'Moonwar' by Ben Bova. 1997
The second and final part of Ben Bova's Moon story. Like most 'classical' sci-fi I have read the actual writing isn't going to win any awards. Yet often sci-fi is used simply to convey ideas and the actual fiction is just a clumsy delivery device. The book also excels in extremely awkward descriptions of intimate relationships – unfortunately it seems all science fiction writers, from deep within their Red Dwarf themed bedrooms, make a point of excitedly describing what they imagine ‘girls’ might be like. But anyway.
Cont...
posted by Benjamin Nakizo at 11:27 AM
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The two books tell the story of Moon Base. An American government funded moon base which is bought out by a large corporation when the government losses interest. A fierce board battle rages within the company over its future since while holding much potential the base isn't making them a penny. The infighting eventually leads to the death of the CEO (and with him the lead character), so the narrative conveniently switches to his children. Brother is then pitted against half brother and this drives the narrative along. Moon Base is only safe when the pro-Moon Base brother emerges as the victor. In the ensuing fight he sustains injuries that can only be fixed by infusing his body with nano-machines.
The second book picks up the story from here. Earth has taken a not so unbelievable plunge downwards towards religious extremism and all nano technology is banned - forcing the lead character (and his internal nano machines) to permanently live in exile on Moon Base. In a rather more unreal event the world unites behind the UN who send peacekeepers to Moon Base with orders to close it down and stop it from using the banned nano technology. In response the inhabitants of Moon base (around 2000 or so) declare impendence and the scene is set for a confrontation between the Earthlings and the Lunatics.
The story is more or less irrelevant however to the ideas behind it. Life on the moon is explored in detail and feasible sounding solutions are suggested to which would allow the inhabitants to produce their own resources. Solar cells are constructed from materials on the moon and spread far and wide. Nano machines mine up the regolith (the Moon’s surface) to break it down into its component parts to provide nitrogen, helium and other essential gases/chemicals. Oxygen and water are found by hijacking passing comets (though this part is a bit sketchy and could do with some development). Nanotechnology is the key to life on the Moon according to Bova. With them you can pretty much turn anything into anything and reduce your waste output to almost zero. Spaceships of diamond and automobiles from Moon dust are just some of the ideas featured. But his vision of the future is very gritty and real, none of this ‘X-wing fighters moving like they were Spitfires nonsense’ - everything is a struggle and day-to-day life on the Moon is incredibly dangerous. This atmosphere of hardship and struggle is well developed.
Like all good sci-fi the politics of the future is also a key feature and Bova's 'New Morality' sounds spookily like America's Christian right. And the consequences of voting these fruitcakes into positions of power is demonstrated in terrifying detail. On one level the books are a retelling of the American frontier experience, with religious persecution at home allowing a band of intrepid settlers to build a world anew on virgin soil. Indeed the concept of having a habitable, and indeed, an independent Moon Base seems very attractive as it, much like the America of old, is free to develop ideas and concepts otherwise banned on an increasingly totalitarian Earth. Bova himself describes Moon Base as a pressure valve for the ideological conflicts on Earth. Much like Europe’s colonies have been for Europe since the Early Modern period.
I liked these books because while often crude they do convey a sense of wonder and a feeling of 'wow, we can do this. Wow, we must do this'. Inspirational ideas don't always come in inspirational writing - but that should in no way detract from the actual ideas. From the vision that there is a future for mankind beyond this spinning piece of cosmic debris.
Which I firmly believe there must be. And with mankind beginning to stew in its own juices we should apply ourselves to this endeavour with the utmost haste before we lose forever the ability to do so. There is no rule saying that the story of mankind is always one of progress and I fear we could be about to tip backwards, just like on Bova's earth. If that is the case we could really do with a self sufficient colony somewhere in the solar system to continue heading in the right direction and to provide us poor Earth dwellers with new hope.
We need a Moon Base of our own now more than ever.
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