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A review by rcriii
Broken Stars: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation by Ken Liu
4.0
This is a book of modern Chinese science fiction and fantasy, all originally written in Chinese by writers in the PRC (I believe). I read this during a recent trip to China, so it was topical. Despite the formal emphasis on, on the one hand scientific speculation and on the other hand supernatural or magical stories, Science fiction and fantasy generally reflects cultural and political concerns of the day, so I felt that the stories gave me a bit of insight into the country. The translation is quite good and the translator has included footnotes to explain Chinese historical and cultural references. I'm definitely going to read some of Mr. Liu's own fictions. Stories I liked:
"The Snow of Jinyang" by Zhang Ran: A scholar in a medieval Chinese city under siege is sent to influence or kill a Lord who has invented a string of inventions that allow the city to resist.
"The Robot Who Liked to Tell Tall Tales" by Fei Dao: The new King is such a liar and fabulist that he is unfit to rule. A robot is commissioned to outdo him in lies in order to save the kingdom. This is the story of the Robot's mystical journey to learn how to tell tall tales.
"The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Laba Porridge" by Anna Wu: Nice take on Douglas Adam's creation.
"The Snow of Jinyang" by Zhang Ran: A scholar in a medieval Chinese city under siege is sent to influence or kill a Lord who has invented a string of inventions that allow the city to resist.
"The Robot Who Liked to Tell Tall Tales" by Fei Dao: The new King is such a liar and fabulist that he is unfit to rule. A robot is commissioned to outdo him in lies in order to save the kingdom. This is the story of the Robot's mystical journey to learn how to tell tall tales.
"The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Laba Porridge" by Anna Wu: Nice take on Douglas Adam's creation.