Ben Bova Books in Order
138 books are credited to Ben Bova, published between 1959 and 2025; 5 of them appeared after Ben Bova's death in 2020. The first book is The Star Conquerors (1959) and the newest is Pluto (2025). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 138
- Published
- 1959–2025
- Confirmed
- 138 of 138 titles
- Pages on record
- 33,079 in 99 of 138 books
- Reading time
- 551–827 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 33,079 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 99 of 138 titles with a page count on record.
Ben Bova, born Benjamin William Bova on November 8, 1932, was an American writer and editor whose career lasted 60 years; Bova died on November 29, 2020. As editor of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Bova won the Hugo Award six times, later served as editorial director of Omni, and was president of both the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. The catalogue holds 138 books of science fiction and science fact, from The Star Conquerors (1959) to Pluto (2025). Non-fiction such as The Milky Way Galaxy (1961) sits beside series including Grand Tour, Orion, Kinsman, Sam Gunn, Jake Ross and the Star Quest Trilogy. Subjects name space opera, lunar bases, space stations and space colonies.
How many Ben Bova books are there?
Ben Bova has 138 books, released between 1959 and 2025. 5 of them were published after Ben Bova's death in 2020. They include 9 separate series.
Ben Bova Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 138 Ben Bova books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 119592163/4
- 21961–3/4
- 31962–3/4
- 419642243/4
- 51964–3/4
- 61965–3/4
- 71967–3/4
- 81968–3/4
- 919682883/4
- 1019692563/4
- 111970–3/4
- 121970–3/4
- 1319712023/4
- 141971–3/4
- 151971–3/4
- 1619711223/4
- 1719721853/4
- 1819722883/4
- 1919732853/4
- 2019733203/4
- 211973–3/4
- 2219731593/4
- 2319731393/4
- 2419732143/4
- 2519731263/4
- 2619742063/4
- 271974–3/4
- 281974–3/4
- 291974673/4
- 3019752143/4
- 3119752233/4
- 3219751273/4
- 3319751933/4
- 3419751233/4
- 351976–3/4
- 3619761763/4
- 371976–3/4
- 3819772223/4
- 3919771143/4
- 4019771223/4
- 411978–3/4
- 4219784993/4
- 4319792803/4
- 4419814003/4
- 4519812923/4
- 4619823193/4
- 4719821783/4
- 481984–3/4
- 4919842853/4
- 5019843433/4
- 5119853923/4
- 5219853103/4
- 5319863443/4
- 5419862883/4
- 5519863843/4
- 5619872543/4
- 571988–3/4
- 5819883373/4
- 5919883473/4
- 6019883503/4
- 6119892833/4
- 621990–3/4
- 6319903523/4
- 6419903203/4
- 651990–3/4
- 6619903043/4
- 6719903373/4
- 681992–3/4
- 6919925493/4
- 7019924803/4
- 71Are We Alone In The Cosmos? The Guide To The Search For Extraterrestrial IntelligenceBen Bova Non-Fiction #301992 · 354 pages · confirmed 3/419923543/4
- 7219934063/4
- 7319933523/4
- 7419932563/4
- 751994–3/4
- 7619942943/4
- 771994–3/4
- 78The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That SellsBen Bova Non-Fiction #311994 · 218 pages · confirmed 3/419942183/4
- 791995–3/4
- 8019954643/4
- 8119965603/4
- 8219975013/4
- 83Space Travel: A Writer's Guide to the Science of Interplanetary and Interstellar TravelScience Fiction Writing #321997 · 273 pages · confirmed 3/419972733/4
- 8419982883/4
- 8519984993/4
- 8619995443/4
- 871999–3/4
- 8820004053/4
- 8920004163/4
- 9020014323/4
- 9120014643/4
- 9220024003/4
- 932002–3/4
- 9420034803/4
- 952004–3/4
- 9620044323/4
- 9720043523/4
- 9820053363/4
- 9920054483/4
- 10020064323/4
- 10120063683/4
- 1022007–3/4
- 10320074003/4
- 10420084323/4
- 10520094643/4
- 10620095283/4
- 1072010–3/4
- 1082010–3/4
- 10920103693/4
- 11020103173/4
- 1112011–3/4
- 1122011–3/4
- 11320115003/4
- 11420124063/4
- 11520133573/4
- 11620133673/4
- 11720133843/4
- 11820143343/4
- 11920143643/4
- 12020144323/4
- 12120153633/4
- 12220156883/4
- 12320154113/4
- 12420164163/4
- 12520164323/4
- 12620164323/4
- 12720173353/4
- 1282017–3/4
- 12920183673/4
- 1302019–3/4
- 1312020–3/4
- 13220203843/4
- 13320203523/4
- 1342021–3/4
- 13520212333/4
- 1362022–3/4
- 1372023–3/4
- 1382025–3/4
Ben Bova books grouped by series
Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.
Ben Bova Non-Fiction
35 books35 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Grand Tour in order
27 books- 1. Privateers
- 2. Mars
- 3. Empire Builders
- 4. Moonrise
- 4. The Return
- 5. Moonwar
- 6. Return to Mars
- 7. Venus
- 8. Jupiter
- 9. The Precipice
- 10. The Rock Rats
- 11. Saturn
- and 15 more in the table above
Ben Bova Standalone Novels
25 books25 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Ben Bova Short Story
17 books17 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Orion in order
6 booksSam Gunn in order
4 booksJake Ross in order
4 booksWatchmen/The Others in order
3 booksBen Bova Short Stories/Novellas
3 books3 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Exiles in order
3 booksVoyagers in order
3 booksKinsman in order
2 books- 1. Millennium
- 2. Kinsman
Star Quest Trilogy in order
2 books- 2. Apes and Angels
- 3. Survival
To Save the Sun Series in order
1 bookBillionaire's Club in order
1 book- 1. Mars, Inc.
Gordon R. Dickson Standalone Novels
1 book1 title published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Science Fiction Writing in order
1 bookBen Bova Books in Chronological Order
By publication date, the Ben Bova books run from The Star Conquerors (1959) to Pluto (2025), the sequence in the table above. No separate story order is recorded for Ben Bova in the book listings this catalogue merges, so publication order is the only order on record.
Do you have to read Ben Bova books in order?
You only need to read Ben Bova books in order within each series: the books listed here span 9 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.
Where to start with Ben Bova
Start with The Star Conquerors (1959), the earliest published title.
What is the newest Ben Bova book?
Pluto (2025) is the newest Ben Bova book released so far.
Is there a new Ben Bova book coming?
No next Ben Bova book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Awards Ben Bova has won
Wikidata records 8 awards and 17 nominations for Ben Bova. The most recent 12 are listed here. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2007Wonfor Titan
- Inkpot Award1985Won
- Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor1979Won
- Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor1977Won
- Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor1976Won
- Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor1975Won
- Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor1974Won
- Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor1973Won
- Locus Award for Best Novelette2000Shortlistedfor Mount Olympus
- Locus Award for Best Short Story1997Shortlistedfor Appointment in Sinai
- Locus Award for Best Short Story1995Shortlistedfor Inspiration
- Nebula Award for Best Short Story1995Shortlistedfor Inspiration
Ben Bova at a glance
- Died
- Ben Bova died in 2020, according to Wikidata.
- After death
- Books credited to Ben Bova are still being published after Ben Bova's death in 2020; the newest appeared in 2025.
- Release pace
- Ben Bova books have appeared more than one a year on average.
- Length
- 33,079 pages across the 99 of 138 books with a recorded length, a median of 344 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Ben Bova books, 33 of 138, were published in the 1970s.
What the Ben Bova books are about
105 of the 138 Ben Bova books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: science fiction is tagged on 59 of 105. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Science fiction 59 of 105 books
- Space opera 15 of 105 books
- Exploration 11 of 105 books
- Juvenile literature 9 of 105 books
- Life on other planets 9 of 105 books
- Popular works 6 of 105 books
- Science 5 of 105 books
- Astronauts 4 of 105 books
- Fiction in English 4 of 105 books
- Lunar bases 4 of 105 books
- Science fiction, hard science fiction 4 of 105 books