Author: David Gelernter
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195344855
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
Technology doesn't flow smoothly; it's the big surprises that matter, and Yale computer expert David Gelernter sees one such giant leap right on the horizon. Today's small scale software programs are about to be joined by vast public software works that will revolutionize computing and transform society as a whole. One such vast program is the "Mirror World." Imagine looking at your computer screen and seeing reality--an image of your city, for instance, complete with moving traffic patterns, or a picture that sketches the state of an entire far-flung corporation at this second. These representations are called Mirror Worlds, and according to Gelernter they will soon be available to everyone. Mirror Worlds are high-tech voodoo dolls: by interacting with the images, you interact with reality. Indeed, Mirror Worlds will revolutionize the use of computers, transforming them from (mere) handy tools to crystal balls which will allow us to see the world more vividly and see into it more deeply. Reality will be replaced gradually, piece-by-piece, by a software imitation; we will live inside the imitation; and the surprising thing is--this will be a great humanistic advance. We gain control over our world, plus a huge new measure of insight and vision. In this fascinating book--part speculation, part explanation--Gelernter takes us on a tour of the computer technology of the near future. Mirror Worlds, he contends, will allow us to explore the world in unprecedented depth and detail without ever changing out of our pajamas. A hospital administrator might wander through an entire medical complex via a desktop computer. Any citizen might explore the performance of the local schools, chat electronically with teachers and other Mirror World visitors, plant software agents to report back on interesting topics; decide to run for the local school board, hire a campaign manager, and conduct the better part of the campaign itself--all by interacting with the Mirror World. Gelernter doesn't just speculate about how this amazing new software will be used--he shows us how it will be made, explaining carefully and in detail how to build a Mirror World using technology already available. We learn about "disembodied machines," "trellises," "ensembles," and other computer components which sound obscure, but which Gelernter explains using familiar metaphors and terms. (He tells us that a Mirror World is a microcosm just like a Japanese garden or a Gothic cathedral, and that a computer program is translated by the computer in the same way a symphony is translated by a violinist into music.) Mirror Worlds offers a lucid and humanistic account of the coming software revolution, told by a computer scientist at the cutting edge of his field.
Mirror Worlds
Author: David Gelernter
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195344855
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
Technology doesn't flow smoothly; it's the big surprises that matter, and Yale computer expert David Gelernter sees one such giant leap right on the horizon. Today's small scale software programs are about to be joined by vast public software works that will revolutionize computing and transform society as a whole. One such vast program is the "Mirror World." Imagine looking at your computer screen and seeing reality--an image of your city, for instance, complete with moving traffic patterns, or a picture that sketches the state of an entire far-flung corporation at this second. These representations are called Mirror Worlds, and according to Gelernter they will soon be available to everyone. Mirror Worlds are high-tech voodoo dolls: by interacting with the images, you interact with reality. Indeed, Mirror Worlds will revolutionize the use of computers, transforming them from (mere) handy tools to crystal balls which will allow us to see the world more vividly and see into it more deeply. Reality will be replaced gradually, piece-by-piece, by a software imitation; we will live inside the imitation; and the surprising thing is--this will be a great humanistic advance. We gain control over our world, plus a huge new measure of insight and vision. In this fascinating book--part speculation, part explanation--Gelernter takes us on a tour of the computer technology of the near future. Mirror Worlds, he contends, will allow us to explore the world in unprecedented depth and detail without ever changing out of our pajamas. A hospital administrator might wander through an entire medical complex via a desktop computer. Any citizen might explore the performance of the local schools, chat electronically with teachers and other Mirror World visitors, plant software agents to report back on interesting topics; decide to run for the local school board, hire a campaign manager, and conduct the better part of the campaign itself--all by interacting with the Mirror World. Gelernter doesn't just speculate about how this amazing new software will be used--he shows us how it will be made, explaining carefully and in detail how to build a Mirror World using technology already available. We learn about "disembodied machines," "trellises," "ensembles," and other computer components which sound obscure, but which Gelernter explains using familiar metaphors and terms. (He tells us that a Mirror World is a microcosm just like a Japanese garden or a Gothic cathedral, and that a computer program is translated by the computer in the same way a symphony is translated by a violinist into music.) Mirror Worlds offers a lucid and humanistic account of the coming software revolution, told by a computer scientist at the cutting edge of his field.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195344855
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
Technology doesn't flow smoothly; it's the big surprises that matter, and Yale computer expert David Gelernter sees one such giant leap right on the horizon. Today's small scale software programs are about to be joined by vast public software works that will revolutionize computing and transform society as a whole. One such vast program is the "Mirror World." Imagine looking at your computer screen and seeing reality--an image of your city, for instance, complete with moving traffic patterns, or a picture that sketches the state of an entire far-flung corporation at this second. These representations are called Mirror Worlds, and according to Gelernter they will soon be available to everyone. Mirror Worlds are high-tech voodoo dolls: by interacting with the images, you interact with reality. Indeed, Mirror Worlds will revolutionize the use of computers, transforming them from (mere) handy tools to crystal balls which will allow us to see the world more vividly and see into it more deeply. Reality will be replaced gradually, piece-by-piece, by a software imitation; we will live inside the imitation; and the surprising thing is--this will be a great humanistic advance. We gain control over our world, plus a huge new measure of insight and vision. In this fascinating book--part speculation, part explanation--Gelernter takes us on a tour of the computer technology of the near future. Mirror Worlds, he contends, will allow us to explore the world in unprecedented depth and detail without ever changing out of our pajamas. A hospital administrator might wander through an entire medical complex via a desktop computer. Any citizen might explore the performance of the local schools, chat electronically with teachers and other Mirror World visitors, plant software agents to report back on interesting topics; decide to run for the local school board, hire a campaign manager, and conduct the better part of the campaign itself--all by interacting with the Mirror World. Gelernter doesn't just speculate about how this amazing new software will be used--he shows us how it will be made, explaining carefully and in detail how to build a Mirror World using technology already available. We learn about "disembodied machines," "trellises," "ensembles," and other computer components which sound obscure, but which Gelernter explains using familiar metaphors and terms. (He tells us that a Mirror World is a microcosm just like a Japanese garden or a Gothic cathedral, and that a computer program is translated by the computer in the same way a symphony is translated by a violinist into music.) Mirror Worlds offers a lucid and humanistic account of the coming software revolution, told by a computer scientist at the cutting edge of his field.
The Mirror of Worlds
Author: David Drake
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780765312600
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 350
Book Description
The kingdom of the Isles is in the throes of a magical upheaval that causes the ocean to recede, a situation that reveals the Isles to be a high ground on a broader continent with past and future ties.
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780765312600
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 350
Book Description
The kingdom of the Isles is in the throes of a magical upheaval that causes the ocean to recede, a situation that reveals the Isles to be a high ground on a broader continent with past and future ties.
The Bell Between Worlds (The Mirror Chronicles, Book 1)
Author: Ian Johnstone
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0007491247
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 355
Book Description
A glorious epic fantasy in the grand tradition of CS Lewis and Philip Pullman, and a major publishing event, The Mirror Chronicles will take you into another world, and on the adventure of your lifetime...
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0007491247
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 355
Book Description
A glorious epic fantasy in the grand tradition of CS Lewis and Philip Pullman, and a major publishing event, The Mirror Chronicles will take you into another world, and on the adventure of your lifetime...
Project Daily Grind: Mirror World Book #1. LitRPG Series
Author: Alexey Osadchuk
Publisher: Mirror World
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 342
Book Description
A new LitRPG series set in a virtual world of an online MMORPG game! The story unfolds in the near future where humanity is completely consumed by the opportunity to earn its living logging in to Mirror World: a full immersion MMORPG game developed by Reflex International, Ltd. Here, paid account users enjoy full freedom in their new virtual home, sampling a vast range of colors, smells and even tastes, indulging in their ability to fly or experiencing pain from combat wounds. They're offered an unlimited choice of races and territories, allowing them to go on mysterious quests and missions. In Mirror World, anyone can become a warrior or a wizard, a street vendor or alchemist - provided they can afford it. They can build a castle on a cliff or start a small farm near a calm cozy town - if they're prepared to pay, that is. But if you can't pay, you can always take out a bank loan to purchase one of the game's "daily grind" plans. Which is exactly what Oleg does when he finds out his six-year-old daughter requires urgent heart surgery. He needs money ASAP; his only hope is in signing a sweatshop contract with Reflex International and start toiling in Mirror World's mines in full immersion, fighting hunger and agonizing pain. To add insult to injury, he's a complete newb who's never played a game before and has to learn everything on the go. Would Oleg - now known as Olgerd - manage to raise enough money to save his daughter? Predictably, the contract he signed comes with strings attached. Would he manage to escape hard labor and return victorious to his family? He might - but it would take every ounce of his willpower and ingenuity...
Publisher: Mirror World
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 342
Book Description
A new LitRPG series set in a virtual world of an online MMORPG game! The story unfolds in the near future where humanity is completely consumed by the opportunity to earn its living logging in to Mirror World: a full immersion MMORPG game developed by Reflex International, Ltd. Here, paid account users enjoy full freedom in their new virtual home, sampling a vast range of colors, smells and even tastes, indulging in their ability to fly or experiencing pain from combat wounds. They're offered an unlimited choice of races and territories, allowing them to go on mysterious quests and missions. In Mirror World, anyone can become a warrior or a wizard, a street vendor or alchemist - provided they can afford it. They can build a castle on a cliff or start a small farm near a calm cozy town - if they're prepared to pay, that is. But if you can't pay, you can always take out a bank loan to purchase one of the game's "daily grind" plans. Which is exactly what Oleg does when he finds out his six-year-old daughter requires urgent heart surgery. He needs money ASAP; his only hope is in signing a sweatshop contract with Reflex International and start toiling in Mirror World's mines in full immersion, fighting hunger and agonizing pain. To add insult to injury, he's a complete newb who's never played a game before and has to learn everything on the go. Would Oleg - now known as Olgerd - manage to raise enough money to save his daughter? Predictably, the contract he signed comes with strings attached. Would he manage to escape hard labor and return victorious to his family? He might - but it would take every ounce of his willpower and ingenuity...
Mirror of the World
Author: Julian Bell
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 0500287546
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
“Exuberant, astute, and splendidly illustrated history of world art . . . draws fascinating parallels between artistic developments in Western and non-Western art.”—Publishers Weekly In this beautifully written story of art, Julian Bell tells a vivid and compelling history of human artistic achievements, from prehistoric stone carvings to the latest video installations. Bell, himself a painter, uses a variety of objects to reveal how art is a product of our shared experience and how, like a mirror, it can reflect the human condition. With hundreds of illustrations and a uniquely global perspective, Bell juxtaposes examples that challenge and enlighten the reader: dancing bronze figures from southern India, Romanesque sculptures, Baroque ceilings, and jewel-like Persian manuscripts are discussed side by side. With an insider’s knowledge and an unerring touch, Bell weaves these diverse strands into an invaluable introduction to the wider history of world art.
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 0500287546
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
“Exuberant, astute, and splendidly illustrated history of world art . . . draws fascinating parallels between artistic developments in Western and non-Western art.”—Publishers Weekly In this beautifully written story of art, Julian Bell tells a vivid and compelling history of human artistic achievements, from prehistoric stone carvings to the latest video installations. Bell, himself a painter, uses a variety of objects to reveal how art is a product of our shared experience and how, like a mirror, it can reflect the human condition. With hundreds of illustrations and a uniquely global perspective, Bell juxtaposes examples that challenge and enlighten the reader: dancing bronze figures from southern India, Romanesque sculptures, Baroque ceilings, and jewel-like Persian manuscripts are discussed side by side. With an insider’s knowledge and an unerring touch, Bell weaves these diverse strands into an invaluable introduction to the wider history of world art.
Journey Through the Mirror
Author: T. R. Williams
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476713421
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
Following Journey Into the Flame—“a spiritual adventure of the first order” (New York Times bestselling author Felix Palma)—comes the second part in a post-apocalyptic trilogy about a set of ancient books that hold the key to humanity’s survival. In 2030, after the Great Disruption brought humanity to the brink of a second dark age, the Chronicles of Satraya were discovered, restoring hope in the world. But the secret powers in their pages remained largely unknown. There were some, however, who understood them. The Reges Hominum, the Kings of Men, a clandestine group influencing history from the shadows, sought to use their hidden gifts to regain world control. But their plans were foiled by an unlikely group: Alain Perrot, an eccentric old man and former member of the Council of Satraya; Special Agent Valerie Perrot, his daughter; and Logan Ford, a young painter who discovered he was the son of one of the Chronicles’ original finders, long since murdered in an effort to protect them. Soon, seemingly unrelated global events pull Logan and his allies into another contest with those enemies determined to bring a rising world back down. The earth’s still-recovering energy supply is put at risk. Illnesses spread. Earthquakes without epicenters shatter the land. And the only things holding the world together are the Chronicles, connected to a series of scattered, hidden mirrors around the globe. With T.R. Williams’s trademark excitement, mystery, magic, and deep wisdom, the second book in the Rising World trilogy ensures that you will never look at your reflection the same way again.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476713421
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
Following Journey Into the Flame—“a spiritual adventure of the first order” (New York Times bestselling author Felix Palma)—comes the second part in a post-apocalyptic trilogy about a set of ancient books that hold the key to humanity’s survival. In 2030, after the Great Disruption brought humanity to the brink of a second dark age, the Chronicles of Satraya were discovered, restoring hope in the world. But the secret powers in their pages remained largely unknown. There were some, however, who understood them. The Reges Hominum, the Kings of Men, a clandestine group influencing history from the shadows, sought to use their hidden gifts to regain world control. But their plans were foiled by an unlikely group: Alain Perrot, an eccentric old man and former member of the Council of Satraya; Special Agent Valerie Perrot, his daughter; and Logan Ford, a young painter who discovered he was the son of one of the Chronicles’ original finders, long since murdered in an effort to protect them. Soon, seemingly unrelated global events pull Logan and his allies into another contest with those enemies determined to bring a rising world back down. The earth’s still-recovering energy supply is put at risk. Illnesses spread. Earthquakes without epicenters shatter the land. And the only things holding the world together are the Chronicles, connected to a series of scattered, hidden mirrors around the globe. With T.R. Williams’s trademark excitement, mystery, magic, and deep wisdom, the second book in the Rising World trilogy ensures that you will never look at your reflection the same way again.
Mirror World
Author: John Calicchia
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780986102004
Category : Fantasy
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
What would you do if you could see the future? Would you save those you love, or die trying? You need to read this book to find out! When Cailyssa Larkin looks in a mirror she has an ominous feeling that someone is watching her. Stranger still, she has visions that foretell the future. While visiting her Uncle Spencer, Cailyssa gazes into a mirror and sees a dark future that only she can change. With the future of her own world hanging in the balance, Cailyssa bravely enters the portal to the Mirror World. Here, the Dark Lord controls all the mirrors and bends reflections so all creatures see evil within themselves. With her sister Terry, her mysterious best friend Daemon, and a host of weird and wonderful creatures, Cailyssa embarks on an epic quest to overcome the evil forces trying to destroy her world. She can only defeat the Dark Lord by finding her true self and discovering the family secret that has led her to Mirror World. This young adult fantasy book, written by a psychology professor, integrates famous psychological studies in the story. Readers will enjoy learning important life lessons through the psychological concepts illustrated in the book. Categories: Young adult books, dark fantasy, YA books, YA Fantasy Scroll up and grab a copy today.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780986102004
Category : Fantasy
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
What would you do if you could see the future? Would you save those you love, or die trying? You need to read this book to find out! When Cailyssa Larkin looks in a mirror she has an ominous feeling that someone is watching her. Stranger still, she has visions that foretell the future. While visiting her Uncle Spencer, Cailyssa gazes into a mirror and sees a dark future that only she can change. With the future of her own world hanging in the balance, Cailyssa bravely enters the portal to the Mirror World. Here, the Dark Lord controls all the mirrors and bends reflections so all creatures see evil within themselves. With her sister Terry, her mysterious best friend Daemon, and a host of weird and wonderful creatures, Cailyssa embarks on an epic quest to overcome the evil forces trying to destroy her world. She can only defeat the Dark Lord by finding her true self and discovering the family secret that has led her to Mirror World. This young adult fantasy book, written by a psychology professor, integrates famous psychological studies in the story. Readers will enjoy learning important life lessons through the psychological concepts illustrated in the book. Categories: Young adult books, dark fantasy, YA books, YA Fantasy Scroll up and grab a copy today.
A Mirror in the Roadway
Author: Morris Dickstein
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400826667
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
In a famous passage in The Red and the Black, the French writer Stendhal described the novel as a mirror being carried along a roadway. In the twentieth century this was derided as a naïve notion of realism. Instead, modern writers experimented with creative forms of invention and dislocation. Deconstructive theorists went even further, questioning whether literature had any real reference to a world outside its own language, while traditional historians challenged whether novels gave a trustworthy representation of history and society. In this book, Morris Dickstein reinterprets Stendhal's metaphor and tracks the different worlds of a wide array of twentieth-century writers, from realists like Theodore Dreiser, Sinclair Lewis, Edith Wharton, and Willa Cather, through modernists like Franz Kafka and Samuel Beckett, to wildly inventive postwar writers like Saul Bellow, Günter Grass, Mary McCarthy, George Orwell, Philip Roth, and Gabriel García Márquez. Dickstein argues that fiction will always yield rich insight into its subject, and that literature can also be a form of historical understanding. Writers refract the world through their forms and sensibilities. He shows how the work of these writers recaptures--yet also transforms--the life around them, the world inside them, and the universe of language and feeling they share with their readers. Through lively and incisive essays directed to general readers as well as students of literature, Dickstein redefines the literary landscape--a landscape in which reading has for decades been devalued by society and distorted by theory. Having begun with a reconsideration of realism, the book concludes with several essays probing the strengths and limitations of a historical approach to literature and criticism.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400826667
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
In a famous passage in The Red and the Black, the French writer Stendhal described the novel as a mirror being carried along a roadway. In the twentieth century this was derided as a naïve notion of realism. Instead, modern writers experimented with creative forms of invention and dislocation. Deconstructive theorists went even further, questioning whether literature had any real reference to a world outside its own language, while traditional historians challenged whether novels gave a trustworthy representation of history and society. In this book, Morris Dickstein reinterprets Stendhal's metaphor and tracks the different worlds of a wide array of twentieth-century writers, from realists like Theodore Dreiser, Sinclair Lewis, Edith Wharton, and Willa Cather, through modernists like Franz Kafka and Samuel Beckett, to wildly inventive postwar writers like Saul Bellow, Günter Grass, Mary McCarthy, George Orwell, Philip Roth, and Gabriel García Márquez. Dickstein argues that fiction will always yield rich insight into its subject, and that literature can also be a form of historical understanding. Writers refract the world through their forms and sensibilities. He shows how the work of these writers recaptures--yet also transforms--the life around them, the world inside them, and the universe of language and feeling they share with their readers. Through lively and incisive essays directed to general readers as well as students of literature, Dickstein redefines the literary landscape--a landscape in which reading has for decades been devalued by society and distorted by theory. Having begun with a reconsideration of realism, the book concludes with several essays probing the strengths and limitations of a historical approach to literature and criticism.
Monsters in the Mirror
Author: A J Hartley
Publisher: UCLan Publishing
ISBN: 1912979063
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 311
Book Description
Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright's ordinary life changed forever when he was given a magical mirror, a portal to the wonderful world of Silbrica. Darwen defeated the terrible monsters released from the mirror once. Now, an even more terrifying beast has escaped through the mirror. Darwen and his friends, Rik and Alexandra, must journey to Costa Rica to save the world from a giant tentacled creature that leaves destruction in its wake. This time, old allies can't be trusted, and the danger runs deeper than Darwen could have ever imagined. The problem with doors is that they open both ways. There are monsters inside, and some of them are trying to get out ...
Publisher: UCLan Publishing
ISBN: 1912979063
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 311
Book Description
Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright's ordinary life changed forever when he was given a magical mirror, a portal to the wonderful world of Silbrica. Darwen defeated the terrible monsters released from the mirror once. Now, an even more terrifying beast has escaped through the mirror. Darwen and his friends, Rik and Alexandra, must journey to Costa Rica to save the world from a giant tentacled creature that leaves destruction in its wake. This time, old allies can't be trusted, and the danger runs deeper than Darwen could have ever imagined. The problem with doors is that they open both ways. There are monsters inside, and some of them are trying to get out ...
A Winter's Promise
Author: Christelle Dabos
Publisher: Europa Editions
ISBN: 1609454847
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 506
Book Description
“A stunningly atmospheric fantasy that doubles as an exceptional character study . . . we can’t wait to see where Dabos takes it next.” —Entertainment Weekly (“The 10 Best YA Books of 2018”) One of Publishers Weekly’s Best YA Books of the Year A National Indie Bestseller Lose yourself in the fantastic world of the arks and in the company of unforgettable characters in this French runaway hit, Christelle Dabos’ The Mirror Visitor quartet. Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what’s more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, Ophelia slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world. The World of the Arks Long ago, following a cataclysm called the Rupture, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands, now known as arks. Over each, the spirit of an omnipotent and immortal ancestor abides. The inhabitants of these arks each possess a unique power. Ophelia, with her ability to read the pasts of objects, must navigate this fantastic, disjointed, perilous world using her trademark tenacity and quiet strength.
Publisher: Europa Editions
ISBN: 1609454847
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 506
Book Description
“A stunningly atmospheric fantasy that doubles as an exceptional character study . . . we can’t wait to see where Dabos takes it next.” —Entertainment Weekly (“The 10 Best YA Books of 2018”) One of Publishers Weekly’s Best YA Books of the Year A National Indie Bestseller Lose yourself in the fantastic world of the arks and in the company of unforgettable characters in this French runaway hit, Christelle Dabos’ The Mirror Visitor quartet. Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what’s more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, Ophelia slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world. The World of the Arks Long ago, following a cataclysm called the Rupture, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands, now known as arks. Over each, the spirit of an omnipotent and immortal ancestor abides. The inhabitants of these arks each possess a unique power. Ophelia, with her ability to read the pasts of objects, must navigate this fantastic, disjointed, perilous world using her trademark tenacity and quiet strength.