TL;DR
6/10. A useful, authoritative science-for-writers reference on spaceflight, grounding science fiction in real physics and, above all, helping a writer know which scientific rules to honor and which to break deliberately. Its 1990s sense of the frontier is dated even as its foundational physics holds, so verify current developments against newer sources. A capable grounding for hard SF.
Space Travel by Ben Bova (with Anthony R. Lewis), part of Writer’s Digest’s science-for-writers line, is a reference designed to help science-fiction writers get the science right, explaining the real principles of spaceflight and related physics so a writer can make their fiction plausible, and understand which liberties stretch credibility and which break it. Written by Bova, a respected SF author and longtime editor, it gives writers a working grounding in the science behind space travel. Reviewed as the specialized craft reference it is, it serves a real purpose, with the caveat that science references age in their own particular way.
The lens, as with these references, is craft: the value is accurate science as raw material for plausible fiction, and this review treats it as that tool, focused on what it offers a storyteller.
Getting the science right
The book’s value is translating the real science of spaceflight, orbital mechanics, propulsion, the physics and hazards of space, the realities of travel between worlds, into terms a writer can use to ground their fiction. Hard science fiction depends on plausibility, and readers of the genre often know the science well enough to catch errors, so a writer benefits from understanding what is actually possible, what is speculative but defensible, and what is simply wrong. Bova’s authority as both a scientist-minded author and an editor shows in the practical orientation: the book explains the science specifically so a writer can decide where to be accurate and where, knowingly, to bend the rules for the story.
Keep reading
Hard science fiction: getting the science plausible — Bova’s grounding in real spaceflight science, in the craft of plausible SF.
Knowing which rules to break
The most useful insight a science-for-writers book offers is not just the facts but the judgment of where they matter. Understanding the real science lets a writer make informed choices: to honor physics where accuracy enhances the story and the reader expects it, and to break it deliberately, faster-than-light travel, say, where the story requires and convention permits, rather than breaking it out of ignorance. Bova’s grounding helps a writer distinguish the defensible speculation from the careless error, which is exactly the knowledge that lets hard SF feel rigorous and even soft SF feel intentional. Knowing the rules is what makes breaking them work.
Keep reading
Writing science fiction: when to honor the science and when to bend it — the informed rule-breaking that real science knowledge enables.
The currency caveat
Science references age in a specific way: the established physics, orbital mechanics, the fundamental constraints of spaceflight, does not change, so the core of the book remains valid, but the frontier does. This book dates from the 1990s, and the cutting edge of space science and technology has advanced, new propulsion concepts, new discoveries, new understanding, so the book’s sense of what is current or near-future is dated, even though its foundational physics holds. A writer should treat the fundamentals as sound and verify anything about the current state of the art or recent developments against up-to-date sources. The bedrock is reliable; the frontier has moved.
Verdict
It is a useful, authoritative science-for-writers reference on spaceflight, valuable for grounding science fiction in real physics and, above all, for helping a writer know which scientific rules to honor and which to break deliberately. It loses ground for its 1990s vintage, which dates its sense of the frontier even as its foundational physics holds, so a writer should verify current developments against newer sources. Treat it as sound on the fundamentals and a dated starting point on the cutting edge, useful to the SF writer who wants plausibility and dated only at the frontier like its shelfmates. A capable, well-credentialed grounding for hard science fiction.
Explore the hub
The Writing Hub — science fiction, research, and the rest of the craft, gathered in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Space Travel by Ben Bova about?
A reference in Writer’s Digest’s science-for-writers line, by SF author and editor Ben Bova, explaining the real science of spaceflight, orbital mechanics, propulsion, the physics and hazards of space, so science-fiction writers can make their fiction plausible.
How is it useful to writers?
It translates real spaceflight science into terms a writer can use to ground their fiction, helping them understand what is actually possible, what is defensible speculation, and what is simply wrong, which matters because hard-SF readers often know the science well enough to catch errors.
What is its most valuable lesson?
Not just the facts but the judgment of where they matter, knowing the real science lets a writer honor physics where accuracy enhances the story and break it deliberately where the story requires, rather than breaking it out of ignorance. Knowing the rules is what makes breaking them work.
Is the science current?
The established physics, orbital mechanics, the fundamental constraints of spaceflight, does not change and remains valid, but the book dates from the 1990s, so its sense of the frontier and the current state of the art is dated and should be verified against newer sources.
Who should read it?
Science-fiction writers, especially of hard SF, who want to ground their fiction in real physics and make informed choices about plausibility, with the understanding that the fundamentals hold but the cutting-edge material is dated.
Other Books in the Science Fiction Writing Series Series
Other Books From – Astronautics
About the author
