 Stross, Charles. The Family Trade. Tor 2004. |  Stross, Charles. The Hidden Family. Tor 2005. |  Stross, Charles. The Clan Corporate. Tor 2006. |
Stross, Charles. Merchant Princes
Summary: Six-volume series including
The Family Trade,
The Hidden Family,
The Clan Corporate,
The Merchants' War,
The Revolution Business
and the
The Trade of Queens.
A follow-up trilogy may follow.
Original in: English.
Translation: French as Les Princes-Marchands.
Awards: Winner: First three volumes collectively for 2006 Sidewise Award for best long-form alternate history.
 Stross, Charles. The Merchants' War. Tor 2007. |
 Stross, Charles. The Revolution Business. Tor 2009. |
 Stross, Charles. The Trade of Queens. Tor 2010. |
Stross, Charles. The Family Trade
Divergence: 160 BCE
What if: The Maccabean rebellion failed and the Judean tribes were dispersed, creating a world in which there is no Christianity or Islam, and no monastic centers of learning to preserve knowledge when Rome collapsed.
Summary: A women from our world accidentally "world walks" into an alternate timeline in which Norse colonies in North America survived even as Europe was overrun by the Turks and Mongols. There she finds she is a lost scion of a clan of crosstime merchants who dominate the politics of "Gruinmarkt", and her appearance has made her a target for murder.
Series note: First volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2004 (0765309297BUY), 2005 (0765348217BUY);
and
Pan MacMillan/Tor UK 2007 (0330451936).
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Patrick Dusoulier as
Une affaire de famille, Laffont 2006 (2221105389).
Stross, Charles. The Hidden Family
Divergence: 1745 CE
What if: Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender, decided to stay in Scotland and strengthen his power base rather than march on London. As a consequence, Great Britain was later conquered by France and the British throne established in North America.
Summary: Our heroine hides in a third timeline's Boston as she prepares for a meeting of crosstime clans which will determine whether she is one of theirs. Meanwhile, a lost family of worldwalkers seeks her death.
Series note: Second volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2005 (0765313472BUY), 2006 (0765352052BUY);
and
Pan MacMillan/Tor UK 2008 (0330460935).
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Patrick Dusoulier as
Un secret de famille, Laffont 2006 (2221106571).
Stross, Charles. The Clan Corporate
Summary: Our heroine finds her freedom of movement almost blocked as other members of the clan attempt to force her into a marriage which will link the worldwalking familty with the royalty of Gruinmarkt. Meanwhile, in our world, a DEA agent becomes part of an interagency investigation of the crosstime travelers.
Series note: Third volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2006 (0765309300BUY), 2007 (0765348225BUY);
Tor UK 2008 (0330460943).
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Patrick Dusoulier as
Famille et Cie, Laffont 2007 (2221108779).
Stross, Charles. The Merchants' War
Summary: War breaks out in the Gruinmarkt timeline as the throne is usurped and the new king tries to destroy the crosstime "witches". Our heroine hides out in the New British timeline, but even there is on the run from authorities. Meanwhile, members of her family investigate another timeline which seems to be barren of human life but shows evidence of past civilization.
Series note: Fourth volume of Merchant Princes.
Comments: Also referred to as The Hostile Takeover and The Merchants' Revolution during development.
Published: Tor 2007 (0765316714BUY), 2008 (0765355892BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Revolution Business
Series note: Fifth volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2009 (0765316722BUY), 2010 (0765355906BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Trade of Queens
Series note: Sixth volume and "conclusion of the first series" of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2010 (0765316730BUY).
