Ben Bova
A tireless champion of hard science fiction who shaped the genre for decades as a visionary editor and best-selling author.
1932–2020 (age 88)·American writer and editor·Birthday: November 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ben Bova saw the future not as fantasy, but as an engineering problem waiting to be solved. A former technical writer for Project Vanguard, he brought a rigorous, nuts-and-bolts sensibility to science fiction, first as a prolific writer of over 120 books, and most influentially as the editor of Analog Science Fiction magazine. Taking over after the death of John W. Campbell, Bova steered the publication through the 1970s, nurturing a generation of writers who prioritized scientific plausibility. His own sprawling Grand Tour series mapped out the human colonization of the solar system, planet by planet. Beyond the page, he was a passionate and public advocate for space exploration, serving as president of the National Space Society and consulting for NASA and private aerospace firms, forever arguing that humanity's destiny lay among the stars.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ben was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2020Died at 88
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Won six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
- Authored the expansive Grand Tour novel series, depicting the systematic exploration and settlement of the solar system.
- Served as the editorial director of Omni magazine during its influential early years.
- Was elected president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) from 1990 to 1992.
- Received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for his outstanding body of work in hard science fiction.
Did You Know?
He worked as a newspaper reporter for the Milwaukee Journal early in his career.
Bova held an honorary doctorate from Emerson College.
He made a cameo appearance in the 2003 film 'The Core' as a NASA technician.
Before his fiction career took off, he wrote for the children's science TV show 'Watch Mr. Wizard'.
““The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program. And if we become extinct because we don't have a space program, it'll serve us right!””
