The Ragpicker

The Ragpicker wanders the lush, deserted Earth, haunted by failing avatars and fragmented texts. He’ s searching for traces of his long-dead husband but his journey is interrupted by a girl, Ysmeny, fleeing her remote village. Together they cross the flourishing, treacherous landscape towards sanctuary. Yet the signals and static of the previous age echo in the Ragpicker’ s mind and whisper in the girl’ s dreams, drawing them toward the gap between map and territory— while offering precious hope.

Joel Dane is the author of twenty-four novels across several genres--and pseudonyms. He's written for TV and podcasts, including a dozen episodes of a Netflix Original Series and an audio drama starring Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto. As Joel Dane, he wrote the Cry Pilot trilogy for Ace Books, and Marigold Breach for Realm.