Ephialtes is the first book in a trilogy of novels set in the twenty-third century. In 2241 the USAN - The United States And Nations - is the dominant superpower on Earth, having successfully concluded the fourth world war. After many years of settlement and development the USAN colonists of Mars are ready to strike out independently from the mother country on Earth. The massive spacecraft Ephialtes, built to patrol Earth, is refitted for its interplanetary mission to persuade the colonists to reconsider. Can they prevail against the mighty Ephialtes?