Puerile Science Fiction

Jupiter, by Ben Bova, is part of the "Grand Tour series" through the universe. In terms of space adventure this is an interesting book, but the human personalities and interactions are so stunted and underdeveloped that one can only imagine Bova was intending it for a readership of 12 year old boys.

Briefly, Grant Archer is a doctoral student in Astrophysics on an Earth of some indeterminate future. On this future earth the political fighting is fierce and comes down to science versus religion. One faction, the "New Morality," is anxious to learn what is happening at the space station orbiting Jupiter. Choosing Grant as their spy, he is sent to the station with the assignment of finding out what secrets are being withheld. As a newly married man he is very upset to leave his wife on Earth four years, possibly more, but given no choice. When Grant arrived on the Jupiter station he discovers that he must study the dynamics of the Jovian ocean which will not allow him to work on his dissertation.

"Finding any kind of alien life was seen as a threat to belief in God. Every time scientists discovered a new life-form anywhere, some people gave up their faith. Atheists crowed that the Bible was nonsense, a pack of scribbling by ancient narrow-minded men steeped in superstition and primitive ignorance." This is one of Grant's inner thoughts used to position his belief system and understanding of the relation between faith and science. This statement could plausibly be applied to today's earth as well, although no extraterrestrial life has yet been discovered.

Grant is not only a brilliant scientist, a prerequisite for a science fiction hero, but he is also quite religious. Due to his religious feeling his understanding of morality is inflexible. Excerpts such as the following force me to think that the book has been written for pubescent boys:

"His bedsheets were tangled and soaked with his perspiration. With a lurch in the pit of his stomach, Grant realized he had made a nocturnal emission." Reading this I thought, maybe Bova's trying to make this appeal to young boys? But then it continues, "It's all right, he told himself, while that stubborn buzzing noise kept ringing in his ears. Wet dreams are natural, beyond your conscious control. There's nothing sinful about them as long as you don't take pleasure from the memory." This statement, while consistent with Grant's character, is not a really reassuring statement for the boy readers I thought Bova might be aiming for. Since Grant is going to be apart from his wife for four years, the message seems to be that he will take refuge in prayer and Bible reading for the duration.

Though this is an interesting book, especially when focusing on the space adventure aspects, the emotional maturity of the main character makes for some truly painful reading. Additionally, though it was published in 2001, it feels like it was written in the 1970's. Perhaps that is just a sign that Bova's writing is frozen, in terms of human interaction.