Ben Bova
Ben Bova | |
---|---|
Born | Benjamin William Bova November 8, 1932 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | November 29, 2020 Naples, Florida, U.S. | (aged 88)
Occupation |
|
Education | South Philadelphia High School Temple University University at Albany, SUNY (MA) California Coast University (EdD) |
Genre | Science fiction |
Notable awards | Inkpot Award,[1] Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor |
Spouse |
Rosa Cucinotta
(m. 1953; div. 1974)Barbara Berson Rose
(m. 1974; died 2009) |
Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932 – November 29, 2020) was an American
Personal life and education
Ben Bova was born on November 8, 1932, in Philadelphia. He graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1949. In 1953, while attending Temple University in Philadelphia, he married Rosa Cucinotta; they had a son and a daughter. The couple divorced in 1974. That year he married Barbara Berson Rose.[4] Barbara Bova died on September 23, 2009.[5] Bova dedicated his 2011 novel Power Play to Barbara. In March 2013, he announced on his website that he had remarried, to Rashida Loya.[2]
Bova was an
He went back to school in the 1980s, earning a Master of Arts degree in communications in 1987 from the State University of New York at Albany and a Doctor of Education degree from California Coast University in 1996.[2]
Bova died from COVID-19-related pneumonia and a stroke on November 29, 2020, at the age of 88.[8]
Career
Bova worked as a technical writer for Project Vanguard in the 1950s and later for the Avco Everett Research Laboratory[9]
In 1972, Bova became editor of Analog Science Fact & Fiction, after John W. Campbell's death in 1971. At Analog, Bova won six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor.[10]
Bova served as the science advisor for the television series The Starlost (1973),[10][11] resigning as he lacked the "contractual right to remove his name from the credits."[12] His novel The Starcrossed, loosely based on his experiences, featured a characterization of his friend and colleague Harlan Ellison as "Ron Gabriel".[13] In 1974, he co-wrote the screenplay for an episode of the children's science-fiction television series Land of the Lost, titled "The Search".[14] After leaving Analog in 1978, Bova went on to edit Omni, from 1978 to 1982.[10]
Bova held the position of President Emeritus of the
In 2000, he attended the 58th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 2000) as the Author Guest of Honor.[17] In 2007, Stuber/Parent Productions hired him as a consultant to provide insight into what the world may look like in the near future, for their film Repo Men (2010) starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker. Also in 2007 he provided consulting services to Silver Pictures on the film adaptation of Richard K. Morgan's hardboiled cyberpunk science-fiction novel Altered Carbon (2002). He was awarded the Robert A. Heinlein Award in 2008 for his work in science fiction.[18]
Bibliography
As of February 2016[update], Bova had written over 124 books in various genres.[19] He edited several works, including The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two (1973)[20] and Nebula Awards Showcase 2008.[21] He wrote the Grand Tour novel series about exploration and colonization of the Solar System by humans. Reviewing a collection of 12 of the series published in 2004, The New York Times described Bova as "the last of the great pulp writers".[22]
References
- ^ "Inkpot Award". Comic-Con International: San Diego. December 6, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Official Website". Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
- ISBN 9780765330178.
- ISBN 978-1-55862-179-4.
- ^ "Locus sf&f news: Barbara Bova Dies". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
- ^ Gutsch, Bonnie. "Ben Bova". FFRF Website. Freedom From Religion Foundation. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ Bova, Ben (July 22, 2012). "Ben Bova: History says atheists just as moral as believers". naplesnews.com. Scripps Newspaper Group. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- Science Fiction Writers of America; published November 30, 2020; retrieved November 30, 2020
- ^ Bova, Ben (February 14, 2009). "Ben Bova: We need more of Kantrowitz's 'impure research'". Naples Daily News. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012.
- ^ Canadian Press. October 20, 1979. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
- .
- ISBN 978-1-4299-8796-7.
- ISBN 978-0-8142-0892-2.
- ISBN 978-1-4766-0784-9.
- ^ "National Space Society Governor Ben Bova Biography". National Space Society. August 3, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- .
- ^ Halevi, Charles Chi (August 27, 2000). "Science fiction is fun for fen". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 28.
- Locus Publications. 2008. Archived from the originalon April 23, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ "Ben Bova". www.benbova.net. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
- OCLC 12264899
- OCLC 192027364.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Works by Ben Bova at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Ben Bova at Internet Archive
- Works by Ben Bova at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Works by Ben Bova at Open Library
- Ben Bova at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Ben Bova at the Internet Book List
- Ben Bova discography at Discogs
- Obituary Archived April 18, 2021, at the Analog