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Jupiter by Ben Bova
01/07/2008 . Source: Rod MacDonald 
audio CD. pub: Audio Renaissance/PanMacmillan. 12 hours. 10 CDs. Price: $44.95 (US), $62.95 (CAN) ISBN: 1-59397-488-4). Read by: Christian Noble and David Warner. Buy Jupiter Ben Bova in the USA - or Buy Jupiter Ben Bova in the UK  check out websites: http://us.macmillan.com/book.aspx?isbn=9781593974886and www.benbova.net
There are lots of good narrators about. However, there are few really great narrators. Probably my favourite narrator of all time is the late Richard Burton who immortalised 'Under Milk Wood' by Dylan Thomas and, for Science Fiction fans, turned Jeff Wayne's 'War of the Worlds' into something special.
David Warner is also a great narrator! He has been around some time and many will remember him from countless movies as well as Shakespeare roles including 'Hamlet'. Bringing these talents to this Ben Bova audio book, he turns it into a work of art which is worth listening to for this reason alone. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Christian Noble who does most of the narration but the addition of David Warner gives 'Jupiter' an extra dimension.
Star Trek followers will also know David Warner from episodes of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and also from the movie 'Star Trek V'. Recollections bring to mind him acting as a Cardassian inquisitor giving Captain Picard an unpleasant time.
Now, what about the audio book? Ben Bova needs no introduction. This is part of his 'Grand Tour' series set a hundred or so years later in time than 'Mars'. Although it is mainly set around Jupiter, the machinations of political and religious life on Earth are transported over 400,000,000 miles to this planet. Ben Bova creates conflict everywhere!
The main conflict in 'Jupiter' is that of religion against science. The so-called New Morality is a powerful force on Earth and in the solar system. Their religious dogma is of a fundamentalist nature and while they do not have outright control over society and government, going against them can be a tricky business.
Bring into this Grant Archer, a young astrophysicist with deep religious convictions. He is a bit peeved at having to leave his new wife to go to an orbital station around the planet Jupiter, far away from any research in his devoted field of black holes. However, he's been sent there as a spy. You see, the Fundamentals are not happy about the possible discovery of extra-terrestrial life, especially if it proves to be of an intelligent nature.
Jupiter is a huge ball of gas, 1300 times the size of Earth in volume. The cloudy surface may be -200° Celsius but deep within the atmosphere the temperature increases to be of an equitable nature. There is no solid surface within Jupiter, it's all gaseous, but that doesn't mean to say life could not exist there.
Floating within the atmosphere is a huge creature, a composite of many smaller beings, drifts nonchalantly about without a care in the world or Jupiter for that matter, excepting perhaps a crashing comet. Bova intriguingly describes the creature's reaction to the fragmented collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy. It also becomes aware of human activity.
The orbiting station sends a mission into Jupiter's atmosphere. Grant Archer is involved and soon his religious and scientific conflicts emerge. How this eventually materialises in the novel will be left for the listener to explore. However, if you have already read the novel it is still worthwhile listening to this version. Bova's descriptions come alive and you are taken millions of miles away to the largest planet in the solar system and to the most curious life-form you've ever imagined.
This novel isn't a flight of fancy. It's hard Science Fiction! Besides, it may all be possible and within the next 40 years, who knows what spacecraft will discover about the Jovian system? Some of us, including myself, will probably not be around to witness this but listening to the audio book is the next best thing.
Rod MacDonald
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