The empire of the Shaa had lasted 10 millennia. 10,000 years of terror, infinite violence and oppressive, brutal order, legitimised by The Praxis, the harsh code of ethics that they imposed on the races they conquered. But the Shaa began to commit ritual suicide when it became clear that their near immortality came at a price. For each Shaa there would come a time when their vast minds were no longer capable of absorbing new information: their memories were full. Now the Shaa are no more, but the terror and violence are only beginning. The death of the last of the Shaa leaves the galaxy-wide empire leaderless, and into this power vacuum flow the pretenders to the throne: the Naxids, oldest client race of the Shaa, who believe themselves inheritors of the empire; and a frail alliance of the remaining races, including humanity. And so, the story of a dread empire's fall begins...
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About the Author
Walter Jon Williams is American, but was brought up in the UK. He has written SF novels since the mid-80s, and has won or been nominated for most of the major SF honours, including the Hugo and Nebula Awards. His novels include HARDWIRED, ARISTOI and METROPOLITAN.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Painless History Lesson,
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This review is from: Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall S.) (Hardcover)
Like most of Walter Jon Williams' books, The Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall) is a beautifully written story of the beginning of the final demise of the Shaa empire, set in far future. Don't let the wormholes, anti-matter bombs and aliens fool you though, if you understand the politics and relationships of the characters in this fine tale, you understand the Roman Empire and how it worked, looked and felt to the upper classes who exploited it for their personal benefit. All in all, the most painless introduction to the politics and life of the Empire which is the most immediate predecessor to modern Western Civilization a fan of space opera is ever likely to encounter.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Praxis (Dread Empires Fall),
By Claudia Volenik (Grayshott, Hindhead, Surrey England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall S.) (Hardcover)
I'm sorry I'm not somebody for writing great reviews, I'd rather spend my time reading. However, I have to make an exception for this fine piece of space opera.If you are feeling bored, because there is no new book by Peter F Hamilton to read, the old classics feel a bit too dusty, Weber and Banks haven't produced anything original recently, please, please pick up this book. It has everything, story telling on a grander scale with a fascinating backdrop of a future universe, to the intimate details of the individual personae and how they come together. I won't give anything of the plot away, you have to read it for yourselves and find out.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great "Space Opera" with intriguing bureaucratic/social overtones,
By
This review is from: Praxis (Dread Empires Fall 1) (Paperback)
As top-end space opera, the Dread Empire's Fall trilogy gives us some interesting premises. The ancient Shaa race conquered and absorbed every sentient race they encountered, including mankind (we "Terrans"). They built their multicultural empire around a rigid hierarchy of nobility not unlike that prevailing in the 18th century, plus an imperial space navy resembling (in its patronage-based promotion system and command structure) the British Royal Navy during the age of sail. Soon after the last Shaa overlord expires a civil war breaks out, as one of the sentient races makes a grab for total power that is resisted by the surviving central government representing all the other races within the old empire. This is a new type of war for both sides: the Navy was created and trained by the Shaa to bombard technologically-inferior species from space, and if necessary destroy them with advanced nuclear weapons. It never faced a battle of equals, and both sides must examine archaic fleet doctrine and learn from hard experience how to wage war against a "peer competitor."The technology depicted by Walter Jon Williams is futuristically plausible, with spaceships capable of low-fraction light speed and interstellar travel enabled by the existence of "wormholes." Within the star and planetary systems movement and combat are strictly in accordance with the laws of classical physics (e.g., gravitational and elapsed time constraints), so relatively little suspension of disbelief is required. Williams' two protagonists are representatives of the low-order nobility attempting to make their way up the ranks in the Navy and save the empire through a combination of their own remarkable abilities displayed in wartime and their ability to attract patronage from among the higher nobility, where bureaucratic power resides. Professional merit counts, but not all that much. As with the history of the pre-20th century epoch, it is fascinating to study the elites and discern the balance they strove to maintain between class interests and patriotism. I recommend this series to "hard" sci-fi fans tired of fantasy excesses, who also have some appreciation for European history.
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