The Jovian Dilemma

By: John L. Flynn

Narrated by: Geoffrey Boyes

Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Life on the planet Jupiter? Former Senator Mitchell Ryan had always been told the violent, storm-tossed world was devoid of life. He had dismissed rumors of a strange life form living in the energy rich atmosphere as mere fantasy. In a solar system gone mad with civil war, the last thing he needed was an unknown factor to complicate his mission to supply critical energy resources to Earth and its fracturing colonial empire. But he soon discovers the Jovians are the least of his worries. Confronted with several mysterious deaths, sabotage, and similar acts of terrorism - possibly perpetrated by wealthy politicians who profit from the current crisis of fear - Ryan faces a dilemma that will change his life and determine the fate of the solar system forever. A suspense thriller with elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Contact, you'll be kept on the edge of your seat until the end.

©2019 John L. Flynn (P)2019 John L. Flynn

Great Work! Visionary Speculation Come True!

I had not planned to write a review of this work. Just leave 5 stars across the board for such an extraordinary work. But when I read a recent, totally biased, juvenile and clearly uninformed review, I knew that I needed to defend this excellent work from the fan boys of the world who only read comic books while living in their parent's basement. Those comments reveal no experience with real science fiction, except for - perhaps - what was gleaned from comic books and sci-fi movies. I see nothing wrong with Styrofoam cups on a space station, particularly when they are ultimately going to be recycled into a new cup. And yes, we have that technology now, and I see no reason why it would not be employed a hundred years from now. I suppose you're going to stock the station with your mother's favorite china? I really don't think so. I also contend the details are very well researched; in fact, Flynn has proven he has a powerful imagination, considering that when the book was written in 2005, many of the discoveries that we have made about Jupiter since then were just theories and have now been proven as fact. Only a visionary would be able to make such speculation and have it come true. Yes, that is the genuine trademark of a great science fiction writer! When you compare The Jovian Dilemma with other works in the current science fiction marketplace, the other works are all the poor, derivative copies of superhero and sci-fi rip-offs, while Flynn's work is a true work of genius. Throw away your comic books, and start reading the good stuff from Heinlein and Clarke and Asimov. Once you do read some of the masters, you'll find that Flynn is following in their footsteps as one of the new masters of science fiction.

Excellent Hard SF! Great Philosophical Discussion!

The Jovian Dilemma is a first-contact story about humanity’s initial interactions with an alien species that lives in the gaseous depths of the planet Jupiter. The Jovians do not look or act like humans; they do not build structures, write great books or chronicle their histories, fight wars, or even share a familiar culture. They are not unlike the great whales or dolphins of earth’s oceans, and that gives rise to many questions and speculations in the book about their sentience as beings. What does it mean to be “sentient”? Are children born with Downs Syndrome somehow less “sentient” than those who earn Ph.D.s from the great universities? What about our dogs and other pets? Don’t they seem to function like they are tuned into our intellectual and emotional needs? People on either extreme of the argument will likely miss the point of the book: Do we as humans have the right to destroy the natural environment of the Jovians in order to mine precious resources that are needed on earth and throughout its colonies on Mars and in the solar system? That is the fundamental dilemma in the story. Environmental activists who are concerned with the current crisis of climate change on earth will see their concerns raised in the hard sf imagination of the author who, like Clarke or Baxter, views speculative fiction as the perfect medium in which to express our concerns about today’s problems. I enjoyed every minute of the audio book.

One of the Best SF Novels I've Read This Year!

The Jovian Dilemma is one of the BEST science fiction novels I've read this year. It has action, romance, adventure on a grand scale, social commentary, engaging characters, remarkable aliens (--gotta love those Jovians!!--), mystery, suspense, scientific speculation about our future, great writing, and not a single cute robot or light sabre in sight. Okay, so when does the movie come out? Can't wait to see those special effects!

Good Dramatic Moments! Great Social Commentary!

Does Mankind have the right to destroy the environment and intelligent lifeforms of one of its closest neighbors in the solar system in order to save itself from extinction? There’s a real mystery at the heart of the story, with intrigue, suspense, and thriller aspects, with both a saboteur and an assassin aboard the space station. Both are willing to destroy the station at the cost of their own lives in order to fulfill an agenda that is hidden below the surface.

When Flynn wrote the book originally in 2006, he made certain guesses and speculations that have come true, and that makes him a kind of prophet or wizard with a crystal ball as far as I am concerned.  I take exception with the reviewer who left only two stars on Amazon for the author’s imaginative efforts.  Obviously, the reviewer’s view was so myopic that he could not find the forest because all of the trees were blocking him from seeing it.  Simply because the author did not have an explanation of how they were going to move the rare resource doesn’t rate a 2 or 3-star demotion. 

In 2006, Flynn speculated that liquid metallic hydrogen, which would eventually prove to be powerful enough to run an entire city, was in Jupiter’s atmosphere; he didn’t know it then - no one did - but he made an educated guess that science has now proven to be factual.  The author was much more interested in telling a first-contact story about humans meeting Jovians than writing a how-too book about moving natural resources from Jupiter around. You should remember that this IS a work of speculative fiction, not a science text book.  I challenge that reviewer to write a better story than the one that Flynn has written.  From my perspective, it is not only well written, with great characters and ideas, but also well researched.  Science fiction novels don’t get much better than this.

A Welcome Return to “Speculative” Fiction! Love it

The Jovian Dilemma is an impressive achievement which reads like a mystery-thriller but also raises questions that you’ll be discussing long after the book is over. I enjoyed this audio book very much!
It explores some deep philosophical questions about the nature of life in the universe, and owes a debt to 2001: A Space Odyssey and Arthur C. Clarke. The writing and characterization are superior to much of the genre today which seems less about true speculation and more about telling insipid adventure stories or retelling the current crop of sci-fi or superhero movies. I found this imaginative work incredibly refreshing. It is a welcome return to the great books, like Stranger in a Strange Land and Childhood’s End, which made science fiction the literature of ideas.

Changed My Mind about How Great SF Can Be!

First, let me say that I am NOT a fan of science fiction. I find most of it pretty silly stuff, with little social or cultural value. With that said, I was very surprised by The Jovian Dilemma. It literally changed my mind about how great SF can be! The story is profound and on a completely different level from most of the other books in the genre. This book is a great one for those who dislike the current crop of science fiction. The characters are all three-dimensional, including the selfish, vain politician who takes control of the space station and ultimately changes to be a trustworthy caretaker for the Jovians, and speaking of the Jovians, they are the most interesting aliens I have ever seen portrayed in literary or cinematic form. Cloud Dancer stands out as one of the most interesting characters in the novel, and I liked most of the characters in the piece. The details about the space station appear to be thoroughly researched and presented in such a way that it's not a bunch of gobbledygook but speculative science one step beyond our current knowledge. The writing is crisp and easy to read, and I cannot say enough things about the plot which charmed me and got me thinking about science fiction in a completely new light. If you are looking for a real story about real people under extraordinary events, like first contact, you're going to like this story as much as I did. I love this book, and I highly recommend it to all readers.

Lifelong Science Fiction Fan Loves This Book!

As a lifelong science fiction fan, I attend 8 to 10 SF conventions a year. Some of them are relaxacons with a couple of hundred fans in attendance, and others are huge with 80-to-90 thousand people in number. I went to DragonCon this year over the Labor Day holiday, one of the huge conventions, and met author John Flynn. He was speaking about the Roswell crash in 1947 on one panel, then Project Blue Book and the notion of life in the universe on another. He was well-informed, articulate, funny, and totally compelling. I enjoyed his speeches and panel discussions. After the convention, I picked up several of his books, and started reading or listening to some of his work. They were very interesting, and I could see why Flynn had been nominated for several Hugo awards. Then I came to The Jovian Dilemma. This was clearly his masterwork, his labor of love. The book was in one word: "Fantastic." I absolutely loved it! I have read hundreds of science fiction novels over the years, and this one I would rate among the best. In the same class as Stranger in Strange Land and Dune. The story focuses on the aliens who live in the atmosphere of Jupiter. They are referred to as Jovians. They are benign creatures who feed on the energy-rich environment of Jupiter. Of course, their feeding habit puts them squarely in opposition to the humans who have come to the Gas Giant to steal their resources. This is the main conflict in the story...and where the title comes from. I've read some of the other reviews here, and of course nearly every one refers to the conflict as a critique of global warming and climate change. There is that. But what is far more interesting to me - as a lifelong science fiction fan - is the way in which the humans and Jovians attempt to make first contact. Flynn has really done his homework here, and those scenes are among the most compelling in the story. Of course, there are the usual ingredients of a sci-fi thriller, including sabotage, assassination, political intrigue, hostile environments, space travel, etc...so the kid inside you will find this all enjoyable. I cannot rate this book higher than 5 stars, which it truly deserves. I hope my review here will encourage you to read one of the finest words of recent science fiction. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. See you at the next SF convention!

Big Thumbs Up from Sci-Fi Book Club!

My Sci-Fi Book Club recently selected The Jovian Dilemma, based on the fact the author was a three-time Hugo Nominee, for our book of the month. I'm pleased to report our choice was an excellent one. The story was fast-paced at 6 hours, but proved to be a fun read with all the political and espionage and intrigue. Several key people aboard the space station are targeted for assassination; one unlucky guy just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and he gets caught in an apparent act of sabotage, when someone takes out the station's communications room. But that is just the backdrop for an extraordinary tale of first contact between the Jovian lifeforms on Jupiter and representatives of mankind that are screwing around with the Jovian's precious environment. Add a brilliant but flawed politician, a duplicitous love interest, a virtuous and good-hearted scientist who first discovered the Jovians, a slimy political operative, and you've got the makings of a tell-all conspiracy about political corruption that seems ripped from the headlines of today's New York Times. Nearly all of the members of our group loved this book, and have ranked it as one of our top books this year. The lone standout was our resident nerd who wanted everything explained to him, even though we all agree this was a work of science fiction and not a science text book. I am hoping one day he learns the difference but then he's partial to Godzilla movies and doesn't have a whole lot of taste when it comes to excellent story-telling. The rest of us, as I said, loved the book. Well worth the read.

Should be Made into Big Budget Sci-Fi Movie!

I had a recent six-hour flight, and this audio book was better than most of the available movies. In fact, The Jovian Dilemma should be made into a big-budget sci-fi movie. Clearly better than Ad Astra. I liked the action, the deep psychological and environmental underpinnings of the story, and the message from the author about climate change. Perfect audio book for a long flight or a long drive. Thanks!

Hooked from Beginning! A Throwback to Great SF!

First, let me say that I don't like most contemporary science fiction. The Golden Age of Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, L. Ron Hubbard, Robert Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury has given way to uninspired, cliché-ridden stories about the military fighting aliens on cardboard worlds or alternate histories that are not all that alternate. Science fiction used to be the literature of ideas and ideals. Most modern sf is pretty lame, with the occasional work of brilliant genius. Robert Sawyer's Calculating God was a truly welcome surprise, for example. I am also pleased to say The Jovian Dilemma by Hugo-nominee John Flynn is equally brilliant and full of real genius. In the next century, part of the solar system is colonized and at war because of limited, natural resources. A rare form of energy is discovered in the atmosphere of Jupiter, and the race is on by competing powers to control that new resource. The earth has sent a Republican senator to oversee the project, and in a page stolen from today's political climate, he may be tainted by his association with previous, nefarious powers that seek to profit from the discovery on Jupiter. The real discovery, however, is that there is a very unusual lifeform, living in the Jovian atmosphere, which may or may not be sentient. Do we give into the politics of the power and greed, or protect the Jovian's natural environment? That is the dilemma. This very rare work of science fiction stands head-and-shoulders above most of the dreck that is produced today, and is a welcome throwback to Clarke and Asimov, asking very real questions about man's place in the cosmos, what determines sentience, and where did we all come from. I was hooked right from the beginning, and loved this book! It deserves a Hugo. If you want your mind enhanced (like a blast from the Krell educator) and want to think about the big questions science fiction used to ask, then you'll want to read this book. A welcome relief from all the crap that is out there.