- Series
- | Authors
- | Book Release Calendar
- | Search |
- Genres
- | Newsletter
- Welcome to FictionDB, Guest
- | My Account
- | Help
The Grand Tour — by Ben Bova
The Grand Tour Series in Order: 24 books
-
Empire Builders
Book - 2
"Solid action-adventure/ politicking/consciousness-raising from a veteran pro" features a rebel billionaire rescuing earth from ecological disaster (Kirkus Reviews). Dan Randolph never plays by the rules. A hell-raising maverick with no patience ...
-
The Precipice
Book - 8
The Asteroid Wars have begun.... Dan Randolph is one of the richest men on Earth--a planet spiralling into environmental disaster. His bitter rival, Martin Humphries, is the fabulously wealthy heir to the Humphries Trust. Both men know that space-...
-
The Rock Rats
Book - 9
Visionary space industrialist Dan Randolph is dead-but his protégé, pilot Pancho Barnes, now sits on the board of his conglomerate. She has her work cut out for her. For Randolph's rival, Martin Humphries, still wants to control Astro and still wan...
-
-
Tales of the Grand Tour
Book - 11
Tales of humanity's near-future exploration of the Solar System, from a science fiction master and 6-time Hugo Award -- winning author."Bova's tales encompass good characters, high-tension adventure, thoughtful introspection, and a sense of wonder." ...
-
The Silent War
Book - 12
Ben Bova's The Silent War is the breakneck continuation to The Asteroid Wars series that can end only in earth's salvation--or the annihilation of all that humankind has ever accomplished in space. When corporations go to war, standard business p...
-
The Aftermath
Book - 16
In the wake of the Asteroid Wars that tore across the solar system, Victor Zacharius makes his living running the ore-carrier Syracuse. With his wife and two children he plies the Asteroid Belt, hauling whatever cargo can be found. When the Syracuse ...
-
The Return
Book - 18
In the 1980s, an alien starship visited Earth. While investigating what appeared to be a sarcophagus bearing the preserved body of its builder, astronaut Keith Stoner was trapped and cryogenically frozen. After his body was eventually returned to Ear...
-
Leviathans of Jupiter
Book - 19
In Ben Bova's novel JUPITER, physicist Grant Archer led an expedition into Jupiter's hostile planetwide ocean, attempting to study the unusual and massive creatures that call the planet their home. Unprepared for the hostile environment and crushing ...
-
-
Death Wave
Book - 22
In Ben Bova's previous novel New Earth, Jordan Kell led the first human mission beyond the solar system. They discovered the ruins of an ancient alien civilization. But one alien AI survived, and it revealed to Jordan Kell that an explosion in the bl...
-
Apes and Angels
Book - 23
Humankind headed out to the stars not for conquest, nor exploration, nor even for curiosity. Humans went to the stars in a desperate crusade to save intelligent life wherever they found it. A wave of death is spreading through the Milky Way galax...
Series Premise
The Grand Tour series explores humanity’s efforts to explore and settle the solar system through individual stories focused on different planets and missions. Each book examines the scientific, political, and human drama involved in turning ambitious dreams into reality.
The Grand Tour Series Reading Order
🟡 Mostly Standalone · Start Anywhere
Mostly standalone stories with recurring characters in a shared setting.
The Grand Tour series does not need to be read in order. Each book tells a complete story with its own resolution centered on a specific planet or mission. Continuity is limited to recurring characters and the shared future history of solar system exploration. Reading out of order does not cause confusion, as every volume clearly establishes its setting and characters while delivering an independent narrative.
Explanation of reading order types
The Grand Tour Series Characters
Each book features different protagonists, typically scientists, engineers, or astronauts leading ambitious missions. Recurring figures such as visionary leaders and key team members occasionally appear across stories, linking the broader exploration effort.
Setting of the The Grand Tour Series
The series is set in a plausible near-future solar system, with individual books taking place on Mars, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter’s moons, and other locations where humans push the boundaries of exploration.
Tone & Themes of the The Grand Tour Series
The tone is realistic and optimistic hard science fiction with political and personal drama. Central themes include human ambition and resilience, the ethics of colonization, scientific discovery versus political interference, and the challenges of living in hostile environments.
Is the The Grand Tour Series Worth Reading?
This series appeals to readers who enjoy realistic space exploration stories, detailed hard science fiction, and character-driven narratives about humanity’s future in space. It suits fans of authors like Arthur C. Clarke or Kim Stanley Robinson who want thoughtful, grounded visions of solar system settlement.
Content Warnings and Heat Level
Moderate political tension and peril consistent with space exploration; suitable for adult and mature young adult readers.
The Grand Tour series offers standalone stories of human ambition across the solar system. Its mostly standalone structure with a consistent future history makes it easy to enjoy any book. The focus on realistic science, politics, and personal courage creates compelling visions of humanity’s expansion into space.
Books in this series fall into the following genres
Age Level
Sub-Genres
People / Creatures
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Top Series in Science Fiction