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Invisible Planets

Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation

Ken Liu, ed.

Tor Books

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ISBN10: 0765384205
ISBN13: 9780765384201

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400 Pages

$18.99

CA$24.99

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Award-winning translator and author Ken Liu presents a collection of short speculative fiction from China. Some stories have won awards (including Hao Jingfang’s Hugo-winning novella, Folding Beijing); some have been included in various 'Year's Best' anthologies; some have been well reviewed by critics and readers; and some are simply Ken's personal favorites. Many of the authors collected here (with the obvious exception of New York Times bestseller Liu Cixin’s two stories) belong to the younger generation of 'rising stars'. In addition, three essays at the end of the book explore Chinese science fiction. Liu Cixin's essay, "The Worst of All Possible Universes" and "The Best of All Possible Earths," gives a historical overview of SF in China and situates his own rise to prominence as the premier Chinese author within that context. Chen Qiufan's The Torn Generation gives the view of a younger generation of authors trying to come to terms with the tumultuous transformations around them. Finally, Xia Jia, who holds the first Ph.D. issued for the study of Chinese Science Fiction, asks, What Makes Chinese Science Fiction Chinese?

Table of Contents:
Introduction: China Dreams

Chen Qiufan
The Year of the Rat
The Fish of Lijiang
The Flower of Shazui

Xia Jia
A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight
Tongtong's Summer
Night Journey of the Dragon-Horse

Ma Boyong
The City of Silence

Hao Jingfang
Invisible Planets
Folding Beijing

Tang Fei
Call Girl

Cheng Jingbo
Grave of the Fireflies

Liu Cixin
The Circle
Taking Care of God

Essays
The Worst of All Possible Universes and the Best of All Possible Earths: Three-Body and Chinese Science Fiction
The Torn Generation: Chinese Science Fiction in a Culture in Transition
What Makes Chinese Science Fiction Chinese?

BOOK EXCERPTS

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INTRODUCTION: CHINA DREAMS


by Ken Liu


 


This anthology collects a selection of short speculative fiction from China that I’ve translated over the years into one volume. Some have...