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Shop nowEmpire Builders
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Learn moreDan Randolph never plays by the rules. A hell-raising maverick with no patience for fools, he is admired by his friends, feared by his enemies, and desired by the world's loveliest women. Acting as a twenty-first privateer, Randolph broke the political strangle-hold on space exploration and opened the solar system to all mankind—becoming one of the world's richest men in the bargain.
Now an ecological crisis threatens Earth, one that will exterminate billions in a few short years if it continues unchecked. And the same politicians that Randolph outwitted the first time want to impose a world dictatorship to deal with it. Dan Randolph knows that the answer lies in more human freedom, not less—and in the boundless resources of space. But can he stay free long enough to give the world that chance?
A daring tale of one man's struggle against overwhelming odds, Empire Builders is a stunning near-future thriller by one of the most acclaimed science fiction writers of our time.
Ben Bova (1932–2020) was the author of more than a hundred works of science fact and fiction, including Able One, Transhuman, Orion, and Titan, winner of John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Novel. His many honors include the Isaac Asimov Memorial Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, the Robert A. Heinlein Award, and six Hugo Awards. Dr. Bova was a past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president emeritus of the National Space Society. In addition to writing, he was the editor of Analog and the fiction editor of Omni. He worked for Project Vanguard, America’s first artificial satellite program, and for the company that created the heat shields for Apollo 11. He taught science fiction at Harvard University and worked with such filmmakers as George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry.
Stefan Rudnicki is an award winning audiobook narrator, director and producer. He was born in Poland and now resides in Studio City, California. He has narrated more than three hundred audiobooks and has participated in over a thousand as a writer, producer, or director. He is a recipient of multiple Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as a Grammy Award, a Bram Stoker Award, and a Ray Bradbury Award. He received AudioFile’s award for 2008 Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Along with a cast of other narrators, Rudnicki has read a number of Orson Scott Card's best-selling science fiction novels. He worked extensively with many other science fiction authors, including David Weber and Ben Bova. In reviewing the twentieth anniversary edition audiobook of Card’s Ender's Game, Publishers Weekly stated, "Rudnicki, with his lulling, sonorous voice, does a fine job articulating Ender's inner struggle between the kind, peaceful boy he wants to be and the savage, violent actions he is frequently forced to take." Rudnicki is also a stage actor and director.
Reviews
“Solid action-adventure/politicking/consciousness-raising from a veteran pro.”
“A rollicking good read!”
“More than anything, this succeeds as a political thriller…This book is scary in its precognostic powers…Stefan Rudnicki does an excellent job giving voices to each of the characters…He captures a variety of accents well, and the voices match the personalities.”
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