The Court of a Thousand Suns
Set three thousand years in the future, the story of Sten is the life
and times of a most unusual hero, told in eight volumes. The series has
sold more than two million copies, making the books consistent best
sellers both in the United States and abroad, and has been hailed by
critics as a "landmark science fiction series."
Sten had fought
his way up from slave laborer on a factory world to commander of the
Eternal Emperor's bodyguard, the Imperial Gurkhas. But during the first
three months on Prime World, the most dangerous weapons Sten
encountered were the well-phrased lies of Court politicians. It seemed
no place for an honest fighting man.
Then a bomb turned a spaceport bar and three strangers into scraps and well-mixed hamburger. The clues said "plot" and pointed right to the imperial staff. Only quick – and bloody – work by Sten, Alex Kilgour, and a tough female detective would keep the Empire together and the Eternal Emperor alive.
Chris Bunch
Chris Bunch (1943-2005) was a Vietnam veteran and served as a patrol commander and combat correspondent for Stars and Stripes. He wrote for the underground press, outlaw motorcycle magazines and Rolling Stone.
Sten
Sten consists of eight books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.