In a far-flung future in which Earth is not so much as mentioned, Homo sapiens and other sentient species, namely the Gowachin, Laclac, Wreaves, Pan Spechi, Taprisiots, and Caleban, comprise the galaxy-spanning ConSentiency.

After suffering the unexpected consequences a pure democracy –laws could be created so quickly that no thought could be given to their full consequences– the sentients formed Bureau of Sabotage (BuSab) to slow the wheels of government, thereby precluding reckless legislation.

Ninety years prior to the setting of Whipping Star, the Calebans had appeared and offered jumpdoors to the ConSentiency, affording instantaneous travel to any point in the galaxy.

McKie has to find Mliss and stop her mad, solipsistic project before Fanny Mae reaches, in her words, "ultimate discontinuity" and civilization utterly collapses and all sentience with it.

In the denouement Fanny Mae's insatiable curiosity stands her in good stead, and sufficient communication is established with BuSab for the mystery to be solved and the omnigenocidal gang to be hoist by their own petard.

Accordingly "Fannie Mae", home being an important plot element and her identity more fully revealed, requests that she be addressed as Thyone, a star in the Pleiades henceforth.