Joanna Page is Director of CRASSH and Professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Cambridge.Her research interests are generally connected to the relationship between science and culture in Latin America....Joanna Page is Director of CRASSH and Professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Cambridge.Her research interests are generally connected to the relationship between science and culture in Latin America.She has also worked on questions of memory,modernity,capitalism,posthumanism,new materialism,decoloniality,ecology,and environmental thought.This interview covers three main aspects:the characteristics of science fiction texts in Latin America,the interdisciplinary research models at the intersection of science,literature,and art,and Latin America as a field of regional studies.Professor Page starts with Argentine science fiction novels and expands the discussion to include graphic novels in Latin America,outlining the panorama of science fiction and its indigenous features.The conversation delves into the literary and technological relationships within Latin American science fiction texts.Building upon this foundation,this interview explores the interdisciplinary research paradigms concerning the relationship between science and culture,aiming to contribute to regional studies by exploring new pathways for interdisciplinary,cross-regional,and trans-media research.展开更多
In the contemporary context of increasingly severe global ecological crises,literary works have gradually emerged as essential media through which humanity reflects on the relationship between the natural environment ...In the contemporary context of increasingly severe global ecological crises,literary works have gradually emerged as essential media through which humanity reflects on the relationship between the natural environment and human civilization.Within this trend,Japanese science fiction has produced a growing body of works that engage with ecological issues.Taking the Japanese science fiction novel The Palace of the Flower Dragons as a case study,this paper employs the theoretical framework of ecocriticism to examine the text across three dimensions-natural,social,and spiritual ecology.It investigates how the novel uses apocalyptic narrative strategies to explore the human-nature relationship and to articulate an ecological ethic of coexistence grounded in a non-anthropocentric worldview,thereby offering meaningful literary reference points for addressing real-world environmental crises.展开更多
Cyberpunk science fiction movement was triggered by William Gibson, and this SF genre refocuses on the impacts of technology on human and society. This tradition was abandoned by the New Wave SF with its interest on f...Cyberpunk science fiction movement was triggered by William Gibson, and this SF genre refocuses on the impacts of technology on human and society. This tradition was abandoned by the New Wave SF with its interest on formal experiment. Cyberpunk SF is tinted with punk attitude for its rebellion against technological control and information control. With its criticism on postmodern society, cyberpunk science fiction has attracted postmodern critical attention.展开更多
This paper is centered on the extent to which contemporary Chinese science fiction is related to ancient Chinese mythologies according to the previous scholarly discussion and how these ancient mythologies are utilize...This paper is centered on the extent to which contemporary Chinese science fiction is related to ancient Chinese mythologies according to the previous scholarly discussion and how these ancient mythologies are utilized specifically in the futuristic narratives of modern Chinese science fiction.By referring to academic dialogues,this paper argues that ancient mythologies can be recreated in modern science fiction and create modern mythologies in futuristic narratives to present or deal with modern human fears.Based on this argument,this paper then continues to explore what kinds of modern mythologies science fiction might deliver.The Chinese film The Wandering Earth(2019)will be discussed in terms of its mythological symbols and metaphors.This paper proposes a new approach through which to reconnect past stories with futuristic narratives and builds a frame in which to contextualize ancient mythologies in contemporary Chinese culture.展开更多
This paper will apply a politically oriented description-critique paradigm developed from the works of Whitehall and Grewell that offers a way to examine works of popular culture, particularly Mars-based science ficti...This paper will apply a politically oriented description-critique paradigm developed from the works of Whitehall and Grewell that offers a way to examine works of popular culture, particularly Mars-based science fiction films. Because of the unique nature of these films, primarily which they are set in a future and distant world, they allow us to explore the socio-political landscape in which they were created from a remove that does not exist in ＂real-world＂ based works. Specifically we will be examining the governing power （in any particular Mars-based science fiction film） that might be either wielded by business interests or governmental interests. Although it is possible to have both a strong government and a strong business in a society, in many Mars-based science fiction films, government and business seem to represent two sides of a continuum. The stronger the business power structure in the film, the weaker the governmental power structure, and vice-versa.展开更多
The success of the Hunger Games trilogy to the young readers is its distinctive blending of science fiction elements with protagonist Katniss＇ initiation. The trilogy suffices youth＇s interest to embrace a fiction t...The success of the Hunger Games trilogy to the young readers is its distinctive blending of science fiction elements with protagonist Katniss＇ initiation. The trilogy suffices youth＇s interest to embrace a fiction that dramatizes both realistic and fantastic portray of the world. Through depicting the intellectual and social development of protagonist Katniss who, after experiencing both defeats and triumphs in a dystopian world, Suzanne Collins successfully conveys the coming-of-age theme under the veil of science fiction in the Hunger Games trilogy.展开更多
In recent years,China’s public diplomacy has flourished,with literary exchanges and external communication undoubtedly becoming an essential part.Particularly with the progress of Chinese technology,science fiction l...In recent years,China’s public diplomacy has flourished,with literary exchanges and external communication undoubtedly becoming an essential part.Particularly with the progress of Chinese technology,science fiction literature has become a focal point both domestically and internationally.This paper investigates the background of the Chinese science fiction literature’s national characteristics,the manifestation of these characteristics in works,and the advantages of communication from three aspects.It also explores new ideas for the external communication of Chinese science fiction literature from the perspective of public diplomacy,inspiring new pathways for the integration of Chinese culture with the world,and telling Chinese stories to the world.展开更多
Chinese new generation science fiction refers to the science fiction after the 1990s because of their diverse creative concepts,aesthetic values and new narrative modes.This paper summarizes the development of Chinese...Chinese new generation science fiction refers to the science fiction after the 1990s because of their diverse creative concepts,aesthetic values and new narrative modes.This paper summarizes the development of Chinese science fiction literature,and analyzes the utopias in Chinese new generation science fiction.The types of utopias in new generation science fiction can be divided into two aspects:temporal and spatial utopias and technological utopias.The characteristics of Chinese new generation's utopia include extraordinary Imagination,new and different ways of thinking.The functions of Chinese utopia are mainly reflected in the affirmation of ultimate values and the criticism of reality.The creation of new generations has brought new hope to Chinese science fiction literature,but in general,Chinese science fiction literature has a long way to go.展开更多
As The Three-Body Problem translated by Ken Liu went popular in America, Chinese science fiction has got spotlightfrom all over the world. This article studies the translation of fictitious elements in The Three-Body ...As The Three-Body Problem translated by Ken Liu went popular in America, Chinese science fiction has got spotlightfrom all over the world. This article studies the translation of fictitious elements in The Three-Body Problem. Based on the specificmethods Ken Liu employs, general requirements for translators are proposed and strategies of translating fictitious elements areelicited. It intends to bring forth enlightening ideas in translating fictitious elements of science fiction and shed lights on this areaof study which few have set foot on.展开更多
1.Introduction Founded in 1939,the World Science Fiction Convention(Worldcon)is an annual event that has been held 81 times to date.It is a world-famous,long-standing,large-scale and influential sci-fi cultural event ...1.Introduction Founded in 1939,the World Science Fiction Convention(Worldcon)is an annual event that has been held 81 times to date.It is a world-famous,long-standing,large-scale and influential sci-fi cultural event organized by the World Science Fiction Society.展开更多
The various definitions of science fiction reflect different understandings of science and fantasy and their relationship. Through a review of the development history of the British and American definitions of science...The various definitions of science fiction reflect different understandings of science and fantasy and their relationship. Through a review of the development history of the British and American definitions of science fiction and related controversies, we find that changes in science fiction's definition are often accompanied by the reorientation and reimagination of its position in society and culture. As people's perceptions deepen, the shifting boundary between science and fantasy has important implications for a better understanding of science fiction.展开更多
Zheng Wenguang described the concept of"science fiction realism"in 1981 as a form of misreading,aiming at exploring social problems.Personally,he was rethinking and developing a series of his own writing ide...Zheng Wenguang described the concept of"science fiction realism"in 1981 as a form of misreading,aiming at exploring social problems.Personally,he was rethinking and developing a series of his own writing ideas since the 195os.As for the science fiction community,it was a powerful challenge to the idea that"science fiction is a part of popular science,"which had existed for almost five decades.As soon as Zheng's idea was put forward,it quickly received a warm response from Jin Tao and Wei Yahua,etc.The works,such as"The Moonlight Island"(Yueguangdao)and"Destiny Nightclub"(Mingyun yezonghui),broke down the narrow boundaries of contemporary popular science discourse."Science fiction realism"should be understood to mean"realistic science fiction."However,from a theoretical perspective,all kinds of writings in this period not only narrowed and vulgarized the understanding of"realism,"especially as they ignored heated discussions of this concept,but also blurred the core and boundary of the"science fiction"genre and even dissolved its autonomy to a certain extent.Zheng and his proponents'explorations are Chinese science fiction authors'beneficial attempts to construct local traditions.They reflect a profound anxiety towards reality and a strong desire for self-identification among a generation of science fiction authors.The core point they observe reappears in various guises across the development of the science fiction genre in the following decades.The basic conceptions they are trying to convey have also become important resources for the development of Chinese science fiction literary theory.展开更多
Compared with pure literature,Liu Cixin's science fiction novels show a high degree of novelty.Due to his creative accommodation of third world experience and the Chinese cultural spirit of the 1950-70s,he is able...Compared with pure literature,Liu Cixin's science fiction novels show a high degree of novelty.Due to his creative accommodation of third world experience and the Chinese cultural spirit of the 1950-70s,he is able to challenge the universal hegemony of the Enlightenment.The deep feelings of Liu Cixin's novels come from the"guerrilla"character of third world intellectuals who resisted colonization and guarded the country,a resistance derived from China's vanguard position in the third world independence movement.Liu Cixin's continuous writing of the story of weakness over power is not only a response to China's modern and contemporary situation,but also a borrowing from the revolutionary experience to imagine the possibility of another world for readers of thepost-revolutionary era.展开更多
In the view of the relation between science fiction and social reality,the core question of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem trilogy is the clash of civilizations between human and Trisolaran,which causes the fu...In the view of the relation between science fiction and social reality,the core question of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem trilogy is the clash of civilizations between human and Trisolaran,which causes the future possibility of the end of human history.The narrative perspectives of the trilogy are the intelligentsia narrative by Wang Miao(The Three-Body Problem),the heroic narrative by Luo Ji(The Three-Body ProblemⅡ:The Dark Forest),and the narrative of"the last man"by Cheng Xin(The Three-Body ProblemⅢ:Death's End).If the future civilization of the human beings is likely to encounter the cosmic catastrophe which is caused by the clash of civilizations between human and aliens,contemporary human elite have to rethink the values of morality and civilization,and bravely creating new history of human by rejecting the temptation of era of the end of history.展开更多
From inventing cutting-edge technology to designing ideal society,science fiction has always been considered as a literature of future.With the introduction of historical dimension,can science fiction provide us a new...From inventing cutting-edge technology to designing ideal society,science fiction has always been considered as a literature of future.With the introduction of historical dimension,can science fiction provide us a new perspective to speculate on the future?In 2004,Qian Lifang's debut novel The Will of Heaven(Tianyi),known as the representative of contemporary Chinese"historical science fiction"won both reputation and market.Her second novel Mandate of Heaven(Tianming)was published seven years later.Compared to the tremendous success of the former,it has received less attention.In existing scholarship,neither The Will of Heaven nor Mandate of Heaven has never been studied and analysed in depth whereas the concept of"historical science fiction"remains ambiguous.Taking Mandate of Heaven as an example,this paper will first discuss the generic problem of"historical science fiction"by comparing it with"alternate history."Based on this,it continues to exam how the science fiction element is incorporated into Qian's narrative with the aid of"time travel"and"multiverse"as narrative device.Finally,the paper will examine the conceptual experiment of"Mandate of Heaven"embodied by three characters in the book,comparing different views on the compatibility between free will and determinism.The paper concludes that"historical science fiction"is a re-invention of history.Its value lies not in defining a new genre,but in the possibility offered to readers to reflect on the dialectical relationship between fiction and history.展开更多
The imagination of the social form has been an important theme in the 21st century Chinese science fictions.The imagination of a social form on the model of"Elder's dual vector foil"contains a logical as...The imagination of the social form has been an important theme in the 21st century Chinese science fictions.The imagination of a social form on the model of"Elder's dual vector foil"contains a logical asymmetry-high-level technology and a primary social form.From the perspective of historical materialism and dialectics,this imagination and other imaginations of the social form,such as intelligent algorithms,that internally dominate or distort the social form through technology,reveal its flaws and limitations.Compared to the imagination of specific technology,the imagination of social form emphasizes the entirety and connection of multiple social factors,and it is hard to thoroughly dispense the invisible dominance of existing human experience.Marxist theory and methodology are indispensable to the imagination of social form in science fiction.Reigniting the Marxist critical imagination of future social form and activating the aesthetic power of this imagination are the future directions of the development of science fiction.展开更多
Imagination is the lifeline of science fiction.In the 20th century,Chinese science fiction has produced the three distinct imagination modes of desire,possibility,and principles,conveyed through at least five expressi...Imagination is the lifeline of science fiction.In the 20th century,Chinese science fiction has produced the three distinct imagination modes of desire,possibility,and principles,conveyed through at least five expression techniques in neologisms,verisimilitude,temporal disjunction,situational extremes,and metaphorization.Although imagination is critical to the creation of science fiction,there are polarized views about its nature.A necessary task for the future development of Chinese science fiction is challenging false conceptions of imagination so as to establish more imagination modes.展开更多
Whereas science fiction has no identity,no necessary conditions,no essence,and no timeless and universal attributes,we should not be able to recognize it.We do.Something must allow it.This article will show how recogn...Whereas science fiction has no identity,no necessary conditions,no essence,and no timeless and universal attributes,we should not be able to recognize it.We do.Something must allow it.This article will show how recognition and learning outweigh contingent feature-based academic projects on science fiction as ends,thereby revealing the socio-cognitive frames that buttress such recognition and proposes that we consider semio-cognitive models to refine our understanding of the genre.To that end,this article shows how science fiction is a creative mode recognizable by its prototypes and the theories built thereon.Ultimately,this article promotes a means-based socio-cognitive understanding of science fiction where it is free,in a new way,from retrospective academic projects to define it by ends.展开更多
An important motif in science fiction films is the encounter between different species--usually between human kind and alien kind. In films of this type, both anxieties and hopes are imagined and exhibited. By examini...An important motif in science fiction films is the encounter between different species--usually between human kind and alien kind. In films of this type, both anxieties and hopes are imagined and exhibited. By examining three science fiction films made in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Chinese mainland in the late 1970s and early 1980s--that is, The Super Inframan （Zhongguo chaoren, 1975）, God of War （Zhanshen, 1976）, and Death Ray on Coral Island （Shanhudao shang de siguang, 1980）--this paper analyzes the ideologies and anxieties behind such encounters. These films present different ＂Chinese＂ pictures, revealing the fluidity of Chineseness, as well as the variety of frameworks within the genre of Chinese-language science fiction films. In this time of globalization, it is important to examine these early science fiction films in order to explore the relation between local social concerns and their artistic presentation.展开更多
基金“Cyborg Narratives and the Construction of 21^(st)Century Science Fiction Poetics”(22BZW175)sponsored by the National Social Science Fund of China。
文摘Joanna Page is Director of CRASSH and Professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Cambridge.Her research interests are generally connected to the relationship between science and culture in Latin America.She has also worked on questions of memory,modernity,capitalism,posthumanism,new materialism,decoloniality,ecology,and environmental thought.This interview covers three main aspects:the characteristics of science fiction texts in Latin America,the interdisciplinary research models at the intersection of science,literature,and art,and Latin America as a field of regional studies.Professor Page starts with Argentine science fiction novels and expands the discussion to include graphic novels in Latin America,outlining the panorama of science fiction and its indigenous features.The conversation delves into the literary and technological relationships within Latin American science fiction texts.Building upon this foundation,this interview explores the interdisciplinary research paradigms concerning the relationship between science and culture,aiming to contribute to regional studies by exploring new pathways for interdisciplinary,cross-regional,and trans-media research.
基金supported by the foundation of SFLEP National University Foreign Language Teaching Research Project(No.2019SH0039B)the Ministry of Education Industry-Academy Cooperation Collaborative Education Project(No.2408212240).
文摘In the contemporary context of increasingly severe global ecological crises,literary works have gradually emerged as essential media through which humanity reflects on the relationship between the natural environment and human civilization.Within this trend,Japanese science fiction has produced a growing body of works that engage with ecological issues.Taking the Japanese science fiction novel The Palace of the Flower Dragons as a case study,this paper employs the theoretical framework of ecocriticism to examine the text across three dimensions-natural,social,and spiritual ecology.It investigates how the novel uses apocalyptic narrative strategies to explore the human-nature relationship and to articulate an ecological ethic of coexistence grounded in a non-anthropocentric worldview,thereby offering meaningful literary reference points for addressing real-world environmental crises.
文摘Cyberpunk science fiction movement was triggered by William Gibson, and this SF genre refocuses on the impacts of technology on human and society. This tradition was abandoned by the New Wave SF with its interest on formal experiment. Cyberpunk SF is tinted with punk attitude for its rebellion against technological control and information control. With its criticism on postmodern society, cyberpunk science fiction has attracted postmodern critical attention.
文摘This paper is centered on the extent to which contemporary Chinese science fiction is related to ancient Chinese mythologies according to the previous scholarly discussion and how these ancient mythologies are utilized specifically in the futuristic narratives of modern Chinese science fiction.By referring to academic dialogues,this paper argues that ancient mythologies can be recreated in modern science fiction and create modern mythologies in futuristic narratives to present or deal with modern human fears.Based on this argument,this paper then continues to explore what kinds of modern mythologies science fiction might deliver.The Chinese film The Wandering Earth(2019)will be discussed in terms of its mythological symbols and metaphors.This paper proposes a new approach through which to reconnect past stories with futuristic narratives and builds a frame in which to contextualize ancient mythologies in contemporary Chinese culture.
文摘This paper will apply a politically oriented description-critique paradigm developed from the works of Whitehall and Grewell that offers a way to examine works of popular culture, particularly Mars-based science fiction films. Because of the unique nature of these films, primarily which they are set in a future and distant world, they allow us to explore the socio-political landscape in which they were created from a remove that does not exist in ＂real-world＂ based works. Specifically we will be examining the governing power （in any particular Mars-based science fiction film） that might be either wielded by business interests or governmental interests. Although it is possible to have both a strong government and a strong business in a society, in many Mars-based science fiction films, government and business seem to represent two sides of a continuum. The stronger the business power structure in the film, the weaker the governmental power structure, and vice-versa.
文摘The success of the Hunger Games trilogy to the young readers is its distinctive blending of science fiction elements with protagonist Katniss＇ initiation. The trilogy suffices youth＇s interest to embrace a fiction that dramatizes both realistic and fantastic portray of the world. Through depicting the intellectual and social development of protagonist Katniss who, after experiencing both defeats and triumphs in a dystopian world, Suzanne Collins successfully conveys the coming-of-age theme under the veil of science fiction in the Hunger Games trilogy.
基金supported by the foundation of SFLEP National University Foreign Language Teaching Research Project(No.2019SH0039B)and Hebei Provincial Social Science Foundation(No.HB19WW007).
文摘In recent years,China’s public diplomacy has flourished,with literary exchanges and external communication undoubtedly becoming an essential part.Particularly with the progress of Chinese technology,science fiction literature has become a focal point both domestically and internationally.This paper investigates the background of the Chinese science fiction literature’s national characteristics,the manifestation of these characteristics in works,and the advantages of communication from three aspects.It also explores new ideas for the external communication of Chinese science fiction literature from the perspective of public diplomacy,inspiring new pathways for the integration of Chinese culture with the world,and telling Chinese stories to the world.
基金supported by 2022 Project of Women Federation of Zhejiang Province(No.:202248).
文摘Chinese new generation science fiction refers to the science fiction after the 1990s because of their diverse creative concepts,aesthetic values and new narrative modes.This paper summarizes the development of Chinese science fiction literature,and analyzes the utopias in Chinese new generation science fiction.The types of utopias in new generation science fiction can be divided into two aspects:temporal and spatial utopias and technological utopias.The characteristics of Chinese new generation's utopia include extraordinary Imagination,new and different ways of thinking.The functions of Chinese utopia are mainly reflected in the affirmation of ultimate values and the criticism of reality.The creation of new generations has brought new hope to Chinese science fiction literature,but in general,Chinese science fiction literature has a long way to go.
文摘As The Three-Body Problem translated by Ken Liu went popular in America, Chinese science fiction has got spotlightfrom all over the world. This article studies the translation of fictitious elements in The Three-Body Problem. Based on the specificmethods Ken Liu employs, general requirements for translators are proposed and strategies of translating fictitious elements areelicited. It intends to bring forth enlightening ideas in translating fictitious elements of science fiction and shed lights on this areaof study which few have set foot on.
文摘1.Introduction Founded in 1939,the World Science Fiction Convention(Worldcon)is an annual event that has been held 81 times to date.It is a world-famous,long-standing,large-scale and influential sci-fi cultural event organized by the World Science Fiction Society.
基金supported by the 2022 Science Popularization Enhancement Programme for Master’s and PhD Students funded by the China Association for Science and Technology:‘A Historiographical Study of the Definition of Science Fiction and Debates Involved’(grant no.KXYJS2022003)
文摘The various definitions of science fiction reflect different understandings of science and fantasy and their relationship. Through a review of the development history of the British and American definitions of science fiction and related controversies, we find that changes in science fiction's definition are often accompanied by the reorientation and reimagination of its position in society and culture. As people's perceptions deepen, the shifting boundary between science and fantasy has important implications for a better understanding of science fiction.
文摘Zheng Wenguang described the concept of"science fiction realism"in 1981 as a form of misreading,aiming at exploring social problems.Personally,he was rethinking and developing a series of his own writing ideas since the 195os.As for the science fiction community,it was a powerful challenge to the idea that"science fiction is a part of popular science,"which had existed for almost five decades.As soon as Zheng's idea was put forward,it quickly received a warm response from Jin Tao and Wei Yahua,etc.The works,such as"The Moonlight Island"(Yueguangdao)and"Destiny Nightclub"(Mingyun yezonghui),broke down the narrow boundaries of contemporary popular science discourse."Science fiction realism"should be understood to mean"realistic science fiction."However,from a theoretical perspective,all kinds of writings in this period not only narrowed and vulgarized the understanding of"realism,"especially as they ignored heated discussions of this concept,but also blurred the core and boundary of the"science fiction"genre and even dissolved its autonomy to a certain extent.Zheng and his proponents'explorations are Chinese science fiction authors'beneficial attempts to construct local traditions.They reflect a profound anxiety towards reality and a strong desire for self-identification among a generation of science fiction authors.The core point they observe reappears in various guises across the development of the science fiction genre in the following decades.The basic conceptions they are trying to convey have also become important resources for the development of Chinese science fiction literary theory.
文摘Compared with pure literature,Liu Cixin's science fiction novels show a high degree of novelty.Due to his creative accommodation of third world experience and the Chinese cultural spirit of the 1950-70s,he is able to challenge the universal hegemony of the Enlightenment.The deep feelings of Liu Cixin's novels come from the"guerrilla"character of third world intellectuals who resisted colonization and guarded the country,a resistance derived from China's vanguard position in the third world independence movement.Liu Cixin's continuous writing of the story of weakness over power is not only a response to China's modern and contemporary situation,but also a borrowing from the revolutionary experience to imagine the possibility of another world for readers of thepost-revolutionary era.
文摘In the view of the relation between science fiction and social reality,the core question of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem trilogy is the clash of civilizations between human and Trisolaran,which causes the future possibility of the end of human history.The narrative perspectives of the trilogy are the intelligentsia narrative by Wang Miao(The Three-Body Problem),the heroic narrative by Luo Ji(The Three-Body ProblemⅡ:The Dark Forest),and the narrative of"the last man"by Cheng Xin(The Three-Body ProblemⅢ:Death's End).If the future civilization of the human beings is likely to encounter the cosmic catastrophe which is caused by the clash of civilizations between human and aliens,contemporary human elite have to rethink the values of morality and civilization,and bravely creating new history of human by rejecting the temptation of era of the end of history.
文摘From inventing cutting-edge technology to designing ideal society,science fiction has always been considered as a literature of future.With the introduction of historical dimension,can science fiction provide us a new perspective to speculate on the future?In 2004,Qian Lifang's debut novel The Will of Heaven(Tianyi),known as the representative of contemporary Chinese"historical science fiction"won both reputation and market.Her second novel Mandate of Heaven(Tianming)was published seven years later.Compared to the tremendous success of the former,it has received less attention.In existing scholarship,neither The Will of Heaven nor Mandate of Heaven has never been studied and analysed in depth whereas the concept of"historical science fiction"remains ambiguous.Taking Mandate of Heaven as an example,this paper will first discuss the generic problem of"historical science fiction"by comparing it with"alternate history."Based on this,it continues to exam how the science fiction element is incorporated into Qian's narrative with the aid of"time travel"and"multiverse"as narrative device.Finally,the paper will examine the conceptual experiment of"Mandate of Heaven"embodied by three characters in the book,comparing different views on the compatibility between free will and determinism.The paper concludes that"historical science fiction"is a re-invention of history.Its value lies not in defining a new genre,but in the possibility offered to readers to reflect on the dialectical relationship between fiction and history.
文摘The imagination of the social form has been an important theme in the 21st century Chinese science fictions.The imagination of a social form on the model of"Elder's dual vector foil"contains a logical asymmetry-high-level technology and a primary social form.From the perspective of historical materialism and dialectics,this imagination and other imaginations of the social form,such as intelligent algorithms,that internally dominate or distort the social form through technology,reveal its flaws and limitations.Compared to the imagination of specific technology,the imagination of social form emphasizes the entirety and connection of multiple social factors,and it is hard to thoroughly dispense the invisible dominance of existing human experience.Marxist theory and methodology are indispensable to the imagination of social form in science fiction.Reigniting the Marxist critical imagination of future social form and activating the aesthetic power of this imagination are the future directions of the development of science fiction.
文摘Imagination is the lifeline of science fiction.In the 20th century,Chinese science fiction has produced the three distinct imagination modes of desire,possibility,and principles,conveyed through at least five expression techniques in neologisms,verisimilitude,temporal disjunction,situational extremes,and metaphorization.Although imagination is critical to the creation of science fiction,there are polarized views about its nature.A necessary task for the future development of Chinese science fiction is challenging false conceptions of imagination so as to establish more imagination modes.
文摘Whereas science fiction has no identity,no necessary conditions,no essence,and no timeless and universal attributes,we should not be able to recognize it.We do.Something must allow it.This article will show how recognition and learning outweigh contingent feature-based academic projects on science fiction as ends,thereby revealing the socio-cognitive frames that buttress such recognition and proposes that we consider semio-cognitive models to refine our understanding of the genre.To that end,this article shows how science fiction is a creative mode recognizable by its prototypes and the theories built thereon.Ultimately,this article promotes a means-based socio-cognitive understanding of science fiction where it is free,in a new way,from retrospective academic projects to define it by ends.
文摘An important motif in science fiction films is the encounter between different species--usually between human kind and alien kind. In films of this type, both anxieties and hopes are imagined and exhibited. By examining three science fiction films made in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Chinese mainland in the late 1970s and early 1980s--that is, The Super Inframan （Zhongguo chaoren, 1975）, God of War （Zhanshen, 1976）, and Death Ray on Coral Island （Shanhudao shang de siguang, 1980）--this paper analyzes the ideologies and anxieties behind such encounters. These films present different ＂Chinese＂ pictures, revealing the fluidity of Chineseness, as well as the variety of frameworks within the genre of Chinese-language science fiction films. In this time of globalization, it is important to examine these early science fiction films in order to explore the relation between local social concerns and their artistic presentation.
