Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!Martin@YALE.ARPA From: Martin@YALE.ARPA Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Quickey Book Review: "Voyagers," by Ben Bova Message-ID: <15703@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 18-Jan-84 18:27:45 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15703 Posted: Wed Jan 18 18:27:45 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 20-Jan-84 06:21:51 EST Lines: 29 From: Charles Martin ***** Not a spoiler, in my opinion. Nothing to spoil, anyway. ***** Just finished "Voyagers," by Ben Bova, last night. This is without doubt the worst novel (SF or otherwise) I have read in a long while. The dialogue is grade B, the characterizations grade C, and the plot grade Z. This from a man who wrote a book on how to write SF? "Those who can't do, teach." I'm embarrassed for him. Plot keywords: First contact, tough scientist, faculty politics, evil Russians, Russian good guy, Kremlin infighting, idiotic government, mind-control devices, beautiful lab assistant (shades of "`What a set of knockers' `Why, thank you, Doctor'"), martial arts, moronic military, uncontrollably high testosterone levels, love unrequited, assorted scum. The plot devices in this book were completely stereotyped. No surprises. No new SF ideas, either. "The bureaucratic politics of space" (to use the back cover blurb) which Mr. Bova purportedly excels in presenting, were the most asinine, self-indulgent, and idiotic parts of the book. Ridiculous. Is all Bova like this? This was my first encounter. (And I would not have read this, had it not been the only SF lying around the house.) No wonder no one complained when Varley's new book usurped one of his titles ("Millenium"). What would the reaction have been had the new book been titled, "Dune"?