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The Jovian Dilemma

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The Jovian Dilemma

By: John L. Flynn
Narrated by: Geoffrey Boyes
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Life on the planet Jupiter? Former Senator Mitchell Ryan had always been told the violent, storm-tossed world was devoid of life. He had dismissed rumors of a strange life form living in the energy rich atmosphere as mere fantasy. In a solar system gone mad with civil war, the last thing he needed was an unknown factor to complicate his mission to supply critical energy resources to Earth and its fracturing colonial empire. But he soon discovers the Jovians are the least of his worries. Confronted with several mysterious deaths, sabotage, and similar acts of terrorism - possibly perpetrated by wealthy politicians who profit from the current crisis of fear - Ryan faces a dilemma that will change his life and determine the fate of the solar system forever. A suspense thriller with elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Contact, you'll be kept on the edge of your seat until the end.

©2019 John L. Flynn (P)2019 John L. Flynn First Contact Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Fiction Solar System Thought-Provoking Mind-Bending
Believable Characters • Thought-provoking Concepts • Original Storyline • Environmental Message • Suspenseful Plot
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I had not planned to write a review of this work. Just leave 5 stars across the board for such an extraordinary work. But when I read a recent, totally biased, juvenile and clearly uninformed review, I knew that I needed to defend this excellent work from the fan boys of the world who only read comic books while living in their parent's basement. Those comments reveal no experience with real science fiction, except for - perhaps - what was gleaned from comic books and sci-fi movies. I see nothing wrong with Styrofoam cups on a space station, particularly when they are ultimately going to be recycled into a new cup. And yes, we have that technology now, and I see no reason why it would not be employed a hundred years from now. I suppose you're going to stock the station with your mother's favorite china? I really don't think so. I also contend the details are very well researched; in fact, Flynn has proven he has a powerful imagination, considering that when the book was written in 2005, many of the discoveries that we have made about Jupiter since then were just theories and have now been proven as fact. Only a visionary would be able to make such speculation and have it come true. Yes, that is the genuine trademark of a great science fiction writer! When you compare The Jovian Dilemma with other works in the current science fiction marketplace, the other works are all the poor, derivative copies of superhero and sci-fi rip-offs, while Flynn's work is a true work of genius. Throw away your comic books, and start reading the good stuff from Heinlein and Clarke and Asimov. Once you do read some of the masters, you'll find that Flynn is following in their footsteps as one of the new masters of science fiction.

Great Work! Visionary Speculation Come True!

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The Jovian Dilemma is a first-contact story about humanity’s initial interactions with an alien species that lives in the gaseous depths of the planet Jupiter. The Jovians do not look or act like humans; they do not build structures, write great books or chronicle their histories, fight wars, or even share a familiar culture. They are not unlike the great whales or dolphins of earth’s oceans, and that gives rise to many questions and speculations in the book about their sentience as beings. What does it mean to be “sentient”? Are children born with Downs Syndrome somehow less “sentient” than those who earn Ph.D.s from the great universities? What about our dogs and other pets? Don’t they seem to function like they are tuned into our intellectual and emotional needs? People on either extreme of the argument will likely miss the point of the book: Do we as humans have the right to destroy the natural environment of the Jovians in order to mine precious resources that are needed on earth and throughout its colonies on Mars and in the solar system? That is the fundamental dilemma in the story. Environmental activists who are concerned with the current crisis of climate change on earth will see their concerns raised in the hard sf imagination of the author who, like Clarke or Baxter, views speculative fiction as the perfect medium in which to express our concerns about today’s problems. I enjoyed every minute of the audio book.

Excellent Hard SF! Great Philosophical Discussion!

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The Jovian Dilemma is one of the BEST science fiction novels I've read this year. It has action, romance, adventure on a grand scale, social commentary, engaging characters, remarkable aliens (--gotta love those Jovians!!--), mystery, suspense, scientific speculation about our future, great writing, and not a single cute robot or light sabre in sight. Okay, so when does the movie come out? Can't wait to see those special effects!

One of the Best SF Novels I've Read This Year!

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Does Mankind have the right to destroy the environment and intelligent lifeforms of one of its closest neighbors in the solar system in order to save itself from extinction? There’s a real mystery at the heart of the story, with intrigue, suspense, and thriller aspects, with both a saboteur and an assassin aboard the space station. Both are willing to destroy the station at the cost of their own lives in order to fulfill an agenda that is hidden below the surface.

When Flynn wrote the book originally in 2006, he made certain guesses and speculations that have come true, and that makes him a kind of prophet or wizard with a crystal ball as far as I am concerned.  I take exception with the reviewer who left only two stars on Amazon for the author’s imaginative efforts.  Obviously, the reviewer’s view was so myopic that he could not find the forest because all of the trees were blocking him from seeing it.  Simply because the author did not have an explanation of how they were going to move the rare resource doesn’t rate a 2 or 3-star demotion. 

In 2006, Flynn speculated that liquid metallic hydrogen, which would eventually prove to be powerful enough to run an entire city, was in Jupiter’s atmosphere; he didn’t know it then - no one did - but he made an educated guess that science has now proven to be factual.  The author was much more interested in telling a first-contact story about humans meeting Jovians than writing a how-too book about moving natural resources from Jupiter around. You should remember that this IS a work of speculative fiction, not a science text book.  I challenge that reviewer to write a better story than the one that Flynn has written.  From my perspective, it is not only well written, with great characters and ideas, but also well researched.  Science fiction novels don’t get much better than this.

Good Dramatic Moments! Great Social Commentary!

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The Jovian Dilemma is an impressive achievement which reads like a mystery-thriller but also raises questions that you’ll be discussing long after the book is over. I enjoyed this audio book very much!
It explores some deep philosophical questions about the nature of life in the universe, and owes a debt to 2001: A Space Odyssey and Arthur C. Clarke. The writing and characterization are superior to much of the genre today which seems less about true speculation and more about telling insipid adventure stories or retelling the current crop of sci-fi or superhero movies. I found this imaginative work incredibly refreshing. It is a welcome return to the great books, like Stranger in a Strange Land and Childhood’s End, which made science fiction the literature of ideas.

A Welcome Return to “Speculative” Fiction! Love it

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First, let me say that I am NOT a fan of science fiction. I find most of it pretty silly stuff, with little social or cultural value. With that said, I was very surprised by The Jovian Dilemma. It literally changed my mind about how great SF can be! The story is profound and on a completely different level from most of the other books in the genre. This book is a great one for those who dislike the current crop of science fiction. The characters are all three-dimensional, including the selfish, vain politician who takes control of the space station and ultimately changes to be a trustworthy caretaker for the Jovians, and speaking of the Jovians, they are the most interesting aliens I have ever seen portrayed in literary or cinematic form. Cloud Dancer stands out as one of the most interesting characters in the novel, and I liked most of the characters in the piece. The details about the space station appear to be thoroughly researched and presented in such a way that it's not a bunch of gobbledygook but speculative science one step beyond our current knowledge. The writing is crisp and easy to read, and I cannot say enough things about the plot which charmed me and got me thinking about science fiction in a completely new light. If you are looking for a real story about real people under extraordinary events, like first contact, you're going to like this story as much as I did. I love this book, and I highly recommend it to all readers.

Changed My Mind about How Great SF Can Be!

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First, let me say that I don't like most contemporary science fiction. The Golden Age of Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, L. Ron Hubbard, Robert Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury has given way to uninspired, cliché-ridden stories about the military fighting aliens on cardboard worlds or alternate histories that are not all that alternate. Science fiction used to be the literature of ideas and ideals. Most modern sf is pretty lame, with the occasional work of brilliant genius. Robert Sawyer's Calculating God was a truly welcome surprise, for example. I am also pleased to say The Jovian Dilemma by Hugo-nominee John Flynn is equally brilliant and full of real genius. In the next century, part of the solar system is colonized and at war because of limited, natural resources. A rare form of energy is discovered in the atmosphere of Jupiter, and the race is on by competing powers to control that new resource. The earth has sent a Republican senator to oversee the project, and in a page stolen from today's political climate, he may be tainted by his association with previous, nefarious powers that seek to profit from the discovery on Jupiter. The real discovery, however, is that there is a very unusual lifeform, living in the Jovian atmosphere, which may or may not be sentient. Do we give into the politics of the power and greed, or protect the Jovian's natural environment? That is the dilemma. This very rare work of science fiction stands head-and-shoulders above most of the dreck that is produced today, and is a welcome throwback to Clarke and Asimov, asking very real questions about man's place in the cosmos, what determines sentience, and where did we all come from. I was hooked right from the beginning, and loved this book! It deserves a Hugo. If you want your mind enhanced (like a blast from the Krell educator) and want to think about the big questions science fiction used to ask, then you'll want to read this book. A welcome relief from all the crap that is out there.

Hooked from Beginning! A Throwback to Great SF!

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When I started listening to John Flynn's latest audio book, I assumed that it was yet another one of his thrillers. Only set, this time, in a science fiction locale, like a space station orbiting Jupiter. Well, it is, but it is also a whole lot more than that. Yes, there are several murders, sabotage, revenge, blackmail, espionage, and sex which are hallmarks of Flynn's Kate Dawson mystery series. I've already listened to a couple of his thrillers, and enjoyed them. What I wasn't prepared for and pleasantly surprised by was the underlying theme of the novel. The Jovian Dilemma is a cry for environmental change. Though the story is set 100 years from now, it's as much about climate change on earth and being responsible for our world's environmental problems than just protecting the Jovians and their ecological systems. I loved that aspect of the story, and I would encourage other people who are equally worried about climate change to listen to this book. A truly thoughtful work of science fiction!

A Cry for Environmental Change!

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I belong to a SF Book Club in Atlanta, and we read The Jovian Dilemma last month. All 14 members who read the book or listened to the audio book responded enthusiastically to it. The novel has a lot to say about climate change and the way in which humans consume more than our fair share of valuable resources. But there are also two other equally interesting themes as well: one dealing with first contact with the Jovians, and another one about forgiveness, sacrifice, redemption, and those very important characteristics that make us human. Author Flynn's speculations about Jupiter and the future of mankind in the Solar System as well as the Big Bang are also what make this science fiction story so thoroughly unique and remarkable. I'd say this is what SF is all about. A recent review here denigrates this novel as derivative and complains about Flynn's choice to use a styrofoam cup. There is NOTHING derivative here! Quite the contrary, the book is VERY ORIGINAL. I've never read anything quite like it before, and I've been reading SF for more than 60 years. Styrofoam is recyclable, and that is after all one of the themes of the story! Something that I have noticed over the years is the way crackpot fan boys have to tear down everything they don't understand. Maybe if they got their heads out of comic books and their parent's basements, they'd understand better. 14 members of my SF book club in Atlanta gave this book a BIG thumbs up. I concur, and so do many other reviewers. The Jovian Dilemma is a very rare find! Thanks Audible for making this into an audio book!

Big Thumbs Up from Atlanta Sci-Fi Book Club!

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As a lifelong science fiction fan, I attend 8 to 10 SF conventions a year. Some of them are relaxacons with a couple of hundred fans in attendance, and others are huge with 80-to-90 thousand people in number. I went to DragonCon this year over the Labor Day holiday, one of the huge conventions, and met author John Flynn. He was speaking about the Roswell crash in 1947 on one panel, then Project Blue Book and the notion of life in the universe on another. He was well-informed, articulate, funny, and totally compelling. I enjoyed his speeches and panel discussions. After the convention, I picked up several of his books, and started reading or listening to some of his work. They were very interesting, and I could see why Flynn had been nominated for several Hugo awards. Then I came to The Jovian Dilemma. This was clearly his masterwork, his labor of love. The book was in one word: "Fantastic." I absolutely loved it! I have read hundreds of science fiction novels over the years, and this one I would rate among the best. In the same class as Stranger in Strange Land and Dune. The story focuses on the aliens who live in the atmosphere of Jupiter. They are referred to as Jovians. They are benign creatures who feed on the energy-rich environment of Jupiter. Of course, their feeding habit puts them squarely in opposition to the humans who have come to the Gas Giant to steal their resources. This is the main conflict in the story...and where the title comes from. I've read some of the other reviews here, and of course nearly every one refers to the conflict as a critique of global warming and climate change. There is that. But what is far more interesting to me - as a lifelong science fiction fan - is the way in which the humans and Jovians attempt to make first contact. Flynn has really done his homework here, and those scenes are among the most compelling in the story. Of course, there are the usual ingredients of a sci-fi thriller, including sabotage, assassination, political intrigue, hostile environments, space travel, etc...so the kid inside you will find this all enjoyable. I cannot rate this book higher than 5 stars, which it truly deserves. I hope my review here will encourage you to read one of the finest words of recent science fiction. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. See you at the next SF convention!

Lifelong Science Fiction Fan Loves This Book!

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