Bio of a Space Tyrant, Vol. 1 - Refugee

Bio of a Space Tyrant: Refugee is a science fiction novel by Piers Anthony, published in 1983. It is the first of the books about Hope Hubris, and it is written as the record of a public life rather than a private one.

The trouble begins when Hope defends his sister against the advances of a wealthy young man, and the family, who are peasants, are driven off Callisto, one of the moons of Jupiter. They escape across an airless desert and crowd into an illegal space bubble with other refugees who are all hoping to reach Jupiter and be granted asylum.

The passage itself is dangerous, because the space between the moons is worked by pirates who take what they want from the people crossing it. Hope has to use what ingenuity he has to keep himself and his family alive, and what he sees on the way is what he is left with afterwards. The book also makes clear from the start that the man telling it will be accused of every crime in the galaxy by the time his story is finished.