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Orientalism and Sci-fi in the People’s Paradise

In The Questionable ‘Chinese-ness’ of Chinese Sci-Fi, Emily Xueni Jin (金雪妮) writes:  Notably, China itself is complicit in perpetuating the myth of a uniquely “Chinese” sci-fi. Chinese experts and official-backed panels have referenced  “The Three Body Problem” as a classic example of a successful “cultural export.” Writers who achieve international success are paraded around like literary heroes, … Continue reading Orientalism and Sci-fi in the People’s Paradise →

Last Quarter of the Moon: Re-launching as One of 8 Novels in “Eco-fiction” Genre

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As of July 7, 2022, Penguin is launching a collection of novels "to change the way we think about — and act upon — the most urgent story of our times: the climate crisis": " VINTAGE EARTH is a collection of novels to transform our relationship with the natural world. Each one is a work of creative activism, a … Continue reading Last Quarter of the Moon: Re-launching as One of 8 Novels in “Eco-fiction” Genre →

Carrie “Lapdog” Lam: Fit for House Arrest in a Mong Kok Coffin Apartment?

The death of free Hong Kong was planned in Beijing, but Carrie Lam will go down in history as its chief executioner. On Monday she said she won’t seek a second five-year term as the city’s chief executive, but her legacy is secure. A career civil-servant who prospered under British rule, she was obliged as … Continue reading Carrie “Lapdog” Lam: Fit for House Arrest in a Mong Kok Coffin Apartment? →

Author Sheng Keyi’s “Ukraine Series” of Paintings (盛可以 画)

Her painting aside, Sheng Keyi (盛可以) has also authored several works of fiction, including Northern Girls (北妹) Wild Fruit (野蛮生长), Death Fugue (死亡赋格), The Metaphor Detox Center (锦灰), The Womb (子宫), Paradise (福地), and Nostalgia for the Homeland (怀乡书).  Her writing has appeared in languages such as French, Italian, Spanish, German, Swedish, Russian, Czech, Polish, Japanese and Korean. … Continue reading Author Sheng Keyi’s “Ukraine Series” of Paintings (盛可以 画) →

Quote of the Week: Book Banning in Amerika

So it was with somewhat mixed feelings that I learned some American high school teachers assign “The Sympathizer” as required reading in their classes. For the most part, I’m delighted. But then I worry: I don’t want to be anyone’s homework. I don’t want my book to be broccoli. I was reassured, however, when a … Continue reading Quote of the Week: Book Banning in Amerika →

Surveillance in the People’s Paradise: Update on Henan Province

In Chinese province targets journalists and students in planned surveillance system, based at least partly on a Reuters' new item, we learn that China's Henan Province has commissioned a state-of-the-art surveillance system: A 29 July tender document published on the Henan provincial government’s procurement website details plans for a system that can compile individual files on such … Continue reading Surveillance in the People’s Paradise: Update on Henan Province →

Gurnah’s Nobel Prize for Literature: One African Publisher’s Take

During the immediate aftermath of the naming of Zanzibar-born author Abdulrazak Gurnah as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, it seemed that much of the Sinosphere coverage was either scholarly papers penned a few years back by Chinese scholars and reheated for the occasion, or translated snippets of English-language wire service reports pasted … Continue reading Gurnah’s Nobel Prize for Literature: One African Publisher’s Take →