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Voyagers cover art

Voyagers

By: Ben Bova
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Ben Bova
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Summary

Stoner knew. The fiery object hurtling toward the Earth was an alien spacecraft. But the world might never know. He was trapped in an iron cordon of secrecy, for the discovery had shattered the world power balance, setting off a brutal struggle for supremacy that raged from the sacred halls of the Vatican to the corridors of the Kremlin and the Pentagon. The forces of fear and treachery would use any weapon at their command, from mind war to sabotage, to keep the world in darkness.

Aided by a brilliant Soviet linguist and a lovely young student, Stoner planned a desperate mission, a wild, heart-stopping gamble to preserve the legacy of the star voyager for all mankind.

©1981 Ben Bova (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"The most plausible and convincing account I have ever read of how the human race might really react to first contact." ( Analog)
" Voyagers marks the return of one of SF's pros to his favorite subject: first contact. The bureaucratic politics of space is classic Bova...and the sense of awe when Stoner finally gazes upon an alien is pure art." ( Chicago Tribune)

What listeners say about Voyagers

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Classic Sci-Fi beautifully narrated

This is the first book in the Voyagers trilogy - and it's all three books that tell the complete story. Fortunately, Audible has them all available. Even better, they are all narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, a maestro at accents who tells the entire tale with great skill and compassion.

The trilogy tells the story of Keith Stoner, an astrophysicist and ex-astronaut who is the first to discover that the solar system is being visited by an extra-terrestrial spacecraft. Voyagers I covers the story of Stoner going out to space to rendezvous with the alien visitor. In Voyagers II we find that Stoner was fundamentally changed by the experience. In Voyagers III, we see how these changes impact upon the whole evolution of the human race.

It's a great story, classic science fiction by one of the literary heroes of my youth. I recommend the entire trilogy.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bit dated now but a good story.

The story is set in a time before the collapse of the soviet union and when computing is still in its infancy. However this does not detract from the story, it's still a good listen and worth your time.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Vastly Underrated Sci Fi Gem

I remember reading this novella in the hazy summer of 1982. My first “adult” sci fi novel and it captured me completely. A thrilling story of love, geopolitical observations, and sideline in espionage. With First Contact as the centrepiece. Now in the 21st Century we have still to make First Contact. I hope that we soon will.

This story is the first of three novels featuring Stoner and Jo. I bought the first in a book sale, and the other two i bought off the bookshelves brand new.

Ben Bova is a master sci fi writer who entertains and captures the imagination. The Voyagers trilogy should have been picked up by Hollywood and made into a blockbuster film. It would still work today with adaptations to the current geopolitical realities.

The Audible version of the story is fabulous and makes for superb bed time listening. And bringing back my early teenage excitement of such a good read!!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The Story Literally Runs Out of Puff

interesting storyline marred by some of thr stories characters seeming to be schizophrenic as their personalities change for no discernable reason and the story just running out of puff.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Ok(ish)

Far too much badly done sex, too little Sci fi.
Far too many quotes that were known to be nonsense even in the 1970s,they need editing out, they add nothing to story and are just annoying today.

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