Title : Venus
Author : Ben Bova
Genre : Science fiction
Pages : 382
Rating : 3.85/5

One of the books in the “Grand Tour” series by Hugo award winner Ben Bova, Venus is a novel about space travel and exploring new worlds. It is also a classic “underdog” tale with a bit of the “coming-of-age” genre mixed in. The book itself is set sometime in the future where the moon has been colonized, rejuvenation treatments are common so no one really grows old anymore, and man has tried to explore other worlds in search of life and life-sustainable living environments.

Venus has a harsh climate – that much is known. The first attempt to actually explore the planet fails and results in the death of the explorer, Alex Humphries, the elder son of billionaire tycoon, Martin Humphries. Humphries, a cold, hard, domineering man has one son remaining – Van. Unlike the now dead Alex, Van is frail and resented by his father for surviving. Van also has a potentially fatal condition – pernicious anemia, in which the red cells in his blood are unable to replicate. To keep alive Van must inject himself at regular intervals with a life-giving enzyme. Not quite the able, confident son Martin wanted, Van is loathed and mocked by his unloving father as “Runt”.

I pulled in a deep breath, then stood as straight as I could manage. “And it’s lovely to see you too, Father.”
“Aren’t you enjoying my party?”
“You know better.”
“Then what’d you come for, Runt?”
“Your lawyer said that you’d cut off my stipend if I didn’t attend your party.”
“Your allowance,” he sneered.
“I earn that money.”
“By playing at being a scientist. Now your brother, there was a real scientist.”

Van lives a rich socialite’s life, dabbling in science, on the allowance his wealthy father scornfully gives him. The only two people who actually ever loved him, his mother and his elder brother Alex, are now dead, and Van is surrounded by fair-weather friends. When on his 100th birthday, Martin announces that he is cutting off Van’s allowance, Van finds himself almost penniless. When Martin also announces an award of ten billion dollars to any explorer who brings him back Alex’s remains from Venus, Van, tempted by the award money and the desire to explore the inhospitable planet in Alex’s name, decides to launch a mission to Venus.

“I’m going to take your prize money,” I said.
That popped his eyes open. “What ?”
“I’ll go to Venus, I’ll find Alex’s body.”
“You?” he laughed.
“He was my brother!” I said. “I loved him.”
“I had to twist your arm to get you to come up here to the Moon, and now you think you’re going to Venus?” He seemed enormously amused by the idea.
“You don’t think I can do it?”
“I know you can’t do it, Runt. You won’t even try, despite your brave talk.”
“I’ll show you!” I snapped. “I’ll take your damned prize money!”
Smirking, he answered, “Of course you will. And elephants can fly.”

Van, however noble his intentions, has stiff competition, because there is one other man angling for the award He is Lars Fuchs, Martin’s sworn enemy, a ruthless renegade out to wreak the worst kind of revenge on Martin and his family. . .

This is true-blue science fiction, but it is also a “human” story, with lots of drama, emotion and unexpected twists thrown in. Quite a satisfying combination. Told in first person, we see the story unfold from Van’s point of view. Bova fleshes out Van’s character nicely, and really Van is quite the underdog. He has fainting spells (when there is a delay in taking the enzyme), is incapable of exertion, is frightened of new adventures, and mostly takes the easy way out. When faced with true scientists who revel in investigation, he realizes that he has just “been playing” at it.

Van is regarded by others, as a wishy-washy character, incapable of accomplishing anything of value. With his impulsive decision to go to Venus, Van surprises others (and himself), but hellish Venus is going to test him as he has never been tested before. As the main protagonist, Van was a bit on the weak side, never quite able to energize me into rooting for him wholeheartedly. Since he is the narrator, we are privy to all his fears, which takes away from his character, because really, don’t most of us want our heroes to stand tall, feeling not even the smallest twinge of fear in the face of grievous danger ?

This is the first book by Bova that I have read, and even though a part of a series, stands alone quite well. Bova is good at description, develops arresting characters, and keeps the events in the book moving pretty quickly. This book was an excellent read, un-put-down-able after about a 100 pages. Each book in the Grand tour series is focused on a planet in our solar system. If they’re anything like “Venus” and I’ve heard they all are at least as good, if not better, they go straight on my to-read list.