Dr Ben Bova

Power Play Dr Ben Bova

Jake Ross is an assistant professor of astronomy at a western university. His wife recently died in an auto accident, leaving Jake alone and bitterly unhappy. Leverett Cardwell has been a father figure to Jake, a mentor since Jake was in high school. He convinces Jake to meet Franklin Tomlinson, a wealthy playboy type who plans to challenge the incumbent Christopher Leeds in the upcoming US Senate race. Jake becomes Tomlinsons science advisor and—at Cardwells suggestion—pushes the candidate to back MHD, a new way to generate electricity efficiently and cleanly, even using the states abundant resources of high-sulfur coal.