Talking Entertainment: The Summer of Sci-Fi

Meet some of China’s up-and-coming science fiction writers next Tuesday thanks to the quarterly translation journal Pathlight. They're hosting an event at the Bookworm with writers Chen Qiufan and Hao Jingfang to discuss stories which imagine a China of the future and where humans are headed in terms of technology and individuality.

Here's the lowdown from Pathlight: "Hao Jingfang and Chen Qiufan (aka Stanley Chan) are great science fiction writers, the former one of the only women working in the genre and the latter with real crossover potential – his novels and short stories are attached to Hugo Award winning writer and translator Ken Liu."

Science fiction is widely popular in China, with magazines like Science Fiction World seeing some of the best circulation in the world. Liu Cixin's best-seller Three Body Trilogy was even translated into English last year.

When I was editor at The World of Chinese, we did a issue on "the future" and were lucky enough to have Chen Qiufan give us a fascinating piece on the history of sci-fi books in China. We also talked with Han Song, Liu Cixin and Wang Jinkang, all leading science fiction authors in the country. Their perspectives on the future were all reflections of China's development.

It’s exciting to see the subject matter get re-visited again. Sci-fi worlds are mirrors for social commentary, easy ways for writers to express their views and indirectly satirize their society.

And the popularity of sci-fi in China isn’t restricted to domestic works. Hollywood is cashing in on the craze. Transformers 3 broke domestic box-office records last year and was the number one grossing film until Iron Man 3 snatched the spot this spring. Now the producers of Transformers 4 are heating up the China angle to take the number one spot back when the film is released next summer.

Cybertron Con, the annual Transformers convention will be held in Beijing from August 15-19. Geeks from around the world and the country will convene at China Millennium Monument for panel discussions, design workshops and to pour over some of the most valuable Transformers toy collections in the world. They will also get to shake hands with a life-sized “Autobot” or “Decepticon.”

While I’m certain Alice Xin Liu, editor of Pathlight, won’t be dressed as an alien from the civilization that battles with Earth in Three Body Trilogy, it’s certainly worth heading to the Bookworm on Tuesday to shake hands with her and look into the future.

E-pub copies of Pathlight are available on Amazon and iTunes

Here are some A&C events around town this week:

• Tonight Only: Swiss Piano Trio at NCPA
  
• New Paper exhibition at Pekin Fine Arts
  
• The laughs continue at Dada with Planes Trains and Automobiles
• Capital String Quartet: A Bastille Day Concert

Photo: Guokr.com