Saturn

A Novel of the Ringed Planet

By: Ben Bova

Narrated by: Amanda Karr, Stefan Rudnicki, full cast

In the best-selling novels Venus and Jupiter, Ben Bova dramatized the latest discoveries about our own solar system in an epic tale of near-future exploration and development. Now Bova turns his attention to one of our system's greatest mysteries, Saturn.

Earth groans under the thumb of fundamentalist political regimes. Crisis after crisis has given authoritarians the upper hand. Freedom and opportunity exist in space, for those with the nerve and skill to take it. Now the governments of Earth are encouraging many of their most incorrigible dissidents to join a great ark, a one-way expedition to Saturn, the ringed planet that baffled Galileo and has fascinated astronomers ever since.

But humans will be human, so amidst the idealism permeating Space Habitat Goddard are many individuals with long-term schemes, each awaiting their moment. And hidden from them is the greatest secret of all, the real purpose of this expedition, known to only a few.

©2003 Ben Bova (P)2003 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

"Now that Arthur C. Clarke has retired and Charles Sheffield has departed, Bova is definitely the man to do justice to the astronomical marvels of the Saturnian system with its enormous potential as a second home for humanity, especially in the complex environments of its moons. Loud, prolonged applause, then, for the strengths of this book." (Booklist)

Well written Hard SF

This book could be classified as political SF if there was such a catagory. The science is almost a sideline and is always viewed through political eyes. Saying that the characters are 3 diminsional and totally believable. The action is well drawn out. The narration was excellent. A good read.

Refreshing bova

After a Dozen novels of the grand tour with predictably similar plots, this one managed to feel a little different and have a surprise twist

Very good beginning

I admit I listened to the books out of order, Skipping Saturn to listen to Titan first, primarily because of customer reviews.

But after listening to some references made to "Saturn" in "Titan" I HAD to listen to Saturn, and I'm glad I did...

No, It's not as good Titan, but still it's well worth the listen if you like Bova.. and I'd recommend listening to Saturn before listening to Titan since it DOES fill in some gaps later in Titan.

Both are very good stand alone books, but they also SHOULD go hand in hand. I'm VERY glad I backed up and listened to Saturn.

I like the way the Narration is done in this series of books, it seems to bring the characters to life more, and you don't get bored by the same reader after a few hours. The continuously shifting narrators actually keeps your mind from wandering while listening to ANY of Bova's Books.

Very Bova-Like

Bova's forte is human interactions and this book is chock full of them. In fact, it's about creation of a political system among various and disparate groups. Unfortunately, the folks who were aboard consisted mostly of misfits and malcontents...like the Brits sent to Australia? At the end, when the habitat reaches Saturn, the reader must wonder what comes next...

Everything but the narration

Yet another great Ben Bova story, but man, the narrators were all over the map. Mostly good, but one of the female narrators read the story like she hated literature, language, and the listener. Her most appalling aspect was her take on a French accent. One almost has to wonder if there wasn't somebody in the recording booth to tell her to stop, just please stop!

Too political, like much of Bova

Ben Bova has great talent. Unfortunately, it is all too often submerged beneath a plot rife with political bickering. Not that Bova doesn't have a point (that our near-sighted (or totally blind) politicians are stifling the expansion of man into space), but he shouldn't hit us over the head with it in nearly every book. There is enough SF here to keep the book interesting, but you'll have to wade through some muck to get to it.

Performance failing...

I am continuously disappointed in this multi-narrator production. I want to complete the Grand Tour series, but please make the production style stop!!!!!!!

What in the world was Ben thinking of

I struggled to listen to this. I never gained a companionship with the characters. I kept waiting for it to get togther like MARS, it never did. If this is where the world is going I WANT OFF!!!!
Nick

Enjoyed It

Saturn is a good follow-on to Jupiter. It seems unlikely that nuts would ever be in charge of Earth as Bova proposes, but at least they provide a good plot device for our explorers to leave for Saturn and for the later conflicts on the way. Having read Jupiter and Venus, I think I enjoy Bova's stories in the audio form a little better. I wish the whole collection were available on Audible.

Politics

I like the science fiction but not the politics. But all authors seem to have to insert political stuff as they continue to write it’s just the way it is I guess