Orion: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Ben Bova (Author)

Book Description

Series: Orion | Publication Date: December 15, 1992

John O'Ryan is not a god...not exactly. He is an eternal warrior destined to combat the Dark Lord through all time for dominion of the Earth. Follow him, servant of a great race, as he battles his enemy down the halls of time, from the caves of our ancestors to the final confrontation under the hammer of nuclear annihilation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Never-stop action and mind-bending concepts combine to make Orion absolutely unforgettable....Ben Bova brings it to intense life on a canvas spread over time and space." --Isaac Asimov

"Slambang SF adventure mingles with speculative theology in this gripping story of an immortal's hatred, a mortal's love, and a death-struggle that spans a million years. Be warned: do not start this book if you anticipate any pressing obligations--a need to sleep, say--during the next twenty-four hours or so." --Spider Robinson

About the Author

Born in Philadelphia, Ben Bova worked as a newspaper reporter, a technical editor for Project Vanguard (the first American satellite program), and a science writer and marketing manager for Avco Everett Research Laboratory, before being appointed editor of Analog, one of the leading science fiction magazines, in 1971. After leaving Analog in 1978, he continued his editorial work in science fiction, serving as fiction editor of Omni for several years and editing a number of anthologies and lines of books, including the "Ben Bova Presents" series for Tor. He has won science fiction's Hugo Award for Best Editor six times.

A published SF author from the late 1950s onward, Bova is one of the field's leading writers of "hard SF," science fiction based on plausible science and engineering. Among his dozens of novels are Millennium, The Kinsman Saga, Colony, Orion, Peacekeepers, Privateers, and the Voyagers series. Much of his recent work, including Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, The Precipice, and The Rock Rats, falls into the continuity he calls "The Grand Tour," a large-scale saga of the near-future exploration and development of our solar system.

A President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past president of Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, in 2001 Dr. Bova was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He lives in Naples, Florida, with his wife, the well-known literary agent Barbara Bova.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Tor Science Fiction (December 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812532473
• ISBN-13: 978-0812532470
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting, fun novel, February 8, 2004

By 

Adam Missner (Roswell, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orion: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

Orion is a very interesting fun novel. After a present day incident where Orion (the Hunter) preserves the invention of fusion power, he travels back through time to critical junctures in the development of mankind to foil the plans of Ahriman, who is bent on destroying the human race. Orion seems to have no unearthly powers (he is sent back in time by God or his equivalent), and Ahriman seems to be able to control time and space, but Orion manages to perserver. Between the sequences where Orion travels backwards through time Bova also sheds some light on the god who is managing this process. I actually found that substoryline to be the most compelling part of the story after a while. It appears that this god is convinced the universe will be destroyed should Ahriman succeed and thus he needs Orion to stop him. Sounds kind of trite I know, but the historical and mystery aspects of the novel were very well done. Orion is a real page turner (turns out it is a series also).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great potential, so-so execution, September 24, 2003

By 

mrliteral - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Orion: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

Ben Bova has been a big name in the world of science fiction for a long time. Although he has no truly classic stories, his body of work as both an author and editor has at least carved out a niche for him. In Orion, he takes a bit of a break from his usual hard science fiction to pen a tale of the title character, divinely appointed to fight against an evil entity.

The premise to the book is intriguing enough, even if not completely original. Taking pages from various mythologies, but focusing primarily on Zoroastrianism, Bova puts Orion at war with Ahriman, a Satanic figure intent on destroying humanity. Ahriman has pinpointed certain key points in human history and tries to alter them to his benefit. Orion is out to stop him.

The story is told episodically, with Orion being reborn in different eras but with memories of his past (actually his future, since he is moving back in time) and with the same exceptional physical abilities. In every era, he also encounters a woman who he is in love with but whose true origins are a mystery to him (though not the reader).

While interesting enough in theory, this novel is only okay in execution. Bova's writing is not particularly good; while not bad either, it is rather flat and none of his characters are all that compelling. Although he has a decent enough plot twist towards the end, it is not that difficult to figure it out, and his epilogue is really bad, as it cheapens the sacrifices that the hero has made. This is not an awful book, but I know Bova is capable of better. He may never be in the top tier of science fiction writers, but this is not even second-tier material. It is mid-level quality, a basic three-star book.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure excellence, September 13, 1999

By 

Maynard Bowman (The South Seas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orion: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

Simply put, this is a powerful book. While the story may be somewhat limited, it still manages to grab you and draw you in.

Orion is a man of pure heart and simple motive-- he only wants to be with his true love. But the Creator Ormazd refuses his wishes. Orion's final decision reflects his true being; to do the right thing, and be damned with the consequences. This easily ranks as one of my five favorite books.