Guest Review: The Grand Tour by Ben Bova

Photo taken by RAN

I think we all can agree that book people are the best people, and you should definitely date one if you get the chance.  Lucky for me, I snagged someone who is almost as much as a bookworm as I am.  A few weeks ago he finished a series he has been reading for the better part of my knowing him.  In today's guest review, he covers that series and a genre I have been neglecting lately: science-fiction.  I'm very excited to share his thoughts on this series (especially since it was my library card that was used to check out many of these titles).  

​Without further ado, please welcome my first guest reviewer, Rayce, with his review of Ben Bova's The Grand Tour!

Have you ever come across a book series that is so daunting you don’t even know where to start? (I’ll actually get to that part later.) Well, let me introduce you to Ben Bova’s The Grand Tour. Starting in the not-so-distant future on our little rock known as Earth and ending over 3,000 years in the future thousands of light-years away, this science-fiction marathon shows a possible future for the human race. Did I mention this series was…long? 24 books, over 10,000 pages, and it’s not completed yet. Ben Bova, a six time Hugo Award winner, is continuing to publish books that fit within The Grand Tour (the most recent being Survival, published Dec. 2017). 

If you’re a fan of science fiction, you’ve probably heard of Ben Bova. You’ve probably even read a few of Bova’s novels (he’s written over 120 in all). In the early 2000s, I found a copy of Jupiter (shout out to my mom for loving Sci-Fi more than I do). This is how I was introduced to The Grand Tour. Jump forward a few years, and I’m looking for way to impress a certain book-obsessed blogger. What better way to impress someone like that, than “Oh, I’m reading a series with like 25 books in it. What are you up to?”? 

For those that have not read any Bova novels, let me say, he does what he does wonderfully. Although this was a science-fiction series, nothing jumped out at me as “not possible”. I find this extremely important in judging science fiction. Is technology used as a Deus ex Machina for writers to get out of a corner, or are technological boundaries ever so gently pushed to bring you into a futuristic world? Ben Bova rides the thin line like the expert writer he is. 

The Grand Tour, being the behemoth that it is, has a little bit of everything: politics, geopolitics, interstellarpolitics, religion, governmental regulation, corporate espionage, and love and hate. (If you’re not a fan of writers injecting their politics into their work, this might not be the guy for you.) And a healthy, healthy dose of science fiction. The basic premise of the series involves the exploration and colonization of the solar system by humans starting in the late 21st century. Why this expansion is required, what humanity finds when they do so, and what repercussions arise from humanity’s permanent departure from Earth are all core focuses of this series. 

With that all said, this is not a perfect series. There are lulls when I wondered why I started this trek. Some novels focused on arcs that, frankly, I did not find entertaining. However, as a whole, it was an amazing experience. Since it took me north of a year to finish, I would say that’s a win. My favorite novels took place around Jupiter (Jupiter and Leviathans of Jupiter). I recommend starting with these two. If they’re to your liking, take the plunge! As I said, Bova is continuing to write novels for this series, and Leviathans of Jupiter seems to be written with a sequel in mind (Hey Ben, finish my Jupiter Trilogy!). 
   
Reading Note: There is actual debate on in what order you should read these books. Ben Bova, himself, has even weighed in on the topic. With all due respect, I read this series in the order recommended by those fanatics that argue with writers about their own books:

1. Powersat (2005)
2. Mars (1992)
3. Moonrise [The Moonbase Saga Book 1] (1996)
4. Return to Mars (1999)
5. Moon War [The Moonbase Saga Book 2] (1998)
6. Privateers (1985) *Interesting Note: This book was written before the fall of the USSR, evident from the fact that they are still a major world power in the mid-2040s. This book is also missing from the official The Grand Tour listing, possibly due to this discrepancy.
7. Empire Builders (1993)
8. The Precipice [The Asteroid Wars Book 1] (2001)
9. Farside (2013)
10. The Rock Rats [The Asteroid Wars Book 2] (2002)
11. Jupiter (2001)
12. Saturn (2002)
13. The Silent War [The Asteroid Wars Book 3] (2004)
14. Titan (2006)
15. The Aftermath [The Asteroid Wars Book 4] (2007)
16. Mars Life (2008)
17. Venus (2000)
18. Mercury (2005)
19. Leviathans of Jupiter (2011)
20. The Return [The Voyagers Saga Book 4] (2009) *Interesting Note: This is the fourth and final book in a separate series written by Bova. He used this novel to tie this other series in with The Grand Tour, although the previous three books are neither required for The Grand Tour nor included in it. 
21. New Earth (2013) [The Star Quest Series Book 1]
22. Death Wave [The Star Quest Series Book 2] (2014)
23. Apes and Angels [The Star Quest Series Book 3] (2016)
24. Survival [The Star Quest Series Book 4] (2017)

TL/DR: If you want a science-fiction series, written by a veteran science fiction writer that covers the spectrum of topics, read The Grand Tour. If you’ve got a year to kill, you won’t be disappointed. Also, pick up a local library card before you start. Your wallet, and that local library, will thank you. 
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Rating: 4.5/5 Stars