I am a gender criminal. I am Unmale, yet I write as though I am a person.

Driven by a Machiavellian mind and ego, Tiresius has risen through the ranks of the Autokracy to become Imperial Treasurer, has won over the trust of the Autokrator himself, and yet, has broken the society’s most scared rules: She has posed as a male for many years. In the eyes of the Autokracy, this gender crime is one of the most heinous a person can commit, and punishable by death.

In this deeply etched speculative world, women — Unmales — have been relegated to non-person status with their reproduction strictly controlled. Their only role is to serve men, and to do so from the shadows.

Tiresius’s rebellion against the Autokracy coincides with that of a Domestic — a female labourer — named Cera. Cera’s son, who was taken from her at birth as demanded by tradition, is the successor to the Autokracy. She is desperate to be part of his life and takes dangerous steps toward revealing herself to him, becoming a gender criminal herself.

The fates of both women become intertwined as they are driven to discover what cost gender and power exact.

Emily A. Weedon was raised in Coe Hill, Ontario and grew up on a subsistence farm with her hippie parents, at times without electricity or running water. She’s had many jobs, including scenic/set painter, graphic designer, art director in film and television, screenwriter, musician and band leader, film producer, and book cover designer. Weedon had a speaking role in a feature film, released 3 EPs of original music, wrote and produced a Fringe Festival play, and co-created two seasons of the web series Chateau Laurier. She can’t sew or tap dance and does not care to. She can’t abide petty authoritarianism. She’s written several novels, screenplays, and songs, some animated television, and a few stage plays. Autokrator is her first published novel. She lives in Toronto with her daughter, Ginger.

Emily A. Weedon's profile page

“What happens when you strip women of all their rights? Autokrator offers a chilling insight into a brutal but not completely unfamiliar world, where the patriarchy runs amok to devastating consequences. Weedon skillfully builds a dystopian universe, inviting the reader to live out the lives of two “unmales” who battle the orthodoxy, one for power and the other for love. Their continued survival, despite the terrifying horrors occurring all around them, raises many questions, most notably: Will we ever find our way back to a more just society? In a post Roe v Wade environment, where reproduction trumps individual rights, it’s hard not to read this sweeping saga with terror.”

Leah Eichler, Publisher, Esoterica Magazine

“Readers will enjoy Tiresius’ brutal drive and Cera's desperate strength as well as the novel's thought-provoking questions into hate, power, and misogyny.”

Booklist

“Highly recommended! [Autokrator] is political, action-packed, thoughtful, gory, imaginative and an undeniable, page-turning thrill ride. I can see a film adaptation in the near future.”

Instagram

“Weedon has imagined, and convincingly describes, a complex political and social structure, the less-than-optimal living and working conditions endured by the Unmales, and so on. … I found myself caught up in the plot, interested to see how everything would shake out. Autokrator provides food for thought, while at the same time highlighting the potential long-term impact of the erosion of rights.”

The Seaboard Review

“What a great book club title to discuss!”

Instagram

“While reminiscent of tales like 1984, Game of Thrones, and The Handmaid’s Tale, Weedon wasn’t setting out to write a dystopia, just a ‘ripping good story.’ But soon, she realized that her novel, a chilling tale of a world where women have no rights, was beginning to mirror what was happening in our own world.”

She Does The City

“Autokrator delivers a multi-faceted book highlighting a society with extreme views about women. … Much like the dystopian world depicted in The Handmaid’s Tale, author Emily A. Weedon delivers a cautionary tale. … The beauty of the story is the author’s smooth writing style that sucks you in.”

Novels Alive

“[A] richly detailed canvas …”

Post Media

“The author has framed an original epic story that posits important and pressing questions about the dire rise of autocracy and the ongoing chaos caused by The Patriarchy.”

Open Book