I’m a little late to this one since I just found out about this from a TOR newsletter email, apparently Ben Bova died several days ago, apparently of COVID related pneumonia and a stroke. Mr. Bova was notable not only as a scientist and an author but also as the editor of Analog. Quite a few science fiction authors got their start under Bova’s guidance at the magazine - in fact, if you look down in the comments from the linked article, you’ll see one from L.E. Modesitt talking about how Ben bought his first story.
Damn. Yeah, he was wildly influential as the guiding voice of Analog and Omni for years. The guy edited a ton of up-and-coming sci-fi authors and as far as I know, everyone always had nice things to say about his mentorship.
Of course his name has floated around my consciousness as long as I can remember. I confess I think I only ever read one of his books, a rather minor thing called ‘Exiled From Earth.’
Anyway, R.I.P. I love those old school sci-fi guys.
As a young teen in the early 70s, I subscribed to Analog when he was the editor. It was a huge part of my life at the time and I eagerly awaited and poured through each monthly issue. RIP.
Vale, Mr. Bova. I remember Omni being a big deal at the time - a slick science fiction magazine! (It was literally called a slick, he explained to the young ones: it meant glossy pages instead of matte ones.) You could actually buy it at the grocery store instead of having to hunt high and low for Analog! It was a sign of science fiction getting mainstream cred and wide distribution, ironically from a publisher known for selling its wares under the counter. (Omini was put out by Penthouse’s publisher.)
