Shi Jingyuan: Science fiction has become a rare creative expression theme in China, and it has also become a kind of foreign cultural business card. This is driven by Volkswagen's grassroots enthusiasm.
In November last year, thousands of Chinese hardcore science fans rushed towards Chengdu and participated in the first science fiction conference in Asia. This highly anticipated event attracted writers and filmmakers from Asia, Europe, the United States and the Middle East.The mayor of Chengdu appeared in front of the electronic background of the blue galaxy, spacecraft and distant planets, and wished the conference.The speeches of other guests praise how science and the future will be integrated in this fascinating creative category.At that time, the world was not like the end.
Chengdu's event is a major moment in the Chinese science fiction industry, and last year was the golden year of Chinese science fiction.After years of suspicion and injury, science fiction has become a rare creative expression theme in China, and it has also become a kind of foreign cultural business card.The Wandering Earth, which was released last year, is the highest box office science fiction movie in the history of China. The content of the film is that in a global disaster, countries unite and strive to save the whole mankind.
On the other hand, while the organizers of the Chengdu Science Fiction Conference open their doors, they also consider organizing a more global event. They want to apply for the World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon).The World Science and Fiction Conference is basically one year, and it has been held for more than 80 years. Most of the attractive are science fiction fans in North America and Europe.For people outside the science fiction world, it may not have much special meaning to become the host of the World Science Fiction Conference.
However, the editor -in -chief of the Chengdu Science Fiction World Magazine (SCIENCE FICTION World, one of the organizers of the Chengdu Science Fiction Conference) said that for people in the circle, this is like applying for the Olympic Games.Holding the World Science Fiction Conference will confirm that China is one of the global science fiction centers, and is no longer an ordinary participant.This will be a real milestone. Han Song, a widely respected big coffee in the Chinese science fiction industry, said that it can gather authors of different worlds to gather with science fiction fans, learn from each other, and share their own imagination of the future.
All parties are working together to win the support they need in the about 6,000 world science fiction members of the World Science and Fiction Conference at the 2023 conference.The Chinese science fiction industry has been working hard for Shen Fantasy, and sent representatives to London, Helsinki, San Jose, and Dublin, which have hosted the World Science and Fiction Conference in recent years to open a booth to play Chengdu's slogan MDASH; mdash; Panda WANTS A WorldCon (Panda wants to hold the World Science Fiction ConferenceTo.
In this way, the Chinese science fiction circle is rising, and it has become an unexpected element in a broader cultural diplomatic initiative (the purpose is to show positive and interesting Chinese image).However, unlike the past panda or table tennis diplomatic initiative in Beijing, this is the MDash; mdash; this attracted the attention of Chinese officials.
The Chinese government's attempts to create cultural soft power can not always be performed as planned.A study mentioned that since 2009, Beijing is estimated to have spent $ 6 billion to improve and shape its external image.However, from the construction of a global network that covers hundreds of Confucius Institutes, to learning the application of a strong country, the speed of Chinese leaders to promote their information is difficult to catch up with the speed of negative information related to them.
Nowadays, the Chinese science fiction circle has been given higher hope and expectations, which has received some attention internationally.Bill Bull, co -chairman of the World Science and Fiction Conference in 2021; Bill Lawhorn participated in the Chengdu Science Fiction Conference, and said that he believed that the city was trying to become the forefront of cities.Science fiction has not only received the support of senior officials, but also attracted the attention of Chinese technology giants such as Tencent.Tencent has set up its own science fiction animation department.
This is a gratifying progress for those responsible for creative works.For decades, Chinese writers have explored roads in a complex political and social environment that most outsiders cannot imagine.Science fiction novels are suitable for alternative imagination and peaceful universe.Writers realize that it is now the most shining moment of science fiction.They are in a unique situation that can make some contributions to their country Mdash; mdash; for some people, this is a kind of power mdash; mdash; at the same time, they can also realize their creativity and personal ambitions.
The think tanks founded by Wu Yan in Shenzhen issued a report on the science fiction industry each year. He said that few novels can win the support of three major groups: government, ordinary readers and intellectuals.Now Chinese science fiction novels have both.As long as China's economy is still driven by science and technology, it will continue to advance in the fields of 5G and artificial intelligence, then this symbiotic relationship will continue to be enhanced.
The situation is not always the case.In the past not far, science fiction often conflicts with the wishes of the government's desire to delineate the right science road.In the 1970s, there was a controversy that it was about whether the millennium dinosaur egg was in the story of the pioneer science fiction writer Ye Yonglie, and he could continue to incubate. This dispute caused him to discredit true science.In the early 1980s, during Deng Xiaoping's market reform, this literary category was banned because under the general resistance of Westernization, people suspected that science fiction would cause mental pollution.
Although there are tensions between the past writers and Beijing, the attention of science fiction in the world is consistent with the vision of the Chinese government Mdash; MDASH; the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) includes science and technical knowledge to the publicEssenceAlthough the anti -Utopia novels were banned, such as the Fat Yearsh; Mdash; the book subtlely reflected the Tiananmen Square Demonstration of Tiananmen Plaza in 1989; and Yan Lianke's straight political irony of Tiananmen Square in 1989, and Yan LiankeWorks, but the science fiction category is flexible, and it is not necessary to closely connect with any side of history or interpretation of it; on the contrary, it can provide a variety of paths from history to the future.
China needs these stories to connect to the present and the future. In this country that continues to face politics in the world, it meets the needs of the public, that is, expressing their hope for the future.As a result, works that focus on portraying current or recent experience, which also attracts the attention of readers in other parts of the world.For example, in 2006, Liu Cixin's award -winning novels (The Three Body Privem) mdash; mdash; its fans include Barack Bull; Barack Obama mdash; mdash;During the decisive battle, Chinese leadership global resistance against aliens to take over the earth.In Hao Jingfang's short -story Folding Beijing, she divided Beijing into three layers of space based on the right to use the sunlight to express the theme of urban inequality.
The background of Chinese science fiction writers is as diverse as their style.Chen Yifan has a Waste Tide and has won many awards. He described the environmental disaster on Silicon Isle. This creative prototype is the author's garbage recycling center near the growth place of Guangdong's economic province.
Different from Liu Cixin, who has experienced the Mao Zedong era, Chen Yifan is the only child. His theme of his work is a test of robots and algorithms.And prosperity, and the social and ecological cost it has not been described.Chen Yifan and his peers reflect on artificial intelligence, technology, environmental disasters, and other categories of inferences that have been considered to be in the Western world view (DISCursive domain problem.
But as the translator Ken Liu pointed out, some writers believe that the current specifications are higher.He said that when you entered the universe, you became a collective part of the name of lsquo; humans rsquo;You are no longer Chinese, Americans, Russians or other countries.Your culture is leaning aside.Chinese science fiction novels hope that its science fiction elements are more than Chinese elements.At least, this is the ambition.
In addition to keyboards, there are more ambitious plans: developing a complete cultural industry around Chinese science fiction novels, and a large number of startups.The Future Affairs Administration is trained and inspected hundreds of authors through training classes and early occupational management.Eight Light Minutes, a headquarter to Chengdu, developed novels into movies, comics and other cultural products.The academic research center has emerged throughout China, and there are think tanks, movies, media, online games and peripheral products.
But in the final analysis, it is the grass -roots fan group that drives all of them. Most of them have a strong interest in science fiction when they are young.Science fiction is always encouraged and supported from the fan circle, especially when it is in the darkest.Regina Kanyu Wang is the author of the film and television -oriented science fiction startup in Beijing. She hopes that no matter what Chinese science fiction becomes like, do not forget its foundation among the fans.
Although science fiction writers do not always determine how to cope with official attention, they are willing to cooperate.During the isolation of the new coronary virus pneumonia (COVID-19, that is, the 2019 coronary virus disease), the relevant plans are inevitably shelved.But the overall mood in the science fiction circle was not discouraged.
The activity of the 2023 World Science Fiction Conference continues.I once vocalized with Yao Navy on WeChat with Yao Haijun, and his mobile phone vibrated every few seconds.He just attended a planning meeting the day before.He reminded me that according to a new survey, Chengdu officially became the most sci -fi city in China MDASH; mdash; surpassed Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.From the perspective of people in the circle, the future is still bright.In the atmosphere of mutual accusations with the West and the west, the soft power of storytelling may play its most important role so far.
Shi Jingyuan is the John M Schiff Professor at the East Asian Language and Literature Department of Yale University.
Translator/He Li
