What do you think?
Rate this book
Kinsman #2
Milenio
Comes the millennium
In a thriving colony far beneath the ancient crater-marked crust of the Moon, the Russians and the Americans joined together to launch the most daring offensive ever against Earth in a desperate attempt to save Man from himself...
Chet Kinsman
The American Chief had a daring plan to avert the threatened war on Earth: but he had only a handful of men--and he hadn't counted on one of them being a traitor!
Ellen Berger
Had made the mistake of falling in love with a man who loved his country enough to risk death to try to save it!
Colonel Leonov
Commander of Lunagrad, the Russian sector of Moonbase Selene, was a cool man under pressure...until politics threatened to make sworn enemies out of his closest friends.
In a thriving colony far beneath the ancient crater-marked crust of the Moon, the Russians and the Americans joined together to launch the most daring offensive ever against Earth in a desperate attempt to save Man from himself...
Chet Kinsman
The American Chief had a daring plan to avert the threatened war on Earth: but he had only a handful of men--and he hadn't counted on one of them being a traitor!
Ellen Berger
Had made the mistake of falling in love with a man who loved his country enough to risk death to try to save it!
Colonel Leonov
Commander of Lunagrad, the Russian sector of Moonbase Selene, was a cool man under pressure...until politics threatened to make sworn enemies out of his closest friends.
389 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1976
11 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
714 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 1, 2008
I found it funny that according to this book by the year 2000 we have figured out:
a. How to live comfortably on the moon
b. Get water and a significant amount of minerals out of the lunar soil
c. Quick and convenient methods of space travel
***BUT***
We still are dealing with:
a. Hard core (name calling) racism
b. Some severe cases of male chauvinism
c. The Cold War
What’s wrong with this picture?
a. How to live comfortably on the moon
b. Get water and a significant amount of minerals out of the lunar soil
c. Quick and convenient methods of space travel
***BUT***
We still are dealing with:
a. Hard core (name calling) racism
b. Some severe cases of male chauvinism
c. The Cold War
What’s wrong with this picture?
July 2, 2016
Millennium by Ben Bova is being re-released. The novel originally published in 1976 is highly recommended.
Millennium is set in 1999 on the moonbase Selene. Selene is the name the Americans and Russians living on the base call the moon, in contrast to the names given by the officials on Earth to the separate American and Russian areas in the moonbase. Inhabitants of Selene call themselves "Luniks" and the two coexisting communities have a good working relationship. Things are different on Earth, where the Americans and Russians are heading into an undeclared war. Both sides are trying to destroy the others defense satellites and are trying to pull the moonbase into the battle. In a shocking move, American Colonel Chet Kinsman and Russian Colonel Piotr Leonov declare themselves the independent nation of Selene and take control of the orbiting stations that control the satellites of both sides.
While reading Millennium, the first thing you will notice is the 1999 date and how the novel shows it's age. The cold war from the 1970's is alive and well. (Of course, China is nothing and of no concern as far as the world political climate is concerned in this novel.) The Americans versus the Soviets was certainly timely when Millennium was written. Additionally, the setting may be sci-fi, but this is a novel more concerned with social commentary on the cold war. Certainly Bova has added sci-fi aspects. And, since this was written in 1976, it's interesting to see how he envisioned technological advances in the future.
It is well written, but it does show it's age in the subject matter and in the societal interactions depicted. Whether to recommend reading Millennium depends upon your own point of view. Read it with the idea to simply enjoy some old science fiction (from your younger days for me) and you will find it enjoyable. If you focus on the flaws, you won't.
Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.
Millennium is set in 1999 on the moonbase Selene. Selene is the name the Americans and Russians living on the base call the moon, in contrast to the names given by the officials on Earth to the separate American and Russian areas in the moonbase. Inhabitants of Selene call themselves "Luniks" and the two coexisting communities have a good working relationship. Things are different on Earth, where the Americans and Russians are heading into an undeclared war. Both sides are trying to destroy the others defense satellites and are trying to pull the moonbase into the battle. In a shocking move, American Colonel Chet Kinsman and Russian Colonel Piotr Leonov declare themselves the independent nation of Selene and take control of the orbiting stations that control the satellites of both sides.
While reading Millennium, the first thing you will notice is the 1999 date and how the novel shows it's age. The cold war from the 1970's is alive and well. (Of course, China is nothing and of no concern as far as the world political climate is concerned in this novel.) The Americans versus the Soviets was certainly timely when Millennium was written. Additionally, the setting may be sci-fi, but this is a novel more concerned with social commentary on the cold war. Certainly Bova has added sci-fi aspects. And, since this was written in 1976, it's interesting to see how he envisioned technological advances in the future.
It is well written, but it does show it's age in the subject matter and in the societal interactions depicted. Whether to recommend reading Millennium depends upon your own point of view. Read it with the idea to simply enjoy some old science fiction (from your younger days for me) and you will find it enjoyable. If you focus on the flaws, you won't.
Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.
December 28, 2010
I really liked this novel and its successor, Kinsman, for its scientifically and politically plausible (at the time of authorship) representation of the world of 1999/2000. Although much of its action takes place on Luna, the book works as a political thriller, not just another science fiction novel.
November 20, 2025
1999 ist die Erde durch Umweltzerstörung und Überbevölkerung am Arsch und steht kurz vor dem Atomkrieg. Als es noch besser lief, haben die Amis und die Sowjets gemeinsam eine Mondstation gebaut. Die neusten Entwicklungen deuten drauf hin, dass es nun kriegstechnisch ernst wird.
Kinsman, der Chef des amerikanischen Teils der Mondstation, will nicht mitansehen, wie alles den Bach runtergeht.
Bin ein wenig am Rätseln, warum mir das so wenig gut gefallen hat. Es hatte einige interessante Aspekte.
2.5/5
Kinsman, der Chef des amerikanischen Teils der Mondstation, will nicht mitansehen, wie alles den Bach runtergeht.
Bin ein wenig am Rätseln, warum mir das so wenig gut gefallen hat. Es hatte einige interessante Aspekte.
2.5/5
August 24, 2023
Probablemente, nadie que no haya vivido la Guerra Fría podrá comprender el aterrador fondo de esta novela. El mundo que pinta Ben Bova es más distópico que el real, pero también, en cierto modo, más simple y comprensible. Y el mundo real tras el milenio es, también probablemente, más aterrador.
August 13, 2019
Good 70's view of the "future" 1999. The Russians and Americans build 2 space stations on the moon, unite to form an independent country called Selene. Very entertaining read.
June 28, 2016
Millennium by Ben Bova- First published in 1976, Millennium suffers what most science fiction stories portraying close time-line with reality fall to. Things change and ideas that sound great don't always happen. Still, I found the characters and story to be entertaining through Bova's slow-paced reveal and rational. Much like Heinlein without the jingoistic politics and self-serving military slant, the plot is believable and the science thought out. Colonel Chet Kinsman is the high-ranking American on Selene, a moon base the U.S. shares with Russia in a recent but short period of cooperation. Now both sides are being drawn into an escalating undeclared war originating on Earth as each government launches defense satellites and destroys the others as fast as they can. Kinsman is hoping to work closely with his Russian counterparts, separated by only a few hundred yards, and help guarantee the survival of both sides. Reading this is a little like visiting a past that never happened, and it's from this perspective, I found that a defunct future can still live and breath.
August 15, 2020
Dnf on p. 110. I jumped to the back, though. Made sure I wasn't missing out on anything. For what it is, this book is fine. It's just not the kind of thing that can hold my attn. at the moment. Were I stuck somewhere remote, say, I'd have no issue w/ finishing this read. The writing is fine & the author tells a fair story. For being of the time that it was, he was actually quite a sharp guy. His read of the future (now the past) is really interesting. I'm just not feeling the whole military, war thing though. It's not you, Mr. Bova, it's me.
March 19, 2011
Ben Bova draws a character sketch the moment a new figure walks on stage center. This is one of the rare African American characters, I suppose in my early reading of SF. This gave it significance to any writer, also it is a very good story.
August 2, 2016
Grim view of what 1999 would be like. Written in 1976. Interesting story with reasonably well developed characters. I really enjoyed it.
May 8, 2020
(my review from 2004)
This is a book I've been meaning to reread for five years now. I've had it on my shelf since my high school days. It's set in December of 1999... as envisioned in the mid-seventies. The world is going to hell in a handbasket. Energy is scarce, pollution is running rampant, and the United States and the Soviet Union are both racing to gain the tactical high ground as they both endeavor to complete their orbital anti-ballistic missile defense systems. Colonel Chet Kinsman, commander of the American Moonbase, is sick of it. Moonbase is a lunar colony existing side by side with the Soviet station Lunagrad. The stations were built years earlier, when a brief spirit of co-operation existed between the two superpowers. That spirit still exists amongst the lunar colonists, fueled by the necessity of interdependence to survive the dangerous environment. As the threat of war grows closer, Kinsman tries to insure that the inhabitants of the Moon will retain their peaceful lifestyle despite events on Earth. Of course, such independence is a complex thing and Kinsman's efforts have repercussions that go far beyond his plans. It's an interesting tale about what might have been. In one sense, I'm glad I put off rereading this book so long. I think the book with its elements of environmental troubles, patriotism, and looming world war would have seemed more anachronistic in 1999 than it does in 2004. Anyway, as a book of speculative future that has become alternate history, Millennium has aged well.
This is a book I've been meaning to reread for five years now. I've had it on my shelf since my high school days. It's set in December of 1999... as envisioned in the mid-seventies. The world is going to hell in a handbasket. Energy is scarce, pollution is running rampant, and the United States and the Soviet Union are both racing to gain the tactical high ground as they both endeavor to complete their orbital anti-ballistic missile defense systems. Colonel Chet Kinsman, commander of the American Moonbase, is sick of it. Moonbase is a lunar colony existing side by side with the Soviet station Lunagrad. The stations were built years earlier, when a brief spirit of co-operation existed between the two superpowers. That spirit still exists amongst the lunar colonists, fueled by the necessity of interdependence to survive the dangerous environment. As the threat of war grows closer, Kinsman tries to insure that the inhabitants of the Moon will retain their peaceful lifestyle despite events on Earth. Of course, such independence is a complex thing and Kinsman's efforts have repercussions that go far beyond his plans. It's an interesting tale about what might have been. In one sense, I'm glad I put off rereading this book so long. I think the book with its elements of environmental troubles, patriotism, and looming world war would have seemed more anachronistic in 1999 than it does in 2004. Anyway, as a book of speculative future that has become alternate history, Millennium has aged well.
October 21, 2018
This book was written in the 1970's with a projection of what it would be like at the millenium. Keeping that in mind the book creates a future where there is a colony on the moon divided between the United States and the Soviet Union due to the Cold War still existing, but a much more relaxed relationship on the moon base. China is still a wanna be super power and overt sexism is still very prevalent in the relationships between men and women. The moon base declares its independence due to increasing tension between the two super powers and the increasingly unliveable environment of the Earth. It takes a while for this book to find its footing, but once it does it moves along at a breezy pace.
If you are a fan of Ben Bova or early science fiction thrillers, you will find this a serviceable read.
I received a free Kindle copy of Millennium by Ben Bova courtesy of Net Galley and Endeavor Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I am a fan of the author and have read several of his other books.
If you are a fan of Ben Bova or early science fiction thrillers, you will find this a serviceable read.
I received a free Kindle copy of Millennium by Ben Bova courtesy of Net Galley and Endeavor Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I am a fan of the author and have read several of his other books.
September 17, 2019
The characters are flat, the fiction is adequate, the science is satisfactory, the prose is serviceable... and it's all in a racist, sexist, nationalist box. Even with historical glasses on while reading, it seems particularly interested in telling me how attractive the women look, what colour everyone's skin is, and what nation or region each person is from (surprising considering how many pages are devoted to tell us how nations and gender don't matter on the Moon, only competence and ideas). Maybe it was so because of when it was written, or maybe it would've been considered too much even by its contemporaries.
I was hoping for some cheesy old-school nonsense, but it fails to even be that.
I was hoping for some cheesy old-school nonsense, but it fails to even be that.
November 8, 2024
Charity shop find, decent political Sci-Fi book about a half American half Russian moon-base that lives in harmony whilst the respective countries are on the brink of war on earth
A good read, nothing groundbreaking at all but the main character Chet Kinsman is interesting enough to carry the story forwards and have everything still be enjoyable
Ending felt a bit rushed and I think this story had potential for more but still turned out pretty good
A good read, nothing groundbreaking at all but the main character Chet Kinsman is interesting enough to carry the story forwards and have everything still be enjoyable
Ending felt a bit rushed and I think this story had potential for more but still turned out pretty good
February 21, 2019
This book had it all for me combining political thriller and space sci with some romance thrown in too
Even tho written during the cold war this story really resonates today.
Wonderful characters a strong potent story that really made me feel optomistic about people, the future and the future of mankind.
Even tho written during the cold war this story really resonates today.
Wonderful characters a strong potent story that really made me feel optomistic about people, the future and the future of mankind.
Read
October 7, 2022I read this in year 11 of high school back in 78 so must have just come out in the previous year or two
If I remember correctly (and I may not) it referenced NY being flooded by rising sea levels .
This was before global warming was being discussed so somewhat prescient.
If I remember correctly (and I may not) it referenced NY being flooded by rising sea levels .
This was before global warming was being discussed so somewhat prescient.
September 24, 2025
I like reading some of the more random old sci-fi because I can get interesting thoughts about the worries and dreams from particular points in time.
In this, a very Malthusian worry about the population and limits of resources on Earth, and also the pollution and crowding of cities I think.
In this, a very Malthusian worry about the population and limits of resources on Earth, and also the pollution and crowding of cities I think.
April 28, 2018
Good story, well told.
I enjoyed the story line and the characters. There were a couple of nice twists and some good conceptual ideas.
I enjoyed the story line and the characters. There were a couple of nice twists and some good conceptual ideas.
June 23, 2020
Good storyline
A nice story. I don't usually like the political dramas but the characters and story line are good. Two more words.
A nice story. I don't usually like the political dramas but the characters and story line are good. Two more words.
September 6, 2021
About December 1999: Chet Kinsman dies preventing a hot Cold War from moon base Selene.
November 17, 2023
Remarkably prescient. Handwave the 70s era racism and misogyny.
June 11, 2020
Honestly, based off of the title, I didn’t think I would enjoy this novel. But, once I got into it, I absolutely loved it. This was such an amazing read, the writing, the character development, their morals and opinions, every bit of it.
At times I felt like I knew the characters, and I realized that I did. Both Kinsman (Chet/Chester), and Ted Marrett are both from short stories that Bova published in the compilation “Forward in Time”. For anyone looking to read Millennium, I would urge you to read the short stories Zero Gee, Test in Orbit, Fifteen Miles and The Weathermaker. Reading these will give you a more defined storyline for both of the above characters - think of it as a prequel of sorts.
At times I felt like I knew the characters, and I realized that I did. Both Kinsman (Chet/Chester), and Ted Marrett are both from short stories that Bova published in the compilation “Forward in Time”. For anyone looking to read Millennium, I would urge you to read the short stories Zero Gee, Test in Orbit, Fifteen Miles and The Weathermaker. Reading these will give you a more defined storyline for both of the above characters - think of it as a prequel of sorts.
January 16, 2011
Some good and some average in this one. Clearly it was written long before the millennium and we have to accept a lot of artistic licence (was there ever any chance of there being a fully functional, self sufficient, moonbase by 2000?), but it's really just extending the cold war into near space.
The story is generally engaging, although it takes a long time to get going and then, pretty much, just ends. The characters are developed to a reasonable extent for a relatively short book, but they do seem a bit 'cartoony' in the sense that they all have fairly predictable and a little 2 dimensional.
I suppose it's unfortunte that we know that some of the tech described just never worked and some of the science, although clearly attempted to be realistic, is a little off aim.
Generally, as the political and scientific background has changed so significantly in the last 20 years, the fatalism in this book is difficult to read without the back of your mind saying "we now know that people really aren't that bad as it turned out better than that in real life" - I suppose another way of reading this book would be to consider it a 'How it could have been if the wrong people were in the wrong place at the wrong time'.
If you can switch off current reality and recent history, and think back to the height of the cold war then you could probably read this and enjoy it. Otherwise, steer clear - not because it's badly written but the subject matter will just not work for you.
The story is generally engaging, although it takes a long time to get going and then, pretty much, just ends. The characters are developed to a reasonable extent for a relatively short book, but they do seem a bit 'cartoony' in the sense that they all have fairly predictable and a little 2 dimensional.
I suppose it's unfortunte that we know that some of the tech described just never worked and some of the science, although clearly attempted to be realistic, is a little off aim.
Generally, as the political and scientific background has changed so significantly in the last 20 years, the fatalism in this book is difficult to read without the back of your mind saying "we now know that people really aren't that bad as it turned out better than that in real life" - I suppose another way of reading this book would be to consider it a 'How it could have been if the wrong people were in the wrong place at the wrong time'.
If you can switch off current reality and recent history, and think back to the height of the cold war then you could probably read this and enjoy it. Otherwise, steer clear - not because it's badly written but the subject matter will just not work for you.
July 9, 2016
“Millenium” eBook was published in 2016 (paper version published in 1976) and was written by Ben Bova (http://www.benbova.net). Mr. Bova has published more than 120 fiction and non-fiction books since 1959.
I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains Mature Language and some Violence. The novel is set in the near future (1999 - 2000) as perceived at the height of the Cold War. Both Russia and the US stand on the verge of open atomic war. The Moon has been colonized by both the US and Russians. While tensions are high on Earth, Moon colonists work openly with one another. The primary character is US AF Colonel Chet Kinsman.
Unwilling to be swept up into what they see is the downfall of mankind, the Moon colonists, led by Kinsman, revolt and declare themselves the new and separate nation of Selene. They struggle to survive the efforts of both Russia and the US to regain the control of the Moon.
I enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 295 page Science Fiction novel. With the Cold War well behind us now, many of the concepts feel dated, but the story was enjoyable. While not written as an Alternate History, reading it now has that feel. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains Mature Language and some Violence. The novel is set in the near future (1999 - 2000) as perceived at the height of the Cold War. Both Russia and the US stand on the verge of open atomic war. The Moon has been colonized by both the US and Russians. While tensions are high on Earth, Moon colonists work openly with one another. The primary character is US AF Colonel Chet Kinsman.
Unwilling to be swept up into what they see is the downfall of mankind, the Moon colonists, led by Kinsman, revolt and declare themselves the new and separate nation of Selene. They struggle to survive the efforts of both Russia and the US to regain the control of the Moon.
I enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 295 page Science Fiction novel. With the Cold War well behind us now, many of the concepts feel dated, but the story was enjoyable. While not written as an Alternate History, reading it now has that feel. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
April 29, 2015
I read this book well over 30 years ago (mid to late 1970s) while still in junior high school. I loved it then as well as many other of Ben's books, including his Exiled trilogy, the precursor Kinsman, and the loosely related follow up called Colony.
I remember back in 1990 thinking how the premise of this book became derailed with the fall of the Soviet regime. But now the US-Russian tension is back with Putin's new game. It seems the worst of the world predicted by Bova has come true, while none of the fun stuff, like the space programs have.
I plan on starting to re-read many of them to see what my more mature impressions of them are. I hope they don't disappoint me now. Ben's vision of the future shaped mine as I was growing up.
I remember back in 1990 thinking how the premise of this book became derailed with the fall of the Soviet regime. But now the US-Russian tension is back with Putin's new game. It seems the worst of the world predicted by Bova has come true, while none of the fun stuff, like the space programs have.
I plan on starting to re-read many of them to see what my more mature impressions of them are. I hope they don't disappoint me now. Ben's vision of the future shaped mine as I was growing up.
July 24, 2012
I always find it fun to read 'future' fiction written long ago... this one was publishing in 1976.
Definitely not as good a book as his later 'settling the solar system' books. If fact, one could almost consider this one a practice run.
Glad we're still not worrying about the Cold War and 'Star Wars' missile defense, but it always makes me a little sad that in the mid-70s people thought we'd have moon bases by now, and we're not anywhere close.
As for the book itself, it's definitely a social commentary with a sci-fi setting more than sci-fi. The characters are a bit unrealistic, and they do some really stupid things to make the plot go, but a fun read none the less.
Definitely not as good a book as his later 'settling the solar system' books. If fact, one could almost consider this one a practice run.
Glad we're still not worrying about the Cold War and 'Star Wars' missile defense, but it always makes me a little sad that in the mid-70s people thought we'd have moon bases by now, and we're not anywhere close.
As for the book itself, it's definitely a social commentary with a sci-fi setting more than sci-fi. The characters are a bit unrealistic, and they do some really stupid things to make the plot go, but a fun read none the less.
July 24, 2016
A great look at 1970s through the lens of science fiction
I loved this book. Ben Bova tells a great story about the Cold War and about colonizing the moon. Indeed, the major emphasis of the book is the politics of the 1970s. Although some of the material is dated (this book first appeared in 1976 and this is a re-release), this doesn’t change how good the story is. The story is well paced with some great action scenes. The characters are well developed and their interactions well written. I recommend this book for anyone interested in science fiction, politics and history.
Disclosure: I received this book free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. Ben Bova tells a great story about the Cold War and about colonizing the moon. Indeed, the major emphasis of the book is the politics of the 1970s. Although some of the material is dated (this book first appeared in 1976 and this is a re-release), this doesn’t change how good the story is. The story is well paced with some great action scenes. The characters are well developed and their interactions well written. I recommend this book for anyone interested in science fiction, politics and history.
Disclosure: I received this book free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2016
This was a fairly average entry into the realms of near future science fiction writing, but is perhaps most interesting when viewed as a snapshot of the time in which it was written. The focus on skin colour prevailent throughout would be unheard of in a modern novel and the author, whilst envisaging colonies on the moon by the turn of the millenium, could not envisage an end to the cold war between the US and Russia. That being said, the narrative moves along at a good pace and the characters are generally well drawn, if a little stereotypical.
December 5, 2016
Millennium racconta la vita sulla terra alla fine del 1999. I due blocchi sono sempre più vicini alla guerra e sono lontani i tempi in cui la prima colonia lunare era stata costruita insieme da russi e americani. Ma a bloccare questo clima di incertezza è Kinsman capo della luna che riesce a rendersi indipendente ed a salvare la terra dalla catastrofe.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews