Powersat is one of the latest titles by long-time sci-fi author Ben Bova. Bova is a prolific author. His numerous tomes are full of futuristic technology, but the technology never takes the forefront; rather, it just provides the setting for classic themes of exploration, ambition, love, and revenge. Powersat is no exception.

Powersat is set in the near future, and features an inventor who is trying to set up a geosynchronous satellite that will collect solar energy and transmit it to Earth via “widely dispersed” microwaves. The worldwide oil syndicates, worried that the demand for oil might be decreased, sabotage his efforts, and the conflict ensues. The hero, trying to identify the villians and stop them; the villians, trying to continue to stay under the radar while continuing their sabotage.

There aren’t a lot of suprises in Powersat. The characters do about what you’d expect, and the hero is successful as you would expect. Mr. Bova is pushing his favorable views of space exploration and invention here, with a story that, if not superb, is certainly at least sufficient to carry the message. Still, it was a distracting, lightweight read, another enjoyable book from Ben Bova.