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Venus: The Grand Tour Series
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
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Publisher's summary
The surface of Venus is the most hellish place in the solar system - it's ground hot enough to melt aluminum, its air pressure high enough to crush spacecraft landers like tin cans, it's atmosphere a choking mix of poisonous gases. This is where the frail young Van Humphries must go—or die trying.
Years before, Van’s older brother perished in the first attempt to land a man on Venus. Van’s father has always hated him for being the one to survive. Now, his father is offering a $10-billion prize to the first person who lands on Venus and returns his oldest son’s remains. To everyone’s surprise, Van takes up the offer. But what Van Humphries will find on Venus will change everything—our understanding of Venus, of global warming on Earth, and his knowledge of who he is.
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- Matthew
- 09-03-14
Someone turn on the air conditioning please...
Would you consider the audio edition of Venus: The Grand Tour Series to be better than the print version?
Didn't read print version, so N/A.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
It was not unexpected, but not so predictable as to be trite. Bova generally does a good job at wrapping things up nicely, and this story is no exception.
What does Stefan Rudnicki bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Stefan owns the Bova characters, and this one is particularly well rendered. His accents, emotions and rawness are always impressive.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Something to do with Lucifer.
Any additional comments?
This story continues the Bova/Rudnicki tradition of author and performer working as a team. If you enjoyed the other offerings in the Planet series, this one will entertain you. It works as a free standing story as well, however.
Recommended.
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5 people found this helpful
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- George
- 02-07-14
Hellish Hot
Fun sci-fi read with family rivalries and loyalties that change as the read progresses. The penetration of Venus was believable and I hung on every word. I have worked for leaders like the captain of the space ship Lucifer--domineering and insecure. On to the next book in the series.
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- Alwayswalkingmydog
- 01-20-14
Absolutely loved this Audiobook!
Any additional comments?
I can hardly wait to download the next book by Ben Bova! This is by far the best I have read/listened to since Sir Arthur C. Clarke's works. Just cannot get enough. The Mars series was also fantastic, as was the Sam Gunn Omnibus. The narration is exquisite.
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- Michael
- 12-06-22
Marvelous
It may be SF but it also reads like a spy thriller with all the required twists and turns to satisfy any reader‘a expectations.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-12-23
Spoiled man-child takes to the stars.
A spoiled, entitled trust fund baby with zero concept of a healthy human relationship decides to go to Venus.
And yet, somehow, he's more capable and competent than either Musk or Bezos.
Stefan Rudnicki continues to provide a great performance.
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- chainsaw
- 08-13-22
1940s misogyny and racism in a mediocre 2000s package
Great to only half listen to while doing other things if you can ignore the junior high level of writing. The author apparently thinks “sardonic” is super intellectual sounding, since he uses it a dozen times. Also, be prepared for women who science boobily, captain ships frigidly but also boobily, and the reassurance that the sniveling main character isn’t racist just because he’s not attracted to the “Asians” on his ship, since there are lots of skinny docile Asian women he DOES find attractive.
If this wasn’t an audiobook there’s no way I would have finished it.
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- Sarahdox
- 05-09-22
Plot, Performance good; dialogue dragged on.
I enjoyed the narration, storylines and characters. However, although I was listening at 1.5 speed, I found the main character's self-doubt and angst to be way too drawn out and overdone. A lot less of that would have made a better book. Still, it is a useful part of the series!
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- Theresa
- 02-08-22
Plot Good
I read all of Bova’s books. The sci did plots are fun without being all about war, disaster and outer space life that is akin to the Great Depression plus WW2. But the characters never cease to aggravate me. They have the emotional intelligence of a teenager, rarely know how to do the job they’ve been assigned and are physically unfit. It is the same in every book. The few who are the least bit likable get killed early. I so want one of the books to have a Mitch Rapp hero, a Lara Croft heroine, and a team of real astronauts who can make it up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing.
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- Jon
- 04-16-21
Great author great narrator
Love Ben bova and rudnicki always does the titles justice imho highly recommended I'll be getting the rest of the series
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- S. Morris
- 07-23-15
One of Bova's Best
Having enjoyed Ben Bova's Mars series of stories probably the best out of the few others I'd read with his Jupiter stories coming a close second but not really getting on with his Moon based novels I was undecided about trying Venus. Most of the other titles in his Grand Tour series of books other than what I'd already read didn't appeal to me although there might be some movement on that based on my reading of Venus.
As alluded to, I was rather hesitant about getting Venus and the audio sample had on my first listen put me off with it's seemingly rather weird party scene which reminded me of the worst of the classic Star Trek 60's TV series. However, after reading some reviews and frankly not knowing what else to read I decided that nothing ventured, nothing gained and went ahead and purchased it.
Right away I noticed that Venus is fairly unique in the first-person story telling aspect used. Everything in the novel is as experienced through the protagonist, Van Humphries and follows his pursuit of a 10 billion dollar reward for the return of his brother's remains lost on Venus several years before in a failed expedition. of course, with such a rich bounty on offer from Van's estranged wealthy father there is also a rival in the running for the lucrative prize in the form of Lars Fuchs, a tough and unrelenting character and bitter enemy to Van's father. Fuchs is a character along with Martin Humphries seen in another Bova story that is set some years earlier entitled "The Rock Rats".
Venus gets going quickly and before we know it the reader is thrust into the journey to Venus and even quicker still into the upper cloud deck of the mysterious planet. The action and fast paced story never flags and this has to be one of Bova's most riveting stories of those I've read within this series and actually ranks higher in terms of action and tension than my previous favourite Mars series of stories. Everything in the story works well and Venus is a fine adventure that is a real page turner.
Fortunately, unlike much of Bova's work the love story here doesn't seem superfluous or over done and does not detract from the action and intrigue. One element that did puzzle me though was how Van's father had any influence over his son's attempt at retrieving his brother's remains. I had gathered that Van had raised all the funds independently of his father and thus had no links to him in that respect. However, a very minor thing if not a little puzzling to me.
The other major plus factor to this audio book is the single narrator in the form of Stefan Rudnicki. Some of the audio books in this series use multiple narrators which I think was done to highlight certain characters but to my mind fails due to the change of voices with some of the female ones being shrill and rather irritating to my ear in my opinion.
Venus has to be one of Bova's best stories in his Grand Tour series and is thankfully free of all the Earth side politics so often covered in other books which really mire the story in those novels in my opinion.
I would like to see another Venus based story as there is so much untapped potential with the life forms found in the cloud deck and on the surface. I think the more hostile the native environment of a world the more interesting the stories that can be generated. Venus is a straight-forward, uncomplicated action story that is entertaining and holds the readers interest throughout. Recommended.
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Story
Stoner knew. The fiery object hurtling toward the Earth was an alien spacecraft. But the world might never know. He was trapped in an iron cordon of secrecy, for the discovery had shattered the world power balance, setting off a brutal struggle for supremacy that raged from the sacred halls of the Vatican to the corridors of the Kremlin and the Pentagon. The forces of fear and treachery would use any weapon at their command, from mind war to sabotage, to keep the world in darkness.
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Not Quite "Rendezvous With Rama"
- By Noe on 02-26-09
By: Ben Bova
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Death Wave
- The Star Quest Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Kell and his team return to Earth many years after their departure, they find that their world has changed almost beyond recognition. Not only has a second wave of greenhouse flooding caused sea levels to rise, but society has been changed by the consequences of the climate shift. Few people want to face Jordan Kell's news. He must convince Earth's new rulers that the human race is in danger of extinction unless it acts to forestall the death wave coming from the galaxy's heart.
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complete let down don't waste a credit! !
- By Ryan on 12-02-15
By: Ben Bova
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Power Play
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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. But MHD is still in its infancy, and there are deadly risks.
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Anticlimactic
- By Luetra on 06-23-21
By: Ben Bova
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The Precipice
- Book One of The Asteroid Wars
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Amanda Karr, cast
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Once, Dan Randolph was one of the richest men on Earth. Now the planet is spiraling into environmental disaster, with floods and earthquakes destroying the lives of millions. Martin Humphries, fabulously wealthy heir of the Humphries Trust, also knows that space-based industry is the way of the future. But unlike Randolph, he does not care if Earth perishes in the process.
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Space Opera Fun ( not for Kids)
- By Chris on 02-08-06
By: Ben Bova
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Powersat
- The Grand Tour Series
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Two hundred thousand feet up, things go horribly wrong. An experimental low-orbit spaceplane breaks up on reentry, falling to earth over a trail hundreds of miles long. And in its wake is the beginning of the most important mission in the history of spaceflight.
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Great book but substandard recording
- By Greg on 11-25-11
By: Ben Bova
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My Favorites
- A Collection of Short Stories
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Ben Bova, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Alex Hyde-White, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Exploring the boundaries of the genre, Bova not only writes of spaceships, aliens, and time travel in most of his titles, but also speculates on the beginnings of science fiction in “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” as well as the morality of man in “The Angel’s Gift.” Stories such as “The Café Coup” and “We’ll Always Have Paris” dip into speculative historical fiction, asking questions about what would happen if someone could change history for the better. This expansive collection is a key addition for Bova fans and sci-fi lovers alike!
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Great Collection Of Sci-Fi
- By kutzkai on 07-06-22
By: Ben Bova
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Voyagers
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Ben Bova
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Stoner knew. The fiery object hurtling toward the Earth was an alien spacecraft. But the world might never know. He was trapped in an iron cordon of secrecy, for the discovery had shattered the world power balance, setting off a brutal struggle for supremacy that raged from the sacred halls of the Vatican to the corridors of the Kremlin and the Pentagon. The forces of fear and treachery would use any weapon at their command, from mind war to sabotage, to keep the world in darkness.
-
-
Not Quite "Rendezvous With Rama"
- By Noe on 02-26-09
By: Ben Bova
-
Death Wave
- The Star Quest Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Kell and his team return to Earth many years after their departure, they find that their world has changed almost beyond recognition. Not only has a second wave of greenhouse flooding caused sea levels to rise, but society has been changed by the consequences of the climate shift. Few people want to face Jordan Kell's news. He must convince Earth's new rulers that the human race is in danger of extinction unless it acts to forestall the death wave coming from the galaxy's heart.
-
-
complete let down don't waste a credit! !
- By Ryan on 12-02-15
By: Ben Bova
-
Power Play
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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. But MHD is still in its infancy, and there are deadly risks.
-
-
Anticlimactic
- By Luetra on 06-23-21
By: Ben Bova
-
The Precipice
- Book One of The Asteroid Wars
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Amanda Karr, cast
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once, Dan Randolph was one of the richest men on Earth. Now the planet is spiraling into environmental disaster, with floods and earthquakes destroying the lives of millions. Martin Humphries, fabulously wealthy heir of the Humphries Trust, also knows that space-based industry is the way of the future. But unlike Randolph, he does not care if Earth perishes in the process.
-
-
Space Opera Fun ( not for Kids)
- By Chris on 02-08-06
By: Ben Bova
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The City Who Fought
- By: Anne McCaffrey, S. M. Stirling
- Narrated by: Constance Towers
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Simeon is bored, even with his latest war game. When he hears of the arrival of an out-of-control refugee ship, he welcomes the excitement. But the refugees' story is horrifying: they were attacked by space barbarians. If anyone is to survive another attack, Simeon must turn his war game hobby into the real thing! This tale is narrated by television and stage actress Constance Towers ( Capitol).
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Cropped and chopped
- By Nori Lamphere on 10-06-06
By: Anne McCaffrey, and others
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Excelsior
- By: Jasper T. Scott
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The year is AD 2790. With space elevators and giant orbital fleets hovering over Earth, open war looks inevitable, and people are anxious to get away. The lines are drawn, with the Confederacy in the East and the First World Alliance in the West. In hopes of finding a refuge from the looming war, the Alliance is sending Captain Alexander de Leon to explore an Earth-type planet, code-named Wonderland, but at the last minute before launch, a Confederate fleet leaves orbit on a trajectory that threatens both the mission and Alliance sovereignty.
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This is not military sci-fi
- By ACC on 06-24-16
By: Jasper T. Scott
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The Myriad
- Tour of the Merrimack, Book 1
- By: R.M. Meluch
- Narrated by: John Glouchevitch
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The U.S.S. Merrimack was the finest battleship class spaceship in Earth's fleet, able to stand up against the best the Palatine Empire could throw at them, even able to attack and kill swarms of the seemingly unstoppable Hive. But nothing could have prepared the captain and crew of the Merrimack to face the Myriad - three colonized worlds in the midst of a globular cluster that the Hive had somehow overlooked.
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Great performance. Great read.
- By fistandantilus8u on 07-15-17
By: R.M. Meluch
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Tantalus Depths
- By: Evan Graham
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Tantalus 13 survey expedition went off the rails as soon as Mary Ketch and the crew of the Diamelen learned that the thing beneath their feet wasn’t a planet. An impossibly vast and ancient artificial structure lies below, hidden from the universe under a façade of cratered stone. SCARAB arrived on Tantalus 13 two years ago. An artificially intelligent, self-constructing factory, it was supposed to aid the crew in their mission, to meet their every need.
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Good primer for Young Adults new to sci-fi!
- By Philip Maddox on 10-09-22
By: Evan Graham
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War of the Spheres
- By: James Millington, B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When humanity reaches for the stars, our probes are destroyed. They crash into an incredibly advanced piece of technology: a massive force-field. Unknown beings have placed a barrier around our star and planets, enclosing us within. We’re locked inside a Great Sphere. Was this invisible obstacle built to imprison us - or to protect us? No one knows the truth, but it soon becomes clear the barrier has leaks. Aliens infiltrate and try to sabotage our efforts to escape our cage.
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misleading summary...
- By Neil Kresl on 04-04-19
By: James Millington, and others
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Mech Zero: The Dominant
- By: B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance