Orion [Anglais] [Poche]

Orion is a very interesting fun novel. After a present day incident where Orion (the Hunter) preserves the invention of fusion power, he travels back through time to critical junctures in the development of mankind to foil the plans of Ahriman, who is bent on destroying the human race. Orion seems to have no unearthly powers (he is sent back in time by God or his equivalent), and Ahriman seems to be able to control time and space, but Orion manages to perserver. Between the sequences where Orion travels backwards through time Bova also sheds some light on the god who is managing this process. I actually found that substoryline to be the most compelling part of the story after a while. It appears that this god is convinced the universe will be destroyed should Ahriman succeed and thus he needs Orion to stop him. Sounds kind of trite I know, but the historical and mystery aspects of the novel were very well done. Orion is a real page turner (turns out it is a series also).

Ben Bova has been a big name in the world of science fiction for a long time. Although he has no truly classic stories, his body of work as both an author and editor has at least carved out a niche for him. In Orion, he takes a bit of a break from his usual hard science fiction to pen a tale of the title character, divinely appointed to fight against an evil entity.

The premise to the book is intriguing enough, even if not completely original. Taking pages from various mythologies, but focusing primarily on Zoroastrianism, Bova puts Orion at war with Ahriman, a Satanic figure intent on destroying humanity. Ahriman has pinpointed certain key points in human history and tries to alter them to his benefit. Orion is out to stop him.

The story is told episodically, with Orion being reborn in different eras but with memories of his past (actually his future, since he is moving back in time) and with the same exceptional physical abilities. In every era, he also encounters a woman who he is in love with but whose true origins are a mystery to him (though not the reader).

While interesting enough in theory, this novel is only okay in execution. Bova's writing is not particularly good; while not bad either, it is rather flat and none of his characters are all that compelling. Although he has a decent enough plot twist towards the end, it is not that difficult to figure it out, and his epilogue is really bad, as it cheapens the sacrifices that the hero has made. This is not an awful book, but I know Bova is capable of better. He may never be in the top tier of science fiction writers, but this is not even second-tier material. It is mid-level quality, a basic three-star book.

Orion (1984) is the first SF novel in the Orion series. It is a tale of time travel and conflict. It starts in the near future within New York City.

In this novel, John O'Ryan is chief of marketing research for a large multinational electronics firm. Continental is making the lasers for a Controlled Thermonuclear Reactor.

Ormazd is the Golden One, a Creator from the far future. His human avatar has golden hair.

Aretha is an avatar of Anya, also a Creator from the far future.

Ahriman is a huminoid from the far past. He is dark and has red eyes.

In this story, O'Ryan decides to eat in a restaurant in midtown Manhattan. A woman is sitting at a table near him. Two men enter the restaurant separately, but both sit at the bar. One has golden hair and the other is dark looking.

Then someone opens the door to the kitchen and throws in a grenade pn the floor near O'Ryan. He yells and throws himself at the woman, carrying her to the floor with him on top. The grenade goes off and kills some diners, but O'Ryan is unharmed and the woman only has a gash on her forehead.

Police and ambulances arrive and treat the woman. Afterward, O'Ryan goes to the hospital and finds the woman. She tells him that her name is Aretha and gives him an address. Then the nurse runs him away from the victim.

Later, O'Ryan learns that Aretha has left the hospital to return home. He checks her address and discovers that it is phony. But he tracks her down and finds her surrounded by rats.

The man controlling the rats is the dark man who had sat at the bar in the restaurant. He gets away, leaving the girl dead on the floor. The police and hospital staff interrogate O'Ryan about the death, but he knows little and admits nothing.

Then O'Ryan starts looking for a psychiatrist to treat his depression. He is sent to doctor after doctor until he finds the golden man from the restaurant. The supposed psychiatrist tells him that his real name in Orion and that he had been constructed to assassinate Ahriman.

Orion lunges at Ormazd, but the man is only an image. Frustrated, Orion starts searching for Ahriman. He finds him behind a student organization demonstrating before the CRT lab.

Orion tries to kill Ahriman, but the creature is much too strong. Yet Orion escapes a trap and then frustrates Ahriman's plans. But Orion is killed in the effort.

When Orion awakes, he finds himself amidst a flat, empty waste. He is wearing a short skirt and sandals. Orion is not sure how he got there or what he has to do, but he knows that he has a mission.

This tale takes Orion to meet Subotai, a Mongol commander. He is sent to Karakorum, capital of the Mongol Empire. There he meets Ogotai, the High Khan. He discovers that Ahriman had reached the city three months before he arrived.

Orion is charged with killing Ahriman, but hasn't the strength to do so. Ormazd treats him as a pawn in a game and Orion doesn't like him. Orion tries to frustrate Ormazd's plans, but he doesn't know what his master intends.

Anya appears in various guises and they fall in love. The next installment in this sequence is Vengeance of Orion.

Highly recommended for Bova fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of armed conflict, political maneuvers, and a bit of romance. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin