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>Mobley had been quite excited those last few days. The results of the stimulant liquid were quite obvious. The perception of any card artisan who used it surged, with quite a few of them even breaking into the next level. The only thing that left him a little frustrated was the shortage of the purple fluorescent liquid extract. The stimulant liquid consumed a huge amount of the extract, and the rate of production from the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm was already at its highest. But that still couldn't satisfy their need.</p>

<p>He could only repress his anxiety. The Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm's production rate for the extract was much higher than that of any other company, and Mobley really felt that he couldn't bring up his still-higher requirements. He had already gone around to several other vendors, hoping to get some additional extract from other channels.</p>

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