Legendary Science Fiction Author Ben Bova Has Passed At the Age of 88 (tor.com) 53
Ben Bova "was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction," according to Wikipedia, and was also a six-time winner of the Hugo Award. "He was also president of both the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America."
Tor.com reports Bova has passed "due to complications from COVID-19 and a stroke..." Born in 1932, Bova brought experience to the science fiction genre that few authors could match: he worked as a technical editor for the U.S.'s Project Vanguard, the first effort on the part of the country to launch a satellite into space in 1958. Bova went on to work as a science writer for Avco Everett Research Laboratory, which built the heat shields for the Apollo 11 module, putting man on the Moon and ensuring that science fiction would continue to increasingly define the future.
It was around that time that Bova began writing and publishing science fiction. He published his first novel, The Star Conquerors, in 1959, and followed up with dozens of others in the following years, as well as numerous short stories that appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Analog Science Fact and Fiction, Galaxy Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and others. In 1971, he took over the helm of Analog following the death of its long-running editor, John W. Campbell Jr. — a huge task, given Campbell's influence on the genre to that point... From there, he became the first editor of Omni Magazine until 1982, and consulted on television shows such as The Starlost and Land of the Lost.
While Bova wrote an episode of The Land of the Lost, his best-known works "involved plausible sciences about humanity's expansion into the universe, looking at how we might adapt to live in space..." notes Tor.
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction argues that "the straightforwardness of Bova's agenda for humanity may mark him as a figure from an earlier era; but the arguments he laces into sometimes overloaded storylines are arguments it is important, perhaps absolutely vital, to make."
Tor.com reports Bova has passed "due to complications from COVID-19 and a stroke..." Born in 1932, Bova brought experience to the science fiction genre that few authors could match: he worked as a technical editor for the U.S.'s Project Vanguard, the first effort on the part of the country to launch a satellite into space in 1958. Bova went on to work as a science writer for Avco Everett Research Laboratory, which built the heat shields for the Apollo 11 module, putting man on the Moon and ensuring that science fiction would continue to increasingly define the future.
It was around that time that Bova began writing and publishing science fiction. He published his first novel, The Star Conquerors, in 1959, and followed up with dozens of others in the following years, as well as numerous short stories that appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Analog Science Fact and Fiction, Galaxy Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and others. In 1971, he took over the helm of Analog following the death of its long-running editor, John W. Campbell Jr. — a huge task, given Campbell's influence on the genre to that point... From there, he became the first editor of Omni Magazine until 1982, and consulted on television shows such as The Starlost and Land of the Lost.
While Bova wrote an episode of The Land of the Lost, his best-known works "involved plausible sciences about humanity's expansion into the universe, looking at how we might adapt to live in space..." notes Tor.
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction argues that "the straightforwardness of Bova's agenda for humanity may mark him as a figure from an earlier era; but the arguments he laces into sometimes overloaded storylines are arguments it is important, perhaps absolutely vital, to make."
RIP In Peace (Score:2)
Re:This pandemic is fo' realz, yo! (Score:5, Insightful)
If there is a lesson here about COVID-19 then it's that we can't always win no matter how hard we fight.
The lesson this country is being taught right now is that if a big segment of the population doesn't even bother to fight, we will lose. Bigly.
Re:This pandemic is fo' realz, yo! (Score:4, Insightful)
A stroke is one of the things that the Sars-CoV-2 virus causes. The respiratory problems from Covid-19 are the leading cause of death, but autopsies have shown that the virus attacks basically every organ in the body with hemorrhages everywhere. Older people like Ben Bova are certainly more vulnerable, but younger people are being killed by strokes as well. Why exactly are you trying to act like he wasn't killed by the virus?
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Because it feeds their agenda and maintains their belief that the impeached, single-term loser, orange savior is never wrong.
Re: RIP In Peace (Score:2)
What is the veiled reference to Vale? not on the list of the 13 books he wrote that I read. However the last one was seven years ago, and I like to read one of an author's books in memoriam when he passes away, so I'll have to do a search. Maybe that should be the book I'm searching for?
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I was assuming it was the Latin phrase for farewell.
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How did you connect from "cow" to Latin? But no one has popped up with an explanation based on Bova's books, so I'm willing to accept that as the most likely answer.
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How did you connect from "cow" to Latin?
Even now I can't see any reference to "cow", prior to the one quoted above. However, since we're talking about Ben Bova, perhaps 'bovine' is the link you're looking for? (Or should that be alluding to?)
I'm willing to accept that as the most likely answer.
Since vale is the root of today's common words such as valediction (words spoken in farewell, particularly at a funeral) and valedictorian (the student who delivers the farewell address for their graduating class) I think you're probably right.
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How did you connect from "cow" to Latin?
Even now I can't see any reference to "cow", prior to the one quoted above. However, since we're talking about Ben Bova, perhaps 'bovine' is the link you're looking for? (Or should that be alluding to?)
I don't read AC, but look closely at the OP. (But I was grasping at the straw.) But if I had looked closely enough, then I should have included a mouse joke, too.
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Okay, no such book. What is it? A planet Bova created?
However I realize now that I just handled one of his books a few weeks ago. I decided against borrowing Power Play at that time, but it looks like the one I'll read to commemorate his life and work. (But not until the Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed again.)
Right-wing nutjob (Score:1, Insightful)
Read more than 40 years SF (Score:3)
Only discovered Ben Bova (here on the European continent) in the last seven years, from secondhand bookshops.
I don't have much of his works, but one that I like very much is "Cyberbooks", and "Voyagers" too. One of the best SF books ever written.
The Star Conquerers got me into sci-fi (Score:5, Interesting)
My dad and his brother collected the Science Fiction series books that Star Conquerers was published in. I read them all, the it was SC that really got me hookedf. I still have an original copy and am looking forward to my kids reading it.
RIP Ben
Land of the Lost (Score:2)
While Bova wrote an episode of The Land of the Lost,
It has always amazed me how people pan Land of the Lost but the writers and others involved in that show were very well regarded. It was a kids show and while the special effects are laughable by today's standards, they were pretty ambitious for a kids TV show in the 70's. I guess the third season didn't help much either.
RIP Ben Bova.
First Person to Write about Virtual Reality (Score:5, Interesting)
Most people would point to the "The Duelling Machine" (in 1969) but he did write a short story "The Next Logical Step" (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28063/28063-h/28063-h.htm) in 1962 which I think is the first reference to VR.
As a kid, I really enjoyed his stuff but he was uneven and I think he went for low-hanging fruit too often. I found that all to often his first story in the series was the best (ie "Orion" and the Kinsman future history).
Still, some very good stories and he will be missed.
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RIP Ben.
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No. Look to A.C. Clarke, as is so often the case. See The Lion of Comarre, first published in Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1949...
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I have never heard of that novella - and I thought I had all of Clarke's fiction. Looking forward to reading it.
Thank you.
His tenure at Omni was important (Score:2)
In related news... (Score:2)
Squiggy also died today. Coincidence? Or was Squiggy an alternate identity for Ben Bova?
Also: he's dead (Score:3, Insightful)
He's not "passed" anything. He is an ex-author. He is dead and will soon be pushing up the daisies (unless cremated).
As an atheist I'm sure he'd be delighted at having his death euphemised into an irrational and offensive statement about moving on to some afterlife.
He's died.
Re:Also: he's dead (Score:5, Insightful)
We used to have freedom of religion and expression in the USA.
We still do. You can still wear your cross or rosaries or yarmulke, or hijab or anything else you want for your religion.
Separation of church and state doesn't mean people can't pray in public school,
Correct. You can do it on your time, not the state's time. This also means the Muslims and Jews and Hindus and Buddha's and yes, Satanists, get to pray as well. So when Christians want to hold a prayer circle around the flag pole, that means all the other religions get to do the same thing. Or isn't that what you meant?
or whatever nonsense comes from the "freedom from religion" assholes.
Yeah, that James Madison, what an asshole for putting the separation of Church and State in the Constitution then going about walking the walk by vetoing multiple bills which would have used taxpayer money to support churches. Or determining that a chaplain saying a prayer before Congress was a violation of the First Amendment.
Is the appointment of Chaplains to the two Houses of Congress consistent with the Constitution, and with the pure principle of religious freedom? In strictness the answer on both points must be in the negative. The Constitution of the U. S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion. The law appointing Chaplains establishes a religious worship for the national representatives, to be performed by Ministers of religion, elected by a majority of them, and these are to be paid out of the national taxes. Does this not involve the principle of a national establishment ... ?
Or when he said:
The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.
or
Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history.
or
Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?
or
And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in showing that religion and Government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.
or
The civil Government, though bereft of every thing like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability, and performs its functions with complete success; whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the Priesthood, and the devotion of the people, have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the State.
In case the above quotes don't make the point clear, perhaps this one will:
The Constitution of the U.S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion.
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How is this informative? Have you ever actually observed how those "flagpole worship" scenarios play out? It's not like groups of Satanists or Buddhists show up and interfere with their own little prayer circles. Usually what happens is that a teacher/coach participates on his/her own time, and the school gets sued. Or sometimes the school gets sued just for letting Christians use the flag pole at all.
Even the Muslims aren't really showing up in force at public places nationwide. All the Christian fear o
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And what does any of this have to do with Ben Bova?
It was because Nagora wrote, regarding Ben Bova: "As an atheist I'm sure he'd be delighted at having his death euphemised into an irrational and offensive statement about moving on to some afterlife." Nagora was saying that Bova was an atheist. Then Blindseer misinterpreted what Nagora was saying and wrote:
"I'm sure his family is delighted to have any beliefs in an afterlife shit upon by an atheist while mourning the loss of a loved one." and "The guy died and you want to use this as an opportunity to evang
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I did no such thing. I was responding to quonset, and asking about what anything HE said had to do with Ben Bova. I didn't respond to nagora at all since the conversation had by that time been derailed.
But hey thanks for trying to punish someone for dragging things back on-topic!
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I didn't respond to nagora at all since the conversation had by that time been derailed.
But I didn't say that you responded to Nagora. I said that Blindseer did. As for taking it off-topic. I wrote that you were involved in taking it off-topic because you wrote two paragraphs and then said "And what does any of this have to do with Ben Bova?" so it seemed like you were literally saying that you were off topic.
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Why are atheists so bothered by expressions of anything religious?
Because religion* kills, and tends to do so in six- and seven- figure numbers. It's like smallpox, but with added smugness. Religion is based on fear and superstition. It generally preaches the inferiority of humanity and the individual. It makes parents scared of what foreigners might tell their children if they're allowed to teach them. It justifies slavery and bigotry and enshrines them as Holy.
As Ben Bova said,
I think history shows that atheists can be just as moral as believers. Which isn't saying all that much, considering how much wickedness has been perpetrated by men and women who profess belief in God
*I'm mostly talking about monotheistic religion here, very little of this applied to Ancient G
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Being an atheist doesn't mean being a contemptable asshole, or approving of contemptable assholes.
Mod parent up (Score:2)
Parent should have more mod points.
Re:Also: he's dead (Score:4, Informative)
You know (or maybe not), "passed" in reference to death often is just a shortened version of "passed away", maybe with an implication of a peaceful death but with no implication of religion or afterlife. It's just a euphemism for "died" sometimes used in polite company. I'm an atheist and when I go I'd like to "pass away".
I've never heard of him ... (Score:2)
... or his work and I am an avid science fiction and non-fiction reader.
I read all of Asimov's stuff, Heinlein, Niven, Herbert, etc.
I don't know why I missed him, but my condolences to his fans and family.
The Winds of Altair (Score:1)
One of the first science fiction books I ever read, I'm pretty sure I was only 13 or 14.
https://www.baen.com/the-winds... [baen.com]
I'm now much (much) older, but I still remember it well. As I was going through the searches, turns out many people consider Cameron's Avatar to be a rip-off of that book. I don't think it's quite that much of a "rip-off", the fundamental story line is not similar (in the book the humans can "ride along" in the minds of the native creatures), although the general theme certainly is. Im
"How to Build a Dinosaur" in Boy's Life? (Score:4, Interesting)
My first Ben Bova read was a non-fiction article title "How to Build a Dinosaur" in Boy's Life magazine (a scouting monthly) back around 1970. At least that's my memory ... I couldn't find any reference to it in a quick search. In the article, he delves into some (light) math to show how an insect 100 times larger than real life would not work, despite what sci-fi movies showed, at least not in Earth's gravity. He points out that when something becomes twice the size, the surface area is squared but the volume is cubed, leading to all sorts of structural and thermodynamic problems. Pretty interesting stuff for a 10-year old!
Later I read some of his stories and novels, but always thought of him as the "Boy's Life writer".
Speaking of writing, is there some reason to avoid saying "Ben Bova dies"? When did "pass" become the preferred verb?
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While I always appreciated the math lesson, articles like that one always bothered me a bit. After all, those giant ants in old movies were usually giant, _mutant_, ants. No reason why they couldn't simply have proportionally thicker legs, etc. Simplistic mathematical reasoning like that is why, for decades, the notion was pushed that large sauropods were forever confined to swamps, relying on buoyancy to support them because their legs would never be able to withstand the strain of walking. We know this to
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Sure, but that just requires biological mutations. It does mean that the giant insects from old movies can't just be scaled up regular insects, but there's no reason that they can't be biologically different from regular insects. We know that land animals in the tens of tons or even over a hundred tons can exist, so there's obviously no fundamental limit preventing an animal from getting that big. So, if we're already suspending disbelief that exposure to radiation or chemicals or whatever can cause an inse
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I think it just makes it less directly about death. Since it has an implicit reference to a place being passed on to, it is a bit inappropriate to use to refer to an atheist.
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Sars-CoV-2 causes strokes.
He didn't die (Score:1)
Fortunately, he didn't die. He only passed. Good thing he didn't flunk.