I am a conventional science fiction author. But that said, once your work is published, it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the readers and they will derive all sorts of interpretations.
Liu CixinRead
In the century-long history of Chinese science fiction, apocalyptic themes were mostly absent. This was especially true in the period before the 1990s, when Chinese science fiction, isolated from the influence of the West, developed on its own.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the unique development of Chinese science fiction, particularly its lack of apocalyptic themes prior to the 1990s.
Liu Cixin points out that for much of its history, Chinese science fiction did not focus on apocalyptic themes, especially before the 1990s when the genre evolved independently of Western influences. This reflects a broader cultural narrative and suggests that national contexts significantly shape literary outputs, demonstrating how different societies can perceive and construct futures distinctively.
Themes
Chinese Science FictionApocalyptic ThemesLiterary DevelopmentCultural InfluenceIndependent Evolution
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on the evolution of science fiction, one might quote Liu Cixin to emphasize the cultural uniqueness of different literary traditions.
More from Liu Cixin
All quotes βPerhaps in ten thousand years, the starry sky that humankind gazes upon will remain empty and silent. But perhaps tomorrow we'll wake up and find an alien spaceship the size of the Moon parked in orbit.
Liu CixinRead
The main difficulty is finding an idea that really excites me. We live in an age when miracles are no longer miracles, and science and the future are losing their sense of mystery. For science fiction, or at least the type of science fiction I write, this development is almost fatal, but I'm still giving it all I've got.
Liu CixinRead
I'm absolutely positive about human survival. We will continue to develop our civilisation and expand not just on Earth, but also across the solar system, the galaxy, even the entire universe.
Liu CixinRead
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If you have come to these pages for laughter, may you find it. If you are here to be offended, may your ire rise and your blood boil. If you seek an adventure, may this song sing you away to blissful escape. If you need to test or confirm your beliefs, may you reach comfortable conclusions. All books reveal perfection, by what they are or what they are not. May you find that which you seek, in these pages or outside them. May you find perfection, and know it by name.
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Stories you read when you're the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you'll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit.
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Certainly 'The Judgment of Paris' was the novel in which I found my own voice.
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To whom do I give my new elegant little book? Cui dono lepidum novum libellum?
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