Invisible planets : contemporary Chinese science fiction in translation

Title:

Author:

Liu, Ken, 1976- editor, translator.

ISBN:

9780765384195

Edition:

First edition.

Publication Information:

New York : Tor, 2016.

Physical Description:

383 pages ; 23 cm

General Note:

"A Tom Doherty Associates book."

Contents:

Introduction: China dreams / by Ken Liu -- Chen Quifan. The year of the rat ; The fish of Lijiang ; The flower of Shazui -- Xia Jia. A hundred ghosts parade tonight ; Tongtong's summer ; Night journey of the Dragon-horse -- Ma Boyong. The city of silence -- Hao Jingfang. Invisible planets ; Folding Beijing -- Tang Fei. Call girl -- Cheng Jingbo. Grave of the fireflies -- Liu Cixin. The circle ; Taking care of God -- Essays.

Abstract:

"Thirteen intriguing visions of the future from China"--Cover.

"Readers at Tor and around the SF world have recently become familiar with Ken Liu and his Chinese translation work via the bestselling and award nominated novel The Three-Body Problem , by acclaimed Chinese author Cixin Liu. Readers who have developed a taste and excitement for Chinese SF by these means will be excited to hear that Ken Liu, the translator of that volume is assembling, translating, and editing an anthology of Chinese science fiction short stories.The thirteen stories in this collection are a strong and diverse representation of Chinese science fiction, including two by Liu Cixin. Some have won awards in translation, some have garnered serious critical acclaim, some have been selected for Year's Best anthologies, and some are simply Ken Liu's personal favorites.To round out the collection, there are several essays from Chinese scholars and authors, plus an illuminating introduction by Ken Liu."--Syndetics

Subject Term:

Science fiction, Chinese -- Translations into English.

Short stories, Chinese -- Translations into English.

Genre:

Science fiction.

Short stories.

Added Author:

Liu, Ken, 1976-

Document ID:

SD_ILS:2247560

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Library	Collection	Collection	Call Number	Status
Searching... Fig Garden Branch (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Science Fiction Area	Invisib	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fig Garden Branch (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Science Fiction Area	Invisib	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Tulare Public Library	Searching... Unknown	Adult Science-Fiction	Invisibl	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Invisible Planets , edited by multi award-winning writer Ken Liu--translator of the bestselling and Hugo Award-winning novel The Three Body Problem by acclaimed Chinese author Cixin Liu--is his second thought-provoking anthology of Chinese short speculative fiction. Invisible Planets is a groundbreaking anthology of Chinese short speculative fiction .

The thirteen stories in this collection, including two by Cixin Liu and the Hugo and Sturgeon award-nominated "Folding Beijing" by Hao Jingfang, add up to a strong and diverse representation of Chinese SF. Some have won awards, some have garnered serioius critical acclaim, some have been selected for Year's Best anthologies, and some are simply Ken Liu's personal favorites.

To round out the collection, there are several essays from Chinese scholars and authors, plus an illuminating introduction by Ken Liu. Anyone with an interest in international science fiction will find Invisible Planets an indispensable addition to their collection.

For more Chinese SF in translation, check out Broken Stars.

Stories:
"The Year of the Rat" by Chen Qiufan
"The Fist of Lijian" by Chen Qiufan
"The Flower of Shazui" by Chen Qiufan
"A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight" by Xia Jia
"Tongtong's Summer" by Xia Jia
"Night Journey of the Dragon-Horse" by Xia jia
"The City of Silence" by Ma Boyong
"Invisible Planets" by Hao Jingfang
"Folding Beijing" by Hao Jingfang
"Call Girl" by Tang Fei
"Grave of the Fireflies" by Cheng Jingbo
"The Circle" by Liu Cixin
"Taking Care of God" by Liu Cixin

Essays:
"The Worst of All Possible Universes and the Best of All Possible Earths: Three-Body and Chinese Science Fiction" by Liu Cixin and Ken Liu
"The Torn Generation" Chinese Science Fiction in a Culture in Transition" by Chen Qiufan and Ken Liu
"What Makes Chinese Science Fiction Chinese?" by Xia Jia and Ken Liu

Author Notes

KEN LIU (editor and translator) is a writer, lawyer, and computer programmer. His short story "The Paper Menagerie" was the first work of fiction ever to sweep the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

This stellar anthology of 13 stories selected and translated by Liu (the Dandelion Dynasty series) brings the best of Chinese science fiction to anglophones. Liu Cixin's "Taking Care of God" relates the social problems that arise when the ancient interstellar travelers who created human civilization return to Earth and ask to be taken in by their creations. Ma Boyong's "The City of Silence" is set in an Orwellian future where Internet access and all forms of communications are rigidly controlled by a totalitarian government, and Xia Jia's "Night Journey of the Dragon-Horse" takes place in a Bradburyesque postapocalyptic world where machines have outlived the humans who engineered them. The title tale by Hao Jingfang is a sprightly tour of a series of imaginary planets; on each one, the culture of the inhabitants is shaped by the peculiarities of their environment. Although greatly varied in theme and approach, all of these stories impress with their visionary sweep and scope. The inclusion of three essays on the significance of science fiction to China and its writers underscores the thoughtfulness that Liu put into curating this superb compilation. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

In this anthology, Liu offers an assortment of the short fiction hes translated, along with three short essays about Chinese science fiction. In this anthology, Liu offers an assortment of the short fiction hes translated: some stories have won awards and been anthologized elsewhere, while others are just stories he personally enjoys. In his introduction, he points out that although China has a rich science-fiction culture, few stories are translated into English, making it hard for non-Chinese readers to appreciate them.[13] Hopefully, this collection is the first step toward rectifying that oversight, as every story is captivating. For instance, Hao Jingfangs Folding Beijing takes place in a near-future dystopian version of the title city, where its buildings literally telescope out of and into the earth, allowing three different strata of society to spend a portion of the day above ground. A waste processor from the poorest level, Third Space, must slip through the breaches in the complex folding mechanism to deliver a letter to a woman in the far wealthier First Space in order to earn enough money to send his daughter to a good school. In Taking Care of God by Liu Cixinauthor of The Three-Body Problem (2014), the first novel in translation to win the Hugo Award, who also contributes an essay herea race of beings arrives on Earth, two billion old men and women with long white hair and white robes. They claim that they are God, creators of everything, and they now want to spend their golden years here with us. Theyre taken in by people around the world, including Quishengs family in rural China, which quickly learns how stressful housing an elderly relation can be. These stories, along with the rest of the anthology, represent the best in both science fiction and works in translation, detailing situations that appear alien on the surface but deftly reframe contemporary issues to give readers a new view of familiar human experiences. A phenomenal anthology of short speculative fiction. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal Review

Before Liu Cixin won the Hugo Award in 2015 for The Three-Body Problem, most Americans would probably have had trouble naming a Chinese sf author. Hoping to change this lack of awareness, editor and translator Liu (The Wall of Storms) -begins this collection with a useful introduction to the big names in the genre. Chen Qiufan's three stories all feature melancholic protagonists; in "The Flower of Shazui," the hero helps a prostitute to atone for his past crime. Xia Jia's stories are dreamier, with "A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight" featuring a young boy raised on a street of ghosts, and "Tongtong's Summer," which explores the possibility of remote-controlled androids through the POV of a little girl. There are also two contributions from Cixin. -VERDICT The 13 tales here demonstrate a wide range of styles. Most have won awards in China, but some are just Liu's favorites. Additional essays provides context for readers new to Chinese sf.-MM © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.