Jupiter

Grant Archer only wanted to study astrophysics. But the forces of the New Morality, the coalition of censorious do-gooders who run 21st-century America, have other plans for him. To his distress, Grant is torn from his young bride and sent to a research station in orbit around Jupiter, to spy on the scientists who work there. Their work may lead to the discovery of higher life forms in the Jovian system-with implications the New Morality doesn't like at all.What Grant's would-be controllers don't know is that his loyalty to science may be greater than his desire for a quiet life. But that loyalty will be tested in a mission as dangerous as any ever undertaken-a mission to the middle reaches of Jupiter's endless atmosphere, a place where hydrogen flows as a liquid, and cyclones larger than planets rage for centuries at a time.What lurks there is more than anyone has counted on...and stranger than anyone could possibly have imagined. Ben Bova is the author of more than 100 futuristic novels and nonfiction books. President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Bova has been involved in science and high technology since the very beginnings of the space program. He has also served as an award-winning editor and an executive in the aerospace industry. Grant Archer only wants to study astrophysics. But the forces of the New Morality, the coalition of censorious do-gooders who run 21st-century America, have other plans for him. To his distress, Grant is torn from his young bride and sent to a research station in orbit around Jupiter. Archer's mission is to spy on the scientists who work there, since their work may lead to the discovery of higher life forms in the Jovian system, which would carry extremely negative implications for the New Morality.What Archer's would-be controllers don't know is that his loyalty to science may be greater than his desire for a quiet life. But that loyalty will be tested in a mission as dangerous as any ever undertaken, a mission to the middle reaches of Jupiter's endless atmosphere, a place where hydrogen flows as a liquid, and cyclones larger than planets rage for centuries at a time.What lurks there is more than anyone has counted on, and stranger than anyone could possibly have imagined. Recalls the work of Heinlein in his Destination Moon mode, or Hal Clement in any number of stories: a day-after-tomorrow tale crafted with near-journalistic purity. It's a difficult, demanding mode to pursue, and not many choose to nowadays. But Bova does it magnificently., Paul Di Filippo, Scifi.comSF veteran Bova continues his exploration of the solar system begun in Venus with another first-rate adventure that combines hard science with human drama to create a challenging and compelling tale of courage and conviction., Library JournalJupiter is a new favorite destination for SF exploration, and Bova's take on the planet is unique and exciting., Publishers Weekly