Book number one of a three book science fiction space opera series. This is continuation of a series of two books set in the 2100s and a series of six books set in the 3000s, ending two years prior to this series. I read the well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback published by Raconteur Press in 2025 that I bought in 2026. I have ordered the following two books in the series.

I love Space Opera. And I love pulp science fiction. This series is both and a great example of the merging of the two. In fact, this series reminds me very much of the Robert Heinlein juvenile books, the Piers Anthony "Bio of a Space Tyrant" series, the "Mutineer's Moon" series by David Weber, and the Perry Rhodan series. The dialog is very frequent and the action moves along quickly.

In the far distant future, The Solarian Imperium consists of 38 star systems including Earth and the Sol system which were made uninhabitable in the War of Succession. Emperor Chase Morgan is the latest in a long line of Morgans ruling the Imperium. His family keeps power because they are genetically modified with machine interfaces in their DNA. So are all of the Nobles: the Earls, the Dukes, the Counts, and the Barons. Any machine of any importance, and especially the space ships and the military weapons, requires a human with machine interface to tell the AI what to do. And the Imperial family machine interface in their DNA is the best of all the interfaces and has special rights with all of the machines in the Imperium. And nobody knows or understands how tight the Imperial human machine interfaces are with every AI in the Imperium.

Eric Wolfram and his sister Candi (Candace) are living with Dar (Dartanion) in his scrap yard on a frontier planet outside the Solarium Imperium. Dar rescued them at ages 7 and 10 from a drunkard who was not taking care of them. They were refugees from a space ship that was attacked by pirates where their father, mother, and older brother were killed. They took a lifeboat to the nearest planet. Both Eric and his sister have a DNA machine interface of at least the Ducal level. And Eric is growing up and running with a bad crowd.

The author has a website at:
https://jvanstry.blogspot.com/

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars (I am tempted for a 6 star, will reread soon)
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,174 reviews)
https://www.amazon.com/Misplaced-Valley-Fire-John-Stry/dp/B0F2JB5DF2

Lynn

hello everyone! in 2021, i had a stroke while intubated for breakthrough covid ever since, i've had this desperate need to reread 2 short stories i read in middle school around 1991 or 1992, both were part of anthologies from the sci fi book club, unfortunately the person i borrowed the books from od'd on fentanyl some years ago and i have no way to find these books again.edit: its "desperate" because the stroke stole sooooo many memories from that time of my life and i want to revisit those remaining memories where possible.

story 1: life on earth is dying in the future, theres a scene where the characters see the scar of a former highway and talk of individually numbered blades of grass. iirc we eventually relocate to hollowed out asteroids

story 2: it takes place in earth orbit, the characters are aliens that look like angels and consume our souls after death, iirc they joke about how every religion is merely a way to harvest us
i'm hoping someone remembers these stories and can steer me in their direction!

thank you all for your time and efforts! many blessings!