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Test of Fire
A small group of survivors fight to rebuild civilization after the Earth is devastated by a huge solar flare.
Cities became ovens. Grasslands became seas of flame. As the touch of dawn swept westward across the spinning planet Earth, its fiery finger killed everything in its path. Glaciers in Switzerland began to melt, floodwaters poured down on the burning, smoking villages dotting the Alpine meadows. Paris became a torch, then London. North of the Arctic Circle, Lapplanders in their summer furs burst into flame as their reindeer collapsed and roasted on the smoking tundra.
The line of dawn raced westward across the Atlantic Ocean, but as it did the brightness diminished. The sun dimmed as quickly as it had brightened.
The Americas escaped the Sun's wrath. Almost.
"A hard, dark book, the story of mankind after the fall... compulsive reading... the battle to rebuild Earth after its almost total destruction by a gigantic solar flare."
—Harry Harrison
Cities became ovens. Grasslands became seas of flame. As the touch of dawn swept westward across the spinning planet Earth, its fiery finger killed everything in its path. Glaciers in Switzerland began to melt, floodwaters poured down on the burning, smoking villages dotting the Alpine meadows. Paris became a torch, then London. North of the Arctic Circle, Lapplanders in their summer furs burst into flame as their reindeer collapsed and roasted on the smoking tundra.
The line of dawn raced westward across the Atlantic Ocean, but as it did the brightness diminished. The sun dimmed as quickly as it had brightened.
The Americas escaped the Sun's wrath. Almost.
"A hard, dark book, the story of mankind after the fall... compulsive reading... the battle to rebuild Earth after its almost total destruction by a gigantic solar flare."
—Harry Harrison
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1982
10 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
715 books1,035 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 22, 2013
A bit dated for my tastes, and although I typically enjoy a good science fiction thriller from the early to mid-twentieth century, many tend to hold up better to the test of time than this one. Otherwise, the story was engaging albeit simplistic. Fun to read, not terribly special.
January 13, 2019
I read a lot of Bova a long time ago and decided to return and was not disappointed. Pacy and action packed.
June 18, 2025
Review to come, solid 3/3.5 stars (70/100)
July 24, 2013
A Review of the Audiobook
Read by Dean Sluyter
Duration: 10 hours, 46 minutes
Published by Blackstone Audio in 2013
Sci-fi legend Ben Bova’s 1982 book Test of Fire is a look at a near-future Earth struck by a giant solar flare that literally destroys all life in Europe, Asia and Africa because that half of the planet that was facing the sun at the time. North America is partially devastated by a limited strike of nuclear missiles from Soviet Union. Central America and South America do not figure in the story.
The near future Earth has a lunar base (for mining) and a fleet of space shuttles that regularly take off and land on earth from very long runways. The lunar base survived the solar flare unscathed but faces the difficult challenge of how to provide for all of its needs with little or no support from Earth.
The lunar base is led by a council and that council is led by Daniel Morgan and his scheming wife. Morgan leads an expedition to Cape Canaveral for supplies and to look for survivors. He returns with both but is struck by the pitiful condition of the people he left behind. Civilization has all but ended for them and he wants to make sure that thousands of years of art, philosophy and science are not lost. He wants to work with the people on Earth but is overruled by the council due to the behind the scenes machinations of his wife. They want to write off the Earth and focus on keeping the lunar base alive...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/...
Read by Dean Sluyter
Duration: 10 hours, 46 minutes
Published by Blackstone Audio in 2013
Sci-fi legend Ben Bova’s 1982 book Test of Fire is a look at a near-future Earth struck by a giant solar flare that literally destroys all life in Europe, Asia and Africa because that half of the planet that was facing the sun at the time. North America is partially devastated by a limited strike of nuclear missiles from Soviet Union. Central America and South America do not figure in the story.
The near future Earth has a lunar base (for mining) and a fleet of space shuttles that regularly take off and land on earth from very long runways. The lunar base survived the solar flare unscathed but faces the difficult challenge of how to provide for all of its needs with little or no support from Earth.
The lunar base is led by a council and that council is led by Daniel Morgan and his scheming wife. Morgan leads an expedition to Cape Canaveral for supplies and to look for survivors. He returns with both but is struck by the pitiful condition of the people he left behind. Civilization has all but ended for them and he wants to make sure that thousands of years of art, philosophy and science are not lost. He wants to work with the people on Earth but is overruled by the council due to the behind the scenes machinations of his wife. They want to write off the Earth and focus on keeping the lunar base alive...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/...
July 2, 2025
A mildly amusing read, very chauvinistic even by 1982 standards. Mostly unlikable cardboard characters who lack depth and motivation. Not recommended for the average reader. The first 150 pages are just so dull and a real slog to grind through. It does pick up a bit later but still....not a great read.
Personally I have always felt the good Doctor BB was an overrated hack who wrote boring stories. If you or I as unestablished authors had submitted some of the crap BB wrote, the editors would never have given it a second glance. Guess it helps to have an established name.
Comments
1. I got the edition with the cover drawn by Howard Chaykin and it is UGLY!!!! He really did a fob effort on this commission. I guess even a good artist can have a bad day or just not care a figger about the result. Sets a bad tone for the rest of the book.
2. About page 40 Douglas Senior slaps his wife in the face. So a secondary protagonist we are supposed to admire is a wife abuser. OH Just Great!
3. About page 150 Douglas Junior rapes a female doctor before he heads down to Earth to get the story rolling. Thus the primary protagonist (the hero?) we are supposed to admire is a rapist. Wonderful!
4. The women characters. What women characters? They are just there to be claimed as the spoils of war. Welcome to your future ladies. At least according to Doctor BB.
5. Ferret. He is the only likable character who has any personality in the story. He is a young Earth orphan who survives by his wits. And he is woefully underused. Basically he just makes a couple of brief cameos before we go back to following the Rapist and his adventures. What a waste of potential. What a great story it could of been if the story had been told from his viewpoint.
6. About page 250 Douglas Jr. meets up again with two of his former soldiers and he discovers that they are living together as gay lovers. And it is passed over and accepted with no negative comment made by Doctor BB about the subject. Kind of weird actually considering how much of the book is an obsession with straight male masculinity. It was totally unexpected.
That's it. My final comment.
Give this one a miss. It's just another dull, grey book by Doctor BB and you're not missing anything.
Personally I have always felt the good Doctor BB was an overrated hack who wrote boring stories. If you or I as unestablished authors had submitted some of the crap BB wrote, the editors would never have given it a second glance. Guess it helps to have an established name.
Comments
1. I got the edition with the cover drawn by Howard Chaykin and it is UGLY!!!! He really did a fob effort on this commission. I guess even a good artist can have a bad day or just not care a figger about the result. Sets a bad tone for the rest of the book.
2. About page 40 Douglas Senior slaps his wife in the face. So a secondary protagonist we are supposed to admire is a wife abuser. OH Just Great!
3. About page 150 Douglas Junior rapes a female doctor before he heads down to Earth to get the story rolling. Thus the primary protagonist (the hero?) we are supposed to admire is a rapist. Wonderful!
4. The women characters. What women characters? They are just there to be claimed as the spoils of war. Welcome to your future ladies. At least according to Doctor BB.
5. Ferret. He is the only likable character who has any personality in the story. He is a young Earth orphan who survives by his wits. And he is woefully underused. Basically he just makes a couple of brief cameos before we go back to following the Rapist and his adventures. What a waste of potential. What a great story it could of been if the story had been told from his viewpoint.
6. About page 250 Douglas Jr. meets up again with two of his former soldiers and he discovers that they are living together as gay lovers. And it is passed over and accepted with no negative comment made by Doctor BB about the subject. Kind of weird actually considering how much of the book is an obsession with straight male masculinity. It was totally unexpected.
That's it. My final comment.
Give this one a miss. It's just another dull, grey book by Doctor BB and you're not missing anything.
July 17, 2018
This certainly builds upon my favorite part of science fiction. Take something we know well, change a few major aspects and spin it. The world is no longer what it was. A half-burnt cookie of sorts.
I was intrigued. But, then it went on to grow into a tale of people making short sighted decisions for power. I really burns me to think that is really representative of reality. Then I sit back and look at part of reality and the pieces kinda fall together in a languorous lump. I heard the Earth half way scorched and wanted to her more about what life would do. Bova did a good job at telling what people would do. Turn into absolute monsters.
I didn't really have an expectation going into the book so the story worked and had some memorable moments. Though I am kinda sick of the main character. "No, that can't be true! My highly developed world view established from living in a cave in the moon assures me I am right." That might not be an exact quote :) though it could be.
At the same time, I was most excited when I thought this was going to get really ecological. They didn't really, but it opened it up for the imagination.
read it if you want or don't
I was intrigued. But, then it went on to grow into a tale of people making short sighted decisions for power. I really burns me to think that is really representative of reality. Then I sit back and look at part of reality and the pieces kinda fall together in a languorous lump. I heard the Earth half way scorched and wanted to her more about what life would do. Bova did a good job at telling what people would do. Turn into absolute monsters.
I didn't really have an expectation going into the book so the story worked and had some memorable moments. Though I am kinda sick of the main character. "No, that can't be true! My highly developed world view established from living in a cave in the moon assures me I am right." That might not be an exact quote :) though it could be.
At the same time, I was most excited when I thought this was going to get really ecological. They didn't really, but it opened it up for the imagination.
read it if you want or don't
April 16, 2020
I have only read a few from Ben Bova and this one is not one of the better ones. The History of this story is he wrote a version originally in the late '70s and rewrote it. The rewrite became this story.
The first half of the story is about the colony on the moon that survived the solar flare and general post-apocalyptic event, the people start to take trips to Earth for material and tries to help the people while on the moon everything is run by the console. There are some good science ideas regarding the colony on the moon and general fall out survival as to what if on Earth but no real story, lots of characters. Sorry I was disappointed I was hoping for more as I like this author.
The first half of the story is about the colony on the moon that survived the solar flare and general post-apocalyptic event, the people start to take trips to Earth for material and tries to help the people while on the moon everything is run by the console. There are some good science ideas regarding the colony on the moon and general fall out survival as to what if on Earth but no real story, lots of characters. Sorry I was disappointed I was hoping for more as I like this author.
October 24, 2018
Read it back in the '80's when it first came out. Felt better back then but it's content was more it's time then also. Just realizing that Bova rarely had a female protagonist in his novels.
March 16, 2019
Bella storia, con un grande inizio. Peccato per i personaggi che sono piuttosto piatti.
Read
June 2, 2019I have two different german editions.
March 8, 2020
The story didn't follow the character(s) I thought it would. The story jumped past the story I expected or wanted to read.
August 29, 2020
According to my hand-written reading chart from 1994, I read this in 4&1/2 hours.
September 28, 2020
Typical Bova; Great!
When I pick up a Bova book I know I will be entertained.
Test of Fire was no exception.
Interesting characters, plot twists and Science fact/fiction.
When I pick up a Bova book I know I will be entertained.
Test of Fire was no exception.
Interesting characters, plot twists and Science fact/fiction.
April 12, 2023
Duration: 10:36:56
December 25, 2014
"Test of Fire" by Ben Bova was OK. The story reads a little bit too much like a play from Aeschylus or Sophocles so what we might think of as plot clichés nowadays are in evidence here: An idealistic leader/husband/father... a scheming and cheating wife/mother/woman-behind-the-throne whose wants her son to supplant his father. Throw in a jilted lover, a few beatings and rape and you've got it.
The story: a massive sun flare renders most of planet Earth lifeless but a few survivors on Moonbase survive for now and wonder how they will survive over the long term. The leader of the Moonbase has an inspiration. He must go down to the surface of Earth and rebuild society, but his wife wants him close to her to wield power on the moon in his name.
You learn that all early on (or can guess it fairly quickly). The moon base needs resources from Earth so they go down to the surface, battling various rogue groups...etc.
I don't want to give anything away but you can figure out what happens as each story element is revealed. The only surprise is at the end which tempted me to rate this book as "Good" rather than "OK." I resisted temptation because I didn't like the cliché way women and men were portrayed.
I hasten to add that there is nothing unusual about this story given the time it was originally written... 1982. It is a revised version of "When the Sky Burned" (1973). Yeah... I can only imagine what it was like BEFORE the rewrite.
Is it for kids? No. Definitely not. The rape nixes that whole idea. That places this book in the adult category. It wasn't detailed and thus not prurient, but it's still there. I can image why it is there. It fits into the story line style since it seems to be written like a Greek tragedy, but I still didn't like the idea.
I like Ben Bova as an author, but I can't say I like all his work. The author is worth the effort, but probably not with this book.
The story: a massive sun flare renders most of planet Earth lifeless but a few survivors on Moonbase survive for now and wonder how they will survive over the long term. The leader of the Moonbase has an inspiration. He must go down to the surface of Earth and rebuild society, but his wife wants him close to her to wield power on the moon in his name.
You learn that all early on (or can guess it fairly quickly). The moon base needs resources from Earth so they go down to the surface, battling various rogue groups...etc.
I don't want to give anything away but you can figure out what happens as each story element is revealed. The only surprise is at the end which tempted me to rate this book as "Good" rather than "OK." I resisted temptation because I didn't like the cliché way women and men were portrayed.
I hasten to add that there is nothing unusual about this story given the time it was originally written... 1982. It is a revised version of "When the Sky Burned" (1973). Yeah... I can only imagine what it was like BEFORE the rewrite.
Is it for kids? No. Definitely not. The rape nixes that whole idea. That places this book in the adult category. It wasn't detailed and thus not prurient, but it's still there. I can image why it is there. It fits into the story line style since it seems to be written like a Greek tragedy, but I still didn't like the idea.
I like Ben Bova as an author, but I can't say I like all his work. The author is worth the effort, but probably not with this book.
March 20, 2024
Wow, das war wieder mal harte Arbeit!
Ein postapokalyptischer Roman, der aus den 80ern ist aber in den heutigen Trend passt.
Ein Sonnenausbruch fritiert die Erde uns stürzt die Überlebenden in die Barbarei.
Die Mondkolonie bleibt als letzter Hort der Zivilisation. Allerdings sind sie noch abhängig von der Erde, va. brauchen sie spaltbares Material. Douglas Morgan, der geborene Anführer, macht es sich zur Aufgabe, dies zu beschaffen. Doch er kommt überraschenderweise nicht zurück zum Mond. Ist er ein Verräter? Jahre später macht sich sein Sohn auf, das begehrte Gut doch noch zu beschaffen und sich an seinem Vater zu rächen.
Der Plot ist großteils vorhersehbar und zieht sich viel zu lange hin.
2.5/5
Ein postapokalyptischer Roman, der aus den 80ern ist aber in den heutigen Trend passt.
Ein Sonnenausbruch fritiert die Erde uns stürzt die Überlebenden in die Barbarei.
Die Mondkolonie bleibt als letzter Hort der Zivilisation. Allerdings sind sie noch abhängig von der Erde, va. brauchen sie spaltbares Material. Douglas Morgan, der geborene Anführer, macht es sich zur Aufgabe, dies zu beschaffen. Doch er kommt überraschenderweise nicht zurück zum Mond. Ist er ein Verräter? Jahre später macht sich sein Sohn auf, das begehrte Gut doch noch zu beschaffen und sich an seinem Vater zu rächen.
Der Plot ist großteils vorhersehbar und zieht sich viel zu lange hin.
2.5/5
June 7, 2015
not really a good book. the premises is good, most of earth is wiped out by a catastrophic solar flare, the survivors on the lunar settlement need to obtain fissionable fuel from earth to go on with their existence. They chose the son of the man that failed to return with fuel 25 years earlier...
Sounds good, but the execution is abysmal. There is no chance to ever feel sympathetic with the main character, I refuse to use the word hero, he is spoilt, self absorbed, and is establishing himself as the leader of the expedition by raping a doctor, just a nice guy :-(.
I heard a lot of Ben Bova, but if Test by fire is a measure of his work, I think i can do without him in the future.
Sounds good, but the execution is abysmal. There is no chance to ever feel sympathetic with the main character, I refuse to use the word hero, he is spoilt, self absorbed, and is establishing himself as the leader of the expedition by raping a doctor, just a nice guy :-(.
I heard a lot of Ben Bova, but if Test by fire is a measure of his work, I think i can do without him in the future.
October 9, 2015
A cataclysmic plot, part of the earth is wiped out by a solar flare and the moon settlement must extract needed resources from it. This book is all about people working together--I kept saying: " just work together and it will be a win-win". However, "Test of Fire" is just as much Bova's testament to the opposite--that conflict must occur before peace can reign--a recurring theme of human kind. While some of the testosterone enriched strategies seemed far-fetched, the theme remains.
March 27, 2011
Although a bit dated, and somewhat simplistic, this rough and ready tale of Martian grassroots insurrection is fun. The coming of age story contained within is, although not terribly original, well written and engaging. If you can look past the nineteen seventies vintage stuff, this will keep you entertained for an evening or two.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=451
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=451
November 22, 2014
I spent the whole book thinking "this makes no sense"
when I got to the explanation of why things were the way they were I still thought "this makes no sense"
maybe a person needs more testosterone than I carry for these strategies to seem logical.
when I got to the explanation of why things were the way they were I still thought "this makes no sense"
maybe a person needs more testosterone than I carry for these strategies to seem logical.
November 23, 2015
Interesting premise: a solar flare prompts a mass extinction event on earth. Survivors at a moon base have to find a way to survive without their lifeline. Somewhat abbreviated, we never really get to know any of the characters in order to move the plot along.
March 21, 2016
It was a somewhat good story but honestly, I couldn't get past the fact that the main character raped a women early on in the story.
I just couldn't find any connection or empathy for him or the story after that.
I just couldn't find any connection or empathy for him or the story after that.
April 28, 2020
All the characters are unlikeable - makes it a hard read. Good job it was an audio book!
September 22, 2019
This is a repackaging of When the Sky Burned.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews