CHINESE SF

   Chinese literature has a long tradition of the fantastic that prepared the way for, and leads up to, modern Chinese sf. It is believed that the earliest actual sf publication in China was the serialization in 1904 in the magazine Portrait Fiction of "Yueqiu zhimindi xiaoshuo" ("Tales of Moon Colonization") by Huangjiang Diaosuo. Around 130,000 Chinese words long, this novel describes a group of Earthlings settling on the Moon. Another important sf work of the early period is Xu Nianci's "Xinfalu xiansheng tan" ("New Tales of Mr Absurdity") (1905), which deals with the separation of body and soul. Lao She's Maocheng ji ("Cat Country") (1933; reprinted 1947) remains one of the most significant Chinese sf novels; this DYSTOPIA about catlike Martians is in fact a biting satire of the Old China under its reactionary rule. Lao She wrote this novel without being aware of the genre, but at much the same time Gu Junzheng was consciously writing sf, even acknowledging the influence of Jules VERNE and H.G. WELLS. His Heping de meng ("Dream of Peace") (coll 1940) prints four of his sf short stories. Like Hugo GERNSBACK, Gu Junzheng advocated the popularization of science through sf, and all his stories try to stimulate readers' interest in science and technology.The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. Soon after that, Soviet sf works were translated into Chinese in great numbers. Also as a result of Soviet influence, the Chinese Youth Press systematically published selections of Verne's sf throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s. From 1949 through the 1960s, almost all Chinese sf stories were for juvenile readers. Representative works include Zheng Wenguang's "Cong Diqiu dao Huxing" ("From Earth to Mars") (1954), Yu Zhi's "Shizong de gege" ("The Missing Elder Brother") (1957), Xiao Jianheng's "Buke de qiyu" ("Pup Buke's Adventures") (1962) and Liu Xinshi's "Beifang de yun" ("Northern Clouds") (1962).During the 10 years of the notorious "Cultural Revolution" not a trace of sf could be found in China. However, 1978-83 saw a remarkable resurgence of sf creation. Among nearly 1000 titles are Jin Tao's "Yueguangdao" ("The Moonlit Island") (1980), Tong Enzheng's "Shanhudao shang de siguang" ("Death Ray on a Coral Island") (1978), Zheng Wenguang's Feixiang Renmazuo ("Forward to Sagittarius") (1979), Meng Weizai's Fangwen shizongzhe ("Calling on the Missing People") (1981), Wang Xiaoda's "Shenmi de bo" ("The Mysterious Wave") (1980), Wei Yahua's "Wenrou zhixiang de meng" ("Conjugal Happiness in the Arms of Morpheus") (1981) and Ye Yonglie's Heiying ("The Black Shadow") (1981).Sf during this period also found expression in other media, such as films, tv, radio broadcasts and comic books. In films, Shanhudao shang de siguang ("Death Ray on a Coral Island"), based on Tong Enzheng's story, was released in 1980, and Ji Hongxu's Qianying ("The Hidden Shadow") in 1982. On tv, "Zuihou yige aizheng sizhe" ("The Last Man who Dies of Cancer") by Zhou Yongnian, Zhang Fengjiang and Jia Wanchao and "Yinxing ren " ("The Invisible Man") by Wu Boze were both dramatized in 1980. Xiongmao jihua ("The Panda Project") by Ye Yonglie was dramatized on tv in 1983. The same author's An dou ("Veiled Strife") (1981) and Mimi zhongdui ("The Secret Column") (1981) were broadcast on radio daily as serials in 1981. And in comic books, Ye Yonglie's sf detective series, 12 booklets with 8 million copies printed, was published by Popular Science Press in 1982 under the series title The Scientific Sherlock Holmes.1978-83 also saw widespread publication of foreign sf in China. Among the famous sf writers from many parts of the world who were introduced to the Chinese reading public were Mary SHELLEY, Robert A. HEINLEIN, Isaac ASIMOV, Jack WILLIAMSON, Poul ANDERSON, Michael CRICHTON, Clifford D. SIMAK, Frederik POHL, Arthur C. CLARKE, Brian W. ALDISS, Alexander BELYAEV and Sakyo KOMATSU.However, the 1983 political drive against "spiritual pollution" hurt sf writers so badly that their already small contingent quickly shrank. Since then Chinese sf has developed only slowly. There is just one mainland magazine devoted to sf, Kehuan Shijia ("SF World"). In Taiwan there is the sf magazine Huanxiang ("Mirage"), ed and published by Dr Zhang Xiguo, a computer specialist who teaches at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA but shows much concern about the development of Chinese sf; there are about a dozen titles under his name. Another major sf writer in Taiwan is Huang Hai, best known for his high literary quality and for his scientific speculation. His first publication, "Hangxiang wuya de lucheng" ("A Boundless Voyage"), appeared in 1968. His best works are reckoned to be 10101 ("The Year 10101") (1969) and Xinshiji zhelu ("Voyage to a New Era") (1972).The most productive sf writer in Hong Kong is Ni Kuang, who often writes under the pseudonym Wei Shili. His sf works number about 25 titles, but most are marginal, being SWORD AND SORCERY - indeed, some critics doubt if his works belong to the sf genre at all.There are 15 Chinese members of WORLD SF, whose 1991 annual meeting was held in Chengdu. An introduction to Chinese sf for English readers is Science Fiction from China (anth 1989 US) ed WU DINGBO and Patrick Murphy, which contains several of the stories mentioned above.

   WD