Reviewing the history of the development of Chinese science fiction, it can be seen that in the tremendous changes in the times in the early 20th century, Chinese science fiction drew the "force" from the dream of national independence, national prosperity and human progress, and integrated the heroism of the nation and the spirit of internationalism. At the end of the 20th century and the early 21st century, Liu Cixin carried it forward and wrote the Chinese style of "starry romanticism", which inspires us to move forward bravely and also brings Chinese science fiction to the world. At present, how will the "great changes in the world that have not been seen in a century" in which we are in trigger new changes in science fiction art?
Author: Fei Er, a science fiction writer and associate professor of Chinese Department of Tsinghua University
As 2020 is about to end, science fiction fans around the world heard a sad news: On December 23, American time, the famous science fiction writer and scholar James Gunn passed away at the age of 97. The reading book "The Road to Science Fiction" compiled by Gunn has inspired countless readers. As early as 1997, the book was translated into Chinese, becoming an important guide for many Chinese readers to understand world science fiction. Another book, "The Interleaved World: The History of World Science Fiction", systematically describes the origin and evolution of science fiction literature. The book was first published in 1975 and was not released in Chinese translation until 2020. Despite the 45 years, it is still exciting.
Gunn was born in 1923, three years earlier than the world's first specialized science fiction magazine, "Story of Marvel" founded by Hugo Gensbuck. He experienced the prosperity and ups and downs of American science fiction culture in the 20th century, was very familiar with those important works, magazines, and characters, and had deep contacts with many famous writers and editors, so he was able to tell history as much as possible. On the other hand, Gunn began teaching science fiction courses at university since 1970. "The Interleaved World" was revised based on his lecture notes, which allowed his narrative to be clear and clear while ensuring academic standards. Compared with this, the science fiction history works previously translated and introduced to China have some a bit of academic obscureness. What is particularly admirable is that with the publication of the Chinese translation as an opportunity, Gunn, who is already 90 years old, rewrites the first chapter and adds the last chapter on the original book, and specifically mentions recent events such as the award-winning of the English version of "The Three-Body Problem", which not only makes this classic science fiction history work more complete in structure, but also allows us to examine the world science fiction trends in the past forty years through the eyes of witnesses of the golden age of science fiction. This perspective is particularly valuable. After all, many science fiction masters of Gunn's generation have long passed away (Asimov, who wrote the preface for the first edition of this book, passed away as early as 1992). It can be said that the science fiction landscape of nearly a century has been integrated into a coherent and profound life experience here in Gunn.
In the preface of the Chinese version, Gunn clearly pointed out: "Science fiction is a literature of change, and it itself is the best example of change." Focusing on the core concept of "change", Gunn vividly describes the history of science fiction: although there was a description of the ideal country in ancient Greece and a story of arriving at a strange world through fictional travel, during the long period of time, human production modes, attitudes to life, war modes, etc. did not undergo substantial changes, until the scientific revolution and industrial revolution, the whole world began to undergo fundamental and accelerated changes, and a new belief was established-humans do not need to rely on supernatural forces, but can rely on their own rationality to explore the unknown, understand the universe, nature and self, and change their destiny through their own inventions and creations to gain a better survival ability. Under this belief, scientific and technological inventions are changing with each passing day, greatly improving productivity. Not only has amazing material achievements been achieved, but they have also reshaped social life and people's spiritual outlook. The "future" has replaced the already lost "past" and become a new coordinate of the "golden age".This extremely important historical change provides the basis for the birth of science fiction novels:
Perhaps the only criterion for defining science fiction novels is its attitude: science fiction novels contain the basic concept that the universe is known, and the mission of human beings is to understand the universe, discover where the universe and human beings come from, how they evolve to today's situation, where the universe and human beings will go, what laws restrict them, what ending will be like, and how will it end.
In other words, it is not that there is a group of novel stories before the world understands "science fiction", but that science fiction novels come into being in a general atmosphere of longing for truth, being brave to explore, innovate, and moving towards the future. This causal relationship is summarized as one sentence: "Science fiction should be regarded as literature in the science fiction world." Therefore, when Gunn outlines the development of science fiction at different stages, he pays special attention to explaining the scientific achievements and their social impact at that time. For science fiction fans, this is a key entrance to understanding science fiction. It is by showing the magical changes brought by modern technology and the infinite possibilities of the future that science fiction provides readers with the most important pleasure. This kind of fun is hailed as the "force of science fiction" by Liu Cixin, which can catalyze all childish and rough stories into a charming spiritual food. It can be said that Gunn's science fiction history is a history of the rise and fall of the "Force". After reading this history, readers may not be able to remember many interesting details, but they will definitely leave a strong impression: where the spirit of constantly improving and pursuing progress appears, the seeds of science fiction will grow.
For example, new inventions emerged in the 19th century, which made Verne debut in Europe. This French genius felt the call of the spirit of the times and successfully turned scientific and technological achievements into the theme of the novel. The new inventions he wrote are often based on the technological concepts that predecessors have already made readers believe that such stories may indeed happen in the future. Although there was no concept of "science fiction" at that time, Verne responded to the ecstasy of Europeans in the face of scientific miracles and achieved success worldwide. By the 20th century, the science fiction spirit that was never satisfied with the status quo had achieved vigorous development in the new colony of the United States. With the rise of the United States in economic, technological, military and other aspects, as outstanding talents from all over the world gather here and the public's demand for popular reading materials grows, publishers who are keen on exploring future wonders in the era of science and technology follow the trend and gather authors and readers with common hobbies through books and magazines, thus promoting the "golden age" of science fiction. Gunn wrote proudly: "Science fiction was born in France and Britain, but found itself in the United States." In the 1960s, the "New Wave" movement, which originated in Britain and was responded to in the United States, began to innovate the aesthetic appearance of science fiction. A new generation of writers have widely borrowed modernist and postmodernist narrative techniques and boldly explored new subjects, including the exploration of the human body and other private fields. In the eyes of many, these works sacrificed the readability of the story in order to win the recognition of the "mainstream" cultural community. But Gunn pointed out that the fundamental reason why old-school science fiction fans resist "New Wave" science fiction is not because of its obscure and difficult literary skills, but because of the change of perspective: "New Wave" writers gave up the previous attitude of science fiction literature that examined the fate of mankind from the vast space-time scale and believed that reason and science can lead us forward, but refocused their attention on the current social and individual troubles, and adopted a subjective, non-scientific, "feeling is more important than thinking". No matter what attitude readers have towards this, the spirit of the times has indeed changed. This change has made Gunn point out affectionately when summarizing history and looking forward to the future at the end of the first edition that the moving feature of science fiction lies in "a philosophy that is both arrogant and humble."
It can be said that Gunn used a completely pure science fiction fan stance to describe and grasp the history of science fiction for hundreds of years and gave a convincing explanation of the changes in the fashion of science fiction. Therefore, Liu Cixin praised this book as "the only science fiction literary history written from the perspective of science fiction in China at present."
Liu Cixin and his "Three-Body" Data picture
"Interlaced World" by James Gunn Data picture
The science fiction novel "New Stone" by Wu Zhaoren in the Qing Dynasty Data picture
Verne's science fiction novel "The Moon Travel" and "Underground Travel" translated by Lu Xun Data picture
In the great changes of the times, Chinese science fiction has drawn the "force" from the dream of national independence, national prosperity and human progress
Of course, as a book completed in the 1970s, "Interlaced World" also has its limitations: what it involves is basically British and American science fiction. This may be in line with the actual situation of history, but it also raises questions worth thinking about for Chinese readers today. A passage in the book is deeply touching:
By the 1840s, people in the United States and most parts of the world had witnessed the test and victory of the industrial revolution and accepted the social concept that science would lead mankind to a new and better living situation.
In the writings of American scholars, this is a historical moment that shines with golden glow: the social changes brought by technology are accelerating, and the whole world is ready for the arrival of science fiction novels. However, the year 1840 cannot not not summon the bitter memories of the Chinese. For us, "longing for truth", "courage to explore", "innovation", "toward the future" and "development of rational spirit" are only one level of modern civilization dominated by the West, and at the other level of the story, exploring unknown territory is closely linked to the violent conquest of the colonists. It is also the drastic "changes" brought about by colonialism to modern China that have led to the roots and sprouting of science fiction in China.
For any civilization to develop continuously, it must constantly experience the reciprocity of self-affirmation, self-preservation, self-question, and self-innovation in order to achieve the unity of continuation and development. The fierce collision between old and new civilizations will also bring important changes in literature and art. When Western civilization affirmed and questioned the great changes brought about by science and technology, the "force" of science fiction also stirred into two directions: praise for "progressive power" (such as Verne) and fear of "destructive power" (such as "Frankenstein"), the interweaving of the two runs through the history of science fiction.
Similarly, Chinese science fiction was born at a time when local civilization encountered an unprecedented crisis. In the 19th century, the former Celestial Kingdom reversed its role and became a backward country, facing the danger of destruction of the country and the seed. The "progressive power" in "Western civilization" has become "destructive power" in the face of backward countries. This unstoppable historical momentum throws the balance problem of self-preservation and self-change to the backwards. On the one hand, the will to deny tradition and radical change comes from this. In this change, transforming the people's outlook on life, world, and cosmic views based on modern science has become an important cultural task. At the same time, the function of "novel" has been enhanced, so science fiction novels naturally appeared in the "novel revolution". In the 1902 issue of "New Novels", editor-in-chief Liang Qichao translated the "Dragon Diary" by French astronomer Flamarion, telling the story of the gradual decline of human civilization millions of years later. Combined with the religious thoughts of Liang at that time, it can be seen that the purpose of his translation of this science fiction novel is to show the end of the astronomical scale, so that the Chinese people can change their mentality of life and death, let go of their greed for the world, become brave and resolute, and devote themselves to the fearless cause of sacrificing their lives for justice, and sacrifice themselves to save the people. Although the body will die and the earth will die, the soul and love will live forever in the starry sky. This view echoes the martyrdom of Tan Sitong. In the latter's view, the separation between people and people and all things has caused misfortune in the world. Through the omnipresent and circulating medium of the universe as physicists assumed, personal sincerity can move others and break through each other's barriers. When he was executed bravely, he must have hoped that his death could arouse more people's blood. He even imagined that since humans have evolved continuously, they will one day break free from the constraints of the body, become a purely spiritual being, and travel in the universe. In other words, it is the three-view revolution promoted by modern science that gives the kind and aspiring people the courage to sacrifice their lives for justice.
On the other hand, this heroism is integrated with an internationalist spirit: the pioneers should not only save their nation, but also plan a way out for the peaceful coexistence of mankind. Liang Qichao, 24, once confessed: "Our purpose is to preach, not to govern; it is to save all living beings on the earth and the infinite world, not to save a country." This means that we should not only use Western civilization as a reference to innovate ourselves, but also use our own difficulties as the entry point to think about the drawbacks of Western civilization, and seek new values and directions for human civilization through mutual learning between the East and the West. For this reason, Chinese science fiction has been deeply influenced and inspired by Western science fiction from the beginning, and also explores its own path through attempts to imitate and rewrite. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" was transformed by Liang Qichao into a famous "sleeping lion" in later generations. The literary image full of "destructive power" evolved into a national fable full of "progressive power", which is a coincidence (the academic community has long verified it). Wu Zhaoren's "New Stone" reborn Jia Baoyu in China in the early 20th century. After experiencing social darkness, he entered a "civilized state" with advanced technology and moral integrity. The part of riding in a speed car and driving a submarine clearly imitated and joked about Verne's story. The panoramic utopian description also has the shadow of Edward Bellamy's "A Hundred Years of Awakening", but the author's intention is not to imitate poorly, but to explore the technical and moral standards of a "true civilization" world through the new literary method of science fiction novels, in order to contrast and expose the essence of the great powers bullying the weak behind the mask of "civilization". Lu Xun, a young man who had translated Verne, was deeply touched by this. Although he was no longer keen on science fiction novels later, his view on the "Yellow Peril Theory" in "The Voice of the Evil" also contrasts with the fantasy of the revenge of the yellow people who defeated the white people from time to time in Chinese science fiction novels in contemporary times: If China can become stronger in the future, it should not re-take the old path of the great powers, but should help the weak, so that they can get rid of slavery and gain freedom.
In short, although modern China has been bullied, under the tenacious will to survive, it has developed a spirit of striving for strength and a heroic temperament. This spirit and temperament are inspired by the ever-changing technological progress, turning into belief in a better future and the courage to sacrifice for belief. Chinese science fiction in the early 20th century also drew the "force" from the dream of national independence, national prosperity and human progress in the great changes of the times. Of course, the prosperity of science fiction literature and art must ultimately be based on comprehensive national strength, and this has been proved in the development of science fiction in France, Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan and other countries. Therefore, it was not until the end of the 20th century that Liu Cixin, who appeared on the historical stage through "Whale Song", appeared. In 2006, "The Three-Body Problem" began to be serialized. In 2010, the third "The Three-Body Problem" "Death Eternal Life" was published, and began to cause a sensation outside the science fiction circle. From 1999 to 2010, this was the stage of Liu Cixin's personal growth, and it was also the stage when China's economy grew rapidly until it became the world's second largest economy. It was the stage when Chinese universities began to expand enrollment and receive higher education grew year by year. It was also the stage when the urbanization process continued to advance and finally achieved more than half of the urban population in 2011 for the first time. It is such historical changes that provide energy for the accumulation of Chinese science fiction and lay the cultural soil and mass foundation for the success of "The Three-Body Problem". From the perspective of "change" and "force", we can find that Liu Cixin's story contains depression and pursuit that lasted for more than a century, which stirs up the anxiety and desire deep in the heart of a nation.
First of all, there is strong evolutionary pressure and survival anxiety. Over the years, this engineer novelist who has lived in Niangziguan, Shanxi for a long time has repeatedly expressed his expectations for breakthrough progress in scientific exploration, especially basic science, and his belief that humans cannot stay on the earth forever and must enter space to obtain a broader living space, and support for the need to take many anti-moral intuition to preserve the entire civilization under extreme conditions.
Reviewing the history of the development of Chinese science fiction, it can be seen that in the tremendous changes in the times in the early 20th century, Chinese science fiction drew the "force" from the dream of national independence, national prosperity and human progress, and integrated the heroism of the nation and the spirit of internationalism. At the end of the 20th century and the early 21st century, Liu Cixin carried it forward and wrote the Chinese style of "starry romanticism", which inspires us to move forward bravely and also brings Chinese science fiction to the world. At present, how will the "great changes in the world that have not been seen in a century" in which we are in trigger new changes in science fiction art?
Author: Fei Er, a science fiction writer and associate professor of Chinese Department of Tsinghua University
As 2020 is about to end, science fiction fans around the world heard a sad news: On December 23, American time, the famous science fiction writer and scholar James Gunn passed away at the age of 97. The reading book "The Road to Science Fiction" compiled by Gunn has inspired countless readers. As early as 1997, the book was translated into Chinese, becoming an important guide for many Chinese readers to understand world science fiction. Another book, "The Interleaved World: The History of World Science Fiction", systematically describes the origin and evolution of science fiction literature. The book was first published in 1975 and was not released in Chinese translation until 2020. Despite the 45 years, it is still exciting.
Gunn was born in 1923, three years earlier than the world's first specialized science fiction magazine, "Story of Marvel" founded by Hugo Gensbuck. He experienced the prosperity and ups and downs of American science fiction culture in the 20th century, was very familiar with those important works, magazines, and characters, and had deep contacts with many famous writers and editors, so he was able to tell history as much as possible. On the other hand, Gunn began teaching science fiction courses at university since 1970. "The Interleaved World" was revised based on his lecture notes, which allowed his narrative to be clear and clear while ensuring academic standards. Compared with this, the science fiction history works previously translated and introduced to China have some a bit of academic obscureness. What is particularly admirable is that with the publication of the Chinese translation as an opportunity, Gunn, who is already 90 years old, rewrites the first chapter and adds the last chapter on the original book, and specifically mentions recent events such as the award-winning of the English version of "The Three-Body Problem", which not only makes this classic science fiction history work more complete in structure, but also allows us to examine the world science fiction trends in the past forty years through the eyes of witnesses of the golden age of science fiction. This perspective is particularly valuable. After all, many science fiction masters of Gunn's generation have long passed away (Asimov, who wrote the preface for the first edition of this book, passed away as early as 1992). It can be said that the science fiction landscape of nearly a century has been integrated into a coherent and profound life experience here in Gunn.
In the preface of the Chinese version, Gunn clearly pointed out: "Science fiction is a literature of change, and it itself is the best example of change." Focusing on the core concept of "change", Gunn vividly describes the history of science fiction: although there was a description of the ideal country in ancient Greece and a story of arriving at a strange world through fictional travel, during the long period of time, human production modes, attitudes to life, war modes, etc. did not undergo substantial changes, until the scientific revolution and industrial revolution, the whole world began to undergo fundamental and accelerated changes, and a new belief was established-humans do not need to rely on supernatural forces, but can rely on their own rationality to explore the unknown, understand the universe, nature and self, and change their destiny through their own inventions and creations to gain a better survival ability. Under this belief, scientific and technological inventions are changing with each passing day, greatly improving productivity. Not only has amazing material achievements been achieved, but they have also reshaped social life and people's spiritual outlook. The "future" has replaced the already lost "past" and become a new coordinate of the "golden age".This extremely important historical change provides the basis for the birth of science fiction novels:
Perhaps the only criterion for defining science fiction novels is its attitude: science fiction novels contain the basic concept that the universe is known, and the mission of human beings is to understand the universe, discover where the universe and human beings come from, how they evolve to today's situation, where the universe and human beings will go, what laws restrict them, what ending will be like, and how will it end.
In other words, it is not that there is a group of novel stories before the world understands "science fiction", but that science fiction novels come into being in a general atmosphere of longing for truth, being brave to explore, innovate, and moving towards the future. This causal relationship is summarized as one sentence: "Science fiction should be regarded as literature in the science fiction world." Therefore, when Gunn outlines the development of science fiction at different stages, he pays special attention to explaining the scientific achievements and their social impact at that time. For science fiction fans, this is a key entrance to understanding science fiction. It is by showing the magical changes brought by modern technology and the infinite possibilities of the future that science fiction provides readers with the most important pleasure. This kind of fun is hailed as the "force of science fiction" by Liu Cixin, which can catalyze all childish and rough stories into a charming spiritual food. It can be said that Gunn's science fiction history is a history of the rise and fall of the "Force". After reading this history, readers may not be able to remember many interesting details, but they will definitely leave a strong impression: where the spirit of constantly improving and pursuing progress appears, the seeds of science fiction will grow.
For example, new inventions emerged in the 19th century, which made Verne debut in Europe. This French genius felt the call of the spirit of the times and successfully turned scientific and technological achievements into the theme of the novel. The new inventions he wrote are often based on the technological concepts that predecessors have already made readers believe that such stories may indeed happen in the future. Although there was no concept of "science fiction" at that time, Verne responded to the ecstasy of Europeans in the face of scientific miracles and achieved success worldwide. By the 20th century, the science fiction spirit that was never satisfied with the status quo had achieved vigorous development in the new colony of the United States. With the rise of the United States in economic, technological, military and other aspects, as outstanding talents from all over the world gather here and the public's demand for popular reading materials grows, publishers who are keen on exploring future wonders in the era of science and technology follow the trend and gather authors and readers with common hobbies through books and magazines, thus promoting the "golden age" of science fiction. Gunn wrote proudly: "Science fiction was born in France and Britain, but found itself in the United States." In the 1960s, the "New Wave" movement, which originated in Britain and was responded to in the United States, began to innovate the aesthetic appearance of science fiction. A new generation of writers have widely borrowed modernist and postmodernist narrative techniques and boldly explored new subjects, including the exploration of the human body and other private fields. In the eyes of many, these works sacrificed the readability of the story in order to win the recognition of the "mainstream" cultural community. But Gunn pointed out that the fundamental reason why old-school science fiction fans resist "New Wave" science fiction is not because of its obscure and difficult literary skills, but because of the change of perspective: "New Wave" writers gave up the previous attitude of science fiction literature that examined the fate of mankind from the vast space-time scale and believed that reason and science can lead us forward, but refocused their attention on the current social and individual troubles, and adopted a subjective, non-scientific, "feeling is more important than thinking". No matter what attitude readers have towards this, the spirit of the times has indeed changed. This change has made Gunn point out affectionately when summarizing history and looking forward to the future at the end of the first edition that the moving feature of science fiction lies in "a philosophy that is both arrogant and humble."
It can be said that Gunn used a completely pure science fiction fan stance to describe and grasp the history of science fiction for hundreds of years and gave a convincing explanation of the changes in the fashion of science fiction. Therefore, Liu Cixin praised this book as "the only science fiction literary history written from the perspective of science fiction in China at present."
Liu Cixin and his "Three-Body" Data picture
"Interlaced World" by James Gunn Data picture
The science fiction novel "New Stone" by Wu Zhaoren in the Qing Dynasty Data picture
Verne's science fiction novel "The Moon Travel" and "Underground Travel" translated by Lu Xun Data picture
In the great changes of the times, Chinese science fiction has drawn the "force" from the dream of national independence, national prosperity and human progress
Of course, as a book completed in the 1970s, "Interlaced World" also has its limitations: what it involves is basically British and American science fiction. This may be in line with the actual situation of history, but it also raises questions worth thinking about for Chinese readers today. A passage in the book is deeply touching:
By the 1840s, people in the United States and most parts of the world had witnessed the test and victory of the industrial revolution and accepted the social concept that science would lead mankind to a new and better living situation.
In the writings of American scholars, this is a historical moment that shines with golden glow: the social changes brought by technology are accelerating, and the whole world is ready for the arrival of science fiction novels. However, the year 1840 cannot not not summon the bitter memories of the Chinese. For us, "longing for truth", "courage to explore", "innovation", "toward the future" and "development of rational spirit" are only one level of modern civilization dominated by the West, and at the other level of the story, exploring unknown territory is closely linked to the violent conquest of the colonists. It is also the drastic "changes" brought about by colonialism to modern China that have led to the roots and sprouting of science fiction in China.
For any civilization to develop continuously, it must constantly experience the reciprocity of self-affirmation, self-preservation, self-question, and self-innovation in order to achieve the unity of continuation and development. The fierce collision between old and new civilizations will also bring important changes in literature and art. When Western civilization affirmed and questioned the great changes brought about by science and technology, the "force" of science fiction also stirred into two directions: praise for "progressive power" (such as Verne) and fear of "destructive power" (such as "Frankenstein"), the interweaving of the two runs through the history of science fiction.
Similarly, Chinese science fiction was born at a time when local civilization encountered an unprecedented crisis. In the 19th century, the former Celestial Kingdom reversed its role and became a backward country, facing the danger of destruction of the country and the seed. The "progressive power" in "Western civilization" has become "destructive power" in the face of backward countries. This unstoppable historical momentum throws the balance problem of self-preservation and self-change to the backwards. On the one hand, the will to deny tradition and radical change comes from this. In this change, transforming the people's outlook on life, world, and cosmic views based on modern science has become an important cultural task. At the same time, the function of "novel" has been enhanced, so science fiction novels naturally appeared in the "novel revolution". In the 1902 issue of "New Novels", editor-in-chief Liang Qichao translated the "Dragon Diary" by French astronomer Flamarion, telling the story of the gradual decline of human civilization millions of years later. Combined with the religious thoughts of Liang at that time, it can be seen that the purpose of his translation of this science fiction novel is to show the end of the astronomical scale, so that the Chinese people can change their mentality of life and death, let go of their greed for the world, become brave and resolute, and devote themselves to the fearless cause of sacrificing their lives for justice, and sacrifice themselves to save the people. Although the body will die and the earth will die, the soul and love will live forever in the starry sky. This view echoes the martyrdom of Tan Sitong. In the latter's view, the separation between people and people and all things has caused misfortune in the world. Through the omnipresent and circulating medium of the universe as physicists assumed, personal sincerity can move others and break through each other's barriers. When he was executed bravely, he must have hoped that his death could arouse more people's blood. He even imagined that since humans have evolved continuously, they will one day break free from the constraints of the body, become a purely spiritual being, and travel in the universe. In other words, it is the three-view revolution promoted by modern science that gives the kind and aspiring people the courage to sacrifice their lives for justice.
On the other hand, this heroism is integrated with an internationalist spirit: the pioneers should not only save their nation, but also plan a way out for the peaceful coexistence of mankind. Liang Qichao, 24, once confessed: "Our purpose is to preach, not to govern; it is to save all living beings on the earth and the infinite world, not to save a country." This means that we should not only use Western civilization as a reference to innovate ourselves, but also use our own difficulties as the entry point to think about the drawbacks of Western civilization, and seek new values and directions for human civilization through mutual learning between the East and the West. For this reason, Chinese science fiction has been deeply influenced and inspired by Western science fiction from the beginning, and also explores its own path through attempts to imitate and rewrite. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" was transformed by Liang Qichao into a famous "sleeping lion" in later generations. The literary image full of "destructive power" evolved into a national fable full of "progressive power", which is a coincidence (the academic community has long verified it). Wu Zhaoren's "New Stone" reborn Jia Baoyu in China in the early 20th century. After experiencing social darkness, he entered a "civilized state" with advanced technology and moral integrity. The part of riding in a speed car and driving a submarine clearly imitated and joked about Verne's story. The panoramic utopian description also has the shadow of Edward Bellamy's "A Hundred Years of Awakening", but the author's intention is not to imitate poorly, but to explore the technical and moral standards of a "true civilization" world through the new literary method of science fiction novels, in order to contrast and expose the essence of the great powers bullying the weak behind the mask of "civilization". Lu Xun, a young man who had translated Verne, was deeply touched by this. Although he was no longer keen on science fiction novels later, his view on the "Yellow Peril Theory" in "The Voice of the Evil" also contrasts with the fantasy of the revenge of the yellow people who defeated the white people from time to time in Chinese science fiction novels in contemporary times: If China can become stronger in the future, it should not re-take the old path of the great powers, but should help the weak, so that they can get rid of slavery and gain freedom.
In short, although modern China has been bullied, under the tenacious will to survive, it has developed a spirit of striving for strength and a heroic temperament. This spirit and temperament are inspired by the ever-changing technological progress, turning into belief in a better future and the courage to sacrifice for belief. Chinese science fiction in the early 20th century also drew the "force" from the dream of national independence, national prosperity and human progress in the great changes of the times. Of course, the prosperity of science fiction literature and art must ultimately be based on comprehensive national strength, and this has been proved in the development of science fiction in France, Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan and other countries. Therefore, it was not until the end of the 20th century that Liu Cixin, who appeared on the historical stage through "Whale Song", appeared. In 2006, "The Three-Body Problem" began to be serialized. In 2010, the third "The Three-Body Problem" "Death Eternal Life" was published, and began to cause a sensation outside the science fiction circle. From 1999 to 2010, this was the stage of Liu Cixin's personal growth, and it was also the stage when China's economy grew rapidly until it became the world's second largest economy. It was the stage when Chinese universities began to expand enrollment and receive higher education grew year by year. It was also the stage when the urbanization process continued to advance and finally achieved more than half of the urban population in 2011 for the first time. It is such historical changes that provide energy for the accumulation of Chinese science fiction and lay the cultural soil and mass foundation for the success of "The Three-Body Problem". From the perspective of "change" and "force", we can find that Liu Cixin's story contains depression and pursuit that lasted for more than a century, which stirs up the anxiety and desire deep in the heart of a nation.
First of all, there is strong evolutionary pressure and survival anxiety. Over the years, this engineer novelist who has lived in Niangziguan, Shanxi for a long time has repeatedly expressed his expectations for breakthrough progress in scientific exploration, especially basic science, and his belief that humans cannot stay on the earth forever and must enter space to obtain a broader living space, and support for the need to take many anti-moral intuition to preserve the entire civilization under extreme conditions.In "Rural Teacher", the terminally ill teachers are still asking the ignorant children to memorize the three laws of Newtonian mechanics that they cannot understand when they die. Surprisingly, the god-like alien civilization identified the civilization level of planets along the way while sweeping the battlefield. The children who were randomly selected as Earth samples were indifferent when facing a series of test questions. It was not until they correctly answered Newton's law that proved that the earth was worth preserving. In a strange way, the writer once again expressed the long-standing concern that civilization has lost its qualification to survive after being demoted. Interestingly, in Verne's novel "Traveling around the Moon" translated by Commercial Press more than a hundred years ago, it was mentioned that the movement of the sun, earth and moon belonged to the "three-body problem". In another translation of the original book, "Traveling in the Moon", the translator Zhou Shuren once speculated in the preface that if humans could colonize aliens, they might "although the earth's harmony is expected, the planet's wars will arise again." From Lu Xun to Liu Cixin, thinking about survival and demise has always been at the core of a century-old Chinese science fiction.
The second is to promote the transformation of the three views through super sensory impact and complete cultural innovation. After reading Clark's "2001: A Space Odyssey" for the first time when he was young, Liu Cixin felt a "deep sense of awe of the grand and mysterious universe." In his opinion, the universe picture depicted by science is far more shocking than science fiction novels. Science fiction writers only "translate" this shock through novels and pass it on to readers. In his essay, he said that he hopes that through science fiction, the busy beings can stop their hurrying steps, look up at the stars, and feel the vastness of the universe. In the novel, he tries to show the events of the cosmic scale in modern Chinese, allowing our limited individual experience and joy, anger, sorrow and sorrow to be baptized by the impact of the supersensory. In the most extreme "King of the Dao", scientists are even willing to exchange their ten minutes of understanding the truth of science at the cost of life. In the historical reference system, we can clearly see that this contemporary writer who often describes the end of the earth, the end of the solar system and even the end of the universe, like Liang Qichao, who translated "The End of the World" in the early 20th century, also tried to promote the renewal of the national spirit through literary work.
However, although Liu Cixin's story looks dark and human beings seem insignificant in front of the universe, they are great because of their ability to recognize "truth", noble because of their progress, and tragic because of their failure. This kind of tragic heroism is an expression of human will to survive and racial dignity, which creates an atmosphere of heroism. This is particularly vivid in "The Wandering Earth". The disaster of the solar system becoming a red giant should have happened billions of years later, but the novelist made it come at a rapid pace, which created a huge mismatch between the crisis and the means to resolve the crisis: humans maintain a minimum survival in the underground world just to be able to drive the earth out of the solar system and escape in such a clumsy way. On the vast snow-covered surface, the huge industrial system is difficult to maintain operation, indicating the spirit of international cooperation and tenacious will to fight.
In short, Liu Cixin's anxiety about survival, persistence in evolution, worship of science, and longing for the continuation of civilization in his novels is the re-expression of the core propositions of modern and modern China on the interstellar scale.
Liu Cixin projected the heroic spirit of the nation into the future time and space, and wrote about the Chinese grand "Starry Romanticism"
There have been many amazing characters in Chinese history, leaving behind heroic deeds. Through historical records and the legend of literature and art, it has become a collective memory passed down from generation to generation, shaping people's understanding and emotions for the Chinese nation. For example, "The wind is whistling and the Yishui is cold, and the hero will never return once he leaves", this is the sad song of the hero; for example, "How can I bow my eyebrows and serve the powerful and noble, so that I can't be happy", this is the character of a literati in the prosperous Tang Dynasty; for example, Guan Yunchang, who is righteous and does not fear the powerful, is the sustenance of ordinary people for loyalty and righteousness; for example, "a big river with wide waves, the wind blows the fragrance of rice flowers on both sides" is the courage to shed blood and sacrifice to protect the hometown, the courage to change the world to build the hometown, the demeanor of opening the door to welcome guests from all directions, and the beautiful expectation for world peace. All these stories water our spiritual world, cultivate national pride, and inspire us to move forward bravely in difficult times.One of the charms of Liu Cixin's novels lies in projecting such a heroic spirit into the future time and space.
If, in the 20th century Chinese popular literary and artistic genealogy, Jin Yong shaped a series of heroes from ancient China, which was a kind of "historical romanticism", and socialist literary and artistic works shaped a series of heroes from modern China, which was a kind of "revolutionary romanticism", then Liu Cixin shaped a series of heroes from future China, which was a kind of "starry romanticism". There was a time when Hollywood movies got us used to the narrative of American black and white heroes saving the world until the emergence of The Three-Body Problem. Through magnificent settings, huge skeletons and complex plots, Liu Cixin painted a group of future characters, including a strong, rude, cunning and tough policeman like Shi Qiang, a cold, decisive, meticulous and forbearing Space Force Political Commissar like Zhang Beihai, as well as Ye Wenjie who triggered the crisis and Luo Ji who turned the tide. The choices of these characters at a critical moment have made readers talk and argue. They talk about how the Earth's space fleet was easily destroyed by the "water drop" detector of the Three-Body Man, like talking about Jing Ke assassination of Qin, how Zhang Beihai carefully planned space assassination in order to reverse the future development direction of the Space Force, and like talking about Xiao Feng committed suicide outside Yanmen Pass for the sake of the Song and Liao dynasties, talking about how Luo Ji shouted to the Three-Body Man alone in the desert and forced the other party to give up the invasion with the threat of suicide to prevent the two species from dying together. Just as Jin Yong's success is not only because he is familiar with traditional culture, but also because he wrote "The greatest hero is for the country and the people", Liu Cixin's success is not only because he has a strange and grand technical imagination, but also because he wrote about the Chinese magnificent starry romanticism, which connects our imaginations of ancient, modern and future Chinese heroes through exciting fictional moments. Due to the popularization of higher education and the improvement of scientific literacy for the whole people, and the development of science and technology, many science fiction scenes in the past are becoming reality. Today, the people are increasingly interested in scientific and technological topics and are more concerned about the fate of mankind in the space age. Liu Cixin tells such readers about the awakening and rebirth of the ancient farming nation, and writes the glory and dream of mankind in the space age.
Of course, this is by no means that Liu Cixin's works are perfect. On the contrary, his novels have obvious shortcomings if measured by the highest artistic standards. This is normal. In the long river of Chinese literature constructed by ancient myths, Zhuangzi's fables, Qu Yuan's fu, Li Bai's poems, and Dongpo's lyrics, although the great and romantic mind has played the rhythm of life again and again, creating many immortal chapters, how to use modern Chinese to express the vastness of time and space, the hardships of exploration, the mystery of laws, and the magnificence of technology after the scientific revolution, and to express the heroism and compassion of modern Chinese people is a new task that only appeared more than a century ago. Liu Cixin's works are just the phased achievements made by Chinese writers after a century of exploration. They are of milestone significance, but they also reflect the relatively weak overall strength of China's science fiction.
At present, we still need to think about these questions: How will the "great changes in the world that have not been seen in a century" in which we are in trigger new changes in science fiction art? In the comparison between science fiction and reality, how should Chinese science fiction understand their current situation and think about their future prospects? What will the next work that can reach the pulse of the times and express the deep worries and longings of people? When the core spirit that has promoted science fiction to glory, such as the open mind, enterprising heroism, fearless courage, and determination to pursue truth and to contribute to the glory of mankind, has shown a withering state in many corners of the world, can we still fully absorb the "force" of the achievements of modern civilization, achieve the vigorous growth of the national spirit, and then contribute our own strength on the road to human progress? May we strive forward and use this passage from Gunn to remind ourselves:
science fiction is like a letter from the future, the writers are our descendants, urging us to be careful to protect their world.
"Guangming Daily" (13th edition, January 15, 2021)
Source: Guangming.com
One of the charms of Liu Cixin's novels lies in projecting such a heroic spirit into the future time and space.If, in the 20th century Chinese popular literary and artistic genealogy, Jin Yong shaped a series of heroes from ancient China, which was a kind of "historical romanticism", and socialist literary and artistic works shaped a series of heroes from modern China, which was a kind of "revolutionary romanticism", then Liu Cixin shaped a series of heroes from future China, which was a kind of "starry romanticism". There was a time when Hollywood movies got us used to the narrative of American black and white heroes saving the world until the emergence of The Three-Body Problem. Through magnificent settings, huge skeletons and complex plots, Liu Cixin painted a group of future characters, including a strong, rude, cunning and tough policeman like Shi Qiang, a cold, decisive, meticulous and forbearing Space Force Political Commissar like Zhang Beihai, as well as Ye Wenjie who triggered the crisis and Luo Ji who turned the tide. The choices of these characters at a critical moment have made readers talk and argue. They talk about how the Earth's space fleet was easily destroyed by the "water drop" detector of the Three-Body Man, like talking about Jing Ke assassination of Qin, how Zhang Beihai carefully planned space assassination in order to reverse the future development direction of the Space Force, and like talking about Xiao Feng committed suicide outside Yanmen Pass for the sake of the Song and Liao dynasties, talking about how Luo Ji shouted to the Three-Body Man alone in the desert and forced the other party to give up the invasion with the threat of suicide to prevent the two species from dying together. Just as Jin Yong's success is not only because he is familiar with traditional culture, but also because he wrote "The greatest hero is for the country and the people", Liu Cixin's success is not only because he has a strange and grand technical imagination, but also because he wrote about the Chinese magnificent starry romanticism, which connects our imaginations of ancient, modern and future Chinese heroes through exciting fictional moments. Due to the popularization of higher education and the improvement of scientific literacy for the whole people, and the development of science and technology, many science fiction scenes in the past are becoming reality. Today, the people are increasingly interested in scientific and technological topics and are more concerned about the fate of mankind in the space age. Liu Cixin tells such readers about the awakening and rebirth of the ancient farming nation, and writes the glory and dream of mankind in the space age.
Of course, this is by no means that Liu Cixin's works are perfect. On the contrary, his novels have obvious shortcomings if measured by the highest artistic standards. This is normal. In the long river of Chinese literature constructed by ancient myths, Zhuangzi's fables, Qu Yuan's fu, Li Bai's poems, and Dongpo's lyrics, although the great and romantic mind has played the rhythm of life again and again, creating many immortal chapters, how to use modern Chinese to express the vastness of time and space, the hardships of exploration, the mystery of laws, and the magnificence of technology after the scientific revolution, and to express the heroism and compassion of modern Chinese people is a new task that only appeared more than a century ago. Liu Cixin's works are just the phased achievements made by Chinese writers after a century of exploration. They are of milestone significance, but they also reflect the relatively weak overall strength of China's science fiction.
At present, we still need to think about these questions: How will the "great changes in the world that have not been seen in a century" in which we are in trigger new changes in science fiction art? In the comparison between science fiction and reality, how should Chinese science fiction understand their current situation and think about their future prospects? What will the next work that can reach the pulse of the times and express the deep worries and longings of people? When the core spirit that has promoted science fiction to glory, such as the open mind, enterprising heroism, fearless courage, and determination to pursue truth and to contribute to the glory of mankind, has shown a withering state in many corners of the world, can we still fully absorb the "force" of the achievements of modern civilization, achieve the vigorous growth of the national spirit, and then contribute our own strength on the road to human progress? May we strive forward and use this passage from Gunn to remind ourselves:
science fiction is like a letter from the future, the writers are our descendants, urging us to be careful to protect their world.
"Guangming Daily" (13th edition, January 15, 2021)
Source: Guangming.com
