The global popularity of Chinese historical fantasy has brought forward a new era of female writers. How did this revolution start?
Posted in Articles and tagged books, chinese drama, fantasy, female writers, literature, martial arts, novels, SFF, TV, Wuxia, Xianxia
Amidst the fractious international battles for cyberspace, there couldn’t be a better time to remind ourselves that SFF and the imagination have no boundaries. The West is now pretty au fait with Liu Cixin, but it’s often the case with world literature that the few writers who first become known to the West are monumentalised as Symbols representing the entire ecosystem of their othered cultures. Whilst they are undoubtedly important touchstones, I’ve always tried to take Anglophone readers beyond that introduction into the vast depths of China’s SFF universe.
Posted in Articles, Curated & Translated and tagged books, Chinese, danmei, fantasy, genre, listicle, science fiction, Scifi, SFF, translated, Xianxia
Though I have very much appreciated The Untamed and Modao Zushi, and have written about both the works, and the phenomena of their success, I have generally avoided being drawn into the fandoms, (though there’s nothing wrong with enthusiastic love for a show) or dampening any gushiness with my cultural critique. However, I knew that I would invariably be talking about it professionally at some point, as I ended up doing on a panel discussing the show at 2021’s Eastercon, ConFusion2021, along with two enthusiastic fanfic writers, and a moderator who turned out far more interested in joining in the discussion than facilitating it.
Posted in Events and tagged C Drama, china, Chinese, culture, Daoism, fantasy, idol drama, MDZS, MXTX, SFF, society, The Untamed, TV, Xianxia, xiuzhen, xuanhuan
If you like your Asian historical dramas, Eastern magic fantasy, or Kungfu shows, you’ll have seen, or been watching, or at least heard of, The Untamed. With gorgeous costumes, props, sets; fantastic script, filmography and storyline, a great cast, and queer representation to boot, no wonder this mainland Chinese series, an unexpectedly domestic hit, has also achieved unprecedented global popularity. Originally a Xianxia (genre featuring humans interacting with supernaturals) web novel named Modao Zushi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, the series is steeped in Chinese culture. One of the central themes that really stands out is the multiple roles of music in the story. (Heads up, this article contains spoilers).
Posted in Articles and tagged china, Chinese, culture, guqin, Mo Dao Zu Shi, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, music, The Untamed, web novel, Xianxia, zhi yin