Reading
I started reading this on February 27, 2006, and finished it on
March 3, 2006.
Specs
Bova, Ben, Jupiter,
written 2001, published by Tom Doherty Associates, Tor Press, New
York. This is from the Central Resource Library.
Overview
(Time: appears placed in the late 21st century.)
Grant Archer was the son of a minister, and was asked by the New
Morality to spy on the scientist in the Gold orbital station, which
orbited Jupiter. He was also a scientist, but his specialty had no
use there, and he was upset. Especially since he had just gotten
married, and this separated him from his
wife. The scientists are "accused" of sending a probe into
Jovian atmosphere.
In fact, they had. Grant becomes involved with this, but
constantly doesn't see anything worth reporting, so he doesn't. He
acknowledges to the director at one point that he was sent as a spy.
The problem is that in the first expedition to the Jupiter oceans
had possibly shown an intelligent species in the Jovian oceans. The
fanatics were afraid of this because, after all, man is made in God's
image (I like the quote from Arthur Clark, "The rash assertion that
'God made man in His own image' is ticking like a time bomb at the
foundations of many faiths.")
Grant is chosen to be on the follow up expedition. This goes into
the Jovian oceans (although I don't think Ben Bova understands the
concept of triple point, or, more properly, how substances react that
are above the triple point. There is no distinction between the
liquid phase and gas phase - to the point that one would say there
is no distinction. He used the phase change between the gas and
liquid phases in a hurricane to represent
this.) The pressure, and encounters with Jovian life (which is huge
- as big as a city) practically kill the expedition. They are
saved because one of the Jovians that they were able to help helps
them. Grant get credit for this. What he did do is transmit the
message that he had found life to everyone, so the fundamentalist
couldn't hide the fact of there being life.
There is a subplot in which Grant has a job of becoming friends
with Sheena, a female gorilla. Sheena was brought to the station to
study non-human intelligence, as well as some dolphins. Some of the
people had learned to talk to the dolphins.
After the expedition to the Jovian oceans starts, after they have
entered the atmosphere, some of the New Morality come to the station
and order them to return. They hear about this, but choose to
ignore it, pretending they didn't get the message. While Grant and
the others (other than the captain) don't like this, I'm convinced
that I'd have done the same thing.
Comments
This book is about religious fanaticism. That is, the conflict
between religious fanatics and scientist. In the end, Ben Bova
states outright that religious fanaticism is a political movement,
not a religious movement (which, of course, I agree with).
It is also about Grant finding a purpose in his life, that is,
from the trials of his confinement in the Gold station he finds a new
meaning for his life. He also has to come to grips with the reality
of sex, in that he is separated from his wife, and discover that
women he is next to are attractive as well.
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