It feels like Ben Bova is 1/ cheaply educated, I mean full of prejudices and ignorance although they've probably been acquired in expensive schools anyway, 2/ trained by secret societies (indirectly) in conventional theology and history, 3/ not willing to dedicate much time and energy to build a story, yet willing to use as tricks all the good ideas that he grabbed elsewhere, that were basically told to him by others.
The result is kind of annoying, there IS good stuff in there, but to dig it out one must put up with heaps of cheap tricks, and cheap writing. I'll dig them out, but I know this is no litterary masterpiece, just cheap writing with a few good ideas that are not his. I just wish Mr Ben Bova did some real work with these ideas, or that i found another author who does it. In the end it doesn't matter that much. I'll use this messenger as I'd use another one who would be a real artist.
