Tales of the Grand Tour

Tales of humanity’s near-future exploration of the Solar System, from a science fiction master and 6-time Hugo Award–winning author.

“Bova’s tales encompass good characters, high-tension adventure, thoughtful introspection, and a sense of wonder.” —Booklist

In novels like Mars and Moonbase, and Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, as well as Privateers, The Precipice, and The Rock Rats, Ben Bova has been telling the stories of the wars and rivalries, the outsize individuals, public crusades, and private passions that will drive us as we expand into the Solar System and make use of its vast resources. And throughout, Bova has shown our cosmic neighborhood as we know it to be, giving us a sense of Venus and Jupiter and the Asteroid Belt and Mars that’s as up-to-date as the latest observations. For the last two decades have been a golden age of near-Earth astronomy and observation, and in his novels Bova has made dramatic use of our newest knowledge.

But during that time Bova has also written short fiction about some of the same events and characters—Sam Gunn, Martin Humphries, Klaus Fuchs, Dan Randolph, the Asteroid Wars. Now, in Tales of the Grand Tour, those stories are collected in book form for the first time, creating a volume that is a landmark of modern SF.

“Like a folksy astrophysicist, Bova delights in talking about outer space, from the surface of Venus . . . through the asteroid belt . . . to the depths of Jupiter. . . . His excitement at being there matches his gusto for the dirty deeds done in the name of love, honor and duty. . . . His stories offer glimpses of the human side of space, the heroic grins and tragic grimaces alike.” —Publishers Weekly

“I don’t think there's another SF author alive with a better grasp of planetary science, nor one that can match Bova's storytelling experience, so it's no surprise that this is one collection of tales worth telling.” —SFRevu

“Bova’s saga is a long, varied, and successful one, and this is a good place for newbies to start.” —Kirkus Reviews