Power Play

By: Ben Bova

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Dr. Jake Ross, a university astronomer, wants nothing more than to teach a few classes each semester and continue his research. Instead, he finds himself aggressively recruited to be the science advisor to Frank Tomlinson, an ambitious politician with his eye on the US Senate. Tomlinson is in need of an edge that will allow him to defeat his opponent at the polls, and Dr. Ross can contribute just that: MHD.

MHD, or magnetohydrodynamics, is a new innovation that will allow electricity to be generated efficiently and cheaply. The Senate seat is essentially guaranteed if Tomlinson can deliver unlimited energy to voters at less than half the price of nuclear power. But MHD is still in its infancy, and although the outlook is extremely promising there are great - and deadly - risks.

The incumbent senator will not give up his seat without a fight, and as Ross discovers, the world of politics carries its own dangers. Nothing has prepared him for the extreme tactics that desperate and powerful people are willing to use.

Power Play is a timely thrill ride by Ben Bova, one of science fiction’s most respected novelists.

Ben Bova, six-time winner of science fiction’s Hugo Award, is the author of over one hundred works of science fact and fiction. A former editor of Analog and former fiction editor of Omni, he is also a past president of the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives in Naples, Florida.

©2011 Ben Bova (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Good Story, Mostly Good Performance

I thoroughly enjoyed Power Play except for one thing. The performer mispronounced Tycho Brahe every time he said it.

Thebook was too slow and lacked enough plot line.

Way to slow and not enough of a plot line . Should have been a short story

Not bad

I love Ben Bova books. That being said, this one is just OK. It is a decent story and good science. I thoroughly enjoyed it but it is not one of his best. I would still recommend is as Ben Bova, at his worst, is still fanatastic.

Anticlimactic

I kept waiting for the big reveal the twist I wasn't expecting. Instead it's a long set up for the other books. Hopefully they deliver.

Political 'thriller' passing for science fiction

First, I have read and enjoyed many Ben Bova novels and his favorite narrator, Stefan Rudnicki, is always an attraction but not even he can save this one. The story has promise and the science is interesting but the story reads like the first novel of a high school student. Certainly, the main character displays all the political, emotional, and romantic sophistication of a 16 year old. An assistant professor of astronomy at an unnamed university he is drawn into politics as the science advisor of a first run senate candidate. There he encounters murder, corruption, and 'politics' while helping his candidate promote a new form of efficient, green energy using local coal. (No mention of how burning coal can be good for the environment.) The novel is populated by cardboard characters - heroes and villains - who are hard to care about or take seriously. Had it not been free I would have felt I had wasted my money.

A Good Setup?

I read all 3 of the other available reviews, after having listened to the book. I was curious what others had to say. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. I found the story interesting but the characters were not riveting, and as one other reviewer said "cardboard". I'm hoping this is what someone else said "a good setup for the following books". I decided to give the next in the series a try as it seems Ben Bova has a loyal following, which is usually a good indicator of likely appeal.

Good, but…

A solid story but the main character was hard to care about. Don’t know when this was written but the relationships between men and women are in the 60s and simple caricatures even for that time. Not much science fiction here either. A weak crime drama. I finished this book but won’t be going on. Too bad I was looking forward to a good Ben Bova series.

Unrealistic Characters and No Climax or Twist

The whole book is just a long, slow lead up to nothing. The actual happenings just seemed so unnatural and all the characters were practically interchangeable, if they have any personality all.

At first I thought this book must have been written 50 years ago, with all the outdated male-female relations. I kept expecting the men to refer to the woman as “Dames.” I did eventually realize this was a more modern book, based on the fact that everyone started banging each other randomly regardless of marital status.

The main character is supposedly motivated by being a bullied nerd in high school. Yyet he was actually friends with the bully and sleeps with girl after girl who are each described as “cheerleader” looks including his high school sweetheart. And he still finds some way to whine about whichever girl isn’t actively banging him at the moment. Don’t forget he’s recently widowed from the love of his life, cause the main character completely forgets.

Then I got to the point where the Republican candidate was losing the primary because the other candidate was more conservative. His solution, come out as pro-choice. Ben Bova thinks being for abortion would be a winning issue among the ultra-conservative PRIMARY voters.

Well….

First of all and last of all. Some books can be saved by a great narrator…and some can’t.

One of Bova's Best

Anyone familiar with Bova knows he only works in cliches and tropes. However, this is one of his best. I hate the main character -- he's a weak, mewling, needy, selfish, arrogant, out of touch, tone deaf jerk. And none of the other characters are likable, save for the main character's mentor. But, somehow, Bova makes entertaining art from the dregs of drama's curdled dumpster juice. It seems impossible, but he makes good stories from literary culture's garbage. Taken individually, not a single element of the story stands up to scrutiny -- every piece is recycled trash -- but the whole transcends the sum of its parts to comprise a deceptively enjoyable, almost enthralling ride.