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

The new issue of the Black-Line Star Listing came out as promised. Each month's issue contained a detailed listing of any fluctuations for the past one or two months. No one knew who published the list, but it was certainly authoritative.

People were skeptical about the listing at first, especially about some of the listed credentials, which made it hard for people to tell how they really got their information. Quickly, though, people were surprised to discover that the listing was pretty darned accurate.

Many of the larger firms were terrified of the compilers' powerful information channels. Starting from when the Black-Line Star Listing had first grabbed their attention, they had never stopped investigating it. But even a behemoth like Moon Frost Island had still come up with nothing.

Fresh from the Oven