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Death Wave

The Star Quest Trilogy, Book 1

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Death Wave

By: Ben Bova
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
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About this listen

Six-time Hugo Award-winner Ben Bova chronicles the saga of humankind's expansion beyond the solar system.

In Ben Bova's previous novel, New Earth, Jordan Kell led the first human mission beyond the solar system, where they discovered the ruins of an ancient alien civilization. But one alien AI survived, and it revealed to Jordan Kell that an explosion in the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy has created a wave of deadly radiation, expanding out from the core toward Earth. Unless the human race acts to save itself, all life on Earth will be wiped out.

When Kell and his team return to Earth many years after their departure, they find that their world has changed almost beyond recognition. Not only has a second wave of greenhouse flooding caused sea levels to rise, but society has been changed by the consequences of the climate shift. Few people want to face Jordan Kell's news. He must convince Earth's new rulers that the human race is in danger of extinction unless it acts to forestall the death wave coming from the galaxy's heart.

©2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2015 Blackstone Audibooks
Adventure First Contact Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Space Exploration Interstellar Fiction Solar System Heartfelt

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Death wave

When ever I read or listen to a book buy Ben Bova, I’m always transported into a fantastic world that I love.

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unsatisfying conclusion

the end was rubbish. sure some of the bad guys get taken down but the ones you want to get beaten the most dont, and while yeah its in a series it left a bad enough taste in my mouth i wont continue it.

it tells a complex political story ok. but it does seem to tread water alot just to tell 3 more points of view before you get to any kind of payoff.

more then 3/4 of the book is us watching the protagonists basically being helpless. the female protagonist is white knighted and princess in the castle on this one and its just tedious to see her roll over and do what everyone says, its like shes had s lobotomy

very dissapointing.

edging with no release. not worth it.

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Political focus more than adventurous scifi described.

I was a bit disappointed with this initial series novel. The description got me roped in, with one of the first deep space voyage crew, returning to earth with a serious warning of what was on its way. With the potential to wipe the human race out of existence completely if nothing was done before the Death Wave arrived. Sounds like it's going to be an exciting ride, right!

Wrong. The majority of the story focused on the politics in play, with the current leader of, who has been altered by technology to extend her life, so she could sit in control longer than any normal human could. Totally corrupt and self-serving, as most in power are. Determined to stop Kell getting out his message about the Death Wave to the public, the bulk of the story is centred around her politically manoeuvring things to stop Kell giving public interviews which would undermine her long-held position in office. Especially with elections looming, and the lengths she was willing to go to, to remain in power.

I ended up pretty bored & frustrated with this story, which wasn't as much about the pending doom of the human race as expected, but more about political control being threatened & all the manoeuvring to keep hold of that power by one individual.

I get there's to be some political effects required in a story like this, especially when a global response is needed to such a problem. But focusing mostly on the threat to one leader's grasp on political control was really unnecessary & boring.

Not a good start to a series that was supposed to be about the interstellar incident barreling towards earth.

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one dimensional characters

I usually enjoy Ben Bova, but this one wasn't very enjoyable because all the characters were completely one dimensional.
Sometimes 1D characters are fine in a sci-fi when the real story is about an idea or world or tech, but this story is really about the politics of an issue. Stories about politics are stories about people, so you need good characters to carry it

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