When the Betelgeuse message was detected, it changed a lot of things on Earth. We began to look seriously outward, not using the heady optimism of the first times, but with deliberate computation. We knew that Someone was out there, and that eventually, they’d end up being coming. If Earth didn’t occupy the Great Frontier, maybe it’s ours to lose. Esther “Star” Svensdotter’s work is certainly overseeing the conclusion of the American Alliance’s initial O’Neill cylinder – a massive space hub capable of supporting a large number of colonists. It’s just weeks away from commissioning, and she’ll end up being damned if Luddite terrorists, squabbling bureaucrats, military takeovers or rogue AIs will stand in the way. Frontier justice on Ellfive sometimes entails an airlock – you do not want to be on the wrong part of justice. Or the wrong side of Superstar Svensdotter. The 1st in Dana Stabenow’s Star Svensdotter trilogy, Second Celebrity is a tale of first contact, declarations of independence, and brand-new frontiers.