Apes and Angels

The Star Quest Trilogy, Book 2

By: Ben Bova

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

Six-time Hugo Award winner Ben Bova chronicles the saga of humankind's expansion beyond the solar system in Apes and Angels, the second installment in the Star Quest Trilogy. 

Humankind headed out to the stars not for conquest, nor exploration, nor even for curiosity. Humans went to the stars in a desperate crusade to save intelligent life wherever they found it. 

A wave of death is spreading through the Milky Way galaxy, an expanding sphere of lethal gamma radiation that erupted from the galaxy's core 28,000 years ago and now is approaching Earth's vicinity at the speed of light. Every world it touched was wiped clean of all life. But it's possible to protect a planet from gamma radiation. Earth is safe. 

Now, guided by the ancient intelligent machines called the Predecessors, men and women from Earth seek out those precious, rare worlds that harbor intelligent species, determined to save them from the doom that is hurtling toward them. 

The crew of the Odysseus has arrived at Mithra Gamma, the third planet of the star Mithra, to protect the stone-age inhabitants from the Death Wave. But they'll also have to protect themselves. 

©2016 Ben Bova (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Pacing and Character Sensibility Issues

Like many other Ben Bova books, this one has some serious pacing problems. It's almost as though he intends for his books to have the second half of the story as well developed and the first, but always runs up against a deadline. The ending lacks any real satisfaction as a result. Also, most of the characters are insufferable, including the protagonist. All of the characters seem to whine at each other, and I'm all for suspension of disbelief, but there's just no way all of these childish, snotty brats would all be trusted on a multi-year mission lightyears from home to save another civilization from impending doom. An objective they all seem to lose sight of as they bicker with one another endlessly. I get more joy mocking the characters, and gaping plot holes than from the story itself. And there's plenty of entertainment like that here, so this was a good audio book to have to kill serious time on the road. If you need some stupid stuff to make fun of and keep you awake, Apes and Angels is probably fit for that purpose.

Inconsistencies kill the last quarter of the story

I'm a big Ben Bova fan but I'm not sure what happened with the plot points towards the end of the book. Like some other SciFi available technology suddenly appeared unavailable for the sake of uninteresting drama. A couple of the key characters appeared to suffer split personalities, their characters changing so radically from scene to scene. The story line was made obvious to the reader but became frustrating as the characters missed the obvious. Struggled through to the end.

Apes and Angels

Star Quest Series consists of three full-length novels that span hundreds of decades.

Listenable SciFi series. The plot basics center on a radioactive wave of light/energy expanding from the center of the Milky Way core; it will take thousands of years for the wave to reach earth, and protections are implemented. It is up to earthlings to travel the galaxy helping to protect other life forms found. And find them they do!

Although connected via the light wave, the books stand alone in that characters are unique to each story.

Narrated nicely by Stefan Rudnicki, no complaints.

All I hope for in SF is here, & I'm fussy <br />

Every Ben B. I've immersed myself in has not only story element ability, but scientific validity & vision. I've learned more about the how the universe works with each novel. The words unintended consequences are given substance here. I think longer deeper considerations now.
Oh yes, and more. I am grateful for all of it.

Very pulpy sci-fi which reads like a teen melodrama

Bova creates interesting premises and plot elements but the narrative is dragged down by cartoon like characterizations, the protagonists ridiculously immature, driven solely by primal emotions and childish reactions. The meticulously screened and selected space crews of Earth’s finest behave more like a bus load of high school nerds on a field trip to the farm. The heros are dafter than Dudley Do-Right and the villains are Snidely Whiplash with or without the mustache. Not an un-entertaining listen but you may find yourself muttering “Idiot!” from time to time as the hero bumbles his naïve way to the predictable sort of happy ending.

interesting but not amazing

some parts are interesting, but an amazing series so far. kind of slow the whole way through

Terrible narrator

Stories mediocre The narrator spends half his time trying to sound like a woman but it's always Is wonderful

an enjoyable listen

a great series; well written and beautifully performed. Pronouncing these alien names must be so difficult. Bova is a forgotten master.

Very good book

I would have like to known more about the civilization that caused the catastrophe and a follow up.

Family

Anyone else catch when brad says. I lost my family in a avalanche and didn't even try to save them. Then Felicia says. I'm glad you didn't because now we're together. So casual and lovingly. Lol wtf

Nice but not captivating

a relatively well written kind of feel good story. Not complex and doesn't build excitement, but fine for listening to while doing something else.

Great story quick finish

a good story with a lot less politics than the first in the series. however it did feel a little rushed at the end...

Sequels are sometimes better, this is!

So I listened to the first book in this series, it was an interesting story, but I didn’t honestly find much connection with the characters. This book though, has it all, a great story, lovable characters and it left me hoping that the next book continues on where this left off.

I do however wish that wormhole travel was invented in this book to remove the need to take up hundreds of travel years, thus making it impossible to weave the characters throughout the series.

Traditional sci. fi.

An interesting story, well told. Sci. Fi always has the advantage of limitless horizons and vast stages to play on. Ben Bova uses his tales to ask intriguing questions and make his listeners / readers think about big issues. I could have done without the rather cheesy love-life of the main character which seems to have no bearing on the narative.