What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Watch / Watchmen #1
The Star Conquerors
Six time Hugo winner Ben Bova's most sought-after and possibly best novel, THE STAR CONQUERORS, has been long out of print. There was only one small hardback print run of his first novel, never reprinted, and used copies are rare, costing upwards of $500. Until now! ReAnimus Press is pleased to announce the ebook publication of THE STAR CONQUERORS!
To Explore New Worlds... and Resistance is Futile... all found their home here first with Star Watch Captain Geoffrey Knowland in what some say is a virtual blueprint for Star Trek.
To Explore New Worlds... and Resistance is Futile... all found their home here first with Star Watch Captain Geoffrey Knowland in what some say is a virtual blueprint for Star Trek.
215 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
21 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
715 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 18, 2010
A YA sci-fi novel that's now a half-century old. Is it a masterpiece of its kind? Well, not really. But it is a book I read long ago--- when I was maybe...ten or eleven. And I did love it. It was well-written enough, and certainly a book that I found excellent all those many years ago. As space opera, it still works--- no masterpiece, but a solid tale of space war and adventure, with decent characters. It gets 4 stars based on memories from long ago---- one of the books that made me interested in sci-fi, space, and, in the end, history.
June 24, 2019
Not without its charms, but the state of the art has moved on it's difficult to get excited about the specifics. E.E. "Doc" Smith hit the same bingo chart items--vast enemy space empire, fallen ancient Earth civilization, humans mysteriously spread throughout the galaxy, big machines and bigger space fleets and pew-pew lasers--but Bova keeps it grounded and it never explodes with invention or enthusiasm. It eventually becomes all military action, politics, and intrigue, and I don't feel like reading for the campy paleo-tech.
November 4, 2011
I've always wanted to read The Star Conquerors and couldn't because it was so expensive to get a copy, but it was just released in an ebook edition from ReAnimus Press ( http://ReAnimus.com/store ). I really enjoyed reading it. It was a good story, and seemed very much like a blueprint for Star Trek that perhaps Roddenberry liked a lot.
It has an introduction from Bova on the history of the book which was interesting, as well as both new cover art and the original Mel Hunter cover art.
It has an introduction from Bova on the history of the book which was interesting, as well as both new cover art and the original Mel Hunter cover art.
August 13, 2014
Fun book to read
this is one of the first sci-fi books I ever read (about 8 years old). now at the age of 64 I find that I still enjoy this fine novel.
this is one of the first sci-fi books I ever read (about 8 years old). now at the age of 64 I find that I still enjoy this fine novel.
February 12, 2020
Classic SF
I must admit, I am hopelessly biased about this book. It is one of the first "real" SF books I ever read, keeping company with other YA titles like Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky, or Jack Vance's Vandals of the Void (coincidentally, another in the Winston series of juvenile novels). But this one stuck with me, if only for the sheer breadth and scope of the story, stretching back from mankind's earliest endeavours to the heart of the galaxy. Heady stuff for an eleven-year-old! A half-century later, I'm happy to say it was a real pleasure revisiting my old friend.
I must admit, I am hopelessly biased about this book. It is one of the first "real" SF books I ever read, keeping company with other YA titles like Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky, or Jack Vance's Vandals of the Void (coincidentally, another in the Winston series of juvenile novels). But this one stuck with me, if only for the sheer breadth and scope of the story, stretching back from mankind's earliest endeavours to the heart of the galaxy. Heady stuff for an eleven-year-old! A half-century later, I'm happy to say it was a real pleasure revisiting my old friend.
July 2, 2017
A fun read. You can tell it's an early book. The writing is not very mature. It has many logical flaws and inconsistencies. Enjoy it for what it is.
not-in-pima-okc-wi-but-want
December 4, 2019Not Found
March 10, 2023
Old but fun read!
This seems a different version of the old paperback I read decades ago, but it is still a fun read!
This seems a different version of the old paperback I read decades ago, but it is still a fun read!
January 8, 2026
Quick to start with action and keeps you engaged throughout.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2010
This science fiction novel is about an interstellar war between the Terran Confederation and the much larger star empire of the Masters.
Things are not going well for the Terrans. The Saurians (who do the actual fighting under the control of the masters) outnumber the Terran forces by several times. The Terran fleet is in bad shape. Geoffrey Knowland, whose father, Heath, runs the whole Earth defense effort, is authorized to take what's left of the fleet and go on the offensive. They begin to have an effect, destroying a base here, and an outpost there.
A million years ago, mankind had spread out among the stars, with colonies on a number of planets. They ran into a highly advanced race, the Others, who wiped out mankind's star empire, and caused an ice age on Earth. These surviving colonists evolved into separate humanoid societies. A resident of one of these societies, Alan Brakerman (his actual alien name is nearly unpronounceable), escapes from a Masters-ruled planet, and joins the Terran forces.
The Terran forces liberate a number of societies from the Masters, but the natives aren't exactly jumping for joy. Life was peaceful under the Masters, but it was also quiet. Scientific exploration was subtly suppressed, and even the birth rate was stagnant. The Komani, one of those societies, is totally based on war. They have a very hard time waiting for permission from Knowland to fight.
After causing major problems for the Saurians, and the Masters, the Terrans get a message from the Masters offering to sue for peace, each side can keep the territory it has. The Terrans decline the offer; the Masters may be bloodied, but they will regroup and wipe out the terran Confederation. The decision is made to take the fight to the home world of the Masters. When they meet an actual Master, the Terrans get more than they expected.
Sometimes, a person just has to read some old-fashioned space opera, full of interstellar space battles, where the outnumbered Earth forces bravely do battle against the implacable foe. This one is quite good.
Things are not going well for the Terrans. The Saurians (who do the actual fighting under the control of the masters) outnumber the Terran forces by several times. The Terran fleet is in bad shape. Geoffrey Knowland, whose father, Heath, runs the whole Earth defense effort, is authorized to take what's left of the fleet and go on the offensive. They begin to have an effect, destroying a base here, and an outpost there.
A million years ago, mankind had spread out among the stars, with colonies on a number of planets. They ran into a highly advanced race, the Others, who wiped out mankind's star empire, and caused an ice age on Earth. These surviving colonists evolved into separate humanoid societies. A resident of one of these societies, Alan Brakerman (his actual alien name is nearly unpronounceable), escapes from a Masters-ruled planet, and joins the Terran forces.
The Terran forces liberate a number of societies from the Masters, but the natives aren't exactly jumping for joy. Life was peaceful under the Masters, but it was also quiet. Scientific exploration was subtly suppressed, and even the birth rate was stagnant. The Komani, one of those societies, is totally based on war. They have a very hard time waiting for permission from Knowland to fight.
After causing major problems for the Saurians, and the Masters, the Terrans get a message from the Masters offering to sue for peace, each side can keep the territory it has. The Terrans decline the offer; the Masters may be bloodied, but they will regroup and wipe out the terran Confederation. The decision is made to take the fight to the home world of the Masters. When they meet an actual Master, the Terrans get more than they expected.
Sometimes, a person just has to read some old-fashioned space opera, full of interstellar space battles, where the outnumbered Earth forces bravely do battle against the implacable foe. This one is quite good.
September 3, 2014
The Star Conquerors by Ben Bova was first published in 1959 in a small hardback print run and was never reprinted. Therefore, getting a copy of it has been extremely expensive and impossible for most readers. Thankfully, this wonderful space opera book has been made available as an eBook by ReAnimus Press. Now we can all join a galaxy where various human species are spread across the galaxy trying to cope with ruthless and technologically advanced nonhuman species, led by the Masters, who have already absorbed (enslaved) many human civilizations. Star Watch Captain Geoffrey Knowland assembles a huge armada of war ships and leads an offensive assault into the enemy’s star space instead of continuing a weak defensive deployment. The reader gets to ride along with the offensive assault to save the independence and freedom (in fact the lives) in the human civilizations. It’s an extremely enjoyable space combat experience for the reader, which includes many interesting alien and human species and environments, gripping space combat and engaging characters. I like this book very much.
December 6, 2016
The Star Conquerors
This supposed to be Bova's first novel? It felt every bit as good as all the others I've read. He's written so many I feel it will be a long time before I move to another author. I enjoy his way of writing and his subjects. He's excellent at suspension of disbelief. I get lost in his books. He's a detail person, as am I. I love it. Thank you Ben Bova!
This supposed to be Bova's first novel? It felt every bit as good as all the others I've read. He's written so many I feel it will be a long time before I move to another author. I enjoy his way of writing and his subjects. He's excellent at suspension of disbelief. I get lost in his books. He's a detail person, as am I. I love it. Thank you Ben Bova!
November 25, 2011
I wish I could give another half star to this book.
Reading it, I felt that old friend Ben Bova in my hands. But it's not the Bova I've been reading the last few years. This is young Mr. Bova.
I'd recomend it to any Bova fan.
Reading it, I felt that old friend Ben Bova in my hands. But it's not the Bova I've been reading the last few years. This is young Mr. Bova.
I'd recomend it to any Bova fan.
July 4, 2014
One of my all time favorites! I read it when I was a teenager and it was one of the sci fi books that hooked me on space. I have spent 40 + years working in manned and unmanned space for the Air Force and NASA!
August 4, 2011
1st of Ben Bova's novels. Fun read.
March 5, 2022
I simply loved this book, the ending was a little weak but well worth the read.
January 31, 2017
Interesting sci-fi from Bova. Part of the Winston juvenile science fiction series.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews