Welcome to the first completed novel in my retro-futuristic "Family Of Earth" series. This is the life story of Miss Lily Fairpoole, the Head Engineer and Director of Tech aboard the infamous space elevator known as the Ruby lift. An exceptional young woman with many talents, Lily began as a young prodigy, a simple country girl with big dreams, a beautiful singing voice, and a loving family. All of this changed on Black Sky Day. Everything she cared about was torn away when the Pruessian Empire invaded the last free nations of Earth.

Her optimism and courage take her on a fascinating journey: from the fertile farming valley of her childhood to the dreary ration camps of the enemy, the glittering art deco splendor of the powerful off-world colonies, and finally to the swanky and often wild Ruby lift itself. Along the way, she learns to keep singing and smiling, no matter how bleak things get.

This novel is best described as 'dieselpunk', a sub-genre of science fiction similar to steampunk, but focusing on the early decades of the twentieth century rather than the Victorian era. Lily's world hails to an alternate universe depiction of an interplanetary war which lasted half a century, a sort of WWI and WWII combined, in which the fascist Pruessian dictator Hir Kaezer razed the free nations with his incredible robotic forces. Elements of vintage science fiction, history, and nostalgia blend with high technology and action in this tale.

When I first wrote this story, it was meant to only be a short story to develop Lily's character. She's one of the main characters in my upcoming decopunk novel, "Ruby Descent", and I wanted to get inside of her head for the novel's revision. Lily came alive, her vivacious personality dancing across the pages, and demanded more attention as each chapter unfolded. As a result, there's still much work to be done.

This novel is undergoing a second revision. It's a gradual process, as I'm currently focused on the companions in the series, "Beauty In The Bones" and "Ruby Descent".  Keep in mind that there are areas to be developed more, as well as some time jumps which will be filled in later. Feel free to comment on any areas you notice. All of your feedback is super helpful for upcoming edits.

Some of the characters appear in other stories in the series. They include: Walter Marlow of "Children of the War" and "Ruby Descent", Silas Blane and Ethlyne Blane of "Beauty In The Bones" and "Ruby Descent", Richard Blane and Johanna Stonecipher from "Children of the War" and "Beauty In The Bones", and the valiant but eccentric crew members of the Ruby lift.

"Perfect World Somewhere" follows over two decades of Lily's life, and ends right at the point before "Ruby Descent" begins. The last few chapters of this story are a teaser to the off-the-wall antics and style of "Ruby Descent", and introduce all of the key players who will save the space elevator when disaster threatens.

This story is a small piece of my soul, as well as my first completed novel, and thus it holds a special place in my heart. I hope Lily's courage and devotion inspire her readers. She's one of my favorite characters, one of the most dynamic I've ever created. May you enjoy following her saga as much as I did writing it.