The Imperial Stars is a science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 novel by Stephen Goldin

Stephen Goldin

Stephen Charles Goldin is an American science fiction and fantasy author.-Biography:Goldin was born in in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

 expanded from a novella

Novella

A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...

 by E. E. "Doc" Smith. It is the first in a series of ten Family D'Alembert

Family D'Alembert

The Family D'Alembert series is a set of science fiction novels by Stephen Goldin, the first of which was expanded from a novella by E. E. "Doc" Smith.-Plot:...

novels set in a future where humankind has expanded to the stars but reverted to an old-style feudal system of government in an advanced technological setting.

Plot summary

The year is 2447 and the Empire of Earth comprises more than a thousand inhabited systems. A threat to the Empire has developed and the Imperial secret service "SOTE" has been unable to foil it. In desperation they turn to the Family D'Alembert for assistance. The Family D'Alembert are natives of a high gravity planet, giving them unusual strength and speed. Travelling the galaxy under the cover of their famous circus, they are the Emperor's super secret force.

Characters

• Jules D'Alembert - member of the Family D'Alambert, brother to Yvette
• Yvette D'Alembert - member of the Family D'Alambert, sister to Jules
• Emperor Stanley 10 - Emperor of Earth
• Duke Etienne D'Alembert - head of the Family and ruler of DesPlains
• Banion, Prince of Durwood - pretender to the throne
• Grand Duke Zander von Wilmenhorst - head of SOTE