Customer Reviews

Powersat

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Powersat (2005) is the first SF novel in the Asteroid Wars series by internal chronology, although the latest published. The author has revisited this series to fill in the back story of Daniel Hamilton Randolph. This is one of the clearest portrayals of the differences between politicians and engineers to date.

In this novel, Dan Randolph goes to work for Yamagata Industries Corporation, helping to build a prototype Solar Power Satellite delivering twelve megawatts from low earth orbit. Once this prototype is operating, Dan returns to the US and founds Astro Manufacturing Corporation. Using the Japanese success to convince a consortium of American and Western European investors of the potential of this technology, Dan starts building a full-sized SPS in Geostationary Orbit.

While the SPS is nearing completion, the reusable spaceplane project suffers a major setback: the prototype breaks up during reentry from orbit, killing the pilot. Dan's company has already spent billions on the SPS, but this disaster reduces public confidence in Astro Manufacturing. Saito Yamagata offers to buy him out, but Dan refuses this proposition.

Unknown to Randolph and Yamagata, the spaceplane crash was not an accident. A secret group of Near Eastern terrorists has sabotaged the craft. They consider sabotaging the SPS as well, but Asim al-Bashir, a Tunisian oil magnate, suggests another use for the satellite.

Meanwhile, Jane Thornton is working for the presidential campaign of Morgan Scanwell, presently governor of Texas. First she interests Denny O'Brien, her campaign manager, in the man. Then she tries to recruit Dan to the campaign team under the cause of energy independence, but he needs immediate help rather than long term fixes.

Dan finally contacts the FBI office in Houston, telling of the recent deaths of Joe Tenney and Peter Larsen and his suspicions that they were murdered. After hearing his story, the SAC asks why he didn't report everything at the beginning. Dan points out that the FBI didn't seem to be doing anything about investigating the crash. Besides, everything is still speculation without a shred of proof.

In this story, the FBI start digging deeper, but don't find anything definite. Dan's executive assistant, April Simmonds, becomes involved at the request of FBI agent Kelly Eamons and finds herself threatened by a Latino ex-con who, unknown to her, has already killed two other Astro employees.

The author is probably the most politically orientated SF writer of the current crop. His previous works are heavily oriented toward the political aspects of future technology. In this work, he clearly underscores the limitations of political power.

On the Day of the Bridges -- a terrorist incident even larger than 9/11 -- Dan and his US Senator ladyfriend cannot agree on a common course of action. He wants to build the SPS, thereby liberating the US from energy dependence on the Near East, but she wants to be reelected to work toward energy independence. She just cannot see that politicians are incapable to creating new technology; their only function is to remove *political* obstacles to such technology. Moreover, she just doesn't understand why Dan cannot just wait a year for the politicians to support his efforts.

Technology cannot be created in a vacuum; it requires the right people working as a team with the right tools to produce an effective product. Politicians are much like managers when it comes to technological progress; managers are useless without the workers and politicians are useless without technological innovators. Congress can provide incentives to build railroads, but they do not design the locomotives nor do they lay the tracks.

Recommended for Bova fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of technological progress, political intrigue and more than a touch of conflicted love.

-Arthur W. Jordin

My review, enclosed below, was recently published in the Huntsville (AL) Times.

Now in his early 70s, Ben Bova has been writing classic science fiction for over 40 years. His novels are usually set in the 21st century, chronicling adventures in humanity's early expansion into the solar system. Now, of course, the 21st century has arrived. Rather than becoming depressed that we're still stuck here on Earth, Bova seems to be energized, particularly by events of the last few years.

In his latest novel, "Powersat," Bova gives us a "prequel" for Dan Randolph, the idealistic businessman hero of Bova's Asteroid Wars and other stories - and Randolph looks a lot like a younger version of SpaceShipOne's Burt Rutan. In an almost-believable near future, Randolph's struggling company has sunk billions into something he believes will revolutionize the energy industry: a solar power satellite. But completing it and maintaining it affordably depend on a reusable space plane project, grounded at the last minute.

Those who extract wealth from oil, including a group of Arab terrorists, feel threatened by Randolph's project. Putative supporters come from all directions - but which ones can he trust? Through a surprisingly complex mix of characters, including some major ones who die along the way, Bova builds a predictable but intriguing plot to a suspenseful climax.

"Power" here means more than energy: The power of politics is explored, and the conflict between a man and a woman, sacrificing happiness together in the pursuit of independent ambitions. The ending is well done, but bittersweet.

This novel sometimes feels like a throwback - I suspect at least partly in self-parody - but the conflicts in love, lust and power are eternal, and Bova devotes much more space to them than to the technology the story is nominally about. A memorable page-turner, "Powersat" also provides a powerful message of hope for the future.

In the vast amount of pages shelved in the local bookstore's "science fiction" section, most is fantasy and what's left is mostly indistinguishable from fantasy. Once the staple of science fiction, the near-term space novel is an endangered species today. Thank goodness for Bova. His "Grand Tour" series is a monumental, if relatively uncelebrated, journey into the human adventure in the solar system that could take place in our lifetimes.
Of course, predating Bova's "Grand Tour" there was Dan Randolph, Bova's industrialist hero in Privateers and Empire Builders. Powersat is a prequel to both Privateers and Empire Builders and in a sense can be seen as the beginning of the Grand Tour series.
Powersat describes the beginning of Astro Manufacturing Corporation, Dan Randolph's attempt to open space to humanity, make America and freedom stronger, and (of course) make billions of dollars in the process! Randolph's first project, a solar power satellite to eliminate American dependence on oil, gives the book its title. The story shares much with Bova's earlier Randolph books... coroprate intrigue, terrorism, boardroom meetings, political philosphy, a pro-space pro-business message, and a good deal of action.
Powersat is, in my opinion, one of Bova's best works. The story is solid, fast-paced, and rewarding stand alone. However, if you have read any of Bova's earlier books on Randolph (Privateers, Empire Builders, or The Precipice) you'll also enjoy scenes played out that are merely alluded to in the other books, including Dan's relationship with Jane, how Scanlon becomes president, the "alliance" between Yamagata and Astro, and the very first hints that Astro may have to move to Venezuela, among others. What is striking is how Bova pulled it off. In Dan's first book he was fighting the Soviet Union's monopoly on space (which looks, uh, unlikely to happen anymore.) Powersat uses the present reality of the war on terror as its historical backdrop. However, past occurences in the earlier books are written first hand in this book and are perfectly consistent with the complete change in geopolitical situation. Not a trivial feat.
Randolph's story is a truly heroic one. Not many science fiction heroes live's may truly be lived. However, there is no reason that someone reading Powersat now may not one day build Astro Manufacturing and serve space, freedom, and the pocketbook in the same way Dan does!

Ben Bova is such a great near future sci-fi writer. He never disappoints. His books are totally credible, both the people and the circumstances. They are also alive with relevant details that make me believe I am in the environment he has created. POWERSAT is a little different. It is not about space exploration or building off world communities. It is about the dream of one man, Dan, to build a satellite to collect solar power and microwave it to Earth reducing the world's dependency on fossil fuels. It is also about another man, Asim, who works just as hard to sabotage the power satellite and terrorize the USA. POWERSAT spends little time in space, Bova jumps right into the story and offers few flashbacks. Dan needs funding now to keep the project alive. He knows there are serious strings attached to whichever funding source he chooses. He tries to make the best choice, but he is so blinded by his commitment to the project that he just messes up. He is our hero and he is doing what is right, but he bribes government officials and makes deals with shady characters to get the job done. This is not a book where everything comes out fine in the end. After everything wraps up there is a need for an epilogue to check on the consequences of some of the choices Dan made. I was left with the feeling that with the success of the power satellite Dan would become as wealthy and selfish as Asim. Dan was living too close to the line that separates good and bad. And he was left with no personal ties to keep him grounded. The romantic subplot did not work.

If you liked this book and want to read something similar but better (but more R-rated) try RED SKY by Mike Mullane.

Arab oil and Arab terrorists still threaten America, but industrialist Dan Randolph has a plan--he's built a satellite in geostationary orbit high above earth. Its miles of solar panels gather sunlight 24 hours a day. The plan is to beam that power back to earth in the form of microwaves, converting it to electricity in a huge antenna array in the desert. But the plan depends on a low-cost reusable spaceship Randolph's company has developed--and Arab terrorists have figured out a way to sabotage the spaceship sending Astro Corporation lurching toward bankruptcy.

Randolph can call for assistance, though. His ex-lover, a U.S. Senator, proposes a law with low-cost government-guaranteed loan for him, his former boss in Japan wants to offer a partnership, and a major oil company offers to buy into the company--but Randolph wants to keep control and keep his business American. Randolph's magnetic personality also makes everyone love him--the Senator, his secretary, the reporter from the Wall Street Journal, pretty much everyone--except the evil terrorists who plan to use his satellite to kill thousands and prevent the U.S. from achieving independence from the oil that has them now occupying most of the Middle East.

Author Ben Bova preaches a tale of adventure and high-technology. Energy from space could make our nation free of foreign power, but terrorists and foolish environmentalists will try to stop it. Bova takes a swipe at global warming threats and makes his environmentalists pathetic and misguided fools. His terrorists, by contrast, are very evil people--as are the oil companies. Good old-fashioned American capitalism, however, can prevail.

Okay, we have a pretty good plot line here and Bova has himself a message he wants to spread--return to space and solve our problems. So, what's the problem? A couple of problems, actually. First, Bova's writing is stiff. Too many characters think things to themselves, explaining to themselves why they are doing things. Give the reader some credit, Mr. Bova. We really can figure this out. Second, the Casablanca-like love story between Rick--uh, I mean Dan--and the Senator is just annoying. Randolph comes off as a lovesick puppy rather than humanized. For me, it would have helped if he hadn't run out from passionate sex with the reporter when he heard the Senator was coming. Third, the terrorists are a bit too obvious and too stupid for words. Would the evil Asim al-Bashir really let his chauffeur really handle the dirty work involved in corporate espionage? How about a few cut-outs?

POWERSAT is actually an early book (a prequel) in Bova's series on the exploration of space in the name of America and profit. It's a story I'm sympathetic to and Bova deserves credit for sticking to his beliefs in spite of the world's increasing disinterest in space. I wish he'd left some of the political baggage behind, but even more, I wish he'd let his editor clean up some of the language, letting Bova's strong story out.

I'll start off by saying that I'm attempting to read all (currently 17) books in the loosely affiliated "Grand Tour" series by Ben Bova. Chronologically in the series, Powersat is the first book, although it's one of the most recently written (2005). While somewhat of a departure from sci-fi, the book is otherwise very, VERY Ben Bova, which is good and bad. The plot summary follows Dan Randolph, owner of the Astro Corporation as he attempts to create a vaible and cost effective power satellite system capable of ending the U.S. dependance on foreign oil. Randolph is opposed by a middle-eastern terrorist determined to thwart the development of the Powersat to keep the US paying untold billions into middle-eastern economies, "big oil" corporations who don't want to lose their profits and whacky environmentalists (but since they're ultimatly bought off with a case of champagne, the environmentalists serve little purpose). Due to the very near future setting, the book is often more thriller than sci-fi.

My criticisms of Powersat are the same that I often have for Bova books...a silly love triangle that makes the protagonist (Randolph) swing from shrewed but caring industrialist with good intentions to love sick teenager from one paragraph to another. Is there a Bova book out there where the plot doesn't include a love triangle or some other hackney affair? There are also unresloved or under-resolved plot elements and many of the characters are too cliche.

As far as the POV characters go, the terrorist(s) are all middle-eastern Muslim's bent on the destruction of the west. The ancient coporate mogul (Garrison, who runs a "big oil" corporation also opposed to the Powersat) who cares only for profit. The aloff but beautiful "power female" (in this case a US Senator and ex-lover of Randolph). The tin-pot crazy environmentalist who's appearance in the book seems to have been added only as a vehicle for Bova to mock environmentalism. Getting around the rough hewn characters takes a little effort. In the end, I didn't find myself particularly sympathetic with the protagonist, as Randolph seems to be the embodiement of capitalism wrapped in a US flag instead of a real person. In fact, Randolph and the antagonist, Al-Bashir, seem very much cut from the same cloth - it's just a matter of which side's ideology you support. In some areas, Powersat just spent too much time trying to convince me that Randolph was both a super-playboy (Randolph hooks up for a one night stand with a report who's career he helps elevate in the opening pages of the book) and a man motivated by true love.

Ultimatley Powersat was a fun enough book. The story and pacing were both solid. While the important message of the need for energy independance and a return to space-focused industrialism/science is sometimes muddied by the book's imperfections, it still shines brightly enough. There are a few loose ends that aren't ever tied up, for example the oil tycoon, Garrison, who is a storyline, Point of View character through much of the first half of the book falls off the radar and is never heard from again in the second half.

In the end, while there were some eye rolling moments, Powersat was good but not great. The things I didn't like about it did have some impact on my ability to enjoy the book, but I was glad that I read it.

Ben Bova's greatest achievement in this book is to provide an innovator/entrepreneurial view to the creation of of a new energy-harvesting system in a reasonably believable voice. The book seeks a richer storyline by tying this process to larger political, foreign policy, law-enforcement, competitive/strategic and terrorist systems; herein lies a weakness: by trying to cover so much ground, the ground covered is left thin, the characters representing these worlds mildly caricatural, and the rich intricacies of these systems and their relationship to the story are completely obviated. If, however, the very same story is seen from the incomplete and partial point of view of an action-oriented protagonist (even if the book is written in the voice of an outside narrator), then the lack of depth can be seen as a useful perspective device.

All in all, this is a lightweight page-turner; nothing grand, no claims to literary history, but still an agreeable and somewhat thought-provoking summer read.

One would hope science fiction as a gerne and Ben Bova in particular would rise above such cliché plots but apparently not in this case.
Very disappointing

Award-winning sci-fi author Ben Bova has once again written an exciting, action-packed story set in the near future.

Dan Randolph and his company, Astro manufacturing, have developed a power satellite capable of harnessing the energy from the sun and beaming the energy to earth. This energy will allow the United States to become independent of foreign oil. However, Dan has suffered a major setback, as his experimental space plane, which is to be used to ferry technicians to and from the powersat, has broken up on re-entry. The pilot, Hannah Aarons, was also killed. To make matters worse, Dan's company is on the verge of financial collapse. In the interest of saving is company, Dan has enlisted the advice and assistance from several others, including Yamagata Corp. and Tricontinental Oil. Also, Morgan Scanwell, a Senator from Texas, is making a run for the presidency, and Dan pitches his powersat idea to him. Morgan agrees to make energy independence a priority of his campaign. Morgan's advisor is Jane Thornton, a former girlfriend of Dan's. But is the affair really over between them?

Asim al-Bashir is a middle-eastern businessman seated on the board of Tricontinental. Tricontinental agrees to loan Dan $1.5 billion to remain afloat, and al-Bashir is soon sent to monitor Astro's dealings. But is al-Bashir all he seems to be, or is there more to him?

Upon viewing the wreckage of the space plane, Dan becomes convinced that the crash was a result of terrorists. But, how to prove it? Meanwhile, two of Dan's employees turn up dead; one the result of an explosion, the other from an apparent suicide. From here, Dan enlists the help of the FBI, explaining the deaths of his employees and his suspicions about the space plane. Meanwhile, Dan has agreed to back Scanwell for president. As it turns out, Scanwell is secretly married to Jane Thornton, but that hasn't kept Dan and Jane from re-kindling their romance. al-Bashir has kept in touch with his middle-east contacts and soon, a mission is planned to disable the powersat so, that instead of beaming energy, instead it will become a giant laser used for killing thousands of Americans, including the President. Will the terrorists succeed, or will Dan be able to stop them before it's too late?

This book is actually a prequel to Bova's Asteroid Wars series and does a good job of giving the reader a background of Dan Randolph.

I enjoyed this book very much. Bova has once again done a good job of developing the story and characters. The story itself is full of action and suspense, right up to the final chapter. I've read many of Ben Bova's books, and I would rate "Powersat" as one of the best I've read. Readers of science fiction will not want to miss this fine book.

Ben Bova always spins a very enjoyable yarn. This one stretched things just a bit though. Another "double-damn" and my head would have exploded.

Another MAJOR problem with this book is the way it was laid out on my new #359 Kindle I just purchased from Amazon. Many times the 2-5 paragraph for a new chapter would come out of the blue and be at the end of the previous chapter. Then you "flip the page" and read the first paragraph, "Ohhhh, that's how it goes." Then you start reading the second paragraph and it picks up where it is supposed to.