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

Chen Mu's come-on was clever. The chair went straight toward the hole in the center of the glowing rings, looking as though it would penetrate them. With a light zing, the chair instantly flew apart into countless shards.

The more frightening thing was that the shards were each only the size of a fingertip. However, the luster of the glowing rings seemed to dim a little.

With so much commotion in the meeting room, no other card artisan could have reacted. But how could they match the elite of the Central Repository of the Classics?

Suddenly, the energy fluctuations of dozens more card artisans appeared, approaching rapidly. If they didn't leave now, they wouldn't be able to.

With no hesitation, Chen Mu shrank back down toward the drainpipe opening and jumped into it. He was like a genuine mudfish with his big mudfish card, as slippery as could be.

The Premeditated Plot