What does the future of space exploration hold for us? How will we live and work in space and travel to the stars? What will a star ship look like, how will it be propelled? How will we govern ourselves? How might first contact with an alien civilization unfold? These plus many other questions about planets outside the Solar System, alien societies and more are explored in this story surrounding one man, his family and friends, their lives and travels. The action begins in 1823 and spans over 300 years ending in 2142. It provides an intimate look at what we as individuals and a society might be like in a future among the stars.