
Venus: The Grand Tour Series
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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
The surface of Venus is the most hellish place in the solar system - it's ground hot enough to melt aluminum, its air pressure high enough to crush spacecraft landers like tin cans, it's atmosphere a choking mix of poisonous gases. This is where the frail young Van Humphries must go—or die trying.
Years before, Van’s older brother perished in the first attempt to land a man on Venus. Van’s father has always hated him for being the one to survive. Now, his father is offering a $10-billion prize to the first person who lands on Venus and returns his oldest son’s remains. To everyone’s surprise, Van takes up the offer. But what Van Humphries will find on Venus will change everything—our understanding of Venus, of global warming on Earth, and his knowledge of who he is.
Listen to more in Ben Bova's Grand Tour series.©2000 Ben Bova (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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complete let down don't waste a credit! !
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complete let down don't waste a credit! !
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The Kinsman Saga
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Overall
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Performance
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In a startling future that's coming closer every year, Chet Kinsman is an astronaut ace who has done everything one can in space - including commit the first murder. It's a secret he can never escape, not even on the moon, where he's head of the first U.S. lunar colony. A series of shocking yet strangely inevitable circumstances will force Kinsman to confront his hidden past and decide Earth's destiny. In a desperate countdown to nuclear annihilation, Kinsman will struggle against a deadly dilemma: if he rescues the world, he risks destroying himself.
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-
Slooow unraveling keeps you on edge of your seat
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By: Ben Bova
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Power Play
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
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Overall
-
Performance
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Story
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. But MHD is still in its infancy, and there are deadly risks.
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Mickey7
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Mickey Barnes is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.
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Across the six-planet expanse of the Gaia System, the Earthlike Gretia struggles to stabilize in the wake of an interplanetary war. Amid an uneasy alliance to maintain economies, resources, and populations, Aden Robertson reemerges. After devoting fifteen years of his life to the reviled losing side, with the blood of half a million casualties on his hands, Aden is looking for a way to move on. He’s not the only one. A naval officer has borne witness to inconceivable attacks on a salvaged fleet. A sergeant with the occupation forces is treading increasingly hostile ground.
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meh.
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Less than the sum of its parts
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Prelude to Space
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Here is the compelling story of the launching of Prometheus - Earth's first true spaceship - and of the men who made it happen. Dirk Alexson, chronicler of the greatest space adventure of all time: He was chosen to immortalize the incredible story of the men and their heroic mission. Sir Robert Derwent, Direct-General of Interplanetary-London Headquarters for the International Space-Flight Project: He was the man who got the mission off the ground and into the pages of history. Professor Maxton, the world's leading atomic engineer: He designed the huge ship's drive units....
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PRELUDE
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Drive
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A short story set in the universe of James S. A. Corey's NYT best-selling Expanse series. Now a Prime Original series. This story will be available in the complete Expanse story collection, Memory’s Legion.
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Fun little short story
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Sphere
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A classic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Crichton, Sphere is a bravura demonstration of what he does better than anyone: riveting storytelling that combines frighteningly plausible, cutting-edge science and technology with pulse-pounding action and serious chills.
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Sphere
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From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars)
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- Unabridged
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Story
Experience Star Wars: A New Hope from a whole new point of view. On May 25, 1977, the world was introduced to Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and a galaxy full of possibilities. In honor of the 40h anniversary, more than 40 contributors lend their vision to this retelling of Star Wars. Each of the 40 short stories reimagines a moment from the original film, but through the eyes of a supporting character.
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Chapter listing. Audible sucks
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By: Renée Ahdieh, and others
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Battle Cruiser
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
One starship will either save Earth or destroy her. A century ago our star erupted, destroying Earth's wormhole network and closing off trade with her colonized planets. After being out of contact with the younger worlds for so many years, humanity is shocked when a huge ship appears at the edge of the solar system. Our outdated navy investigates, both curious and fearful. What they learn from the massive vessel shocks the planet.
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Disappointing, Juvenile
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By: B. V. Larson
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Venus: The Grand Tour Series
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Theresa
- 02-08-22
Plot Good
I read all of Bova’s books. The sci did plots are fun without being all about war, disaster and outer space life that is akin to the Great Depression plus WW2. But the characters never cease to aggravate me. They have the emotional intelligence of a teenager, rarely know how to do the job they’ve been assigned and are physically unfit. It is the same in every book. The few who are the least bit likable get killed early. I so want one of the books to have a Mitch Rapp hero, a Lara Croft heroine, and a team of real astronauts who can make it up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing.
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- Debbie
- 12-24-24
Though a long book, I didn’t want it to end.
Bova is an excellent writer. I throughly enjoyed this book. I will be reading his other books.
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- Sarahdox
- 05-09-22
Plot, Performance good; dialogue dragged on.
I enjoyed the narration, storylines and characters. However, although I was listening at 1.5 speed, I found the main character's self-doubt and angst to be way too drawn out and overdone. A lot less of that would have made a better book. Still, it is a useful part of the series!
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- D. Pattison
- 08-12-23
Spoiled man-child takes to the stars.
A spoiled, entitled trust fund baby with zero concept of a healthy human relationship decides to go to Venus.
And yet, somehow, he's more capable and competent than either Musk or Bezos.
Stefan Rudnicki continues to provide a great performance.
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- Alwayswalkingmydog
- 01-20-14
Absolutely loved this Audiobook!
Any additional comments?
I can hardly wait to download the next book by Ben Bova! This is by far the best I have read/listened to since Sir Arthur C. Clarke's works. Just cannot get enough. The Mars series was also fantastic, as was the Sam Gunn Omnibus. The narration is exquisite.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 12-06-22
Marvelous
It may be SF but it also reads like a spy thriller with all the required twists and turns to satisfy any reader‘a expectations.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Matthew
- 09-03-14
Someone turn on the air conditioning please...
Would you consider the audio edition of Venus: The Grand Tour Series to be better than the print version?
Didn't read print version, so N/A.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
It was not unexpected, but not so predictable as to be trite. Bova generally does a good job at wrapping things up nicely, and this story is no exception.
What does Stefan Rudnicki bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Stefan owns the Bova characters, and this one is particularly well rendered. His accents, emotions and rawness are always impressive.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Something to do with Lucifer.
Any additional comments?
This story continues the Bova/Rudnicki tradition of author and performer working as a team. If you enjoyed the other offerings in the Planet series, this one will entertain you. It works as a free standing story as well, however.
Recommended.
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5 people found this helpful
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- George
- 02-07-14
Hellish Hot
Fun sci-fi read with family rivalries and loyalties that change as the read progresses. The penetration of Venus was believable and I hung on every word. I have worked for leaders like the captain of the space ship Lucifer--domineering and insecure. On to the next book in the series.
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2 people found this helpful
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- chainsaw
- 08-13-22
1940s misogyny and racism in a mediocre 2000s package
Great to only half listen to while doing other things if you can ignore the junior high level of writing. The author apparently thinks “sardonic” is super intellectual sounding, since he uses it a dozen times. Also, be prepared for women who science boobily, captain ships frigidly but also boobily, and the reassurance that the sniveling main character isn’t racist just because he’s not attracted to the “Asians” on his ship, since there are lots of skinny docile Asian women he DOES find attractive.
If this wasn’t an audiobook there’s no way I would have finished it.
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