All systems fail . . . All societies crumble . . . All worlds end.

In the authoritarian Federation, there is a plot to assassinate and replace the President, who has downloaded his mind to a succession of new bodies to maintain his grip on power. Meanwhile, on the fringes of a Western Europe that has renounced human governance in favor of ostensibly more efficient, objective, and peaceful AI Prime Ministers, an experimental artificial mind malfunctions, setting off a chain of events that may spell the end of the Western world.
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A cybernetic novel of political intrigue, Where the Axe is Buried combines the story of a near-impossible revolutionary operation with a blistering indictment of the many forms of authoritarianism that suffocate human freedom.
"Where the Axe is Buried  shows how the embers of hope smolder long after they should have been extinguished, and how they are always ready to be kindled into a roaring, system-consuming wildfire" -- Cory Doctorow

"Where the Axe is Buried boldly imagines how we might escape authoritarianism . . . Deserves to be read and discussed for its futuristic, philosophical exploration of our era's problems.  The questions Nayler asks could not be more timely or better formed." -- The Washington Post

​"An engrossing exploration of consciousness, autocracy and global politics . . .  a cybernetically enhanced thriller with the pacing of a literary novel." -- BookPage

"Thought-provoking in the extreme . . . will trap fans of technothrillers in its web." -- Library Journal

“A bold, epic sf story . . . an inspiring tale about taking down all forms of authoritarianism . . .  spectacular surprises  grounded by realistic, complex characters determined to change their world, however hopeless it may seem.” -- Booklist starred review 
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