David Selby was born and grew up in Berkeley, California. He taught elementary school in California, Mexico, and New Mexico for thirty-six years. He and his wife live in Northwest New Mexico.  He has written many short stories including the Joe the Man with Gills series. Mica is his first novel.

Mica, an expert navigator, uses the currents of the Darkstream to pilot his ship across the galaxy to join his love, Olivine. On the way, he befriends Ronnie, a stowaway who can look like a coat or a first aid kit, the mysterious Vuud, and the translucent “Slight People”. They experience the savage planet of Carnage and the whirling destruction of the Moon of 10,000 Drones before they even reach Olivine in the brand-new city of Garner in the midst of an unknown world.


Mica

"Are you getting hungry at all?" I called.


Vuud paused in his vigorous forward motion. "Yes, I am. I was so intent on my hunt, that I forgot about food. Let's go back and have some of those delicious supplies we brought."


We looped around off our previous path to see if we had missed anything important as we made for the Skimmer. Vuud only stopped once and hovered over a kind of milkweed plant, but quickly moved on. We reached the river and turned right where we remembered dragging the canopy.After heading upstream a few minutes, we saw it reflecting sunlight as it lay on the shore.


With more confidence this time, we pushed it back out into the stream.


"Maybe you should get in first, "I suggested. 


"Whatever you think, Mica. You are the mariner."


Chapter 43: The Cure Hunters, Part 2