.
At any rate, other than that, this was an enjoyable read that I recommend to any sci-fi fan.
September 5, 2012
Twenty years after a disastrous mission to Jupiter, a new team of specialists attempts to make contact with the colossal, intelligent creatures that inhabit its oceans.
This was such an annoying book to read. The prose and dialogue are maddeningly repetitive, the writing basic and entirely graceless. The characters are equally simplistic: the beautiful young newcomer, the men who hang around her like puppy dogs, and the childish, petulant Scooby Doo villain who tries to sabotage the mission for revenge and personal gain. The heroes get their payoff, but the reader doesn't, because the author gives everything away in the first few chapters. We're just going through the motions for 500 pages.
This was such an annoying book to read. The prose and dialogue are maddeningly repetitive, the writing basic and entirely graceless. The characters are equally simplistic: the beautiful young newcomer, the men who hang around her like puppy dogs, and the childish, petulant Scooby Doo villain who tries to sabotage the mission for revenge and personal gain. The heroes get their payoff, but the reader doesn't, because the author gives everything away in the first few chapters. We're just going through the motions for 500 pages.
March 14, 2011
This book was everything I wanted it to be and a little bit more. The bad guy (or should I say girl) is very satisfying. The author did an artful job of foreshadowing. He gave me the faintest hint of what was to come, but then made me wait until the exact right moment to reveal it.
The main thing I love is Leviathan. I want to fly out to Jupiter and talk to it. I fell hopelessly in love with it.
The main thing I love is Leviathan. I want to fly out to Jupiter and talk to it. I fell hopelessly in love with it.
January 13, 2019
This is a direct sequel to 'Jupiter' and takes place some 20 years after the events in that book. Technology has advanced a bit and it's now considered safe enough to attempt another dive deep into Jupiters' atmosphere/ocean and investigate the huge living creatures that dwell there.
Once again, Bova weaves an intriguing tale that hits a lot of my SF enjoyment sweet spots. New technology, exploration and discovery. Of course there are some unscrupulous characters trying to covertly throw a spanner in the works to add some suspense and drama.
Another solid book in the series. It looks like I only have a couple of more of this series that are still set in the solar system. After that I think mankind reaches out to another star system for the following books.
Once again, Bova weaves an intriguing tale that hits a lot of my SF enjoyment sweet spots. New technology, exploration and discovery. Of course there are some unscrupulous characters trying to covertly throw a spanner in the works to add some suspense and drama.
Another solid book in the series. It looks like I only have a couple of more of this series that are still set in the solar system. After that I think mankind reaches out to another star system for the following books.
January 5, 2024
3.75* - this book took me so long to finish and idk why. Like it was good while reading and the concept was cool but the ending was super rushed. Leviathans give me whale shark vibes. Also … 1 measly kiss?? That’s all? Are you for real??
October 23, 2011
As a six-time winner of the Hugo Award just saying Ben Bova may be enough to recommend Leviathans of Jupiter but I will add more. If you are a Science Fiction fan and have never read anything by Ben Bova you are in for a treat. If you have read his books in the past you will not be disappointed.
Leviathans of Jupiter is part of the Grand Tour continuing series but if you have not read any of the series do not let that stop you. While the background and some of the characters reappear in some of the stories each book in the series stands alone. Grant Archer led an expedition to explore the depths of Jupiter in the book of the same name. That expedition barely escaped death when their vessel malfunctioned. They were saved when one of the city sized leviathans helped. Grant is convinced that the leviathans are intelligent and 20 years later he is trying to launch a new mission to study the leviathans. Not everyone wants the mission to succeed and therein lies the story.
Ben Bova knows how to tell a good story and with the knowledge from his PHD in physics he adds science in just the right amounts. He uses dialog and action mixed with small amounts of description to keep the story moving. I had trouble putting the story down and finished the 400-page book in record time.
I miss good old fashion Science Fiction and it was a real joy to find and read Leviathans of Jupiter. I hope Ben Bova continues writing in this series.
Leviathans of Jupiter is part of the Grand Tour continuing series but if you have not read any of the series do not let that stop you. While the background and some of the characters reappear in some of the stories each book in the series stands alone. Grant Archer led an expedition to explore the depths of Jupiter in the book of the same name. That expedition barely escaped death when their vessel malfunctioned. They were saved when one of the city sized leviathans helped. Grant is convinced that the leviathans are intelligent and 20 years later he is trying to launch a new mission to study the leviathans. Not everyone wants the mission to succeed and therein lies the story.
Ben Bova knows how to tell a good story and with the knowledge from his PHD in physics he adds science in just the right amounts. He uses dialog and action mixed with small amounts of description to keep the story moving. I had trouble putting the story down and finished the 400-page book in record time.
I miss good old fashion Science Fiction and it was a real joy to find and read Leviathans of Jupiter. I hope Ben Bova continues writing in this series.
December 25, 2012
This is the first I've read of fellow-Floridian and sci-fi icon Ben Bova.
The novel's tone struck me as quaint, perhaps geared toward a young adult audience. It reminded me of Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon" in that way.
"Leviathans of Jupiter" is heavily plot driven. Character development is rather thin. I didn't care when one couple announced their marriage at the end, nor when another had sex on the space balcony. Neither relationship felt real, not even the second one, which involved the main characters.
The stereotypically evil Katharine Westfall -- who enters into a one-sided power struggle with a man she is too careless to learn is not interested in power -- concocts a half-baked plan to ruin the man's project to contact the huge lifeforms swimming in the oceans of Jupiter. She plans to do this by killing the main character and her three fellow explorers with flesh-eating nanomachines hidden in champagne. The plan ends when the savvy ship's cook, whom Westfall has blackmailed into obtaining the nanomachines, tricks her into swallowing flatulence-inducing, yet otherwise harmless, nanomachines.
Earlier, Westfall infects the main character, Dierdre Ambrose, with a genetically-modified form of rabies. Westfall thinks this will give her control over Dierdre, who will need Westfall's blood in order to survive. But this plotline is dropped when the nanomachines meant to cure Dierdre's super-rabies arrive. Alas, we never find out what happens to Dierdre's rabies, but assume that they've been cured by properly-tuned nanomachines.
Still, Dierdre, whom we're led to believe Westfall has had the ship's cook infect with flesh-eating nanomachines, seems to suffer from the same intestinal distress as Westfall, but none of the flatulence. We never do discover why Dierdre's stomach hurts during the mission in the book's last (and best) section, but it was apparently not because of the flatulence nanomachines; there are no bubbles escaping into the viscous perfluorocarbon from her rear end and Dierdre feels well enough to make love once she's back on the orbiting station.
Much is made of Dierdre's natural ability to communicate telepathically with dolphins using a system devised by her eventual love interest, Andy, but the contraption is useless when they actually get a chance to try it on a Leviathan. Furthermore, it is Andy and not Dierdre who makes the attempt, which fails so badly there's no reason for Dierdre, who joined the team because of her special abilities with the machine, to even try.
Not lost of me was Bova's homage to "The Wizard of Oz." Dierdre's three sidekicks mirror Dorothy's. The cyborg, Dorn, is the Tin Man, of course. His joints bind up in the high pressure of Jupiter's ocean. (Can you say "oil can?") The blustering Max Yeager -- who looks for reasons to turn back when the mission gets dangerous -- is the Cowardly Lion. That leaves Andy Corvus to be the brave Scarecrow.
Reminiscent of Vonnegut, the simply-written book consists of two- and three-page chapters. Unlike Vonnegut, it rambles on for greater than 400 pages. In that time, Westfall's evil plot to kill the four explorers implodes into a fart joke, and Andy Corvus's mind-meld machine proves worthless with the Leviathans for whom it was designed -- despite the fact that they've dragged a dolphin tank from Earth to Jupiter in order to test the machine on dolphins in transit. (This is how they discover Dierdre's good at it.)
There were some trite phrases used in the book. "Revenge is a dish best served cold" was used, astonishingly, twice, and, at the end, "you gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em" rears its ugly head.
Finally, Grant Archer's decision not to prosecute Westfall for attempted murder is not believable. She tried to kill four of his scientists and he's willing to let her become president of the space agency, her primary goal all along.
Bova has written hundreds of books, some of them award winners like this one. For this book to have won an award as it did in 2011, however, either the selection process was flawed or the state of science fiction in 2011 was lacking.
The novel's tone struck me as quaint, perhaps geared toward a young adult audience. It reminded me of Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon" in that way.
"Leviathans of Jupiter" is heavily plot driven. Character development is rather thin. I didn't care when one couple announced their marriage at the end, nor when another had sex on the space balcony. Neither relationship felt real, not even the second one, which involved the main characters.
The stereotypically evil Katharine Westfall -- who enters into a one-sided power struggle with a man she is too careless to learn is not interested in power -- concocts a half-baked plan to ruin the man's project to contact the huge lifeforms swimming in the oceans of Jupiter. She plans to do this by killing the main character and her three fellow explorers with flesh-eating nanomachines hidden in champagne. The plan ends when the savvy ship's cook, whom Westfall has blackmailed into obtaining the nanomachines, tricks her into swallowing flatulence-inducing, yet otherwise harmless, nanomachines.
Earlier, Westfall infects the main character, Dierdre Ambrose, with a genetically-modified form of rabies. Westfall thinks this will give her control over Dierdre, who will need Westfall's blood in order to survive. But this plotline is dropped when the nanomachines meant to cure Dierdre's super-rabies arrive. Alas, we never find out what happens to Dierdre's rabies, but assume that they've been cured by properly-tuned nanomachines.
Still, Dierdre, whom we're led to believe Westfall has had the ship's cook infect with flesh-eating nanomachines, seems to suffer from the same intestinal distress as Westfall, but none of the flatulence. We never do discover why Dierdre's stomach hurts during the mission in the book's last (and best) section, but it was apparently not because of the flatulence nanomachines; there are no bubbles escaping into the viscous perfluorocarbon from her rear end and Dierdre feels well enough to make love once she's back on the orbiting station.
Much is made of Dierdre's natural ability to communicate telepathically with dolphins using a system devised by her eventual love interest, Andy, but the contraption is useless when they actually get a chance to try it on a Leviathan. Furthermore, it is Andy and not Dierdre who makes the attempt, which fails so badly there's no reason for Dierdre, who joined the team because of her special abilities with the machine, to even try.
Not lost of me was Bova's homage to "The Wizard of Oz." Dierdre's three sidekicks mirror Dorothy's. The cyborg, Dorn, is the Tin Man, of course. His joints bind up in the high pressure of Jupiter's ocean. (Can you say "oil can?") The blustering Max Yeager -- who looks for reasons to turn back when the mission gets dangerous -- is the Cowardly Lion. That leaves Andy Corvus to be the brave Scarecrow.
Reminiscent of Vonnegut, the simply-written book consists of two- and three-page chapters. Unlike Vonnegut, it rambles on for greater than 400 pages. In that time, Westfall's evil plot to kill the four explorers implodes into a fart joke, and Andy Corvus's mind-meld machine proves worthless with the Leviathans for whom it was designed -- despite the fact that they've dragged a dolphin tank from Earth to Jupiter in order to test the machine on dolphins in transit. (This is how they discover Dierdre's good at it.)
There were some trite phrases used in the book. "Revenge is a dish best served cold" was used, astonishingly, twice, and, at the end, "you gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em" rears its ugly head.
Finally, Grant Archer's decision not to prosecute Westfall for attempted murder is not believable. She tried to kill four of his scientists and he's willing to let her become president of the space agency, her primary goal all along.
Bova has written hundreds of books, some of them award winners like this one. For this book to have won an award as it did in 2011, however, either the selection process was flawed or the state of science fiction in 2011 was lacking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2012
Leviathans of Jupiter by Ben Bova, a sequel to his Jupiter: A Novel, takes place about 20 years after the conclusion of the previous novel. Grant Archer is now director of the Jupiter orbital station where research focusing on verifying the existence of massive, intelligent creatures (referred to as Leviathans) has been ongoing through unmanned probes into the Jupiter’s atmosphere and its planet-wide ocean. Now, he urgently needs to send another human research team into that harsh environment of extreme and dangerous pressure to obtain proof that these beings are intelligent. Katherine Westfall, a high-ranking official of the International Astronomical Authority, who is vehemently opposed to this research, is visiting the station in an effort to obtain evidence she could use to convince the IAA to prohibit the research. A team of four brave researchers, biologist (Deidre Ambrose), brain-to-brain communication researcher (Andy Corvus), cyborg and pilot of the exploration craft (Dorn), and the engineer who designed the craft (Maxwell Yeager), descends into Jupiter’s ocean. They plunge much deeper than they ever expected and face deadly dangers. Meanwhile, Westfall uses her authority and unscrupulous methods in a ruthless attempt to sabotage the mission and even kill the explorers. Like his previous Jupiter book, Bova weaves much very interesting scientific information into his suspenseful, action-packed, story. He also provides the reader with a rich depiction of the Leviathans and their way of life. I rated Bova’s previous Jupiter novel at five stars, and I liked this one even more. I strongly recommend both of these novels.
January 14, 2014
I very much enjoyed the trip to Jupiter and the descriptions and imagination that came with its skies, oceans, and creatures.
On the other hand, I did not care for the characters. The small group of four protagonists were so incredibly generic, I cared for not one of their well beings.
The protagonist was also a character lacking in depth. The only reason I disliked her was that she was so horribly composed.
Bova's writing style was so trite, I will be hesitant to read anything more by him. Though I enjoyed it enough to finish, I would not suggest it to a friend. My limited intellect would have conjured a similar straight forward story if the idea had arisen. Not that the idea for the book was original or grand in any manner.
Ben Bova, what the heck, sir? It seems like you really didn't have any good ideas with this story but you were enjoying being at your type writer. Two stars!
On the other hand, I did not care for the characters. The small group of four protagonists were so incredibly generic, I cared for not one of their well beings.
The protagonist was also a character lacking in depth. The only reason I disliked her was that she was so horribly composed.
Bova's writing style was so trite, I will be hesitant to read anything more by him. Though I enjoyed it enough to finish, I would not suggest it to a friend. My limited intellect would have conjured a similar straight forward story if the idea had arisen. Not that the idea for the book was original or grand in any manner.
Ben Bova, what the heck, sir? It seems like you really didn't have any good ideas with this story but you were enjoying being at your type writer. Two stars!
April 7, 2011
Quit halfway through. A decent plot but the villain's character was so incredibly stupid, and annoying, (and pervasive) that I just couldn't force myself to finish it.
The poor characterization was forcing the rest of the plot and characters to conform to things that made absolutely no sense and caused so many plot holes and improbabilities, that it was impossible to keep from saying, 'but, but, but, real people don't behave like that! But, but, but, no one could be that stupid and put up with that kind of nonsense!' ...I just couldn't take it anymore.
Sorry, I tried.
The poor characterization was forcing the rest of the plot and characters to conform to things that made absolutely no sense and caused so many plot holes and improbabilities, that it was impossible to keep from saying, 'but, but, but, real people don't behave like that! But, but, but, no one could be that stupid and put up with that kind of nonsense!' ...I just couldn't take it anymore.
Sorry, I tried.
December 19, 2016
Full cast dramatization from Blackstone Audio, starring Cassandra Campbell , Gabrielle de Cuir , Samantha Eggar , Rosalyn Landor , Stefan Rudnicki , Judy Young. I thought this was an outstanding production with a very talented group of voice actors - if i was just rating the audio i would give it 5 stars.
The book too is very enjoyable - a pleasing combination of hard science, fascinating aliens, dirty politics, and a little hanky panky. I withheld the 5th star for a little tendency towards repetition and unbelievably stupid behavior by supposedly smart people that are the crew of the ship Faraday.
The book too is very enjoyable - a pleasing combination of hard science, fascinating aliens, dirty politics, and a little hanky panky. I withheld the 5th star for a little tendency towards repetition and unbelievably stupid behavior by supposedly smart people that are the crew of the ship Faraday.
March 4, 2023
Bova, Ben. Leviathans of Jupiter. Tor, 2011. Grand Tour 14.
In Leviathans of Jupiter, Ben Bova returns us to the Jovian ocean. We follow a team of explorers as they learn to communicate with intelligent whale-like aliens. Bova builds a credible planet with some believable beasties. The technical challenges of building a visual language from scratch while suffering from the effects of excessive pressures create a tense plot. Unfortunately, Bova has less luck with his homo saps. Once again, the mission is threatened by human saboteurs, whose motives are sketchy. Romance stays PG, and gender issues are embarrassingly old school. 3.5 stars.
In Leviathans of Jupiter, Ben Bova returns us to the Jovian ocean. We follow a team of explorers as they learn to communicate with intelligent whale-like aliens. Bova builds a credible planet with some believable beasties. The technical challenges of building a visual language from scratch while suffering from the effects of excessive pressures create a tense plot. Unfortunately, Bova has less luck with his homo saps. Once again, the mission is threatened by human saboteurs, whose motives are sketchy. Romance stays PG, and gender issues are embarrassingly old school. 3.5 stars.
October 18, 2017
Something was lost in this one. Having read a few of Bova's Grand Tour books previously (Saturn, Titan, and Venus), I was expecting a group of people exploring a part of space connected to other stories already told. What I got was a group of people exploring a part of space (Oceans of Jupiter) connected to other stories already told (namely, the direct prequel: Jupiter). But it didn't feel the same.
It begins by getting the people out to Jupiter's Gold Station. Since there was already a book that no doubt setup the station and its characters, we take this station's existence as it is: science for 20 years from afar, but now they have a submersible that can attain such depths as to study the kilometers-long creatures swimming in the oceans of Jupiter known as Leviathans. On the way out some of the theory behind everything is explained including studying dolphins as a means to trying to make contact with the Leviathans (the Dolphin storyline is never really concluded. They are there frequently, but nothing ever seems to come of anything.).
Once there some interpersonal relationships break out and some political fighting and subterfuge is afoot. But the book follows the story of making contact with the Leviathans and whenever it strays too far from this it seems to jump back to the line.
Things weren't bad about any one part of the book. We have a Leviathan as a POV so we aren't held in suspense about their intelligence, and although there is some danger, I never felt like we would ever lose any of the main characters to death. In a few situations things were skipped over entirely and then explained partly to other characters. This was a little jarring in the scene, but they never had a big impact on the overall story.
What was more confusing was the large cast of characters doing the audio narration. Each POV had a separate person, which is fine, except! Except I don't know why publishers do this. If you want to have different actors/actresses doing voices to convey tone, then let one person say all of a character's lines regardless who has POVC at the time. I don't want to hear a female character's dialog be said by a man going for soft Russian and then have her be a POV character by a female with a raspy non-accented voice. Too hard to remember who is who in this zoo. This happened for multiple characters: with and without British/Australian English accent; with/without deadpan robotic voice; with/without snark. With so many voices I would have preferred one voice doing all the narration, one female voice doing all the female characters, and Stefan Rudnicki doing the men. I hope one day I do get to listen to something like this...
Summary Haiku
Intelligent life
Swims in Jupiter's oceans.
Time to make contact.
It begins by getting the people out to Jupiter's Gold Station. Since there was already a book that no doubt setup the station and its characters, we take this station's existence as it is: science for 20 years from afar, but now they have a submersible that can attain such depths as to study the kilometers-long creatures swimming in the oceans of Jupiter known as Leviathans. On the way out some of the theory behind everything is explained including studying dolphins as a means to trying to make contact with the Leviathans (the Dolphin storyline is never really concluded. They are there frequently, but nothing ever seems to come of anything.).
Once there some interpersonal relationships break out and some political fighting and subterfuge is afoot. But the book follows the story of making contact with the Leviathans and whenever it strays too far from this it seems to jump back to the line.
Things weren't bad about any one part of the book. We have a Leviathan as a POV so we aren't held in suspense about their intelligence, and although there is some danger, I never felt like we would ever lose any of the main characters to death. In a few situations things were skipped over entirely and then explained partly to other characters. This was a little jarring in the scene, but they never had a big impact on the overall story.
What was more confusing was the large cast of characters doing the audio narration. Each POV had a separate person, which is fine, except! Except I don't know why publishers do this. If you want to have different actors/actresses doing voices to convey tone, then let one person say all of a character's lines regardless who has POVC at the time. I don't want to hear a female character's dialog be said by a man going for soft Russian and then have her be a POV character by a female with a raspy non-accented voice. Too hard to remember who is who in this zoo. This happened for multiple characters: with and without British/Australian English accent; with/without deadpan robotic voice; with/without snark. With so many voices I would have preferred one voice doing all the narration, one female voice doing all the female characters, and Stefan Rudnicki doing the men. I hope one day I do get to listen to something like this...
Summary Haiku
Intelligent life
Swims in Jupiter's oceans.
Time to make contact.
May 25, 2012
I have read a most, if not all, of Ben Bova's Grand Tour novels and I like them. Yes you could they are based on a similar formula, but they are a nice easy read with some interesting ideas. Leviathans of Jupiter is a fairly typical Grand Tour novel. Like all the others to date it is set in our solar system. Set 20 years after the series first visited Jupiter, it features an attempt to communicate with the Leviathans that live in the sea of Jupiter. It has thoroughly bad villan, something all books in the series seem to have.
If you have read other books in the series, you know what you are going to get. This book is an easy read that reminds me of old time science fiction, not the shoot 'em up ray gun type but the exploration of a new world type.
If you have read other books in the series, you know what you are going to get. This book is an easy read that reminds me of old time science fiction, not the shoot 'em up ray gun type but the exploration of a new world type.
June 20, 2011
The latest in Ben Bova's long running series, The Grand Tour, this directly follows Jupiter. I haven't read the whole series, so some of the references to past 'history' and people were vague to me, but not enough to hinder the flow of the story.
The action and plot are strong, the science well-respected, the climax builds suspense to a fine forte before resolving...and leaving the door open to a much-hoped for sequel. Characterization was enjoyable, if a little 2-dimensional, though the POV of the native Jovian species was fascinating.
A very good read in the classic Bova style.
The action and plot are strong, the science well-respected, the climax builds suspense to a fine forte before resolving...and leaving the door open to a much-hoped for sequel. Characterization was enjoyable, if a little 2-dimensional, though the POV of the native Jovian species was fascinating.
A very good read in the classic Bova style.
April 18, 2018
I don't often write reviews, but this book, split into two parts, are 1 out of 5 stars and 5 out of 5 stars.
First, what I disliked. The antagonist of this book, as mentioned in many, many of the reviews, is a Scooby Doo villain, with such shallow motivations that I can't believe a human would feel that way, much less act that way.
That being said, the other part of the book, the part that I rank 5 out of 5 stars, is absolutely enchanting. The purpose of the mission is to study the Leviathans, and to study the lifeforms of Jupiter's giant ocean. This book evokes the part of me that wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up, the part of me that is fascinated by the mysteries that still lie in the depths of our own oceans. This book reminds me that if I was asked to participate in a journey like this, a journey I might not return from, I'd very seriously consider it, even if that meant risking my life and leaving my family during t hat mission.
All in all, I'm glad I read the book, even if I can't begin to fathom Westfall, because of the majesty in exploration of the unknown universe.
First, what I disliked. The antagonist of this book, as mentioned in many, many of the reviews, is a Scooby Doo villain, with such shallow motivations that I can't believe a human would feel that way, much less act that way.
That being said, the other part of the book, the part that I rank 5 out of 5 stars, is absolutely enchanting. The purpose of the mission is to study the Leviathans, and to study the lifeforms of Jupiter's giant ocean. This book evokes the part of me that wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up, the part of me that is fascinated by the mysteries that still lie in the depths of our own oceans. This book reminds me that if I was asked to participate in a journey like this, a journey I might not return from, I'd very seriously consider it, even if that meant risking my life and leaving my family during t hat mission.
All in all, I'm glad I read the book, even if I can't begin to fathom Westfall, because of the majesty in exploration of the unknown universe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2024
Prior to LEVIATHANS OF JUPITER, I had only read the SF novel URANUS [Outer Planets Book 1] by this extremely prolific and excellent author. [R.I.P.]
I synchronistically stumbled upon LEVIATHANS OF JUPITER [Grand Tour 15], and enticed by both nouns in the title, leaped in. I loved it! Now I have all the remaining of more than 120 to read😊.
LEVIATHANS OF JUPITER continues the saga of JUPITER [Grand Tour 12] and is an exciting, inspiring, adventurous, nonstop plot-twisting SF novel. Nothing to do with Earth here, only indirect references [population of twenty billion??!😳] but instead is set on an orbital Science Station orbiting Jupiter, and in Jupiter's Ocean [yes, Jupiter has just one, planetwide]. Also referenced is the nation of Selene on Earth's Moon, a Science hub.
Mr. Bova not only knows his Astronomy and Xenobiology, he also understands human character. Here are "good guys," "crooks," apathetic technicians who surrender ethics for money, and an evil (but slightly understandable given backstory) Villain who endeavors only to destroy accomplishment and Scientific breakthroughs in the quest for immense, even ultimate, power.
I synchronistically stumbled upon LEVIATHANS OF JUPITER [Grand Tour 15], and enticed by both nouns in the title, leaped in. I loved it! Now I have all the remaining of more than 120 to read😊.
LEVIATHANS OF JUPITER continues the saga of JUPITER [Grand Tour 12] and is an exciting, inspiring, adventurous, nonstop plot-twisting SF novel. Nothing to do with Earth here, only indirect references [population of twenty billion??!😳] but instead is set on an orbital Science Station orbiting Jupiter, and in Jupiter's Ocean [yes, Jupiter has just one, planetwide]. Also referenced is the nation of Selene on Earth's Moon, a Science hub.
Mr. Bova not only knows his Astronomy and Xenobiology, he also understands human character. Here are "good guys," "crooks," apathetic technicians who surrender ethics for money, and an evil (but slightly understandable given backstory) Villain who endeavors only to destroy accomplishment and Scientific breakthroughs in the quest for immense, even ultimate, power.
August 15, 2017
i have a LOT of objections to just about every decision/rationalization made by a character in this book. these are supposed to be smart people!!! i can't think of one to detail without spoilers. suffice it to say that a lot of things don't add up.
there are some mildly interesting bits about jupiter/alien intelligence/space stations. but i found the writing trite and basic, the characters thin, the use of quotes inane, the villain idiotic, and the science-as-ideal-purpose theme distractingly preachy. sure, pursue knowledge, but don't be blind and childish about it. also, one character was largely defined by his routine and constant sexual harassment of another character, which came across as very anachronistic. (this book is from 2011?!)
the audio book was really well-done, with different narrators for the different points of view. i can't remember if i've read other Bova books before, i grabbed this because it was one of only two available from the Overdrive library app.
there are some mildly interesting bits about jupiter/alien intelligence/space stations. but i found the writing trite and basic, the characters thin, the use of quotes inane, the villain idiotic, and the science-as-ideal-purpose theme distractingly preachy. sure, pursue knowledge, but don't be blind and childish about it. also, one character was largely defined by his routine and constant sexual harassment of another character, which came across as very anachronistic. (this book is from 2011?!)
the audio book was really well-done, with different narrators for the different points of view. i can't remember if i've read other Bova books before, i grabbed this because it was one of only two available from the Overdrive library app.
April 26, 2020
I have never read Ben Bova despite the fact that he is one of the giants in science fiction. A believer in science, he was president of the National Space Society, he was also the winner of no less than 6 Hugos. He came out with a fifteen book series covering the planets and moons of our solar system called the Grand Tour. This book is part of it.
The use of science, the possibility of life, and the drama stemming from the fact that humans never really change are hallmarks of the golden age of sci.fi. It didn't stun me with its science but it was an enjoyable book. Characters were human, cyborg or not, and human-science interactions were plausible with the right amount of wonder. The villain was a little too predictable and there were some situations that seemed too facile, but it was easy to overlook these things. In fact, it was kind of refreshing not to have Machiavelli constantly controlling the protagonists.
The use of science, the possibility of life, and the drama stemming from the fact that humans never really change are hallmarks of the golden age of sci.fi. It didn't stun me with its science but it was an enjoyable book. Characters were human, cyborg or not, and human-science interactions were plausible with the right amount of wonder. The villain was a little too predictable and there were some situations that seemed too facile, but it was easy to overlook these things. In fact, it was kind of refreshing not to have Machiavelli constantly controlling the protagonists.
October 20, 2024
Peut-être un cran en-dessous de Jupiter, dont celui-ci est la suite. Il appelle lui-même une suite (il faudrait finir par s'entendre avec ces gros balourds de Leviathans), qui malheureusement ne sera pas écrite, en tout cas pas par Ben Bova (peut-être par une IA, ce serait très bovien). Je reproche souvent à BB de ne pas punir les méchants et de faire un sort funeste aux bons. Ici c'est le défaut contraire : une fin tellement happy que c'en est ridicule.
Mon passage préféré est celui où l'on voit les différentes composantes (sensor report, memory bank, mission objectives program, logic tree, safety subprogram, central computer...) d'un vaisseau automatique en mission dans l'"océan" de Jupiter, "discuter" entre elles pour prendre des décisions face à une attaque ennemie. Il y a même, parmi elles, un "human analog subprogram", qui vient injecter un peu de sagesse humaine séculaire dans le processus, avec ses aphorismes rimés : "those who fight and run away live to fight another day".
Mon passage préféré est celui où l'on voit les différentes composantes (sensor report, memory bank, mission objectives program, logic tree, safety subprogram, central computer...) d'un vaisseau automatique en mission dans l'"océan" de Jupiter, "discuter" entre elles pour prendre des décisions face à une attaque ennemie. Il y a même, parmi elles, un "human analog subprogram", qui vient injecter un peu de sagesse humaine séculaire dans le processus, avec ses aphorismes rimés : "those who fight and run away live to fight another day".
August 19, 2019
Leviathans of Jupiter takes what made Jupiter so enjoyable (the exploration of the oceans of Jupiter and interactions with the creatures that live there) and takes another visit. This time around, we have even more content from the Leviathan's perspective and first attempts at actually communicating with them, which is pretty cool.
While the science is cool, the characters and drama isn't quite as strong as Jupiter. Grant Archer is still around and in charge now, which is an interesting point. We also get more of Dorn, finding his way out after the Asteroid War. He's been through quite a lot and it's interesting seeing his point of view, especially since he's fairly unique in this universe in being a cyborg.
Unfortunately, the rest of the characters aren't great. New main character Dierdre Ambrose doesn't seem terribly bright for a scientist. And her miraculous ability at telepathically communicating with dolphins (with SCIENCE!) doesn't end up being nearly as useful as it should have been (especially when that's her reason for being on the mission in the first place). And she ends up being surrounded by a pack of men who follow her around like a gang of teen boys. And then there's the villain Westfall--somewhat stereotypical of Bova in feeling cartoonishly evil, although at least for once she actually has a motivation (revenge!). But seriously. Rabies? Gobblers (again)? Come on.
Overall though, the weak characters don't distract hugely from the book and the Leviathans are really pretty cool. It's kind of a bummer that I don't expect we'll see them again. We got more than in Jupiter at least, but I want more!
While the science is cool, the characters and drama isn't quite as strong as Jupiter. Grant Archer is still around and in charge now, which is an interesting point. We also get more of Dorn, finding his way out after the Asteroid War. He's been through quite a lot and it's interesting seeing his point of view, especially since he's fairly unique in this universe in being a cyborg.
Unfortunately, the rest of the characters aren't great. New main character Dierdre Ambrose doesn't seem terribly bright for a scientist. And her miraculous ability at telepathically communicating with dolphins (with SCIENCE!) doesn't end up being nearly as useful as it should have been (especially when that's her reason for being on the mission in the first place). And she ends up being surrounded by a pack of men who follow her around like a gang of teen boys. And then there's the villain Westfall--somewhat stereotypical of Bova in feeling cartoonishly evil, although at least for once she actually has a motivation (revenge!). But seriously. Rabies? Gobblers (again)? Come on.
Overall though, the weak characters don't distract hugely from the book and the Leviathans are really pretty cool. It's kind of a bummer that I don't expect we'll see them again. We got more than in Jupiter at least, but I want more!
December 20, 2019
Leviathans of Jupiter is actually only one part of a huge series (twenty three books so far) Ben Bova has written detailing humanity's exploration of our solar system. I do not think I had a bad reading experience because I have not read the other books in the Grand Tour series-Leviathans stands alone quite nicely. What prevented my full enjoyment of the book was the cookie cutter characters, including a villain who might as well have been Snidely Whiplash. So though the puzzle/problem aspect of the book is fun the characters featured are relatively one dimensional. This really detracted from my reading experience.
June 5, 2017
Love SciFi that includes cool old quotes. Was an interesting tale of exploration and alien contact. If only to see something similar in our lifetime...
"For it is a fact that to have knowledge of the truth and of sciences and study them is the highest thing with which a king can adorn himself. And the most disgraceful thing for kings is to disdain learning and be ashamed of exploring the sciences. He who does not learn is not wise."
–Khosrow I Anushirvan
(Khosrow of the Immortal Soul)
Shah of the Sassanid Empire, Persia, 531-579
"For it is a fact that to have knowledge of the truth and of sciences and study them is the highest thing with which a king can adorn himself. And the most disgraceful thing for kings is to disdain learning and be ashamed of exploring the sciences. He who does not learn is not wise."
–Khosrow I Anushirvan
(Khosrow of the Immortal Soul)
Shah of the Sassanid Empire, Persia, 531-579
August 30, 2025
I've been reading science fiction for a long time, but I never read Bova. I used to see his name a lot, though, when I browsed book stores, and I knew he had a lot of publications. So I picked up this title as the story sounded good in an old fashioned way, but had been written in 2011. Didn't finish it, and now I know: Ben Bova is a terrible writer. His characters are juvenile, as though written by someone in high school. They are cartoonish in the most, eye-rolling way. I couldn't get past this, and I DNF'd the book very early on. Not recommended.
May 31, 2021
Well, I jumped into the middle of a big series ("The Grand Tour"), with book #14 out of 23 (or 25?) books. Still, it works fine as a standalone book, with enough context to make sense. I will certainly look for more books in the series.
It's a good story, with likable characters and good dialogue. Well worth reading.
It's a good story, with likable characters and good dialogue. Well worth reading.
August 1, 2021
Needed more editing
There were some good concepts explored (miscommunication between intelligent species, differences in perception) but they were surrounded with shallow, unbelievable, not fully developed characters. I did like the characters, but they weren’t subtle, and they weren’t complex enough.
There were some good concepts explored (miscommunication between intelligent species, differences in perception) but they were surrounded with shallow, unbelievable, not fully developed characters. I did like the characters, but they weren’t subtle, and they weren’t complex enough.
October 9, 2021
Science fiction should help you examine your world with a new perspective. This book does that. This is the first book written by Bova and I enjoyed it. I will read more of his books. I would liked to have seen more in depth handling of the characters and more complete handling of some of the plot points.
January 25, 2023
Probably my favorite Bova so far. Fun characters with great chemistry, an interesting, suspenseful plot, fascinating science and a more realistic approach to what contact with intelligent extraterrestrials would be. The author really came up with something, well, alien looking. I never thought I’d relate so much to a humongous entity.
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