The Praxis is a science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams. Published in 2002, it is the first novel in Dread
Empire's
Fall series.The novel is of the space opera subgenre.The Praxis begins with the last days of the last of the Shaa. The Shaa are a powerful race that have ruled the
universe for thousands of years, having subjected humans and other races. The Praxis is a philosophy bent on total obedience and hierarchy and the Shaa have made it their mission to expand it to encompass the entire universe.The end of the
empire brings chaos and war, as an insectoid race, the Naxid, battle humans for control of the empire following the death of the last of the 'Great Masters'.The plot revolves around interstellar battles and the relationship between two humans, a male naval officer and a female pilot.