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

<p>The trees in the forest were extremely tall, and their trunks were so thick that it would take seven or eight people to join hands around them. The canopy went up from 20 meters off the ground. Every one of the trees was huge, leaving a lot of space between them where the ground was covered in a layer of snow. There was no visible undergrowth. For that reason, the snow shuttle vessel could move freely through the forest. To avoid colliding with any tree trunks, however, the shuttle couldn't move very fast.</p>

<p>Sunshine had no way to penetrate the thick foliage, so it was quite dark in the forest. The flickering shadows from the trees looked rather terrifying. The passengers on the vessel had long since clustered in a quaking ball of fear. Since they were afraid of offending those vicious card artisans, no one even dared to cry.</p>

The Wavy Snow Bats