Power Play by Ben Bova; Unabridged MP3 Audio Book; Narrator Stefan Rudnicki

Dr. Jake Ross, a university astronomer, wants nothing more than to teach a few classes each semester and continue his research. Instead, he finds himself aggressively recruited to be the science advisor to Frank Tomlinson, an ambitious politician with his eye on the US Senate. Tomlinson is in need of an edge that will allow him to defeat his opponent at the polls, and Dr. Ross can contribute just that: MHD.

MHD, or magnetohydrodynamics, is a new innovation that will allow electricity to be generated efficiently and cheaply. The Senate seat is essentially guaranteed if Tomlinson can deliver unlimited energy to voters at less than half the price of nuclear power. But MHD is still in its infancy, and although the outlook is extremely promising there are great—and deadly—risks.

The incumbent senator will not give up his seat without a fight, and as Ross discovers, the world of politics carries its own dangers. Nothing has prepared him for the extreme tactics that desperate and powerful people are willing to use.

Power Play is a timely thrill ride by Ben Bova, one of science fiction’s most respected novelists.

Ben Bova, born November 8, 1932, is one of the foremost American science fiction writers, a position he’s enjoyed for over fifty years. He began as a technical writer in the ’50s and ’60s, first for the US Naval Research Laboratory and later for Avco Everett, where he was involved in research on lasers and fluid dynamics. He first began writing science fiction in the late ’50s and early ’60s with his Watchmen series. In 1972 he became the editor of Analog Science Fiction and six years later went on to edit Omni Magazine. In 1973 he first got into the film business, working as a science advisor for the television series The Starlost. However he left the show in disgust after the airing of the first episode. During this time he wrote many books, and in 1974 he wrote his first television screenplay for the Saturday morning children’s series Land of the Lost. In the ’80s and ’90s he went back to school and earned several degrees. During this time he also served as president for several organizations, including the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Bova has written over 115 books of varying types including science fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction. He writes primarily from personal knowledge which includes—among lasers, spaceflight, nanotechnology, etc.—fencing, martial arts, environmentalism, and photography. He continues to write and has also been providing various consulting services to projects in Hollywood, including the 2010 film Repo Men.