Welcome to Moonbase [Paperback]

Ben Bova (Author), Pat Rawlings (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With the premise that man returns to the moon in 1999 and establishes a permanent base there by 2020, science fiction author and editor Bova here fashions an intriguing "manual" for pioneers arriving at the lunar community. With 50 detailed illustrations by NASA artist Rawlings, the guidebook covers Moonbase history, architecture, ecology, transportation, science projects, jobs, training, industries, tourism, sports ("lunar jai alai"), entertainment, day-to-day life, duties, rights and laws: "No one is allowed to walk on the surface alone, except in the specially marked 'Moonwalk Lanes.' " Combining fact and fiction in this "future history," Bova presents a compelling and persuasive argument for mankind's continual exploration of the moon and the establishment of a base on the lunar surface.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (October 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345328590
• ISBN-13: 978-0345328595
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,603,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prediction, maybe not fiction, August 3, 2002

By 

Chad Lupkes "chadlupkes" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome to Moonbase (Paperback)

Ok, everyone knows that we did not step onto the moon in 1999 and say "We're here to stay." So, that makes this fiction, right? Not necessarily.

Ben Bova is the former president of the National Space Society. As such, he writes 'Welcome to Moonbase' with as much scientific accuracy as fantasy, and the combination is wonderful to behold. Who is to say that 100 years in the future someone might read this book and wonder why the names and dates were wrong, but so much more was accurate.

This book was one of my biggest motivations to get involved in the space exploration society, and I'm hoping that many other people find it in their library and get involved because they want to be the ones to say that their son or daughter just got a job with Moonbase Inc.

Make it so!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars when the day is done only Bova can resist FTL..., December 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Welcome to Moonbase (Paperback)

And do it well. His books, new and older ones like this set a stage for things that COULD happen in the lifetime of the youngest readers today. No warp drives, no magic hyperspace, though he has written that sort of thing in his empire books, it is just solid workday exploration of the Sol System.

Want capt janeway??? read fantasy, want solid straight on SCIENCE-Fiction? Read Bova, Benford, Bear [sometimes], and few others that know that ink on paper does not contravene the laws of physics.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that must be read by all fans of space exploration., January 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Welcome to Moonbase (Paperback)

A work of fiction written as a guide and manual for a workable base on the moon. The book is an easy read with many wonderful pictures, very similar to the Dinotopia series of books. It will make you want to go to the moon yourself.