Fang Xiang

This is both a work of science fiction and an exploration of the meaning of life, love, literature and art. Brainpower is no longer the main ingredient for being human in this far distant future world.  Spirituality, physical balance, and diligence all come together as integrity for Chen Mu, the Card Apprentice.  The cards which Chen Mu masters in his own scrappy way, distill all the powers of the cosmos –  human and nonhuman –  into something that is not a book, not technology, and neither art nor magic, but is these and more.  Learn about these strange cards, which can embody everything you might imagine for the future of technology, but also a future beyond technology which promotes the best, and sometimes the worst, from mankind’s past.

The Card Apprentice

It was like the air had congealed, so oppressive it was suffocating.

In the dark, Bogner's while teeth dazzled as he chuckled. "Let's give our friends a little something to remember us by."

He made a strange gesture with his right hand, and the order was immediately passed down.

Hugo's face changed color, and a look of rage flashed through his eyes. But, despite the pressure he felt, he had to powerfully restrain his urge to make a move!

Aah! Three blood-curdling screams! Three among the five card artisans behind him had suddenly been hit and fell from the air. There were six kinds of energy bodies. Hugo determined in the first instant that it wasn't military. The military was composed of highly coordinated troops whose battle style was different from any of the card artisan teams. The were all equipped with standardized regulation cards, and their lethality as a unit was a lot more terrifying than that of other teams.

A Little Lesson