The Best Science Fiction Writers on Earth May Be Chinese Scientists

[beijingwalker]

The Best Science Fiction Writers on Earth May Be Chinese Scientists
The world's most populous country is obsessed with promoting incredibly speculative research and it's entertaining as hell.

Neel V. Patel
December 28, 2015

The Best Science Fiction Writers on Earth May Be Chinese Scientists | Inverse

 

[Keel]

Hugo Award Winner Liu Cixin (edit: 刘慈欣) Wins Chinese Sci-fi Award
2015-10-19 00:52:34 Xinhua Web Editor: zhang

Liu Cixin, the first Asian writer to win "Best Novel" at the 2015 Hugo Award, wins the best achievement award at the 2015 Xingyun (Nebula) Award for Global Chinese Science Fiction in the city of Chengdu on October 18, 2015. [Photo: CFP]

The 2015 Xingyun (Nebula) Award for Global Chinese Science Fiction was announced Sunday in Chengdu, with the best achievement prize awarded to Liu Cixin, the first Asian writer to win "Best Novel" at the 2015 Hugo Award.

Liu won the Hugo prize with his most popular work, "The Three-Body Problem." It was translated into English by American Chinese writer Ken Liu and published by Tor Books in November 2014.

According to Dong Renwei, one of the founders of Xingyun Award and a sci-fi writer, this year's event for the first time set up a prize for sci-fi film screenplay, which went to "Mist," written by Wang Kanyu and Wu Shuang.

The annual event, the only international awards for Chinese-language sci-fi writers, is organized by the Chengdu-based World Chinese Science Fiction Association.

Over 40,000 readers voted for the 12 prizes of this year's Xingyun Award. More than 1,000 sci-fi writers and readers from China and abroad attended the awarding ceremony.

 

[Zsari]

The Best Science Fiction Writers on Earth May Be Chinese Scientists
The world's most populous country is obsessed with promoting incredibly speculative research and it's entertaining as hell.

Neel V. Patel
December 28, 2015

The Best Science Fiction Writers on Earth May Be Chinese Scientists | Inverse

The problem is that Sci-Fi in China is mostly associated with entertainment for kids.

 

[Keel]

“亚洲科幻第一人”是如何炼成的——记山西作家刘慈欣
http://www.chinawriter.com.cn
2015年10月22日09:14 来源：山西法制报(太原)

10月18日，刘慈欣在第六届全球华语科幻星云奖颁奖典礼上获华语科幻文学最高成就奖。新华社发


　　对刘慈欣而言，今年实在是一个丰收之年：从8月份获雨果奖——最佳长篇故事奖，到9月份获银河奖——科幻功勋奖，再到10月18日获星云奖 ——最高成就奖。一年三奖，横扫大陆圈、华语界、世界级科幻文学所有大奖，气吞万里如虎。毫无疑问，山西作家刘慈欣已经站在了科幻文学的最高峰，成了这个 时代全球科幻世界最耀眼的那颗明星。

　　《三体》的成功是中国文化“走出去”的标志性事件

　　刘慈欣的代表作品是他的长篇科幻小说《三体》系列，这部小说以恢弘大气的笔触描述了地球文明以外的“三体文明”。凭借这部小说，刘慈欣获得雨 果奖。这是世界科幻文学最高奖，在美国评选，美英以外的国家获奖者寥若晨星。刘慈欣是获得雨果奖的中国第一人，也是亚洲第一人，这是一个创纪录的突破。

　　刘慈欣被评论界称为“以一己之力将中国科幻文学提高到世界水平”的功臣。雨果奖揭晓的消息传开后不到两小时，《三体》在国内亚马逊网站的图书 销量排行榜上，就由50多位上升到第一位；其在英文版亚马逊网站的排名也进入了前500位，确确实实称得上全球畅销书了。现在，不论是网上还是实体书店， 《三体》都成了紧俏货，随时都会脱销。刘慈欣已经成为几十年来作品最畅销的中国科幻作家。

　　火爆的不只是国内市场，英文版《三体》去年在美国出版后，先后获得星云奖、雨果奖、轨迹奖、坎贝尔奖、普罗米修斯奖5个国际幻想文学奖项提 名。其在美国公开发售时，切切实实掀起一股中国科幻热，目前已经卖出3万多本，这几乎是其他中国小说在美销量的数百倍。从读者读后感受来看，《三体》英文 版在亚马逊电子商务网站上所获评价平均为四星半(满分为五星)，书评人和读者对《三体》的好评均占多数。

　　据《环球时报》的消息显示，雨果奖颁布后，刘慈欣和《三体》引起了美国媒体的极大关注和报道。《纽约时报》的评论称，《三体》“有可能改变美 国科幻小说迷的口味”。美国国家公共广播电台认为，“外国科幻小说在美国步履维艰，但刘慈欣的《三体》优雅而有力地证明，中国有着极佳的科幻土壤”。甚至 一些国外的科学家也撰文祝贺。欧洲航天局前高管、著名计算机和物理学家久里奥·普里斯科表示，“《三体》的获奖意味着中国科幻作家已经在这个领域走到前 头，而我们(西方)却在近年来失去了敢于思考和敢于探索的精神……当代中国科幻小说取得的成就，显示的是中国这个国家在科技领域敢为人先、努力探索的上升 势头。”

　　对此，刘慈欣有自己的认识。他告诉记者，一个国家的文化有多强势，和国力是相当的，国力强大才是文化走出去的根本基础和后盾。中国的科幻小 说，受到了美国这个科幻文学大国的注意，其中最深层的原因是跟中国国力崛起相关。当然，读者最感兴趣的还是，到底是什么原因造就了这位“亚洲科幻第一 人”？

　　阳泉走出了科幻大师刘慈欣

　　刘慈欣祖籍河南信阳，出生在北京，按照正常轨迹，本应与山西没有什么联系。可是，人生就像浩瀚的宇宙一样难以捉摸。当他3岁时，随父亲入晋，在阳泉、娘子关这块方圆不到百里的地方扎根发芽、滋润生长，并最终成为科幻界的参天大树。

　　刘慈欣小时候生活的地方是阳泉三矿，这是个以生产优质无烟煤著称的矿区。煤炭的神奇、矿工工作的艰辛，给刘慈欣留下了深刻印象，他常常思考可不可以不用挖煤，地下就直接冒出火来。这个念头一直萦绕在他的脑海，直到2000年，以短篇科幻小说《地火》面世。

　　矿区生活虽然艰苦，但刘慈欣找到了自己的乐趣，这就是他父亲从北京带回来的一大箱子书籍，那里面有《十万个为什么》、凡尔纳的《地心游记》等。刘慈欣回忆说，当他看到那些竖排的繁体字时，“就好像在一个黑屋子里关了很久，突然就打开了窗户”。

　　从阳泉矿区的赛鱼小学到三矿中学，刘慈欣在学校的表现非常平凡，学习不错，但绝不拔尖；和同学、师长联系也不是很多。记者近期在这两个学校多 方打听，竟然很少有人知道他的故事。令人印象深刻的是，在阳泉这个不大的山城，三矿中学的教学楼竟然有着像天文观象台一样的穹顶。

　　颜秉军是刘慈欣从小学到初中一路走来的同班同学，更是他为数不多的几个铁杆玩伴之一。颜秉军说，刘慈欣从小就表现出了对探索未知的极大兴趣。孩子们一起爬山，别人都向人多、风景好的地方跑；刘慈欣却总是找无人去过的地方，然后站在那里，眺望远方。

　　刘慈欣父亲是三矿的技工，母亲是小学教师，家里文化氛围非常浓厚。颜秉军清楚地记得，上世纪70年代，刘家竟然订有《科学画报》和《参考消 息》，他们俩人最大的兴趣就是看完《参考消息》的国外科技报道后，热烈讨论。刘慈欣甚至提出，盖楼的时候把磁铁铺在地面，这样房子不打地基也不会被风吹 走……

　　高中阶段，刘慈欣上的是阳泉一中，这是阳泉市最好的中学，也是山西的名校。这所学校，不仅走出了刘慈欣，还走出了李彦宏。这期间，刘慈欣除了 学习课本知识外，开始大量阅读科幻小说。阿瑟·克拉克所著的《2001太空漫游》，用渊博的宇宙知识细致形象地描绘了未来太空的景象，这令高中生刘慈欣激 动不已，感觉自己好像就是为科幻而生。

　　娘子关成了中国科幻史上的一个重要地标

　　刘慈欣似乎注定要与巍峨的太行山相依相伴。在山之东的邯郸上完四年大学后，刘慈欣又回到了山之西的娘子关发电厂，这里离他成长的阳泉矿区不到50公里。

　　在娘子关发电厂，刘慈欣一待就是近30年。刘慈欣白天的身份是计算机工程师，和周围的人没有什么两样，每天朝九晚五地上班，学习专业知识，解决工作难题；下班买菜做饭，接送孩子上学。他的工作能力、业务技术非常好，是所从事领域的省内技术权威。

　　到了晚上或假期，刘慈欣就会变换另一重身份，考虑跟现实完全没有关系的宇宙终极想象，在脑海中搭建了各类时空，从白垩纪到未来千万年的星际，把它们编成故事，让他喜欢或者不喜欢的人或进入地心深处，或穿梭太空漫游三体文明。

　　曾经采访过刘慈欣的媒体记者刘建国说，他科幻作家的身份一直隐藏得很好。直到目前为止，他在娘子关发电厂的老同事、老邻居都不知道，身边一直生活着一位科幻巨人。一位工友还非常认真地告诉他：“网上有个写科幻小说的和你同名，可火了。”他也只是笑笑。

　　对娘子关，刘慈欣感情非常深。在他的许多科幻小说末尾，刘慈欣都会认真地署上：某年某月某日，于娘子关。尽管这里山川闭塞，没有书店，没有图 书馆，刘慈欣想找一些资料，都需要坐上铁皮火车，哐当哐当颠簸到北京。但就在娘子关下，刘慈欣写出了30多篇短篇科幻小说、6部长篇科幻小说，共计400 余万字。在科幻迷的世界里，娘子关成了中国科幻史上一个重要地标。

　　刘慈欣非常庆幸自己没有居住在大城市，他说：“那样会被经常性的活动分散精力，写小说的人应该生活在比较偏远安静的地方。”1999年，刘慈 欣第一篇科幻小说《鲸歌》发表。同年，《科幻世界》发表他的另一部短篇小说《带上她的眼睛》，这使他第一次赢得了中国科幻小说界的最高荣誉——银河奖。



　　此后，刘慈欣开始在科幻界强势崛起，特别是他的长篇科幻小说“三体”系列：《三体》《黑暗森林》《死神永生》三部曲，在科幻迷中引发震动，过去无法想像的读者冒了出来，IT精英、投资人、宇航员在网上大发观感，“三体”成了一种文化现象。

　　刘慈欣的同事，阳泉市文联主席侯讵望读了刘慈欣的作品后说：“我觉得刘慈欣很伟大，他思想的穿透力非常令人吃惊。他从不纠缠于卿卿我我，而是关心人类生存的终极问题。他的作品提供了中国当代大多数作家所无法提供的东西，成功绝非偶然。”

　　本报记者 刘 强 陈俊琦


Net translation

"Asia's sci-fi first person" How to Make - remember Shanxi writer Liu Cixin
中国作家网 2015 年 10 月 22 日 09:14 Source: Legal Daily Shanxi (Taiyuan)
October 18, Liu Cixin eligible Chinese science fiction highest achievement award at the sixth Global Chinese science fiction Nebula Awards. Xinhua News Agency issued
October 18, Liu Cixin eligible Chinese science fiction highest achievement award at the sixth Global Chinese science fiction Nebula Awards. Xinhua News Agency issued


For Liu Cixin, this year it is a year of harvest: From August eligible Hugo Award - Award for best long story, to Sept. eligible Galaxy Award - Meritorious Award of science fiction, to October 18 eligible Nebula Award - - Highest Achievement Award. Third Prize a year, swept the continent circle, Chinese community, a world-class science fiction literature of all awards, swallowing air miles like a tiger. Undoubtedly, Shanxi writer Liu Cixin has stood the peak of science fiction, has become this era of global science fiction world, sinking most dazzling star.

Success "trisomy" is Chinese culture, "going out" a landmark event

Liu Cixin representative works of his long sci-fi novel "three-body" series, with impressive atmosphere of the novel describes the Earth civilization strokes than "three body civilization." With this novel, Liu Cixin get Hugo Award. This is the highest award in the world of science fiction literature in the United States named the national winner very few outside the United States and Britain. Liu Cixin is the first Chinese people won the Hugo Award, is the first in Asia, and this is a record of a breakthrough.

Liu Cixin by critics as "single-handedly raise the Chinese science fiction to the world level," the hero. Hugo Awards Announced after the news spread less than two hours, "three-body" in the book sales charts domestic Amazon, made more than 50 up to the first; it also entered in the English version of Amazon's ranking the top 500, is indeed regarded as the world's best-selling book. Now, whether it is online or physical bookstores, "three-body" have become goods in short supply, at any time out of stock. Liu Cixin decades has become the best-selling works of Chinese science fiction writer.

Popular not only in the domestic market, the English version of "three-body" published last year in the United States, has won Nebula Award, the Hugo Award, track prize, Campbell Award, Prometheus Award five international fantasy literature award nomination. Its public offering in the United States, and really set off a Chinese science fiction heat, it has now sold more than 30,000 of this, which is almost the other Chinese novels sold in the United States several times. Readers book review by the term "three-body" received the English version of the evaluation in the Amazon e-commerce sites on average account for the majority of four-star half (out of five stars), book reviews and readers of the "three-body" of praise.

According to the "Global Times" news shows, after Hugo Award enacted Liu Cixin and the "three-body" caused great concern and reported that the US media. "New York Times" commented that, "three-body", "could change the taste of the American science fiction fans." US National Public Radio that "foreign science fiction in the United States struggled, but Liu Cixin the" three-body "elegant and powerful proof that China has excellent soil science fiction." Even some foreign scientists also wrote congratulations. ESA former executives, the famous physicist long computer and Leo Prisco said, "award-winning" three-body "means Chinese science fiction writer has come to the top in this area, and we (the West), but in recent years lost the courage to think and dare to explore the spirit of contemporary Chinese fiction ...... achievements show that China in science and technology pioneers in this country, trying to explore the upward trend. "

In this regard, Liu Cixin have their own understanding. He told reporters that a culture of the country how strong, and strength are comparable, national strength is the fundamental basis of culture to go out and backing. China's science fiction, caught the attention of American science fiction this country, the most profound reason is associated with the rise of China's national strength. Of course, the reader is most interested in, in the end what is the reason to create this "Asia's sci-fi first person"?

Yangquan out of the science fiction master Liu Cixin

Liu Cixin Xinyang, Henan native, born in Beijing, according to the normal track, this should not have any contact with the Shanxi. However, life is like the vastness of the universe as elusive. When he was 3 years old, with his father to Shanxi Province, less than a hundred miles of the place to take root in Yangquan, Niangziguan this radius, moisten grow and eventually become giant trees sci-fi community.

Local Liu Cixin child life is Yangquan mine, this is known to produce high-quality anthracite mining. Magic coal miners to work hard, to Liu Cixin impressed, he often ponder Can not coal mining, underground directly to Mao Chuhuo. This idea has been lingering in his mind, until 2000, in order to short science fiction "fire" was published.

Although the mine life difficult, but Liu Cixin find their own fun, and this is a big box of books his father brought back from Beijing, and that there are "one hundred thousand why" Jules Verne "geocentric Travels," and so on. Liu Cixin recalls, when he saw those vertical traditional characters, the "as if in a dark room off a long time, suddenly opened the window."

Yangquan mine game fish from primary to secondary school three mines, Liu Cixin very ordinary performance in school, learning is good, but not top-notch; and students, teachers and not a lot of contact. Reporters recently in both schools making inquiries, even few people know his story. Impressive is that in this small mountain town of Yangquan, teaching building three mines like school even has the same astronomical observatory dome.

颜秉军 is Liu Cixin along the way from primary to junior high school classmate, it is one of the few hardcore of his playmates. Yan Bingjun said Liu Cixin childhood showed great interest in the exploration of the unknown. Hiking with the kids, others are to the people, the scenery good place to run; Liu Cixin has always been to find a place to nobody, then stood there, looking into the distance.

Liu Cixin father was a mechanic three mines, the mother is primary school teacher, the family culture is very strong. Yan Bingjun clearly remember, in the 1970s, Liu actually booked the "Science Illustrated" and "Reference News", the greatest interest is the two of them after reading the "Reference News" of foreign science and technology reports, lively discussion. Liu Cixin even suggested that levy when the magnet is laid on the ground, so the house is not to fight the foundation will not be blown away ......

High school, Liu Cixin on Yangquan one, this is the best school in Yangquan, Shanxi also schools. This school, not only out of Liu Cixin, but also out of the Li. During this period, Liu Cixin in addition to textbook knowledge, but began to read a lot of science fiction. Arthur C. Clarke's book "2001 A Space Odyssey", with profound knowledge of the universe and detailed image depicts a picture of the future of space, which makes high school Liu Cixin excited, I feel like I was born to science fiction.

Niangziguan become an important landmark in the history of Chinese science fiction

Liu Cixin seemed destined to stay together with the towering Taihang Mountains. After the mountain on the east of Handan complete four years of college, Liu Cixin back to the Mountain West Niangziguan power plant, less than 50 km away from here, he grew up in Yangquan Mining Area.

In Niangziguan power plants, Liu Cixin a stay for nearly 30 years. Liu Cixin identity is a computer engineer by day, and the people around is no different, from nine to five every day to go to work, to learn professional knowledge, solve work problems; work to buy food to cook, children to school. His ability to work, business technology is very good, the province is engaged in the field of technical authority.

In the evening or holiday, Liu Cixin will transform another identity, taking absolutely nothing to do with the reality of the universe, the ultimate imagination, set up all kinds of time and space in mind, from the Cretaceous to the future of millions of years interstellar, put them into a story, so he likes or does not like people or deep into the center of the earth, or shuttle Space Odyssey trisomy civilization.

Once interviewed Liu Cixin media reporter Liu Jianguo said that the identity of his science fiction writers have been well hidden. Until now, an old colleague of his at Niangziguan power plants, old neighbors do not know, I have been living beside a giant science fiction. A worker is still very serious to tell him: "write online science fiction of the same name and you can fire." He just smiled.

For Niangziguan, Liu Cixin very deep feelings. At the end of many of his science fiction, Liu Cixin will carefully Department on: a certain period of a day, in Niangziguan. Although the mountains here closed, no bookstore, no library, Liu Cixin looking for some information, we need to get on a train iron, bang when the bang when the bumps to Beijing. But at Niangziguan, Liu Cixin wrote more than 30 articles short fiction, 6-length science fiction, totaling more than 400 million words. In the world of science fiction fans, science fiction Niangziguan became an important landmark in the history of China.

Liu Cixin very glad that they did not live in a big city, he said:. "That would be distracted by recurring activities, writing a novel should live in more remote quiet place" in 1999, Liu Cixin first science-fiction novel "Whale Song "published. In the same year, "Science Fiction World" published another of his short story "Bring her eyes", which made him the first time China has won the highest honor in science fiction circles - Galaxy Award.


Since then, Liu Cixin began a strong rise in the sci-fi community, especially his long sci-fi novel "three-body" series: "three-body" "Dark Forest" "Death eternal life" trilogy, in the shaking caused by science fiction fans, the past can not imagine Readers take out, IT elite, investors, the astronauts on the Internet Daihatsu perception, "three-body" has become a cultural phenomenon.

Liu Cixin colleagues, Yangquan City Federation Chairman Hou Wang Ju Liu Cixin read the works and said:. "I think Liu Cixin very great, he thought penetration is very surprising that he never entangled in affectionate, but about the ultimate question of human existence His work provides something most Chinese contemporary writers can not provide, success is no accident. "

Our reporter Liu Qiang Chen Junqi


The Award Winning Book

 

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