•
Refugee (1983) Follows Hope and his family's flight from their home on Callisto to Jupiter. Hope's family sets out in a "space bubble" with many other refugees. The group is attacked repeatedly by space pirates, and most of the adults are raped, killed, or kidnapped by the end of the story. •
Mercenary (1984) Chronicles Hope's years as a migrant laborer and 15-year career in the Navy, largely under his sister Spirit's guidance. One of the stranger aspects of the Navy is the Tail, a militarily administered bordello all servicemen, and servicewomen, are required to use on a monthly basis. •
Politician (1985) Hope's marriage is a major focus of the story of his political career as he ascends through Jupiter's political system, culminating in his election as president. One of his chief rivals is Tocsin, a man with some of the characteristics of
Richard Nixon. The book begins with Hope held captive on a spaceship while his captors attempt to brainwash him into being a pawn of unknown adversaries; it is implied that Tocsin is involved. •
Executive (1985) Follows Hope's career as president after his widely popular election and the subsequent
constitutional convention establishing him as the eponymous space tyrant. While Jupiter's political system is a more or less exact analogue of the current U.S. system, the constitutional convention is not. On the grounds that a constitutional convention set up the current system of government (three separate branches, Executive, Judicial, and Legislative, with built-in checks and balances), it is proposed that a second convention can dissolve it. The president of the convention then appoints Hope as the single, supreme head of the government. •
Statesman (1986) Covers Hope's waning years in exile after leaving office, especially his advocacy of a new light-speed travel method and attempts to foster unity and peace in the solar system. •
The Iron Maiden (2001) Covers the same period as the first five books from the point of view of Hope's sister, Spirit. Fills in many gaps when the two siblings were apart. ==Solar geography==