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The Best of Bova: Volume 2


Volume #2 of 3 of the very best of Ben Bova, a grandmaster of science fiction storytelling. These stories span the five decades of Bova's incandescent career.

Here are tales of star-faring adventure, peril, and drama. Here are journeys into the mind-bending landscapes of virtual worlds and alternate realities. Here you'll also find stories of humanity's astounding future on Earth, on Mars and in the Solar System beyond—stories that always get the science right. And Bova's gathering of deeply realized, totally human characters are the heroic, brave, tricky, sometimes dastardly engineers, astronauts, corporate magnates, politicians, and scientists who will make these futures possible—and those who often find that the problems of tomorrow are always linked to human values, and human failings, that are as timeless as the stars.

Cover Art by Adam Burn



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This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, July 2016

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-13: 978-1-4767-8159-4
eISBN: 978-1-62579-510-6

Copyright 2016 by Ben Bova

Introduction © 2016 by Ben Bova; “The Angel’s Gift” first published in The First Omni Book of Science Fiction © January 1984; “Isolation Area” first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction © October 1984; “The Lieutenant and the Folksinger” first published in Maxwell’s Demons © September 1978; “The Next Logical Step” first published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact © May 1962; “Sword Play” first published in Escape Plus © December 1984; “The Shining Ones” first published in Notes to a Science Fiction Writer © September 1975; “The Sightseers” first published in Future City © July 1973; “The Supersonic Zeppelin” first published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact © January 2005; “The Secret Life of Henry K.” first published in Maxwell’s Demons © September 1978; “Jovian Dreams” first published in Thrilling Wonder Stories–Summer 2007 © July 2007; “Brillo” first published in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact © August 1970; “Answer, Please Answer” first published in Amazing Stories © October 1962; “The Man Who Saw “Gunga Din” Thirty Times” first published in Showcase © June 1973; “Out of Time” first published in Omni © November 1984; “Béisbol” first published in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact © November 1985; “Re-entry Shock” first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction © January 1993; “The System” first published in Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact © January 1968; “Battle Station” first published in Battle Station © October 1987; “Primary” first published in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine © February 1985; “Those Who Can” first published in Maxwell’s Demons © September 1978; “The Mask of the Rad Death” first published in Challenges © July 1993; “Thy Kingdom Come” first published in Science Fiction Age © March 1993; “Love Calls” first published in The Best of Omni Science Fiction No. 4 © 1982; “In Trust” first published in Tombs © June 1995; “Appointment in Sinai” first published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact © June 1996

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
https://www.baen.com

Electronic version by Baen Books
https://www.baen.com


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