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Star Quest #4
Survival
Ben Bova continues his hard SF Star Quest series which began with Death Wave and Apes and Angels. In Surivival, a human team sent to scout a few hundred lightyears in front of the death wave encounters a civilization far in advance of our own, a civilization of machine intelligences.
These sentient, intelligent machines have existed for eons, and have survived earlier "death waves," gamma ray bursts from the core of the galaxy. They are totally self-sufficient, completely certain that the death wave cannot harm them, and utterly uninterested in helping to save other civilizations, organic or machine.
But now that the humans have discovered them, they refuse to allow them to leave their planet, reasoning that other humans will inevitably follow if they learn of their existence.
The Star Quest Trilogy
#1 Death Wave
#2 Apes and Angels
#3 Survival
These sentient, intelligent machines have existed for eons, and have survived earlier "death waves," gamma ray bursts from the core of the galaxy. They are totally self-sufficient, completely certain that the death wave cannot harm them, and utterly uninterested in helping to save other civilizations, organic or machine.
But now that the humans have discovered them, they refuse to allow them to leave their planet, reasoning that other humans will inevitably follow if they learn of their existence.
The Star Quest Trilogy
#1 Death Wave
#2 Apes and Angels
#3 Survival
416 pages, Hardcover
First published December 26, 2017
35 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
715 books1,037 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 65 reviews
June 26, 2021
3.5 Stars
I now understand what the editor to Ben Bova meant when he said that each book is self-contained.
I've read three books from him, and each book is within the universe, but all are tangentially aware and connected to each other.
The same universe and its rules...but you could probably read them out of order and not cause much of a problem.
This book is interesting, since it discusses the idea of one of our greatest fears...the machines will rule the world some day and destroy humanity.
In this story, Alex (the protagonist) is trying to convince the machines that they would be better off in union with humans, than destroying them when they "feel" threatened by their very existence in proximity to them.
This crew of scientist and their petty infighting is hilarious. It is the Office in the future on an alien world. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Also, the idea that the protagonist is suffering with ALS. You'd think they'd found the cure for most, if not all the diseases in the universe. Just a thought.
This idea of trying to find commonality with all intellegent species and working together. I like that idea.
I really loved the discussions about collaboration verses fighting. Human stubborness...can work for the greater good.
I now understand what the editor to Ben Bova meant when he said that each book is self-contained.
I've read three books from him, and each book is within the universe, but all are tangentially aware and connected to each other.
The same universe and its rules...but you could probably read them out of order and not cause much of a problem.
This book is interesting, since it discusses the idea of one of our greatest fears...the machines will rule the world some day and destroy humanity.
In this story, Alex (the protagonist) is trying to convince the machines that they would be better off in union with humans, than destroying them when they "feel" threatened by their very existence in proximity to them.
This crew of scientist and their petty infighting is hilarious. It is the Office in the future on an alien world. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Also, the idea that the protagonist is suffering with ALS. You'd think they'd found the cure for most, if not all the diseases in the universe. Just a thought.
This idea of trying to find commonality with all intellegent species and working together. I like that idea.
I really loved the discussions about collaboration verses fighting. Human stubborness...can work for the greater good.
January 27, 2025
As is the case with the other Ben Bova books I've read, I can make the same complaints: a romance emerging from nowhere, the main characters of each novel basically being the same person, and a somewhat contrived ending. But at the end of the day, Bova's sci-fi is generally easy and entertaining to read—and it remains the same for this one.
October 8, 2018
Survival is the fourth book in Ben Bova's Star Quest "trilogy" and it is the best book of the series. I know this because, on our daily walk, I couldn't wait to tell my wife all about the book I was currently reading ;-)
The Star Quest series starts out with humans learning from another species that a Death Wave, radiating from the core of the galaxy, will wipe out all life in our solar system, along with intelligent life in at least six others. Humans are given the technology to build machines to envelope worlds with shields to protect them but they need to build and fly interstellar ships to install them on worlds dozens of light years away.
Survival tells of what happens when the starship Sagan arrives at a planet inhabited only by far advanced machine intelligence. Not only do they already know about the Death Wave, they have survived two previously waves and neither request nor require help with the latest wave that will be upon them in two hundred years. Additionally, they will not let the crew return to earth to tell others of their existence.
Human reaction to, and interaction with, Artificial Intelligence is a very current topic and, as this book addresses, fraught with fear and mistrust. Additionally, as all of the universe is heading toward entropy, of what difference does it make if a species is wiped out now or later? In fact, what is the purpose of life at all? Such "small" questions are ones Bova addresses in Survival.
As I've mentioned in earlier reviews, Bova's strength lies in his characters' creation and development. In this book, Alexander Ignatiev returns from his appearance in Apes and Angels and is central to the story and philosophical exploration. As authors insert themselves in their characters, it is easy to summarize that the elderly character, Ignatiev, is linked directly to Bova, who is now in his late eighties. Additionally they have both lost long term relationships and are learning to live and grown in a new ones. Ben Bova the sage is evident in Alexander Ignatiev the star ship explorer.
All of Bova's books make you think about science, human development, the future and fate of the universe, and the importance of relationships between ourselves and other life forms. Survival could be one of his best works yet!
The Star Quest series starts out with humans learning from another species that a Death Wave, radiating from the core of the galaxy, will wipe out all life in our solar system, along with intelligent life in at least six others. Humans are given the technology to build machines to envelope worlds with shields to protect them but they need to build and fly interstellar ships to install them on worlds dozens of light years away.
Survival tells of what happens when the starship Sagan arrives at a planet inhabited only by far advanced machine intelligence. Not only do they already know about the Death Wave, they have survived two previously waves and neither request nor require help with the latest wave that will be upon them in two hundred years. Additionally, they will not let the crew return to earth to tell others of their existence.
Human reaction to, and interaction with, Artificial Intelligence is a very current topic and, as this book addresses, fraught with fear and mistrust. Additionally, as all of the universe is heading toward entropy, of what difference does it make if a species is wiped out now or later? In fact, what is the purpose of life at all? Such "small" questions are ones Bova addresses in Survival.
As I've mentioned in earlier reviews, Bova's strength lies in his characters' creation and development. In this book, Alexander Ignatiev returns from his appearance in Apes and Angels and is central to the story and philosophical exploration. As authors insert themselves in their characters, it is easy to summarize that the elderly character, Ignatiev, is linked directly to Bova, who is now in his late eighties. Additionally they have both lost long term relationships and are learning to live and grown in a new ones. Ben Bova the sage is evident in Alexander Ignatiev the star ship explorer.
All of Bova's books make you think about science, human development, the future and fate of the universe, and the importance of relationships between ourselves and other life forms. Survival could be one of his best works yet!
January 30, 2018
Please see my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/surv...
Survival is pretty good, but it felt as though Bova wrote it in a hurry. The denouement is extremely unconvincing.
The best thing about Ben Bova's Survival is it reminded me of author Jack McDevitt, who created a similar galactic death threat, the omega clouds.
Survival is pretty good, but it felt as though Bova wrote it in a hurry. The denouement is extremely unconvincing.
The best thing about Ben Bova's Survival is it reminded me of author Jack McDevitt, who created a similar galactic death threat, the omega clouds.
May 16, 2019
Bova continues to write as he gets older yet his style and stereotypes remain terribly dated. That said, I am still a fan.
May 17, 2020
I picked this book up thinking it was part of the author's Grand Tour series, in which the author creates a self-consistent near future hard-sf setting but each of the novels can be read independently, much the way Robert A. Heinlein did with his Future History. Instead, I discover that this is the fourth in a completely different series. It stands reasonably well on its own, but I now want to go back and read the first three in their proper order so I can fully appreciate them.
The prolog is set aboard a Bussard ramjet spacecraft of the sort we also see in the earlier parts of Larry Niven's Known Space future history. They're moving into a region of low hydrogen density that will greatly slow their progress -- to the point all the cryo-sleepers will die before they reach a region of higher hydrogen density. However, the AI insists that all the crew must enter cryo-sleep -- and the captain must outwit the AI and compel it to allow him to navigate a different course that will allow everyone to get there alive.
That demonstration of human flexibility vs. AI rigidity sets the stage for the main part of the book, which takes place some centuries later, thanks to relativistic time dilation and anti-agathic medicine. The protagonist and a new crew are now heading toward a world with a machine civilization that needs help surviving the coming Death Wave of charged particles from an explosion at the galactic core (similar to the one the Puppeteers are fleeing in Niven's Known Space universe). However, when our heroes arrive on the scene, they discover things are not as they have been led to expect. The machine civilization has gone dark, leaving only much-eroded ruins on the surface to mislead passers-by into believing their civilization died long ago.
And when our protagonists discover that the machine civilization is very much still active, they also discover the machines have no intent of allowing them to ever leave, or even communicate with the outside universe. Rather like the Binars in the Star Trek 'verse, they have a very binary view of the world, with no possibility of a middle. Our protagonist must find a way to convince the machine people that yes, machine and organic people can work in a complementary rather than agonistic fashion -- even as he has to deal with a would-be tyrant among his own crew.
The prolog is set aboard a Bussard ramjet spacecraft of the sort we also see in the earlier parts of Larry Niven's Known Space future history. They're moving into a region of low hydrogen density that will greatly slow their progress -- to the point all the cryo-sleepers will die before they reach a region of higher hydrogen density. However, the AI insists that all the crew must enter cryo-sleep -- and the captain must outwit the AI and compel it to allow him to navigate a different course that will allow everyone to get there alive.
That demonstration of human flexibility vs. AI rigidity sets the stage for the main part of the book, which takes place some centuries later, thanks to relativistic time dilation and anti-agathic medicine. The protagonist and a new crew are now heading toward a world with a machine civilization that needs help surviving the coming Death Wave of charged particles from an explosion at the galactic core (similar to the one the Puppeteers are fleeing in Niven's Known Space universe). However, when our heroes arrive on the scene, they discover things are not as they have been led to expect. The machine civilization has gone dark, leaving only much-eroded ruins on the surface to mislead passers-by into believing their civilization died long ago.
And when our protagonists discover that the machine civilization is very much still active, they also discover the machines have no intent of allowing them to ever leave, or even communicate with the outside universe. Rather like the Binars in the Star Trek 'verse, they have a very binary view of the world, with no possibility of a middle. Our protagonist must find a way to convince the machine people that yes, machine and organic people can work in a complementary rather than agonistic fashion -- even as he has to deal with a would-be tyrant among his own crew.
January 27, 2021
In the beginning of the book they are traveling to a distant star in a ship powered by a fusion hydrogen scoop engine and apparently the mission planners had no contingency plan for areas of space that are too thin on hydrogen for the ship to function properly. EVEN THOUGH THREE OF THE SIX ADVANCE PROBES HAD THAT PROBLEM. Of course mission protocols don't allow the crew to make course change [to areas of denser hydrogen] without permission from earth which is six light years away so getting such permission would be impossible in time. This completely contrived scenario seems to have the sole purpose of showing us how smart the hero is by outmaneuvering the ship's AI to take control of the ship and steer them to safety. For accomplishing something a six year old can come up with he is lauded as a hero by the crew of 60-somethings-who-act-like-teenagers.
And that's really just the set up to show us how brilliant the hero is. The next part is about how in the next mission they travel numerous light years to another planet and when they get there it's not what they expected so the entire crew wants to immediately turn tail and run back to earth. Again, it's like a bunch of disappointed teenagers on a road trip, not professional space travelers with decades of training.
And the whole reason they were going to this planet in the first place is because a race of super robots called the Predecessors enlisted humanity's help in warning all the intelligent life in the galaxy about a cloud of deadly gamma radiation heading from the center of the galaxy. But then Bova explicitly states that Humanity has barely left their little tiny part of the galaxy compared to the breadth of exploration of the predececessors...so why do they even need our help if our contribution is so limited?? It's at this point that I gave up because none of this makes any sense. Also, it's apparently #3 or 4 in a series.
And that's really just the set up to show us how brilliant the hero is. The next part is about how in the next mission they travel numerous light years to another planet and when they get there it's not what they expected so the entire crew wants to immediately turn tail and run back to earth. Again, it's like a bunch of disappointed teenagers on a road trip, not professional space travelers with decades of training.
And the whole reason they were going to this planet in the first place is because a race of super robots called the Predecessors enlisted humanity's help in warning all the intelligent life in the galaxy about a cloud of deadly gamma radiation heading from the center of the galaxy. But then Bova explicitly states that Humanity has barely left their little tiny part of the galaxy compared to the breadth of exploration of the predececessors...so why do they even need our help if our contribution is so limited?? It's at this point that I gave up because none of this makes any sense. Also, it's apparently #3 or 4 in a series.
April 3, 2018
Part four of the Star Quest Trilogy which begins with the transitional novel New Earth, then steps into Death Wave and Apes and Angels. Dedicated Ben Bova fans and completists will want to read it.
This chapter in the saga is the weakest. It may have needed more thorough editing. The plot seems to have several anachronisms ordering and relating to events that were either 1,000, 2,000, or within a few centuries past in the previous books.
The characters are even more two-dimensional. The protagonist is supposedly an experienced leader at 200 years of age, however, he seems to struggle with basic human interpersonal group politics. His crew members who are all in their 60s behave like teenagers. Maybe the rejuvenation treatments reset people's brains. Once again, Our Hero has a devoted female sex pet who's a fine scientist who does Science-y Stuff off-stage while unconditionally loving and supporting him.
The central mystery of why the machine civilization who extend every courtesy to their human guests yet refuse to let them go is so transparent that Our Hero comes across as remarkably obtuse. The group politicking once again is framed as an alpha-primate problem roughly couched in cheap academic wrangling, just as in the previous novels of the series.
Happily it's a quick read. Otherwise, don't waste your time unless you are truly hooked on the Star Quest Trilogy or, if another novel follows on, you wish to read this as the set-up for that one.
Related reviews: New Earth (2013), Death Wave (2014), and Apes and Angels (2016).
This chapter in the saga is the weakest. It may have needed more thorough editing. The plot seems to have several anachronisms ordering and relating to events that were either 1,000, 2,000, or within a few centuries past in the previous books.
The characters are even more two-dimensional. The protagonist is supposedly an experienced leader at 200 years of age, however, he seems to struggle with basic human interpersonal group politics. His crew members who are all in their 60s behave like teenagers. Maybe the rejuvenation treatments reset people's brains. Once again, Our Hero has a devoted female sex pet who's a fine scientist who does Science-y Stuff off-stage while unconditionally loving and supporting him.
The central mystery of why the machine civilization who extend every courtesy to their human guests yet refuse to let them go is so transparent that Our Hero comes across as remarkably obtuse. The group politicking once again is framed as an alpha-primate problem roughly couched in cheap academic wrangling, just as in the previous novels of the series.
Happily it's a quick read. Otherwise, don't waste your time unless you are truly hooked on the Star Quest Trilogy or, if another novel follows on, you wish to read this as the set-up for that one.
Related reviews: New Earth (2013), Death Wave (2014), and Apes and Angels (2016).
April 5, 2018
I enjoyed the novel. Science fiction is at its best when it asks the reader to investigate big ethical issues. In the case of Survival the read is asked whats more important personal survival or altruism?
Mankind has been sent to the stars to save intelligent species from gamma burst that threatens to kill all organic life on any planet that in its way. In the course of accomplishing this mission one group humans investigates a planet populated by machine intelligences and pre industrial humans..The machines have the upper hand on the planet and are only interested in their own survival at any cost.Bova uses these two groups the humans and the machinist explore the arguments for and against each virtue.
I enjoyed the dialogue between the humans and the machines. This book is short on action and heavily dependent the interaction between machine and human. This comes at the cost of character development. I also felt that the ending seemed abrupt. This is a book more about the journey and the ideas than its conclusion.
Mankind has been sent to the stars to save intelligent species from gamma burst that threatens to kill all organic life on any planet that in its way. In the course of accomplishing this mission one group humans investigates a planet populated by machine intelligences and pre industrial humans..The machines have the upper hand on the planet and are only interested in their own survival at any cost.Bova uses these two groups the humans and the machinist explore the arguments for and against each virtue.
I enjoyed the dialogue between the humans and the machines. This book is short on action and heavily dependent the interaction between machine and human. This comes at the cost of character development. I also felt that the ending seemed abrupt. This is a book more about the journey and the ideas than its conclusion.
April 24, 2018
"Survival" is the last entry for the Star Quest trilogy and a fitting end for the series. The voyages of the starship Intrepid in their quest to inform and save intelligent civilizations from a destructive wave of destructive energy from the galactic core hits a snag when they are imprisoned by the very intelligence they sought to aid. The book posits that the final step of organic evolution is the creation of machine intelligence and it was a delight to see the two very different civilizations learn to cooperate with each other. The book is ultimately uplifting and hopeful for the future of humanity, a very enjoyable read.
My only two quibbles are how rushed the ending feels, the big conflict between the two species is not resolved until the last twenty or so pages of the book and sexism is still an issue with Bova. The descriptions of the female characters are particularly odious. He does have one strong female character and I enjoyed the scene where she rescues the male protagonist so at least Bova is trying.
My only two quibbles are how rushed the ending feels, the big conflict between the two species is not resolved until the last twenty or so pages of the book and sexism is still an issue with Bova. The descriptions of the female characters are particularly odious. He does have one strong female character and I enjoyed the scene where she rescues the male protagonist so at least Bova is trying.
December 12, 2018
After the previous book in this series, I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I was disappointed. One of the main issues I had with the book, was inconsistencies in math, which is amazing because math isn't my strong suit. They kept referring to the fact that their trip would take 2000 years one way, but then there would be other tidbits that completely contradicted that. It got to where every time they mentioned it, which was often, it took me out of the story. Which is a shame, because the premise of the book was sound.
It didn't help that the previous book and this one really had very little to do with each other. There was one rather small bit that referenced back to the previous book and tied up some loose ends, and while very minor, it was one of my favorite parts of this one. I think I probably tacked on a star just for that small portion.
It didn't help that the previous book and this one really had very little to do with each other. There was one rather small bit that referenced back to the previous book and tied up some loose ends, and while very minor, it was one of my favorite parts of this one. I think I probably tacked on a star just for that small portion.
March 11, 2018
The fourth in a series about the potential consequences of a Galaxy wide death wave that is destroying all in it's path, this story continues humanities quest to save not just the world but the galaxy. Different than the over books in this series here humanity is pitted against machines that have existed for millions for years. These machines see themselves as the ultimate creation and no other type of creation in the universe is of concern to them. That is until humanity can show machines why not just a death wave is of concern, but why a consortium of humanity and machine is essential for survival of all life in the entire universe.
Thank you Ben Bova for showing the importance of one man.
Thank you Ben Bova for showing the importance of one man.
March 31, 2018
Meh. I finished this book because I thought some of the ideas were interesting and I wanted to see how they worked out. But I think I've finally gone past (for better or worse) the expectation that the ideas presented in a work of science fiction are more important than anything else. I thank some of the later works of Larry Niven and his "co-authors" for that. I found Bova's writing to be mediocre, the characters not especially credible, and the resolution of the central problem to be pretty unbelievable.
To be fair, when I picked up this book I had just finished Tobias Smollett's "Humphry Clinker". Every single aspect of Smollett's work was infinitely better executed than this book, and that's not really Bova's fault. Smollett received a classical education in 18th century England, was a brilliant observer of people, had many years to perfect his art, and was writing for a vastly different and far better educated audience than Bova does. Such is life.
To be fair, when I picked up this book I had just finished Tobias Smollett's "Humphry Clinker". Every single aspect of Smollett's work was infinitely better executed than this book, and that's not really Bova's fault. Smollett received a classical education in 18th century England, was a brilliant observer of people, had many years to perfect his art, and was writing for a vastly different and far better educated audience than Bova does. Such is life.
August 11, 2019
Of all the Bova books I’ve read so far, this main character was by far the best. A grumpy old man, with the ability for emotion and thoughtfulness and that’s determined to save his race.
The end result of the book was also great, and leaves a lot open for the future, although I’m not sure if there were any books written after this.
Overall, decent book, and it’s inspired me to want to read the rest of the Bova books in this series.
Once continuous negative in Bova’s books are the constant lack of female main characters, or strongly defined female characters. Something I’ve noticed, through my reading years, has always been an issue in the past for male authors. The good news is, these days, it seems to be more a thing of the past.
The end result of the book was also great, and leaves a lot open for the future, although I’m not sure if there were any books written after this.
Overall, decent book, and it’s inspired me to want to read the rest of the Bova books in this series.
Once continuous negative in Bova’s books are the constant lack of female main characters, or strongly defined female characters. Something I’ve noticed, through my reading years, has always been an issue in the past for male authors. The good news is, these days, it seems to be more a thing of the past.
February 24, 2021
After much trial and error I finally came across this book. This is Hard Science Fiction at its best!
I understand science fiction to be more than a story that could have taken place at any given time in history. The old classical pattern of protagonist vs antagonist. Just putting a detective story into space does not make it science fiction. This is what I encounter so many times when picking up a scifi book.
NOT SO HERE! This book stands out because it deals with a story that is hard to fit into any of the old categories.
Sure, if you try you can probably find some context of human history where you could fit this in, but you would have to try hard.
I highly recommend this book unless you are looking for action, shooting and similar excietment.
I understand science fiction to be more than a story that could have taken place at any given time in history. The old classical pattern of protagonist vs antagonist. Just putting a detective story into space does not make it science fiction. This is what I encounter so many times when picking up a scifi book.
NOT SO HERE! This book stands out because it deals with a story that is hard to fit into any of the old categories.
Sure, if you try you can probably find some context of human history where you could fit this in, but you would have to try hard.
I highly recommend this book unless you are looking for action, shooting and similar excietment.
February 12, 2018
I love Ben Bova -- he writes like the authors who first made me fall in love with sci-fi (Heinlein, Andre Norton, etc.). I hadn't picked up one of his books for a while, but saw this one on my local library's display of new books and it looked interesting. There is something about Bova's plot development that gives just enough detail without bogging the reader down or ruining the story. But at the same time, everything I need as a reader is provided to me. His plots are always a little different, a little off the beaten path, and stay more true to what I think of as sci-fi (as in get the fantasy out of there). Now I'm going to go back and read Bova books I've missed.
February 12, 2020
As the discription here on the site says, the story is about a group of humans sent out after receiving some tools from an earlier race of machines to try and save other civilizations all though the galazy from a cosmic event.
In this case, the machine society that the humans encounter doesn't want to help save anybody or be helped. They want to be left alone to survive on their own. Or do they??
In trying to get the machine society to help them, or at least not hinder them, both societies have to explore their most basic underlying principals. The humans and the machines are changed before the end of the book.
Very well written and makes one think about our basic assumptions.
In this case, the machine society that the humans encounter doesn't want to help save anybody or be helped. They want to be left alone to survive on their own. Or do they??
In trying to get the machine society to help them, or at least not hinder them, both societies have to explore their most basic underlying principals. The humans and the machines are changed before the end of the book.
Very well written and makes one think about our basic assumptions.
May 9, 2023
This last book in the series was my favorite, although I disliked the emphasis on the space crew's power struggles. What I liked was the debate between the humans and the planet run by AIs who had no qualms about letting àll non-machine life forms die from preventable radiation exposure. The unemotional AIs can see no reason for intervening since their machine selves won't be harmed. The humans must "teach" the AIs to become empathetic, like humans.
The novel’s ending questions who was teaching who and who was being tested. The ending was too cliche for me, as were the trite love storie Bova always likes to include; but the novel did provide food for thought.
The novel’s ending questions who was teaching who and who was being tested. The ending was too cliche for me, as were the trite love storie Bova always likes to include; but the novel did provide food for thought.
May 19, 2019
Audiobook Star Quest Series consists of three full-length novels that span hundreds of decades.
Listenable SciFi series. The plot basics center on a radioactive wave of light/energy expanding from the center of the Milky Way core; it will take thousands of years for the wave to reach earth, and protections are implemented. It is up to earthlings to travel the galaxy helping to protect other life forms found. And find them they do!
Although connected via the light wave, the books stand alone in that characters are unique to each story.
Narrated nicely by Stefan Rudnicki, no complaints.
Listenable SciFi series. The plot basics center on a radioactive wave of light/energy expanding from the center of the Milky Way core; it will take thousands of years for the wave to reach earth, and protections are implemented. It is up to earthlings to travel the galaxy helping to protect other life forms found. And find them they do!
Although connected via the light wave, the books stand alone in that characters are unique to each story.
Narrated nicely by Stefan Rudnicki, no complaints.
June 8, 2019
Ben Bova is an extraordinary Science Fiction writer and 'Survival' was a treat to read.
The novel is epic in both scope and time scale. The central character is deep, compelling and skillfully rendered. As a reader I found myself caring deeply about his ultimate fate.
Bova has delivered a story that is weirdly believable and extremely thought provoking. I enjoyed the chess references and how the author has used the story to contemplate man's ultimate purpose.
The novel is epic in both scope and time scale. The central character is deep, compelling and skillfully rendered. As a reader I found myself caring deeply about his ultimate fate.
Bova has delivered a story that is weirdly believable and extremely thought provoking. I enjoyed the chess references and how the author has used the story to contemplate man's ultimate purpose.
August 11, 2019
As several reviewers have already mentioned, the morals and attitudes of the characters seem a little dated. The technology, hard sci-fi, that Mr. Bova used to pack into every novel in the Grand Tour comes back a little bit here. The machine intelligence is a little off character from what I would expect and some actions seem to conflict with ours to make the character off balance. Still a solid three star adventure from Mr. Bova.
August 28, 2019
I found this book very frustrating. There were such obvious rejoinders the humans could have made to the machines that would have hoisted their so-called logical arguments on their own petards that for some reason they just wouldn't say. That's manipulative writing. I can't possibly be leaps and bounds smarter than the human scientists that only I could come up with these logical counter-arguments.
November 28, 2019
The premise was thought provoking; a world run my machines is intent on ridding the universe of organic life because it is too self involved and is a blight on the universe...ultimately it will destroy itself and other life forms. Therefore; it is not worth saving; especially since it will destroy itself over time; and it forms a threat to the universe. The arguments put forth by the machines were all so true. lol. It is a fast and easy read..and entertaining.
March 24, 2023
The scifi aspect of this one kept me reading. It was an interesting dilemma, why should the artificial intelligence allow humans to live? And the world was fun to read about, with some tie-ins to the previous book that weren't overtly obvious. I did not like the way Bova painted the female character Gita in this book though. She was, like the last book, such a flatly two dimensional prop. In the end it was an easy read that I tore through and I'll definitely be reading more of his work.
March 26, 2018
Ben Bova is one of the deans of hard science sci-fi but for me what separates him from the pack is his ability to also craft great characters while staying true to fascinating science. All that is true in this book which is number 4 in a series that expands over thousands of (human) years and explores the congruence of machine and organic intelligence.
March 26, 2018
I have read Ben Bovas books for many years and have become comfortable with his easy going formaic writing style. That being said I miss his earlier books that blended aggressive colonization with stories of human nature and interaction with new life forms. I'm kind of tired of multi generational crusades to save non humanoid colonized worlds........please Ben bring back Mars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2018
An interesting story of survival of the human species versus the survival of an advanced machine species that ends up with the survival of both through a process of collaboration. The only flaw (in my mind) is that the story does not resolve the human penchant for self destruction and violence other than to say that "they found another way". That is not borne out by history, sorry to say.
May 4, 2018
A story of man's attempt to survive in a future that includes a wave of gamma radiation that will wipe out all life in it's path not protected. Built into the story are struggles with travel over incredible distances, the passage of time and the role of artificial intelligence. An interesting story with angles I haven't read before leading to intellectual questions and debates.
September 1, 2018
The science is good. I enjoyed reading about a spaceship whose magnetic hydrogen scoop has a 1,000 km reach and fuels the fusion reactor at its core. The book centered on AI and that was interesting; what is AIs potential, how will it affect us, and how will humans and AI interact? Otherwise, this book was so simple and innocent, it read like a young adult book.
October 17, 2019
I liked Survival. It was an interesting tale of first contact with a race who really don't want anything to do with humanity. Often these stories are about first contact on another planet where the inhabitants are behind man in development or the advanced race comes to Earth, but I found this a different spin, although I am sure there are similar stories.
I found this well worth the read.
I found this well worth the read.
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