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The Grand Tour #16
Mercury
The planet closest to our Sun, Mercury is a rocky, barren, heat-scorched world. But there are those who hope to find wealth in its desolation.
Saito Yamagata thinks Mercury's position makes it an ideal place to generate power to propel starships into deep space. Astrobiologist Victor Molina thinks the water at Mercury's poles may harbor evidence of life. Bishop Elliot Danvers has been sent by the Earth-based "New Morality" to keep close tabs on Molina.
But all three of these men are blissfully unaware of their shared history, and of how it connects to the collapse of Mance Bracknell's geosynchronous space elevator a generation ago. Now they're about to find out, because Mance is determined to have his revenge…
Saito Yamagata thinks Mercury's position makes it an ideal place to generate power to propel starships into deep space. Astrobiologist Victor Molina thinks the water at Mercury's poles may harbor evidence of life. Bishop Elliot Danvers has been sent by the Earth-based "New Morality" to keep close tabs on Molina.
But all three of these men are blissfully unaware of their shared history, and of how it connects to the collapse of Mance Bracknell's geosynchronous space elevator a generation ago. Now they're about to find out, because Mance is determined to have his revenge…
334 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
35 people are currently reading
705 people want to read
About the author
Ben Bova
714 books1,036 followersBen Bova was born on November 8, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1953, while attending Temple University, he married Rosa Cucinotta, they had a son and a daughter. He would later divorce Rosa in 1974. In that same year he married Barbara Berson Rose.
Bova was an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He was an environmentalist, but rejected Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer for Project Vanguard and later for Avco Everett in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. It was there that he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz later of the Foresight Institute.
In 1971 he became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death. After leaving Analog, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.
In 1974 he wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science fiction television series Land of the Lost entitled "The Search".
Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. His novel The Starcrossed was loosely based on his experiences and featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. He dedicated the novel to "Cordwainer Bird", the pen name Harlan Ellison uses when he does not want to be associated with a television or film project.
Bova was the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1996.
Bova has drawn on these meetings and experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.
Bova was the author of over a hundred and fifteen books, non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he was the Author Guest of Honor at the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000).
Hollywood has started to take an interest in Bova's works once again, in addition to his wealth of knowledge about science and what the future may look like. In 2007, he was hired as a consultant by both Stuber/Parent Productions to provide insight into what the world is to look like in the near future for their upcoming film "Repossession Mambo" (released as "Repo Men") starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker and by Silver Pictures in which he provided consulting services on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon".
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benbova
Bova was an avid fencer and organized Avco Everett's fencing club. He was an environmentalist, but rejected Luddism.
Bova was a technical writer for Project Vanguard and later for Avco Everett in the 1960s when they did research in lasers and fluid dynamics. It was there that he met Arthur R. Kantrowitz later of the Foresight Institute.
In 1971 he became editor of Analog Science Fiction after John W. Campbell's death. After leaving Analog, he went on to edit Omni during 1978-1982.
In 1974 he wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science fiction television series Land of the Lost entitled "The Search".
Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. His novel The Starcrossed was loosely based on his experiences and featured a thinly veiled characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison. He dedicated the novel to "Cordwainer Bird", the pen name Harlan Ellison uses when he does not want to be associated with a television or film project.
Bova was the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
Bova went back to school in the 1980s, earning an M.A. in communications in 1987 and a Ph.D. in 1996.
Bova has drawn on these meetings and experiences to create fact and fiction writings rich with references to spaceflight, lasers, artificial hearts, nanotechnology, environmentalism, fencing and martial arts, photography and artists.
Bova was the author of over a hundred and fifteen books, non-fiction as well as science fiction. In 2000, he was the Author Guest of Honor at the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000).
Hollywood has started to take an interest in Bova's works once again, in addition to his wealth of knowledge about science and what the future may look like. In 2007, he was hired as a consultant by both Stuber/Parent Productions to provide insight into what the world is to look like in the near future for their upcoming film "Repossession Mambo" (released as "Repo Men") starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker and by Silver Pictures in which he provided consulting services on the feature adaptation of Richard Morgan's "Altered Carbon".
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benbova
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 11, 2025
Science plays second fiddle to fiction in this "soapy" space opera!
Mance Bracknell is the chief engineer on the Sky Tower in Quito, Ecuador - a construction mega-project which will lift payloads to the altitude of geosynchronous orbit via elevator at a cost of pennies per pound instead of the current cost of hundreds of dollars if the load is lifted by standard rocket launch into orbit. But when the tower collapses killing over four million people and causing untold billions of dollars of property damage in a globe-girdling disaster, Mance Bracknell is found guilty of negligent homicide and exiled for life to a criminal penal colony in the asteroid belt. After a serendipitous encounter with an injured scientist fleeing for his life in which he learns the Sky Tower's collapse was the result of terrorist sabotage, Bracknell escapes and wends his way to a scientific outpost on the planet Mercury where he plots his revenge.
The good news is that MERCURY is a soundly entertaining story that reads like a blockbuster five-star motion picture screenplay. The elements are all there - disaster, a love triangle, explosions, terrorism and sabotage, murder, the inscrutable Oriental tycoon, jealousy, hatred, suicide, right wing fundamentalist religious groups, mobs, courtroom trials and prisoner riots! The bad news is that the science and the setting of the book in the asteroid belt and on the surface of the hostile planet of Mercury is all but incidental to the plot. I can't help but feel that Bova had a plot in mind. All he actually needed to force fit that plot into the GRAND TOUR OF THE UNIVERSE theme was a planet which had virtually no chance of harboring life forms at any stage of development. Mercury fit the bill so Mercury got selected!
There is some inescapable science to be sure which is reasonably well done - a passable explanation on the geometric structure of bucky-ball molecules; the distinction between slow inertial coasting routes or high speed accelerated routes for interplanetary travel; the idea of a space elevator; the unique mechanics of Mercury's orbit that causes a false dawn, a brief retrograde sunset and then a return to full day - but, if you're looking for the "hard" in "hard sci-fi" at the level that Bova achieved in MARS or VENUS, for example, you're doomed to be disappointed. On the other hand, if a fast-paced easy reading brain candy tale in the style of Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, or Irving Wallace tickles your fancy, then you're in luck. MERCURY will definitely work for you.
Provided you adjust your expectations appropriately, a recommended easy going read for a few days!
Paul Weiss
Mance Bracknell is the chief engineer on the Sky Tower in Quito, Ecuador - a construction mega-project which will lift payloads to the altitude of geosynchronous orbit via elevator at a cost of pennies per pound instead of the current cost of hundreds of dollars if the load is lifted by standard rocket launch into orbit. But when the tower collapses killing over four million people and causing untold billions of dollars of property damage in a globe-girdling disaster, Mance Bracknell is found guilty of negligent homicide and exiled for life to a criminal penal colony in the asteroid belt. After a serendipitous encounter with an injured scientist fleeing for his life in which he learns the Sky Tower's collapse was the result of terrorist sabotage, Bracknell escapes and wends his way to a scientific outpost on the planet Mercury where he plots his revenge.
The good news is that MERCURY is a soundly entertaining story that reads like a blockbuster five-star motion picture screenplay. The elements are all there - disaster, a love triangle, explosions, terrorism and sabotage, murder, the inscrutable Oriental tycoon, jealousy, hatred, suicide, right wing fundamentalist religious groups, mobs, courtroom trials and prisoner riots! The bad news is that the science and the setting of the book in the asteroid belt and on the surface of the hostile planet of Mercury is all but incidental to the plot. I can't help but feel that Bova had a plot in mind. All he actually needed to force fit that plot into the GRAND TOUR OF THE UNIVERSE theme was a planet which had virtually no chance of harboring life forms at any stage of development. Mercury fit the bill so Mercury got selected!
There is some inescapable science to be sure which is reasonably well done - a passable explanation on the geometric structure of bucky-ball molecules; the distinction between slow inertial coasting routes or high speed accelerated routes for interplanetary travel; the idea of a space elevator; the unique mechanics of Mercury's orbit that causes a false dawn, a brief retrograde sunset and then a return to full day - but, if you're looking for the "hard" in "hard sci-fi" at the level that Bova achieved in MARS or VENUS, for example, you're doomed to be disappointed. On the other hand, if a fast-paced easy reading brain candy tale in the style of Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, or Irving Wallace tickles your fancy, then you're in luck. MERCURY will definitely work for you.
Provided you adjust your expectations appropriately, a recommended easy going read for a few days!
Paul Weiss
December 26, 2016
Plots like this excellent novel's are one of the reasons why Ben Bova is one of my favorite authors.
June 11, 2025
Come for the Hard Science Fiction...stay for the character dveelopment.
Ben Bova is a master at Hard Sci-Fi stories, but that's not the point here. The entire point of this book is one idea: Revenge. The revenge plotline of this book takes center stage, as one of our main characters was wronged by all of the other characters earlier in his life, and none of his enemies recognize him. So he hatches this plot for his revenge...that doesn't exactly go the way he thought.
Ben Bova frames this story in 4 parts. Part 1 tells the story on Mercury in the present, while Parts 2 and 3 frame the story back on earth and other locations in a long flashback that takes about half of the book. Part 4 brings us back to Mercury and is by far the best part of the book. Ben Bova ties up all of the plotlines and arcs and demonstrates the damage that revenge and hatred can have not only on people you hurt...but on yourself. Its masterful storytelling.
The book is only 318 pages in Mass Market, so it flies by.
Overall, an excellent read. Just when I wonder if Ben Bova might have lost it...he amazes me yet again. 9 out of 10!
Ben Bova is a master at Hard Sci-Fi stories, but that's not the point here. The entire point of this book is one idea: Revenge. The revenge plotline of this book takes center stage, as one of our main characters was wronged by all of the other characters earlier in his life, and none of his enemies recognize him. So he hatches this plot for his revenge...that doesn't exactly go the way he thought.
Ben Bova frames this story in 4 parts. Part 1 tells the story on Mercury in the present, while Parts 2 and 3 frame the story back on earth and other locations in a long flashback that takes about half of the book. Part 4 brings us back to Mercury and is by far the best part of the book. Ben Bova ties up all of the plotlines and arcs and demonstrates the damage that revenge and hatred can have not only on people you hurt...but on yourself. Its masterful storytelling.
The book is only 318 pages in Mass Market, so it flies by.
Overall, an excellent read. Just when I wonder if Ben Bova might have lost it...he amazes me yet again. 9 out of 10!
April 21, 2013
This is the second of Ben Bova’s ‘Grand Tour of the Solar System’ series that I’ve read. The other one was ‘Jupiter’ and I think this one is better. This is definitely a story about people.
It is about how Saito Yamagata, business tycoon, achieves his dream even as he fails his life; about who Dante Alexios, engineer, is and why he sets out on a path of vengeance; about Victor Molina’s fall from a position of importance and respect as a scientist. The mighty mostly fall on Earth, but find their true ends on Mercury.
The planet is more than just a background. It’s natural features provide many of the various characters’ motives and explain how these people come together to move through their story.
The writing is readable with good descriptions and explanations and the complex backstory is well handled.
At the basis of the novel is a love story, coming from the story-past into the story-present and on into the future. Unfortunately this is the thing I found somewhat difficult. I know there are people whose desire to possess the love object takes strange and dangerous routes to the goal, but I didn’t think this was made totally convincing in this book. That there should be two people doing the strange and dangerous made it even harder to accept. I think one of the reasons for this is that the loved one did not have a strong enough role to make the excessive desire believable. I won’t say more about this as it would give too much away. On the whole this didn’t spoil the book for me – it’s introduced far enough along in the story for empathy with the characters to have developed anyway.
The book is straight sci-fi – space opera even – no ‘steampunk’, ‘science fantasy’ or other sub-genre. Most science fiction fans will be familiar with Bova’s work. Any who aren’t and would like to make his acquaintance would do well to start with this book.
It is about how Saito Yamagata, business tycoon, achieves his dream even as he fails his life; about who Dante Alexios, engineer, is and why he sets out on a path of vengeance; about Victor Molina’s fall from a position of importance and respect as a scientist. The mighty mostly fall on Earth, but find their true ends on Mercury.
The planet is more than just a background. It’s natural features provide many of the various characters’ motives and explain how these people come together to move through their story.
The writing is readable with good descriptions and explanations and the complex backstory is well handled.
At the basis of the novel is a love story, coming from the story-past into the story-present and on into the future. Unfortunately this is the thing I found somewhat difficult. I know there are people whose desire to possess the love object takes strange and dangerous routes to the goal, but I didn’t think this was made totally convincing in this book. That there should be two people doing the strange and dangerous made it even harder to accept. I think one of the reasons for this is that the loved one did not have a strong enough role to make the excessive desire believable. I won’t say more about this as it would give too much away. On the whole this didn’t spoil the book for me – it’s introduced far enough along in the story for empathy with the characters to have developed anyway.
The book is straight sci-fi – space opera even – no ‘steampunk’, ‘science fantasy’ or other sub-genre. Most science fiction fans will be familiar with Bova’s work. Any who aren’t and would like to make his acquaintance would do well to start with this book.
August 28, 2020
_Mercury_ is one of the latest books in Ben Bova's epic science fiction series that includes such novels as _Venus_, _Jupiter_, and _Saturn_. As in previous installments in this very loosely connected series (the novels that I have read thus far are all stand-alone works and contain no reoccurring characters though the newer novel _Titan_, which I have yet to read, is a sequel - naturally enough - to _Saturn_ and he has written several back to back novels about the Moon and the Asteroid Belt that feature I believe the same characters), the overall setting is the waning years of the 21st century in our solar system. Mankind has apparently visited every planet at some point or another and has some settled some areas (notably the Moon, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt or simply "The Belt") but not yet achieved interstellar spaceflight. The series reminds me of Charles Sheffield's excellent trilogy that includes _Cold As Ice_, _The Ganymede Club_, and _Dark As Day_, a series I highly recommend.
In _Jupiter_ and _Venus_, the planets the books are named for were certainly the star; nearly all of the action took place there, the very nature of the setting was key, vital to the plot, and the author speculated as to what fascinating, exotic, and truly alien conditions might exist there (making for excellent science fiction). However, in both _Mercury_ and the earlier novel _Saturn_ the planets these books were named for are not as central or as vital to the story; _Saturn_ (while enjoyable) was really mostly about the adventures on and politics of the space station _Goddard_, a gigantic craft sent to the ringed planet.
Similarly, while action took place on Mercury in _Mercury_ and indeed the final scene of two of the main characters was pretty much determined by the nature of the planet, in the end the planet Mercury itself was but one of several settings in this novel. Much of the story was presented as a flashback and was set at various points on Earth, the Moon, and the Belt; the reader pretty much saw Mercury only at the beginning and the end of the book.
Also, the book was only partially about the exploration and mysteries of the planet closest to the Sun (and really fairly little in the way of mysteries, particularly in comparison with _Venus_ and _Jupiter_). Without giving too much away - I hope - _Mercury_ is at its heart a tragedy, the sad tale of one man and his long, slow, painful quest for revenge, a tortured tale that involved four central characters, all of whom had a connection to an unimaginable and horrific global and personal tragedy that took place ten years ago. There is Dante Alexios, chief architect and head engineer of Goethe Base, a surface installation on Mercury near its north pole, established under contract for the Sunpower Foundation, which sought to use satellites around Mercury to provide abundant cheap and useful solar power for various projects. The Sunpower Foundation was headed by (really owned by) Saito Yamagata, a Japanese aerospace business tycoon. Rounding out the cast of interconnected characters are biologist Victor Molina, who gets a mysterious message indicating to him that there might be native life on Mercury, and Bishop Elliott Danvers, a minister in the powerful New Morality movement, who is specifically requested at Goethe Base to witness to its personnel (the New Morality movement is an officially and nominally nonsectarian organization that went from being a tiny fundamentalist Christian sect to thanks to greenhouse effect natural disasters and national political turmoil to becoming a major if not dominant political, social, and cultural force in North America; Bova used the New Morality or more accurately its agents as antagonists in _Saturn_).
_Mercury_ is a very interesting novel and I really enjoyed it. I found its tale of tragedy and long, slowly realized revenge gripping, well-written, and also in the end rather sad. At first I though that the rather extensive flashback (virtually a third to half the book) was a bit jarring at first, something of a disconnect from current events on Mercury, but I soon found it a very interesting story with some unexpected twists; despite knowing from the first section of the book the broad outline of the dreaded events ten years ago I still enjoyed reading about it and there were some surprises, particularly with what happened in the aftermath of those events.
Though I have read some criticism of _Saturn_ and its relative lack of focus on the planet Saturn itself and perhaps _Mercury_ is vulnerable to the same criticism, I think fans of this series will enjoy this installment, as Bova really fleshes out more of the setting and lets the reader see the big picture, that the series is going places and is more than simply adventure stories set on one planet or another (as good as that might be). If you have not read the series, I also recommend reading this book and it does quite well as a stand-alone book.
In _Jupiter_ and _Venus_, the planets the books are named for were certainly the star; nearly all of the action took place there, the very nature of the setting was key, vital to the plot, and the author speculated as to what fascinating, exotic, and truly alien conditions might exist there (making for excellent science fiction). However, in both _Mercury_ and the earlier novel _Saturn_ the planets these books were named for are not as central or as vital to the story; _Saturn_ (while enjoyable) was really mostly about the adventures on and politics of the space station _Goddard_, a gigantic craft sent to the ringed planet.
Similarly, while action took place on Mercury in _Mercury_ and indeed the final scene of two of the main characters was pretty much determined by the nature of the planet, in the end the planet Mercury itself was but one of several settings in this novel. Much of the story was presented as a flashback and was set at various points on Earth, the Moon, and the Belt; the reader pretty much saw Mercury only at the beginning and the end of the book.
Also, the book was only partially about the exploration and mysteries of the planet closest to the Sun (and really fairly little in the way of mysteries, particularly in comparison with _Venus_ and _Jupiter_). Without giving too much away - I hope - _Mercury_ is at its heart a tragedy, the sad tale of one man and his long, slow, painful quest for revenge, a tortured tale that involved four central characters, all of whom had a connection to an unimaginable and horrific global and personal tragedy that took place ten years ago. There is Dante Alexios, chief architect and head engineer of Goethe Base, a surface installation on Mercury near its north pole, established under contract for the Sunpower Foundation, which sought to use satellites around Mercury to provide abundant cheap and useful solar power for various projects. The Sunpower Foundation was headed by (really owned by) Saito Yamagata, a Japanese aerospace business tycoon. Rounding out the cast of interconnected characters are biologist Victor Molina, who gets a mysterious message indicating to him that there might be native life on Mercury, and Bishop Elliott Danvers, a minister in the powerful New Morality movement, who is specifically requested at Goethe Base to witness to its personnel (the New Morality movement is an officially and nominally nonsectarian organization that went from being a tiny fundamentalist Christian sect to thanks to greenhouse effect natural disasters and national political turmoil to becoming a major if not dominant political, social, and cultural force in North America; Bova used the New Morality or more accurately its agents as antagonists in _Saturn_).
_Mercury_ is a very interesting novel and I really enjoyed it. I found its tale of tragedy and long, slowly realized revenge gripping, well-written, and also in the end rather sad. At first I though that the rather extensive flashback (virtually a third to half the book) was a bit jarring at first, something of a disconnect from current events on Mercury, but I soon found it a very interesting story with some unexpected twists; despite knowing from the first section of the book the broad outline of the dreaded events ten years ago I still enjoyed reading about it and there were some surprises, particularly with what happened in the aftermath of those events.
Though I have read some criticism of _Saturn_ and its relative lack of focus on the planet Saturn itself and perhaps _Mercury_ is vulnerable to the same criticism, I think fans of this series will enjoy this installment, as Bova really fleshes out more of the setting and lets the reader see the big picture, that the series is going places and is more than simply adventure stories set on one planet or another (as good as that might be). If you have not read the series, I also recommend reading this book and it does quite well as a stand-alone book.
November 16, 2019
This story starts with a project to setup solar power satellites around Mercury. The leader of this project is not all he seems and much of the book details the events surrounding all the major characters some ten years in the past.
Overall this is a story of love, betrayal and revenge set against a background of scientific projects that have the potential to change the future of mankind. A couple of characters from other books appear here but it's not necessary to have read any of the others to enjoy this one.
A good read and I zipped through it in a couple of days.
Overall this is a story of love, betrayal and revenge set against a background of scientific projects that have the potential to change the future of mankind. A couple of characters from other books appear here but it's not necessary to have read any of the others to enjoy this one.
A good read and I zipped through it in a couple of days.
April 26, 2013
Re-reading some Sci-Fi that I had sitting around and am enjoying Bova's series. Many of his books are linked even if only by one common character or event. Some day I will go through them all just to find those links... probably not.
July 7, 2019
Fun read but not a great book, just a good one. The story is well developed, but the ending is uninspired; the protagonist's naive ways re: his lady love are unbelievable and end in the expected way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2021
A very uneven story, with interesting character backgrounds culminating in a rather pointless revenge-plot. Unfulfilled plot-lines, irritating drama, an incredibly obnoxious character or two, and in the end Mercury itself got extremely little attention.
August 19, 2019
Mercury is one of the better books of the Grand Tour, which is a relief after Saturn and Titan.
It starts feeling like one of the more 'sciency' books, with the discovery of life on Mercury--because of course. But that feeling is short lived, as it turns out the life , leaving Astrobiologist Victor Molina framed and disgraced--although the 'who' and 'why' are left unclear.
But really, Mercury is more similar to the Powersat and Asteroid Wars books, with corporate conflict and an exploration of life and revenge throughout the solar system as the primary focus. In the second part of Mercury, we go back to Earth, years (if not decades) in the past, following the story of the great Sky Tower (a space elevator) on Earth. And then... disaster. It's been hinted at in other books, but we've never really gotten details before, so when the Space Elevator falls... the feel of destruction is impressive.
The third section feels a lot like The Aftermath actually, only with more of a purpose. We're following the story of an exile from Earth making his way among the miners and ore transporters out to the belt and back. It's a solid slice of life and fits a lot better with the rest of the book/series than I felt Aftermath did.
The final section brings everything together, tying the fall of the Sky Tower to the 'modern' events playing out on Mercury. It's a story of misplaced revenge and how humanity really can be our own worst enemies.
On thing in particular that was interesting to see was the contract between the Yamagatas. I really liked Saito Yamagata from what we saw of his interactions with Dan Randolph what feels like ages ago and it's interesting to see how simultaneously the same and different his son has turned out to be.
Between this book and Saturn/Titan, it really does look like we're finally building up to leaving the Solar System. I'm curious to see where we'll go from here.
Worth the read.
It starts feeling like one of the more 'sciency' books, with the discovery of life on Mercury--because of course. But that feeling is short lived, as it turns out the life , leaving Astrobiologist Victor Molina framed and disgraced--although the 'who' and 'why' are left unclear.
But really, Mercury is more similar to the Powersat and Asteroid Wars books, with corporate conflict and an exploration of life and revenge throughout the solar system as the primary focus. In the second part of Mercury, we go back to Earth, years (if not decades) in the past, following the story of the great Sky Tower (a space elevator) on Earth. And then... disaster. It's been hinted at in other books, but we've never really gotten details before, so when the Space Elevator falls... the feel of destruction is impressive.
The third section feels a lot like The Aftermath actually, only with more of a purpose. We're following the story of an exile from Earth making his way among the miners and ore transporters out to the belt and back. It's a solid slice of life and fits a lot better with the rest of the book/series than I felt Aftermath did.
The final section brings everything together, tying the fall of the Sky Tower to the 'modern' events playing out on Mercury. It's a story of misplaced revenge and how humanity really can be our own worst enemies.
On thing in particular that was interesting to see was the contract between the Yamagatas. I really liked Saito Yamagata from what we saw of his interactions with Dan Randolph what feels like ages ago and it's interesting to see how simultaneously the same and different his son has turned out to be.
Between this book and Saturn/Titan, it really does look like we're finally building up to leaving the Solar System. I'm curious to see where we'll go from here.
Worth the read.
August 6, 2021
Hmm, 1.5, I'll start with what I liked, the pacing was really well done imo, I actually didn't feel bored that often and the writing, while nothing mind-blowing, had a good flow, I liked the world/time the sky tower and technology was interesting as we're the various factions, it wasn't a horrible listen technically speaking butttt. Okay so I don't mind scifi soaps where everyone sucks and it's just drama, but this one was so one sided, the characters who wronged him were all one dimensional and boring (again soaps, except they gave the main character everything?), it was like some little boys bad revenge fantasy, sometimes it felt like you could see where the author might see himself in the main character lol, they gave the protagonist no flaws basically until the end, no characters had personality, the female characters you could really tell were written by a man haha, so one dimensional and just all in love with him with no actual depiction into their lives or relationships (not even touching on the fact that the main character called a 15 YEAR OLD'S BODY "voluptuous" and "alluring" and almost slept with her when she was 17, was it necessary to make her a minor at all to the plot and sexualize her? Nope but he did it :) also calling her exotic?... And also generalization of japanese people for sure in here ) all the female characters were weirdly sexualized don't get me wrong love me some sexy space women but this was not it at all, they just felt like super male-gazey but like not even in a redeemable fun way some people can do :/
This whole thing read like a bad self insert fanfiction, and the plot at the end didn't actually resolve much character arc wise, they had different perspectives but all the perspectives supported the guy you were supposed to root for, like they all were just like yup these characters are bad people. idk I'm always down for a scifi opera but this felt just self indulgent and boring. I have more thoughts but too tired to write, I can understand why people like it, but for realsies not my cup of tea
This whole thing read like a bad self insert fanfiction, and the plot at the end didn't actually resolve much character arc wise, they had different perspectives but all the perspectives supported the guy you were supposed to root for, like they all were just like yup these characters are bad people. idk I'm always down for a scifi opera but this felt just self indulgent and boring. I have more thoughts but too tired to write, I can understand why people like it, but for realsies not my cup of tea
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2020
When I see Ben Bova's titles like "Mercury", "Venus", or "Mars", I imagine being whisked away on some grand adventure exploring the solar system. For myself I have always loved the idea space travel. I grew up in the era of the space shuttles. I enthralled with 2001, 2010, and 2061 (3001 is ridiculous, not bother). But that is Arthur C Clarke's stories. He paints a picture of the new and exciting wonders of the galaxy.
Ben Bova's books are not those type of books entirely. He describes the planet and the wonders that it holds. You can walk on the surface of as Mercury and experience the hot and cold environments. But Mercury is just a setting. It is not the plot like Clarke's books are. Bova's stories are about people exploring. People with really thoughts, hopes, and emotions.
This story is about revenge. Nothing about Mercury in particular invokes a need for revenge. It is just the setting.
I am not trying to dissuade people from reading the book. It has a great plot. Likable and unlikable characters. And real emotions. Don't read it with the expectation of grand galactic adventures. It is a story. A well written story. But just a story, that is worth reading.
Ben Bova's books are not those type of books entirely. He describes the planet and the wonders that it holds. You can walk on the surface of as Mercury and experience the hot and cold environments. But Mercury is just a setting. It is not the plot like Clarke's books are. Bova's stories are about people exploring. People with really thoughts, hopes, and emotions.
This story is about revenge. Nothing about Mercury in particular invokes a need for revenge. It is just the setting.
I am not trying to dissuade people from reading the book. It has a great plot. Likable and unlikable characters. And real emotions. Don't read it with the expectation of grand galactic adventures. It is a story. A well written story. But just a story, that is worth reading.
May 14, 2023
Une histoire de vengeance à la Monte-Christo (ou à la Sergio Leone), mais qui ici tourne mal. Des images qui restent dans l'esprit : un ascenseur spatial de 35000 kms de haut, saboté, qui s'effondre sur lui-même. Des dialogues savoureux du genre : "Comment connais-tu cette technologie ? Elle a pourtant été inventée bien après ta mort."
J'aurais deux reproches : Ben Bova est toujours un peu sadique avec ses lecteurs/lectrices : les méchants sont rarement punis, ce sont les bons qui finissent mal. Deuxième reproche : la planète Mercure n'est pas le sujet principal du roman, comme le sont par exemple Mars ou Jupiter dans les romans portant ces titres. On ne sent pas assez la toute proximité du Soleil.
J'aurais deux reproches : Ben Bova est toujours un peu sadique avec ses lecteurs/lectrices : les méchants sont rarement punis, ce sont les bons qui finissent mal. Deuxième reproche : la planète Mercure n'est pas le sujet principal du roman, comme le sont par exemple Mars ou Jupiter dans les romans portant ces titres. On ne sent pas assez la toute proximité du Soleil.
February 17, 2023
Saito Yamagata hopes to make a station to power starships on Mercury. Biologist Victor Molina hopes to find evidence of life on Mercury. Bishop Eliot Danvers monitors Molina's work to insure it does conflict with the New Morality's interests. Unknown to these three men, Mance Bracknell is the head of the base on Mercury. Bracknell life was ruined because of Eliot, Molina and indirectly by Yamagata. Bracknell plans his revenge to ruin these men. Its The Count of Monte Cristo set in the future. The outcome is unexpected. Another fun exploration of another part of the solar system with lots of action and intrigue
June 22, 2017
Spawned lovers in intergalactic feud, is a potential tabloid headline for Mercury. It's science fiction elements are but a backdrop to the cast of rather unlikeable astronauts. In tone this feels more like a novel from Bova's Asteroid Wars than an entry in the Grand Tour, due to the overstretched plot and overarching coincidences that stitch the story together. Brilliant series however this entry is a little bit below par.
March 8, 2018
Reasonably enjoyable near-term space opera. Structurally, it's got problems, but they're not really dealbreakers in my opinion. What is (almost) a dealbreaker is that the two female characters are TERRIBLE. They're two-dimensional and presented, essentially, as tokens to be fought over by men. Gross. If you can ignore that, well, okay. It's outlandish and improbable at times, but fun and filled with pathos.
September 17, 2024
This was a fun read in Bova’s The Grand Tour series. I dare say, it’s probably one of my favorite titles with the planet as the name of the book. Mercury involves a lot of hard science fiction among multiple technological concepts that revolve around a tale of tragedy and sweet revenge. By the end of the story, wrongs are righted, vengeance is exposed for its hollow purpose, and a major side character in the Grand Tour series is given a starring role.
August 13, 2024
Not a Ben Bova classic. All through the book, during Mance Bracknell's exile, you know that he was Dante Alexios in the other plot thread. His hope that Lara would leave Victor Molina to return to him was ridiculous. Having him commit suicide with Yamagata had no purpose except to tie up loose ends. One dud out of dozens is reasonable.
December 6, 2024
Every so often i feel like Hard Sci Fi and Ben Bova is one of the greats. Just know this is a slow read, little action. There is MUCH more drama about a man getting revenge than actual sci fi about living on Mercury. I know this is a big series loosly connected. So here is to the next planet being more exciting.
August 29, 2019
Though a slow starter, _Mercury_ ultimately fits in well with Bova's Grand Tour series. The tale of crime, punishment, and revenge, all set against a background of hard scientific speculation, is highly readable and enjoyable.
August 15, 2020
Excellent story about man’s desire for success and their willingness to go to any lengths to reach that goal. Nova remains one of the Sci-Fi giants with this story of mans willingness to lie, cheat and steal in order to reach whatever goal they have set! Fabulous!
May 29, 2023
This is a good story with a well thought out plot. It shows the uselessness of focusing your life on revenge. However, it has stereotypical atheistic scientists and fundamental religious characters.
March 21, 2018
Used the audio version +1 star for above average vocal performances and production values. Story line is decent science fiction.
April 12, 2018
Four men will meet on Mercury. Three do not know that they share a massive tragedy that resulted in the deaths of millions. The fourth has brought them together in an act of revenge.
August 4, 2018
Parts of this we're awesome however the overall writing style seemed so stiff to me. I just couldn't finish it.
February 4, 2020
Terrific book but lost sympathy with the protagonist towards the end.
September 21, 2020
This was not quite what I expected, an almost noir style tale of revenge. Despite the title and the fact that it's set on Mercury, a lot of the story is focused elsewhere. Still entertaining.
June 16, 2023
This was good, but didn't feel it was really much about Mercury.
June 19, 2023
I had to skip quite a few pages. Maybe a third. Nevertheless, I finished it. 2.5 for a few good ideas.
November 11, 2023
Duration: 10:34:22
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