 The novel is set in the far future, where interplanetary and alternate-dimension travel is possible.In addition, an Internet-like information system, known as "Granny Nanny", dominates daily life, with each person being injected with nanomites that allow mental access to Granny Nanny at birth.This access takes the form of an eshu, a mental voice within the head that provides information upon request and operates as a sort of sixth sense.