Chinese science fiction has developed a soft-power strategy and is seeking a wider global audience, editor and writer Francesco Verso said at an event held as part of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival. Speaking with science journalist Fabio Pagan, Verso described the genre as one of the most striking developments of recent decades, shaped by imaginative work and government support.
Verso traced its history from early 20th-century writer Lu Xun to the Chinese New Wave, associated with Liu Cixin, Wang Jinkang and Han Song. Liu, author of “The Three-Body Problem,” won the Hugo Award in 2015, becoming the first non-Western writer to do so. His novel has sold seven million copies in China and been translated into many languages, Verso said.
The genre’s latest generations of writers, including millennials, are helping establish its soft-power presence. Verso named Hao Jingfang as its best-known female author. He also works as a cultural mediator with China, and his publishing house, Future Fiction, has the largest catalogue of Chinese books outside the country.
Chinese science-fiction cinema is already highly developed and of a good standard, but Verso said it lacks independent productions and the willingness to risk failure. He said the industry is looking for a major film that can reach audiences around the world.
Sources: ANSA Cultura.