Author: Geoffrey Greer

Title: PAX ATHENICA

Pub Date: September 2007

Summary: PAX ATHENICA is the story of a humanoid-robot society that stands as the sole inheritors of the earth after human activity has annihilated all organic life on the planet--including the humans themselves.

A self-important race, the robots are nonetheless forced to consider questions of ethical and philosophical standing when the earth exhibits symptoms of biological regeneration--a phenomenon regarded by the ruling class as a threat to their way of life. The conflict takes place in the fictional city-state of Athens, with the characters falling into two factions: one exhibiting a blind allegiance to the state ruler, MAXIMILIAN, the other a separatist movement rallying behind the scholar ISAAC.

Maximilian is sincere in his desire to rule benevolently and efficiently, but he is at a loss for why biological diversity should be important to an entirely robotic society, and his methods of control become increasingly totalitarian as the rebellion worsens.

Meanwhile, though once thought to be a loyal member of the aristocracy, Isaac advocates the inherent spiritual value of all living things and becomes disenchanted with the ruling class when he cannot reconcile the government's actions with his ethics. The conflict reaches a climax when Isaac alone is the last surviving member of the separatist belief and chooses to destroy all of Athens with a catastrophic weapon, sacrificing himself in the process, so that biological regeneration can continue unhindered.

Link: PAX ATHENICA on Amazon.com