I love how Moonrise starts out. Paul Stavenger is stranded on the moon with nothing but the spacesuit he’s wearing. He’s miles from the nearest base and has only his own two feet to get him there. His strength, not to mention his air supply, is limited. How did he get into this terrifying predicament? Paul’s internal dialogue tells us that he was a victim of sabotage, deceit, and attempted murder. And then the flashbacks begin.And the entire story is told in this fashion. Through Paul’s flashbacks we learn how he became the president of a major aerospace corporation on Earth, how he married the previous owner’s widow, and how her son despised Paul for taking the job that should have been his. Through memories we learn how office politics suddenly turned deadly. In between the flashback scenes we interlude back to the moon for updates on Stavenger’s progress as he slowly, and after a while painfully, crosses the Moon’s surface.Well, most sci-fi readers will tell you that Ben Bova is one of the best in the genre, and Moonrise is just one example of his natural story-telling talent. Bova’s books are typically character driven like this one, focusing more on the people than on the hard science. He is also very convincing; Bova is one man who can really make you believe in moon bases and microscopic robots that can build things on the molecular level. I guess that’s what draws me to Bova’s novels. I want all those things to be true and, at least while I’m reading one of his books, they really are.Ben Bova has written more than 115 books, has served as the editor of Analog Science Fiction and Omni magazine, was formerly the president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and is currently President Emeritus of the National Space Society.I hardly feel that I need to say anything about Stefan Rudnicki’s narration. If you’ve been listening to audiobooks for a while then you have most likely already heard him and already know that he’s great. If you’re relatively new to audiobooks then just let me say that Rudnicki has recorded more than 300 of them, has won more Audie and Earphones awards than you can shake a stick at and even has a couple of Grammy’s to his name. In other words this guy has been around the block a few times, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s good at it.If you’re not really sure if you like science fiction but are willing to give it a try, I recommend Ben Bova. He doesn’t go into a lot of technical detail about the hard science, but rather focuses more on the people and the situations. Bova’s works are a good place to start if you’re new to the genre.Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
Moonrise, by Ben Bova, is a favorite of mine because it was the novel that finally convinced me that Hard Science-Fiction could be just as entertaining as the action-packed space opera and military science fiction that I have always loved.In Ben Bova's Grand Tour series, of which this is an early example, the action is confined only to technology that is theoretically within our reach now, the colonisation of the solar system and the actions of the human race as a whole. There are no aliens to fight or magic FTL drives (or FTL communication for that matter) and the drama comes primarily from the conflict between powerful individuals and groups of individuals.Moonrise in particular depicts a very plausible Earth coming slowly under the grip of politically powerful anti-science morality groups made up of a frightening alliance of religious interests and the actions of a few individuals devoted to be science and the ideal of the "frontier". I am led to understand that as the series progresses, this morality movement gradually gets more and more power even as humanity spreads out across the solar system, but here we get to see its birth amidst violent repression and fear.What makes Moonrise such a fantastic novel however isn't just this grand scale political story, but the way this canvas is shown to us through the eyes of very believeable, understandable characters, and how the events of the novel drive these people to stand at the turning points of human history.Believeable, well written and at times brutal, Bova does not hold back as he piles problems on to his characters to see which will stand the strain and which ones, eventually, will break. It's a fascinating journey that I cannot recommend enough.
What do You think about Moonrise (1998)?
A story of vision, honor, family betrayals and politics set against the backdrop of the first moon base. The main protagonists are driven by their vision of expanding mans presence on the moon and making serious steps to get a real foothold off the earth. Of course, not everyone agrees with this, especially greedy corporations, political groups and right wing religious nut jobs known as the New Morality. There's also some dirty family secrets in the mix too.A good fast paced story with reasonably realistic near future science. The story continues in 'MoonWar' but this book ties up nicely and makes a good stand alone.
—AndrewP
The novel, which is part of the Grand Tour series, is about human exploration and colonization of the solar system. This novel is about the development of the moon. Two major corporations have set up bases on the moon - the Masterson Corporation and Yamagata Industries. This novel is about the Masterson Corporation and their Moonbase. Moonbase is constantly in the red financially. Paul, then later Douglas, are trying to do everything in their power to prevent the base from being shut down. The board members of Moonbase and Greg, Douglas's half-brother, will do anything to shut it down. A fanatical group will also try everything to destroy it since they are using evil nanotechnology. The story was overall good. It was interesting, entertaining and engaging although there were some parts were it became tedious. The character development was okay, not great though. I felt Greg and Joanna were written very one-sided. This was my first Grand Tour series book I read and it was a nice introduction to the series.
—Monique
For those of us who were just the right age when the first astronauts stepped onto the moon, who have never stopped being spellbound by the thought of setting foot on other worlds, who still believe humanity will make it to the stars . . . this book is for us.Bova is at his best when describing the scientific and technological aspects of a lunar colony, such as nanotechnology and the very real dangers of living on an atmosphereless rock. But he can also wax poetic when describing the lunar landscape, the hard-edged horizon, the Earth hanging overhead, the scoured rock below.The characters and plot lines were a bit thin, and if you want a really compelling take on lunar survival, I would recommend “The Martian” by Andy Weir, but hard-core sci-fi readers will want to add Moonrise to their reading list. [I listened to this as an audio book read by Stefan Rudnicki. I love Rudnicki’s voice, but I am glad I followed the advice of other listeners—I listened at 1.5 speed and that felt perfect.]
—Julie
