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As on a Darkling Plain
Earthlings are sent to Saturn's largest moon to investigate machines that were left behind centuries ago by an alien race
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
8 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
690 books1,042 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 37 reviews
February 1, 2021
This is an obscure novel and it deserves to be. As hard science fiction it's not a complete disaster, although it also isn't particularly interesting or cohesive. As a novel which purports to have a plot, characters, drama, etc., it is a complete disaster. It's poorly structured - really more three short stories, plus a brief prelude, than a novel - and the one section I did like, the first of the three stories, has only one (ridiculous) connection to the central narrative.
The characters stand out as particularly obnoxious, even for pulp science fiction. Despite supposedly being some of the world's greatest scientists, they all (and I mean all) behave like stereotypical teenagers. The completely unlikable protagonist is the best/worst example - he's unbelievably impatient, credulous, and petulant for a human, let alone one of humanity's best minds. A close runner-up for worst character would be the book's token female, who, although apparently a renowned scientist in her own right, is as shallow and inexplicably dependent on male attention as the most featureless action movie bimbo. Waste of time.
The characters stand out as particularly obnoxious, even for pulp science fiction. Despite supposedly being some of the world's greatest scientists, they all (and I mean all) behave like stereotypical teenagers. The completely unlikable protagonist is the best/worst example - he's unbelievably impatient, credulous, and petulant for a human, let alone one of humanity's best minds. A close runner-up for worst character would be the book's token female, who, although apparently a renowned scientist in her own right, is as shallow and inexplicably dependent on male attention as the most featureless action movie bimbo. Waste of time.
January 10, 2020
Interesting ideas, but really fell flat. A scientist has spent his life studying the machines on Titan. Self operating machines from eons past. What do they do? Nobody knows! He has a breakdown and attempts suicide. Years later, after other expeditions goes back. Solves the mystery. Yay! Or not! Who cares.
In the midst of all this is a love story that is so understated and poorly written as to be boring. No real breakthroughs except his sudden realization that he prefers her over his life studies.
Awful, far from the good stuff Bova usually gives us. Probably very early work by this author. Maybe an elementary school writing project?
In the midst of all this is a love story that is so understated and poorly written as to be boring. No real breakthroughs except his sudden realization that he prefers her over his life studies.
Awful, far from the good stuff Bova usually gives us. Probably very early work by this author. Maybe an elementary school writing project?
June 13, 2022
It's only on reading other reviews that I realize what I should have earlier: this is a stitched-together corpse. And while the body parts are individually attractive it leads you to wonder why that very nice arm is attached to where a knee should be*. Why any of this was necessary, in fact. Titling it from "Dover Beach" (without quoting any section of the poem) is very highbrow when you look at what was attempted and what resulted.
Bova framed the story in terms of Sidney Lee's personality problems and a love triangle stretched across decades and none of that was adequate scaffolding for the Big Dumb Objects on the cover: the mysterious alien machine/artifacts on Titan and humanity's fear-filled journey to discover their purpose. As hard science the resolution is perfunctory and a sudden conclusion and as character drama you roll your eyes at the inability of people to get on with their lives.
(*) This metaphor has gotten away from me. I apologize.
Bova framed the story in terms of Sidney Lee's personality problems and a love triangle stretched across decades and none of that was adequate scaffolding for the Big Dumb Objects on the cover: the mysterious alien machine/artifacts on Titan and humanity's fear-filled journey to discover their purpose. As hard science the resolution is perfunctory and a sudden conclusion and as character drama you roll your eyes at the inability of people to get on with their lives.
(*) This metaphor has gotten away from me. I apologize.
April 23, 2024
Auf dem Titan fand man von Ausserirdischen gebaute Türme, in denen offenbar schon seit sehr langer Zeit Maschinen arbeiten. Aufgrund von Hinweisen wird klar, dass sie wohl einem bösen Zweck dienen, doch ihre Funktionsweise bleibt trotz großen Anstrengungen völlig unverstanden. Sind Menschen prinzipiell zu doof, das Rätsel zu lösen? Ein beängstigender Gedanke. Expeditionen zum Jupiter und zum Sirius sollen Hinweise auf die mysteriösen Erbauer liefern.
Ben Bova habe ich früher gern gelesen, es war Zeit, mal wieder was von ihm in die Hand zu nehmen. Leider musste ich dann feststellen, dass dieser Roman eine miese goodreads-Bewertung hat.
Er ließ sich tatsächlich etwas schwach an, dann kam die Sache aber doch in Fahrt und wurde noch recht spannend.
Trotz der geringen Seitenzahl hat der Roman eine recht elaborierte Handlung, mit einem großen Rätsel, dass dann am Ende tatsächlich aufgelöst wird und das auf eine befriedigende Art.
Es gibt sicher einiges, was kritisiert werden kann. So ist nicht alles an der Handlung plausibel oder überzeugend. Und auch die Gliederung des Romans kann kritisiert werden. So bleibt die (längliche) Espisode mit der Jupiter-Expedition mehr oder weniger folgenlos.
Trotzdem hat es mir gefallen.
Die Beziehungsgeschichte zwischen der Hauptperson und einer Wissenschaftlerin, die sich auch durchs ganze Buch zieht, mag zwar etwas ungelenk ausgefallen sein, hat das Buch aber doch bereichert.
3.5 / 5 großzügig aufgerundet
Ben Bova habe ich früher gern gelesen, es war Zeit, mal wieder was von ihm in die Hand zu nehmen. Leider musste ich dann feststellen, dass dieser Roman eine miese goodreads-Bewertung hat.
Er ließ sich tatsächlich etwas schwach an, dann kam die Sache aber doch in Fahrt und wurde noch recht spannend.
Trotz der geringen Seitenzahl hat der Roman eine recht elaborierte Handlung, mit einem großen Rätsel, dass dann am Ende tatsächlich aufgelöst wird und das auf eine befriedigende Art.
Es gibt sicher einiges, was kritisiert werden kann. So ist nicht alles an der Handlung plausibel oder überzeugend. Und auch die Gliederung des Romans kann kritisiert werden. So bleibt die (längliche) Espisode mit der Jupiter-Expedition mehr oder weniger folgenlos.
Trotzdem hat es mir gefallen.
Die Beziehungsgeschichte zwischen der Hauptperson und einer Wissenschaftlerin, die sich auch durchs ganze Buch zieht, mag zwar etwas ungelenk ausgefallen sein, hat das Buch aber doch bereichert.
3.5 / 5 großzügig aufgerundet
March 3, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
"Unfortunate title aside (“darkling” sound like a small evil creature in a work of fantasy), Ben Bova’s As on a Darkling Plain (1972) is a middling fix-up novel in every respect. It is worth noting that Chapters 5 (‘The Jupiter Mission’) and 6 (‘The Sirius Mission’), which comprise a great majority of the novel, appeared earlier in If February 1970 and Galaxy January 1969 as “Pressure Vessel” and “Foeman, Where Do You Flee?” respectively. I’m not [...}
"Unfortunate title aside (“darkling” sound like a small evil creature in a work of fantasy), Ben Bova’s As on a Darkling Plain (1972) is a middling fix-up novel in every respect. It is worth noting that Chapters 5 (‘The Jupiter Mission’) and 6 (‘The Sirius Mission’), which comprise a great majority of the novel, appeared earlier in If February 1970 and Galaxy January 1969 as “Pressure Vessel” and “Foeman, Where Do You Flee?” respectively. I’m not [...}
June 20, 2024
Read the actual book (not audiobook).
I didn't care for this much. I picked an old, used paperback in a bookstore because I thought the synopsis sounded cool. The book was a bit of a mess, though.
The general idea is that there are some alien built structures on one of Saturn's moons and nobody knows what they are for. What is apparent is that they are functioning in some way. They're not just old ruins. So, some expeditions are done to try and find out who might have built them.
One expedition takes a ship into the murky gasses of Jupiter's atmosphere, I guess because if someone built something on a moon of Saturn, then maybe they were from nearby? Not sure about this part. It was an interesting bit in terms of how the astronauts prepared for a trip into Jupiter's atmosphere and what they found there was kind of cool, too. It just didn't really have anything to do with the rest of the book.
Then, there was an expedition to a far away planet in another solar system. What was found there was kind of dumb and the main character of the book, a supposedly brilliant scientist, kept changing far reaching theories about human existence and the builders of the Saturn moon structures based on sheer conjecture. Each time he changed his mind, those around him would say "oh yeah, sure, that makes sense". It just felt like poor writing.
Finally, as in "Red Mars", which I just finished, there is another really dumb love triangle. The main scientist character keeps putting off this woman who is head over heels for him him because his work has to come first, but she keeps trying and trying to win his heart anyway. As with "Red Mars", I kept hoping this story line would fade away but it kept coming back like a bad penny and the conclusion to this sophomoric bit of schmaltz was pathetic.
I didn't care for this much. I picked an old, used paperback in a bookstore because I thought the synopsis sounded cool. The book was a bit of a mess, though.
The general idea is that there are some alien built structures on one of Saturn's moons and nobody knows what they are for. What is apparent is that they are functioning in some way. They're not just old ruins. So, some expeditions are done to try and find out who might have built them.
One expedition takes a ship into the murky gasses of Jupiter's atmosphere, I guess because if someone built something on a moon of Saturn, then maybe they were from nearby? Not sure about this part. It was an interesting bit in terms of how the astronauts prepared for a trip into Jupiter's atmosphere and what they found there was kind of cool, too. It just didn't really have anything to do with the rest of the book.
Then, there was an expedition to a far away planet in another solar system. What was found there was kind of dumb and the main character of the book, a supposedly brilliant scientist, kept changing far reaching theories about human existence and the builders of the Saturn moon structures based on sheer conjecture. Each time he changed his mind, those around him would say "oh yeah, sure, that makes sense". It just felt like poor writing.
Finally, as in "Red Mars", which I just finished, there is another really dumb love triangle. The main scientist character keeps putting off this woman who is head over heels for him him because his work has to come first, but she keeps trying and trying to win his heart anyway. As with "Red Mars", I kept hoping this story line would fade away but it kept coming back like a bad penny and the conclusion to this sophomoric bit of schmaltz was pathetic.
January 15, 2022
There are a bunch of mysterious machines on Titan built by long-gone aliens that are still operating. Earth expends a lot of resources and manpower to figure out what the machines are for and to find out if they pose a threat to mankind.
The book is written in a strange episodic manner. The three characters that are featured in the story were not people that I enjoyed reading about or liked. The main character is a jerk who is obsessed about finding the purpose of the machines and he is conveniently the one who makes many major breakthroughs. The convenient ending had me rolling my eyes so very hard.
This is the first Ben Bova book that I have read to my knowledge; I hope this was a rare misfire.
The book is written in a strange episodic manner. The three characters that are featured in the story were not people that I enjoyed reading about or liked. The main character is a jerk who is obsessed about finding the purpose of the machines and he is conveniently the one who makes many major breakthroughs. The convenient ending had me rolling my eyes so very hard.
This is the first Ben Bova book that I have read to my knowledge; I hope this was a rare misfire.
March 3, 2024
A love triangle. Man one tries to kill himself on Titan near some machines of unknown origin. Woman saves man. Woman is in love with man two who is married. Man two is not chosen for an interstellar flight to Sirius. Man one and woman go on a fifty year mission to Sirius. Man one goes to live with black, naked Neanderthal natives. Man two has gills installed and goes on a dangerous mission to Jupiter and find colossal whales and armed sharks. Much later, man two is a higher-up on Earth and man one and woman go back to Titan. In the last fifteen pages of the 189 page book, all the answers are revealed. A typical 1960s science fiction novel, but still somewhat reasonable. P.S. Man one gives up everything to get woman.
April 19, 2022
If this was written by an accomplished sci-fi writer I would be very surprised.
The conversations just do not ring true with the characters that he is writing about. A supposed military mission, on a spaceship with all the participants having spent years training for the flight arguing over who should be in charge?
The years spent travellings to far distant suns and the characters don't appear to age? A century of studying alien artifacts though "every possible measurement" and no-one thought to take a meter into space?
All this and more await you if you can be bothered to pick this up. I wouldn't if I were you.
The conversations just do not ring true with the characters that he is writing about. A supposed military mission, on a spaceship with all the participants having spent years training for the flight arguing over who should be in charge?
The years spent travellings to far distant suns and the characters don't appear to age? A century of studying alien artifacts though "every possible measurement" and no-one thought to take a meter into space?
All this and more await you if you can be bothered to pick this up. I wouldn't if I were you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2022
An older (1972) sci-fi novel by one of the masters of the genre. This one is actually two longer short stories from 1969 and 1970 put together with some additional material to form a novel. As such, the book is not very cohesive. It is still easy to read and offers some hard sci-fi takes on the subject matter, but the character development was not exceptionally deep. At least the pacing was good, brisk and kept my interest. I enjoyed the book and am glad I read this older work of the late Ben Bova.
July 18, 2021
Fifty years ago, Ben Bova writing about machines on Titan, and people desperately trying to figure out what they're doing and who put them there. Feels very much like a story of two halves, rather disconnected (might have to do with its original serialised form). At times a little dry, but I did enjoy the exploration angle of new worlds and uncovering mysteries.
September 1, 2025
Ridiculous premise and execution with sketchy science and dialogue that reads as if it were written by a failed Ernest Hemingway wannabe (oh that romantic entanglement…ugh). But a quick “pulp lite” read that’s oddly entertaining despite its many drawbacks. Apparently it's part of a series but I have no desire to pursue it.
December 26, 2025
Czytałam polskie wydanie tej książki opisane na stronie https://outsider.waw.pl/ben-bova-bram... i powiem tak - nie urywa pewnych części ciała, Bova napisał dużo ciekawszych powieści, a na tę szkoda czasu.
November 9, 2017
Classic sci-fi with a human story focus. Enjoyable enough to follow along the investigation laid out within.
October 19, 2018
Taking into account the age of this one, I'll forgive it for the parts that I didn't care much for. Overall an interesting story.
July 22, 2019
Classic (though a little dated) science fiction from a master. Still a great read.
October 8, 2021
Who are the Other s?
A good story.kept me involved throughout the book. The quest to comprehend the twin obelisks and seek out their function.
A good story.kept me involved throughout the book. The quest to comprehend the twin obelisks and seek out their function.
December 5, 2021
Good concept, good flow, didn't love the ending.
March 18, 2023
Bova certainly got a lot better after this. Intriguing premise that ultimately goes nowhere.
August 12, 2024
Very easy to read SF. Picked because of the Arnold poetry reference and the cool cover.
April 17, 2025
A weird and disjointed sci-fi story.
April 19, 2025
Not sure if this was a fix up novel but it felt like it. Overall plot wasn’t much special but the Jupiter mission section was full of very cool ideas.
March 18, 2011
One of Ben Bova's earliest stand alone novels, As on a Darkling Plain, is a fast paced adventure that contains refreshingly little to no fluff. However, the editing is also noticeably abrupt in some of the scenes.
There are machines on Saturn's moon Titan that were placed there by an unknown alien intelligence. They're still working, yet their exact function remains a mystery, one that literally drives Dr. Sydney Lee insane to the point of attempted suicide.
The story revolves around three central characters involved in a love triangle, scientists Syndey Lee and Marlene Ettinger, and soldier/astronaut Bob O'Banion.
This is introduced after we are thrust into Syndey Lee's suicide attempt on Titan. During a picnic lunch on Earth, Marlene tells O'Banion about her relationship with Lee that she had thought was long over until she sees him again at the Academy. Marlene and Bob then separate, having accepted different assignments.
Bova spends the first true section of the story exploring O'Banion's mission to Jupiter in search of the aliens that built the machines on Titan. The atmosphere of the ship is completely liquid so the entire crew is surgically altered with gills and fish-like respiratory systems.
The second and third sections of the story focus on Syndey Lee. Lee and Marlene first head to Sirius system with the same objective as O'Banion's mission to Jupiter--find the aliens that built the towering Titan machines. Instead, they find a different kind of life on a mostly barren but habitable planet.
Finally, we follow Lee and Marlene back to Titan where Lee once again confronts the Titan machines as well as his love for Marlene. O'Banion, now the head of Space Exploration, refuses to grant Lee the permission needed to fully explore the Titan machines--unless Marlene agrees to his terms.
Again, the story MOVES but there areas that I thought Bova either glazed over or avoided altogether. For example, a group of Neanderthals is discovered living in caves on a planet orbiting Sirius. In order to study them, Sydney Lee insists on living with them for a period of time. However, the captain of the ship will only agree if Lee agrees to have one of his eyes removed and replaced with an aritifical eye containing a micro camera.
Later, the surgery is over and we learn that Marlene stayed with Lee during his recovery but no mention is made of the camera after that.
Overall, while I could not relate or even sympathize with any of the characters, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it as a fast read from a brilliant, six time Nebula award winning author. In fact, I look forward to meeting Dr. Bova at BaltiCon 45 in May 2011.
There are machines on Saturn's moon Titan that were placed there by an unknown alien intelligence. They're still working, yet their exact function remains a mystery, one that literally drives Dr. Sydney Lee insane to the point of attempted suicide.
The story revolves around three central characters involved in a love triangle, scientists Syndey Lee and Marlene Ettinger, and soldier/astronaut Bob O'Banion.
This is introduced after we are thrust into Syndey Lee's suicide attempt on Titan. During a picnic lunch on Earth, Marlene tells O'Banion about her relationship with Lee that she had thought was long over until she sees him again at the Academy. Marlene and Bob then separate, having accepted different assignments.
Bova spends the first true section of the story exploring O'Banion's mission to Jupiter in search of the aliens that built the machines on Titan. The atmosphere of the ship is completely liquid so the entire crew is surgically altered with gills and fish-like respiratory systems.
The second and third sections of the story focus on Syndey Lee. Lee and Marlene first head to Sirius system with the same objective as O'Banion's mission to Jupiter--find the aliens that built the towering Titan machines. Instead, they find a different kind of life on a mostly barren but habitable planet.
Finally, we follow Lee and Marlene back to Titan where Lee once again confronts the Titan machines as well as his love for Marlene. O'Banion, now the head of Space Exploration, refuses to grant Lee the permission needed to fully explore the Titan machines--unless Marlene agrees to his terms.
Again, the story MOVES but there areas that I thought Bova either glazed over or avoided altogether. For example, a group of Neanderthals is discovered living in caves on a planet orbiting Sirius. In order to study them, Sydney Lee insists on living with them for a period of time. However, the captain of the ship will only agree if Lee agrees to have one of his eyes removed and replaced with an aritifical eye containing a micro camera.
Later, the surgery is over and we learn that Marlene stayed with Lee during his recovery but no mention is made of the camera after that.
Overall, while I could not relate or even sympathize with any of the characters, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it as a fast read from a brilliant, six time Nebula award winning author. In fact, I look forward to meeting Dr. Bova at BaltiCon 45 in May 2011.
January 30, 2015
I hate that I live in a world where 3 stars is something I feel like I need to apologize for. It's really probably 3 and 1/2 for me, but there is not option for that here. So I decided to round down instead of up.
I don't know, I have too many 4 and 5 star books I guess.
The quick and gritty version: Liked it. Sometimes a book written as long ago as this one can be real dated, it's a hardish SF novel set in the indeterminate future where jaunting through the solar system isn't that big a deal - Set in the mid-21st century if I had to guess. The great puzzle of mankind is the giant machine towers found hiding beneath the cloud layers of Titan.
I like Ben Bova, and I especially enjoy that in the books of his that I've read (most of the Grand Tour books) that some sort of extra-terrestrial artifact is discovered in the solar system and that is the backdrop in which the human drama unfolds.
This novel, again, written more than 40 years ago, neatly fits into that mold. What I like a lot is that the central mystery of the towers of Titan is compelling to me, and the digression into the clouds of Jupiter was especially awesome - if a bit unnecessary to the larger story. Honestly, I'd probably have enjoyed that even more if that portion had been expanded into a full novel.
But, alas, at this stage of Dr Bova's career, I don't think he quite had the mastery of the human drama that he was striving for. And that part of the book fell a bit flat for me. It wasn't awful, or cheesy, just... I don't know, not effective. Folks declare love and pain, but I don't see any evidence of it on the pages I'm reading. Just the words.
That sounded stupid. Whatever. I know what I mean, and I write these reviews for me, not other people. So, good job, Rusty, you wrote a great review! You're the best ever.
I don't know, I have too many 4 and 5 star books I guess.
The quick and gritty version: Liked it. Sometimes a book written as long ago as this one can be real dated, it's a hardish SF novel set in the indeterminate future where jaunting through the solar system isn't that big a deal - Set in the mid-21st century if I had to guess. The great puzzle of mankind is the giant machine towers found hiding beneath the cloud layers of Titan.
I like Ben Bova, and I especially enjoy that in the books of his that I've read (most of the Grand Tour books) that some sort of extra-terrestrial artifact is discovered in the solar system and that is the backdrop in which the human drama unfolds.
This novel, again, written more than 40 years ago, neatly fits into that mold. What I like a lot is that the central mystery of the towers of Titan is compelling to me, and the digression into the clouds of Jupiter was especially awesome - if a bit unnecessary to the larger story. Honestly, I'd probably have enjoyed that even more if that portion had been expanded into a full novel.
But, alas, at this stage of Dr Bova's career, I don't think he quite had the mastery of the human drama that he was striving for. And that part of the book fell a bit flat for me. It wasn't awful, or cheesy, just... I don't know, not effective. Folks declare love and pain, but I don't see any evidence of it on the pages I'm reading. Just the words.
That sounded stupid. Whatever. I know what I mean, and I write these reviews for me, not other people. So, good job, Rusty, you wrote a great review! You're the best ever.
September 1, 2014
This book has an intriguing concept and it kept me interested. Unfortunately the ending was a pretty big let down. There are mysterious machines on Saturn's moon Titan which were built by an unknown extraterrestrial race. All throughout the book we're led to believe there is some mind-bending, nefarious purpose behind them. When we finally find out what that purpose is it makes you feel like you wasted your time reading the book.
Also, a good chunk of the book is spent describing a manned mission to Jupiter. This was the least interesting part of the book and it seems almost completely unrelated to the rest of the novel. It didn't really add anything other than pages. The purpose of the mission is to determine if the intelligence that built the machines on Titan was from Jupiter. However, no logical reason is given for why anyone would think this was a possibility. Why Jupiter? Why not Saturn? Who knows. On top of that, they find absolutely nothing there related to Titan. It seems pointless. The scientists in the story do this a number of other times as well. They come to conclusions which seem almost arbitrary, with no reasoning or explanation given. Not what you expect from a hard science fiction author like Ben Bova.
On the positive side, the section detailing a manned mission to a planet orbiting the star Sirius was the best part of the book. The purpose of this mission is the same as the Jupiter mission. What they find there leads them back to Titan. I think it would have been a better book if they'd stayed at Sirius.
Also, a good chunk of the book is spent describing a manned mission to Jupiter. This was the least interesting part of the book and it seems almost completely unrelated to the rest of the novel. It didn't really add anything other than pages. The purpose of the mission is to determine if the intelligence that built the machines on Titan was from Jupiter. However, no logical reason is given for why anyone would think this was a possibility. Why Jupiter? Why not Saturn? Who knows. On top of that, they find absolutely nothing there related to Titan. It seems pointless. The scientists in the story do this a number of other times as well. They come to conclusions which seem almost arbitrary, with no reasoning or explanation given. Not what you expect from a hard science fiction author like Ben Bova.
On the positive side, the section detailing a manned mission to a planet orbiting the star Sirius was the best part of the book. The purpose of this mission is the same as the Jupiter mission. What they find there leads them back to Titan. I think it would have been a better book if they'd stayed at Sirius.
January 10, 2017
This is the prequel to Bova's debut novel the Star Conquerors. It answers the question what is the purpose of the Great Machines on Titan. These machines get a brief mention in Star Conquerors yet the implications of their presence is the motivation behind the entire trilogy. The story revolves around three central characters involved in a love triangle, scientists Syndey Lee and Marlene Ettinger, and soldier/astronaut Bob O'Banion as they try to uncover the secrets of the Great Machines. The book is a series of vignettes. Each chapter is a separate story highlighting the lives of each of the principle characters. It also functions as a fairly good first contact story. This aspect of the story is by far the best part of the book. The overall feel of the novel is that Bova is experimenting. In some of the chapters all of the plot points come together nicely. In others the reader is left wondering if there should be more than is presented. Its like Bova wanted the reader to fill in the empty spaces on their own. This is particularly true of the ending. This novel serves as a good look at Bova's early writing style, given that was the 10th fiction book of 84 he would write, plus another 34 non fiction books on a wide variety of science topics. The book is a good short novel and worth reading.
August 26, 2015
I read this many years ago and I was hoping that it would be just as good the second time around. Alas, nostalgia often causes one to have fonder memories than reality dictates. Nevertheless, I really do think it is a really good book. Humanity has finally explored the solar system and started on the beginnings of interstellar travel. As the exploration proceeds, though, it becomes apparent that people from Earth have already been in the places that are being explored and that beings from elsewhere have too. Was there an interstellar war sometime in prehistory that had wiped out the accomplishments of the inhabitants of Earth so that they had to start all over again? When the remnants of an Earth colony is found orbiting Sirius it appears so. It also appears that there is at least one weapon left over in the solar system that is causing trouble for the explorers from Earth. It's too bad that they take so long to figure out that it actually is causing trouble for them.
April 16, 2016
A fun, breezy attempt at classic "big idea" sci-fi, written well enough for it not to matter that it was apparently an entry somewhere in the middle of a loosely defined "series." This is my second Bova novel, and it holds up my impression of him as an author that writes classic style sic fi for the more causal-minded reader. This was a great "used paperback on the nightstand for reading at bedtime" kind of book.
March 27, 2011
Mysterious Big Dumb Objects have been found on Titan. It appears that they have been placed there by the “Others”, who will return to threaten mankind. Although somewhat disjointed and lacking focus, I nevertheless enjoyed this story of mankind under an unknown threat. The novel is vaguely connected with the Orion series.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=465
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=465
July 14, 2014
A quick explorer scifi read with interesting idea. Mystery artifacts which we dare not tamper with until we can figure out what they're actually doing, exploration in Jupiter's atmosphere and of nearby solar systems.
I didn't much care for the Lee character. I didn't much care for how either of the male leads treated the female love interest. It just didn't seem to ring true.
I didn't much care for the Lee character. I didn't much care for how either of the male leads treated the female love interest. It just didn't seem to ring true.
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