Chinese SF (science fiction) fans are seeking for development of domestic works as attractive as Star Wars and the Matrix series while the SF writers in China have become unproductive in providing readers with SF masterpieces.
Over the past 20 years, while more and more Chinese have been fascinated by Western SF movies, including the Star Wars and the Matrix series, over 30 kinds of Chinese SF periodicals have shrank into only one SF World, a monthly Chinese magazine with a circulation of over 500,000.
About 100 years ago, Lu Xun, one of the greatest Chinese modern writers, said after completing the translation of Jules Gabriel Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, "To guide China's development, science fiction should be the starter." However, even now most people don't quite understand Lu's idea, and it is even more difficult to find a brilliant Chinese SF article.
In 1980s, China printed over 30 kinds of SF magazines and newspapers, with hundreds of original SF and popular science articles meeting public eyes every year.
But today, the SF World is the only survivor magazine across the country. Each Chinese SF work may only have 20,000 copies printed for the SF fans. On the contrary, the United States prints148 SF periodicals, and publishes 2,000 kinds of SF books every year, some of which boast six-digit circulations.
Jiang Xiaoyuan, Dean of Science History Department of Shanghai Jiaotong University, believes fantasy and imagination are valuable, because the 80-day journey around the globe, the ascent to the moon and the invention of submarines have all come out of Jules Gabriel Verne's novels into reality.
Now, China only has less than 100 professional SF writers, only a dozen of which have some fame. On the other hand, there are over1,000 state-appointed science academicians, with Dr. Pan Jiazheng being the only one to write SF articles in his free time.
In 2003, Zheng Wenguang, known as China's "SF Father," passed away, which temporarily attracted public attention. However, the environment of China's SF writings has not changed much.
SF writers often enjoy greater fame and popularity in the west, said Jin Tao, a senior SF novelist. "If a SF master passes away in the United States, that must be big news, but it is not the case in China," he said.
The news that Zheng Wenguang died was spread in the United States by some American SF agencies, while most Chinese media kept silent.
Jin also argues that Chinese SF writers lack the freedom of imagination. "They cannot make a living by selling SF books, and there are too many social shackles on them. Besides, the spirit of science fiction has not pervaded the public awareness."
As delightful response to Chinese SF fans and writers, the government began to award popular science books this year. Seven books have won "the state awards for scientific and technological advancement", which have never gone to SF works before.
(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2006)
