Empire Builders by Ben Bova (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Title: Empire Builders
Series: Grand Tour
Author: Ben Bova
Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Duration: 11 hours, 49 minutes
Copyright: 2010
Genres: science fiction, environment
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Blackstone Audio.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Dan Randolph never plays by the rules. A hell-raising maverick with no patience for fools, he is admired by his friends, feared by his enemies, and desired by the world's loveliest women. Acting as a 21st privateer, Randolph broke the political strangle-hold on space exploration, and became one of the world's richest men in the bargain.
Now an ecological crisis threatens Earth—and the same politicians that Randolph outwitted the first time want to impose a world dictatorship to deal with it.
Dan Randolph knows that the answer lies in more human freedom, not less—and in the boundless resources of space. But can he stay free long enough to give the world that chance?
©1993 Ben Bova (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: On Ben Bova’s Wikipedia page, there is a list of all of the Grand Tour books, presented in the suggested reading order, which is not necessarily the order they were written in. Empire Builders is third on the list, and provides some background information on a few of the characters who are prominent in several of the books. Dan Randolph, Big George Ambrose, the Yamagata family, and Kate and Kimberly Williams are all introduced here, and Ben Bova’s character development is top-notch as always.
As with many other science fiction writers, Ben Bova displays a good deal of knowledge and concern for some of the problems facing humanity. In Empire Builders, the main topic is global warming. The characters in the audiobook find themselves facing a “greenhouse cliff”, a maximum of ten years before the planet’s climate begins to shift dramatically. As in our own reality, some of the novel’s characters work to alleviate the problem, while others look for ways to profit from it. I like to see people addressing these issues, even if only to raise awareness.
Ben Bova’s Grand Tour series has become one of my favorites in the science fiction genre. I’m very pleased that Blackstone Audio has made some of these available in audio, and I hope they continue working on the series.

NARRATOR: Stefan Rudnicki has narrated quite a few of Ben Bova’s audiobooks, and a lot of other science fiction audiobooks as well. He always does a good job. Ben Bova typically uses a lot of characters from different parts of the world, and Stefan Rudnicki handles the various accents and dialects well.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Mars by Ben Bova (Audiobook Review)
Venus by Ben Bova (Audiobook Review)
Voyagers by Ben Bova (Audiobook Review)

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Empire Builders” by Ben Bova (Unabridged Audiobook) from Blackstone Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
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