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Jake Ross #2
Power Surge
Dr. Jake Ross came to Washington, D.C., to make a difference. As the science advisor to a newly-elected freshman senator, Jake has crafted a comprehensive energy plan that employs innovative new technologies to make America the world’s leader in energy production while simultaneously boosting the economy and protecting the environment. The facts—and the science—are on Jake’s side, but his plan soon runs afoul of entrenched special interests, well-funded lobbies, cynical bureaucrats, pork-barrel politics, and one very powerful U.S. Senator.
363 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2015
10 people are currently reading
188 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 51 reviews
October 12, 2015
When I started to read this book, I got this horribly dated feeling, is this an expanded rough draft from the 60's? First off, it's really a hard sell to me for burning more coal, even if it's cleaner. MHD power generation was cutting edge 50 years ago, but now it's just a failed tech. The character Jake, who by simple math can be no older than 49, suffered from rickets. Was he really born in the 30's? That's how long they have been adding Vitamin D to milk in the US. Then the horrible character interactions start, Pam Wexler was just using him in some fashion that is invisible in the book, unless you are really old fashioned or a pig. Not a great way to introduce the main protagonist. Doesn't hold much promise for good female characters either.
The Tomilson family seems like a caricature of 60's wealthy plutocrats, at this point I skipped to the end because I've already read another recent bad Bova book and I wanted to avoid suffering any more. The use of easily traced violence is too unbelievable, that would work maybe through the 90's but politicians are not on anyone's love list and there are much simpler ways that are used today.
I couldn't read it all, it's just too old fashioned in a bad way.
The Tomilson family seems like a caricature of 60's wealthy plutocrats, at this point I skipped to the end because I've already read another recent bad Bova book and I wanted to avoid suffering any more. The use of easily traced violence is too unbelievable, that would work maybe through the 90's but politicians are not on anyone's love list and there are much simpler ways that are used today.
I couldn't read it all, it's just too old fashioned in a bad way.
September 19, 2015
More political thriller than science fiction (not sci-fi at all, in my opinion), and more novel than thriller, this is a kind of disappointment from this author regardless of the genre you're looking for. An OK read (better than 2, but a low 3 stars), it has weaknesses in a hero who is less than admirable (not too bright sometimes, and a trifle whiny), slow and meandering plot development, and a predictable cavalry-to-the-rescue resolution. He's heavy-handed about grinding a political ax, one I agree with, but one that will not win over many readers on the other end of the spectrum (not that I care, but he should). Bova has many better books.
October 10, 2015
A great political near future story done by an excellent author. Will do up full review after the long weekend
Cheers
Cheers
February 15, 2017
The sequel to Power Play and a similar kind of story. Not much science fiction more political thriller, not a great one but okay. The thing I didn't like about is that I just didn't care about the characters. I couldn't find much about any of them I like which was a bit of a let down.
December 20, 2022
Bova's status as a sci-fi writer shows in this didactic book. Bova thinks he has come up with a foolproof energy plan that the U. S. ought to adopt, and so does the protagonist of this thrill-less thriller. As science concepts must be explained in sci-fi, so must this energy plan. Much of this is done in dialog, which keeps it livelier than it might have been, but it is still a lot of theoretical exposition. Then comes a long and seemingly pointless chapter when a hurricane hits Washington D. C. Why waste our time with this chapter? Because the only house in the neighborhood with power the next morning happens to have solar panels on the roof, so Bova made us wade through the hurricane just to add to his energy plan. Ugh. Not thrilling.
July 22, 2017
The library says this is a sci-fi book. It's way more political. The main character is trying to get the government to pass a clean energy bill. The powers that be don't like the idea. The bad guys go after them. The good guys win. I like other books by this author. This one. Meh. The timing didn't help. Enough reading about politics in the newspaper. I'd rather my book be more of an escape. To be fair, the book delivers what the back cover promises. But this is Ben Bova so I figured there would be more world building and more sci-fi. Oh well.
Also, minor but I noticed that page 81 says the San Diego airport is amongst the hills. It's not. It is downtown.
Also, minor but I noticed that page 81 says the San Diego airport is amongst the hills. It's not. It is downtown.
September 22, 2019
The second book takes Jake Ross, the science adviser to Senator Tomlinson, on an educational journey on the way politics works in Washington. While the work is fiction, the story is predictable and annoying because it is actually how our government works - mostly. DC power struggles and their frustrating outcomes. There is a small amount of sci-fi in this book but it is mainly a political book and there are much better if that is your genre.
★★★☆☆ OK book. Nothing special but not bad. I read it because I started the series and I would like to see how it ends.
★★★☆☆ OK book. Nothing special but not bad. I read it because I started the series and I would like to see how it ends.
July 4, 2018
The librarian who put this book in the science fiction section should be severely reprimanded. It's a sort of political thriller, but it's not very thrilling.
September 10, 2017
This is a sequel to Bova's book Power Play. In the first book the protagonist is science advisor to a Senate candidate. In this book the candidate has been elected and the protagonist moves with him to DC. While the first book investigated the intersection of science with politics, in this book the intersection is with policy-making, a significantly different challenge. While I'm enough of a policy wonk to find this interesting, Bova manages to ramp up the conflict into thriller territory.
Read
June 6, 2019Jake is in DC & learning that politics and pork totally outweigh any ethics and/or commitments. The overall energy plan is coming apart piece by piece to accommodate the big contributors. He makes friends with Tami Umetzu whom he later marries. Together along with other Frank Tomlinson partisans pull together to make things happen. Clue: always make it at least a part of whatever the other person desires.
October 28, 2023
The story is too clean. It's a perfect world example of things working together with barely a hint of opposition. It may be an easy read but man it just doesn't go below the surface. The pitch for a perfect energy mix is just too cliche, too simple, too ideal. I wish the author did his homework. I was excited to read a sci fi book about potential energy futures but this came up way short. Dang what a miss.
March 7, 2025
Honestly (no, lie to me)? It was a snoozer. The man has won several awards, so I expected more. There was no action until approximately page 200. The first 199 pages were about the main character trying to get his economic plan to be viable in D.C. A lot of description is given about the possibilities with energy and the gridlock of politics in the Beltway; but, like I said, it takes far too long to get to a point where the protagonist acts (or, rather, reacts to a lackluster antagonist.
March 11, 2019
This is a political thriller by a noted science fiction author. A new Senator comes to Washington DC along with his Science Advisor. Their goal is an integrated energy policy, and their enemy is the entrenched bureaucracy as well as special interests. Toss in a love interest and watch it boil over. This is a quite entertaining book.
April 19, 2021
This series is probably the most down to Earth Ben Bova books I've read--no aliens or super-advanced technology. The plot is mostly based on political maneuvering and probably accurately portrays the world we live in today. While I am a bigger fan of Bova's typical novels (The Grand Tour, Voyager, etc), I am enjoying this series and will finish it. Book #3 is my next read.
January 8, 2017
Great read to tie over my hangover for House of Cards (TV Series). Politics mixed with one man's vigilante-istic effort to get his plans stamped and sealed. Well written and each page had me wanting for more (especially when I finished the book in 24 hours!). Thou I would love a much better ending.
September 26, 2021
much more boring than most documentaries which at least are educational . The story did not age well as the reality got crazier than the book fast and then nobody cared.
may be its a story from alternative timeline....
may be its a story from alternative timeline....
June 10, 2025
It was ok, 2.5 probably more accurate, it just needed to be more political or more sci fi, was just kind of stuck. I just needed more, not sure if I will look at the rest of the series which is surprising because Ive liked so many of Bova other books.
January 26, 2018
Fast, and ok.
June 5, 2019
Intelligent fiction full of interesting takes on energy technology and US politics.
July 31, 2019
Well written. Second in a trilogy. I need to get parts I and III now.
June 23, 2023
If I had anything else to read this would be a DNF
Strictly formula with outdated and wrong ideas, Methane is the great green hope, LOL
Strictly formula with outdated and wrong ideas, Methane is the great green hope, LOL
July 5, 2023
Good second book in this series which I consider political mysteries more than science fiction.
August 12, 2023
Duration: 8:35:25
February 5, 2024
I have never liked Sci fi
January 30, 2017
Bova really went off the deep end with this NOT SCIENCE FICTION fantasy: It's just a stereotypical progressive political thriller, with the horrible oil and coal companies as arch villains fighting the efforts of a crusader trying to save the world (from anthropogenic global warming, pollution, etc - you know the litany) by using the government's political power to force uneconomical energy production onto the public.
As you would expect, Bova displays absolutely no concept whatsoever of economics, just advocates the government forcing/subsidising the public to use highly uneconomical energy production. For instance, he wants everybody to have solar panels on their roof - thinking this will allow them to get off the grid! He wants massive solar panel electricity production facilities in remote. And on and on - just ignores all the reasons that solar, wind, electric cars, are suitable only in niche situations.
I couldn't finish this book it's concepts are so absurd. Power Surge was published in 2015, so there's no excuse for not knowing of the many dozens of Obama's disastrous funding such uneconomical adventures and their spectacular failures:
Solyndra bankrupt
Hoku bankrupt
Abound Solar (CdTe) bankrupt
AQT (CIGS) closed
Ampulse (thin silicon) closed
Arise Technology (PV modules) bankrupt
Azuray (microinverters) closed
BP (c-Si panels) exits solar business
Centrotherm (PV manufacturing equipment) bankrupt
CSG (c-Si on glass) closed by Suntech
Day4 Energy (cell interconnects) delisted from TSX exchange
ECD (a-Si) bankrupt
Energy Innovations (CPV) bankrupt
Flexcell (a-Si roll-roll BIPV) closed
GlobalWatt (solar) closed
GreenVolts (CPV) closed
Global Solar Energy (CIGS) closed
G24i (DSCs) bankrupt in 2012, re-emerged as G24i Power with new investors
Hoku (polysilicon) shut down its Idaho polysilicon production facility
Inventux (a-Si) bankrupt
Konarka (OSCs) bankrupt
Odersun (CIGS) bankrupt
Pramac (a-Si panels built with equipment from Oerlikon) insolvent
Pairan (Germany inverters) insolvent
Ralos (developer) bankrupt
REC Wafer (c-Si) bankrupt
Satcon (BoS) bankrupt
Schott (c-Si) exits c-Si business
Schuco (a-Si) shutting down its a-Si business
Sencera (a-Si) closed
Siliken (c-Si modules) closed
Skyline Solar (LCPV) closed
Siemens (CSP, inverters, BOS) divestment from solar
Solar Millennium (developer) insolvent
Solarhybrid (developer) insolvent
Sovello (Q.cells, Evergreen, REC JV) bankrupt
SolarDay (c-Si modules) insolvent
Solar Power Industries (PV modules) bankrupt
Soltecture (CIGS BIPV) bankrupt
Sun Concept (developer) bankrupt
and many, many more
As you would expect, Bova displays absolutely no concept whatsoever of economics, just advocates the government forcing/subsidising the public to use highly uneconomical energy production. For instance, he wants everybody to have solar panels on their roof - thinking this will allow them to get off the grid! He wants massive solar panel electricity production facilities in remote. And on and on - just ignores all the reasons that solar, wind, electric cars, are suitable only in niche situations.
I couldn't finish this book it's concepts are so absurd. Power Surge was published in 2015, so there's no excuse for not knowing of the many dozens of Obama's disastrous funding such uneconomical adventures and their spectacular failures:
Solyndra bankrupt
Hoku bankrupt
Abound Solar (CdTe) bankrupt
AQT (CIGS) closed
Ampulse (thin silicon) closed
Arise Technology (PV modules) bankrupt
Azuray (microinverters) closed
BP (c-Si panels) exits solar business
Centrotherm (PV manufacturing equipment) bankrupt
CSG (c-Si on glass) closed by Suntech
Day4 Energy (cell interconnects) delisted from TSX exchange
ECD (a-Si) bankrupt
Energy Innovations (CPV) bankrupt
Flexcell (a-Si roll-roll BIPV) closed
GlobalWatt (solar) closed
GreenVolts (CPV) closed
Global Solar Energy (CIGS) closed
G24i (DSCs) bankrupt in 2012, re-emerged as G24i Power with new investors
Hoku (polysilicon) shut down its Idaho polysilicon production facility
Inventux (a-Si) bankrupt
Konarka (OSCs) bankrupt
Odersun (CIGS) bankrupt
Pramac (a-Si panels built with equipment from Oerlikon) insolvent
Pairan (Germany inverters) insolvent
Ralos (developer) bankrupt
REC Wafer (c-Si) bankrupt
Satcon (BoS) bankrupt
Schott (c-Si) exits c-Si business
Schuco (a-Si) shutting down its a-Si business
Sencera (a-Si) closed
Siliken (c-Si modules) closed
Skyline Solar (LCPV) closed
Siemens (CSP, inverters, BOS) divestment from solar
Solar Millennium (developer) insolvent
Solarhybrid (developer) insolvent
Sovello (Q.cells, Evergreen, REC JV) bankrupt
SolarDay (c-Si modules) insolvent
Solar Power Industries (PV modules) bankrupt
Soltecture (CIGS BIPV) bankrupt
Sun Concept (developer) bankrupt
and many, many more
September 22, 2016
Not what I have come to expect from Bova, as there was little space material in it, but it would have worked just as well in a futuristic setting after humans had already spread through the solar system, and I guess that is the point. As long as there are humans, there will be dealing to get things done (or not), as the case may be. Let's hope this isn't the future of space exploration, but I can't help but wonder how much will be lost as a result of similar happenings. Overall a good read, even if it wasn't what I expected when I started reading.
January 17, 2016
My hubby saw this book and suggested I try it. This is my first Ben Bova and it won't be my last.
Although published by Tor, and Bova is known for his sci-fi, I would classify this entirely as a political thriller. It does have some aspects of sci-fi that I commonly find in books by male authors. I'm talking about the sex. It's not graphic, but it is really randomly thrown in. He randomly has sex with like 3 different women in 300 pages. By the end of the book he's engaged to one of these women, but there is no real development in this relationship. One minute he's talking about his late wife and literally the next minute he is raging with jealous over his current girlfriend's ex. It's bizarre, but something I've noticed in a lot of these type of books.
This was an engaging read, but there were some plot issues that bothered me. Mainly, I felt at times he jumped big chunks of time rather than develop the story. It reminded me of a cheap paperback in that sense. It's a shame--I really would have like the story to have been tighter. In some ways, I think maybe he had too much going on. That said, it had strong dialogue and an easy-to-follow breakdown of DC politics. The science was interesting--I'm not an energy policy gal myself, so I can't vouch for the accuracy. I am familiar with DC and enjoyed the references to the different neighborhoods. This really brought the story to life for me.
I want to read the first book involving Jake and the way this one ended, there could easily be a third. An enjoyable read--perfect for a bitterly cold winter's day.
Although published by Tor, and Bova is known for his sci-fi, I would classify this entirely as a political thriller. It does have some aspects of sci-fi that I commonly find in books by male authors. I'm talking about the sex. It's not graphic, but it is really randomly thrown in. He randomly has sex with like 3 different women in 300 pages. By the end of the book he's engaged to one of these women, but there is no real development in this relationship. One minute he's talking about his late wife and literally the next minute he is raging with jealous over his current girlfriend's ex. It's bizarre, but something I've noticed in a lot of these type of books.
This was an engaging read, but there were some plot issues that bothered me. Mainly, I felt at times he jumped big chunks of time rather than develop the story. It reminded me of a cheap paperback in that sense. It's a shame--I really would have like the story to have been tighter. In some ways, I think maybe he had too much going on. That said, it had strong dialogue and an easy-to-follow breakdown of DC politics. The science was interesting--I'm not an energy policy gal myself, so I can't vouch for the accuracy. I am familiar with DC and enjoyed the references to the different neighborhoods. This really brought the story to life for me.
I want to read the first book involving Jake and the way this one ended, there could easily be a third. An enjoyable read--perfect for a bitterly cold winter's day.
July 1, 2016
So, Ill admit that one of my many eccentricities is the need to own the books I read or at the very least have a copy I can have in my hot little hands (and no Im not related to Donald Trump) for as long as I want. Anne will tell you that as our house gets smaller, the stacks of books gets larger and the amount of change in my murse gets smaller that this compulsion is....a pain in the ass. So yes I did purchase my very own copy of Power Surge by Ben Bova! Ben is a straight up old time Science Fiction author whose books on space exploration are well known and revered among true Science Fiction fans. Unfortunately in "Power Surge", Ben leaves his Sci Fi formula behind and takes on the world of U. S. politics. The book follows the lives of a newly elected Senator and his Scientific Advisor, Jake. Jake has been brought to Washington to champion Senator Tomlinson's global Environmental plan and the book outlines the journey they must take to appease big business and opposing political agendas. Mr. Bova's matter of fact writing style usually lends itself well to the structure needed to develop Space Exploration but here I find it somewhat plodding and even during the few exciting passages it doesn't really elicit much reader involvement. Not to say there wasn't any redeeming value,(it does give you a US Politics 101 overview) and its a quick read but this is a book that I could have saved the $12.99 Canadian and one that wont make one of my many piles for reread.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2017
I persevered with this, hoping something would start to happen, hoping the paper thin caricatures and the ancient stereotypes of male and female roles in Washington would at least have some juicy action in it. It dragged on and on and nothing happened, so I decided life was too short for such tripe and moved on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews