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Narrated by:
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Stefan Rudnicki
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By:
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Ben Bova
About this listen
Dr. Jake Ross, a university astronomer, wants nothing more than to teach a few classes each semester and continue his research. Instead, he finds himself aggressively recruited to be the science advisor to Frank Tomlinson, an ambitious politician with his eye on the US Senate. Tomlinson is in need of an edge that will allow him to defeat his opponent at the polls, and Dr. Ross can contribute just that: MHD.
MHD, or magnetohydrodynamics, is a new innovation that will allow electricity to be generated efficiently and cheaply. The Senate seat is essentially guaranteed if Tomlinson can deliver unlimited energy to voters at less than half the price of nuclear power. But MHD is still in its infancy, and although the outlook is extremely promising there are great - and deadly - risks.
The incumbent senator will not give up his seat without a fight, and as Ross discovers, the world of politics carries its own dangers. Nothing has prepared him for the extreme tactics that desperate and powerful people are willing to use.
Power Play is a timely thrill ride by Ben Bova, one of science fiction’s most respected novelists.
Ben Bova, six-time winner of science fiction’s Hugo Award, is the author of over one hundred works of science fact and fiction. A former editor of Analog and former fiction editor of Omni, he is also a past president of the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives in Naples, Florida.
©2011 Ben Bova (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the year 2047, Lochlan takes the bus to his soul-sucking job answering phones to remain unnoticed. Life is easier that way. Little attachment. Few friends. That means less people caught in the crossfire when he loses control again. The last time he came close to losing it was when he was around Zemila. That was five years ago, just before he disappeared. That was why he disappeared. He’s good at that. Disappearing. Resettling. Being overlooked.
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Get ready for a Great Story
- By Elizabeth on 06-24-20
By: HS Paisley
Good Story, Mostly Good Performance
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Thebook was too slow and lacked enough plot line.
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Not bad
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Anticlimactic
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Political 'thriller' passing for science fiction
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At first I thought this book must have been written 50 years ago, with all the outdated male-female relations. I kept expecting the men to refer to the woman as “Dames.” I did eventually realize this was a more modern book, based on the fact that everyone started banging each other randomly regardless of marital status.
The main character is supposedly motivated by being a bullied nerd in high school. Yyet he was actually friends with the bully and sleeps with girl after girl who are each described as “cheerleader” looks including his high school sweetheart. And he still finds some way to whine about whichever girl isn’t actively banging him at the moment. Don’t forget he’s recently widowed from the love of his life, cause the main character completely forgets.
Then I got to the point where the Republican candidate was losing the primary because the other candidate was more conservative. His solution, come out as pro-choice. Ben Bova thinks being for abortion would be a winning issue among the ultra-conservative PRIMARY voters.
Unrealistic Characters and No Climax or Twist
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Well….
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A Good Setup?
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Good, but…
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One of Bova's Best
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