Channing Whitaker

In a city full of gangsters, thieves, and abusers, where cops can be as corrupt as criminals, fate brings those in need of help to the makeshift table of an old, blind peddler who carves tiny wood figures of mighty warriors.

The world is dead. Humanity’s existence depends on sophisticated living compounds, isolated from the cold and barren landscape beyond. The people without them, once driven to theft and murder, are believed to have perished long ago.

With his writing career failing and his publisher thinking of pulling the plug, Gene Winfield is left reeling from a failing passion and his beloved aunt's passing. But when he discovers an ominous book among his late aunt's belongings, Gene finally sees his chance.

In a world where automation runs society, Marion Sato spends her days as a judgment aid, tasked with making the manual choices deemed too difficult or complicated for computer algorithms. It seems like a dream come true – until things go horribly wrong.