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Future Crime
No matter what strange forms the future takes, says Ben Bova in his introduction, crime and criminals will always be with us--and with them, the need for law enforcement. Included with many other stories are the full-length novel City of Darkness and "Brillo"--the famous collaboration between Bova and Harlan Ellison.
374 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1990
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109 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
717 books1,040 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 1, 2016
It's fun to go back to old sci-fi and see how they saw the future. The 50s were so optimistic but the 60s and 70s saw dystopian bleak futures. Some of these stories show the civil rights concerns and didn't see them ending well. I think we've done better than anticipated in this set of stories.
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February 1, 2020This book is a series of short stories or novellas that deal with some sort of crime. These were written in the 1960's and 1970's so the reader needs to keep the timeframe in mind. All of these were previously published in various Fantasy and Science Fiction publications. These are engaging stories with some better than others as always is the case with these types of books. This is a definite read for fans of Ben Bova.
I have also posted my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I have also posted my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
June 9, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this collection of stories about how crime is dealt with in the future. It was very inspiring to read the last story that handles juvenile offenders by placing them in a living community where they can take classes and learn skills, rather than tossing them into a juvenile detention center where they learn more violence. If only we, as a society, had the will to create such a system. All of the stories were interesting and took the topic in different directions. Definitely worth reading.
December 28, 2017
for the Audiobook versionn. A good collection of short stories about crime, covering it from both sides, before and after the acts and consequences. Stories contain a wonderful mix of futuristic and anachronistic elements. But the stories themselves are very thought provoking. Some of stories about the publication of each short are entertaining as well
November 10, 2022
Thoroughly enjoying and thought-provoking collection of short stories about future crime. Futuristic and anachronistic at the same time. Keep in mind the time period in which the stories were written….definitely not the same mindset as today! I loved this collection though and am looking forward to reading more from Ben Bova.
May 27, 2024
It's Ben Bova!!!!
All stories were great I had missed some of them and remembered city of darkness as being read back in 8th grade during summer break! Everything is here in this compilation to keep your attention and see how the future was written about that didn't come true!
All stories were great I had missed some of them and remembered city of darkness as being read back in 8th grade during summer break! Everything is here in this compilation to keep your attention and see how the future was written about that didn't come true!
September 25, 2024
Audio version of 7 short stories.
All written by Ben Bova alone, except for Brillo
A (excellent):
Stars Won't You Hide Me
B (very good):
City of Darkness
Out of Time
Test in Orbit
Diamond Sam
C (average):
Brillo (Bova with Harlan Ellison)
Vince's Dragon
Escape!
All written by Ben Bova alone, except for Brillo
A (excellent):
Stars Won't You Hide Me
B (very good):
City of Darkness
Out of Time
Test in Orbit
Diamond Sam
C (average):
Brillo (Bova with Harlan Ellison)
Vince's Dragon
Escape!
February 16, 2018
Interesting collection of some of Bova's novella length stories. He stretched the theme a bit.
A good read.
A good read.
June 2, 2018
Thought provoking collection of stories about "future" crime. Originally, compiled in 1990, these stories are (potentially) even more relevant today!
December 2, 2023
Duration: 11:23:19
December 12, 2009
Many things may change in the future, but one thing is certain - the nature of man will not, and all our sins will still be with us.
An outstanding anthology of future crimes from theft to genocide, which includes the incredible "Stars, Won't You Hide Me?"
An outstanding anthology of future crimes from theft to genocide, which includes the incredible "Stars, Won't You Hide Me?"
September 18, 2014
Gdyby nie to, że ze 2-3 opowiadania kompletnie nie zrobiły na mnie wrażenia, dałabym pewnie 5 gwiazdek; sama idea poszczególnych tekstów, przesłanie i fabuła były świetne. Dokładnie ten rodzaj s-f który uwielbiam.
February 26, 2016
A collection of SF stories by Ben Bova on the subject of crime and punishment. Few are dated, some are prescient, but the overall quality is mixed. Included are stories featuring Sam Gunn and Kinsman.
November 24, 2015
Old science fiction. Clean plastic futures. Highly entertaining--but not a collection of spectacular stories.
January 10, 2017
Amazing what criminals are doing with cybercrime
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews