On April 27, hundreds of enthusiastic fans lined up during the China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC) in Beijing, eager to get the newly released "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon." A three-part collection of short stories, the anthology compiles works from 56 Chinese sci-fi writers that portrays their hometowns through the lens of sci-fi imagination.

A display of the three-volume collection "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon: 56 Chinese Science Fiction Writers' Fantasies of Their Hometowns." [Image courtesy of Popular Science Press]

"It is a dream come true to present Chinese-style sci-fi narrative and expression to the world," explained Shi Yi, the chief editor of the collection. "Science fiction is actually a concept from the West and has profoundly influenced Chinese sci-fi creation since the local literature was born on Chinese soil 120 years ago. In 2010, at China's top sci-fi award, the Chinese Nebula Awards, the organizers raised the vision of 'New Sci-Fi Rises from the East' for Chinese sci-fi literature, which also inspired the idea to create this book."

After an in-depth conversation in June of last year with long-time colleague and esteemed sci-fi writer Cheng Jingbo, Shi and Cheng agreed to begin the creation for this sci-fi compilation. Previously, Cheng was the chief editor of "She," an acclaimed collection that was released in 2021 and featured works by 33 female sci-fi writers. With its publication, “She” rocked the industry by shattering stereotypical thinking toward women’s contribution to the sci-fi literature market.

"Then I realized that when Chinese sci-fi writers who have a significant influence on the progress of our country's science fiction sector come together and appear collectively in one book to showcase the style and charm of themselves, it constitutes a very attractive thing — for writers, editors, readers, and researchers alike," Cheng told China.org.cn, reflecting on her time working on both “She” and "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon."

The creation of "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon" was also masterminded by Gan Weikang, president of Eternal Vision Science Fiction Media Co., Hainan (EV/SFM), an important player in Chinese sci-fi and an organizer of the Chinese Nebula Awards. With Gan on the project, the anthology was able to find a publisher: the Popular Science Press. Once all the groundwork was set, the team started to solicit writers for stories.

With a title that makes reference to a verse from a famed poem by Li Bai, China's most famous Tang Dynasty poet, "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon" evokes "virtual nostalgia," as Song Mingwei, a professor of Chinese literature at Wellesley College, described it, by drawing inspiration from various traditional Chinese works about homesickness. Shi concurs, stating that he feels that “Homeland sci-fi” could become a new subgenre within the sci-fi genre.

According to Shi, they selected and collected works from leading writers within China’s sci-fi community, many of which having already won numerous prestigious awards, such as the Hugo Awards, the Chinese Nebula Awards and the Mao Dun Literature Award. Seven writers created new stories specifically for the collection, while others contributed their favorite pieces that they had previously written.

For example, "The Three-Body Problem" writer Liu Cixin contributed "Love of Taiyuan," a story written in 2009 about Taiyuan, a city in his home province of Shanxi, with which he has a personal and emotional connection. Another prominent author, Wang Jinkang's "Escape from the Mother Universe," originally published in 2014, is also included in the compilation and is partially inspired by his deep affection for his home province of Henan. Han Song's story, "Journey to the Three Gorges," first published in 1998, tells a story about his hometown, Chongqing, from his childhood perspective.

Cheng Jingbo also contributed one of her own sci-fi works that is set in her hometown of Chengdu, Sichuan province. She pointed out that the collection further pairs each writer's sci-fi work with a non-fiction essay about their hometown memories. With each of the 56 writers contributing two pieces, the collection presents 112 works, offering comparative narratives that are set in both imagination and reality.

Sci-fi writers pose for a group photo with fans and readers during the launch event of "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon" held during the China Science Fiction Convention in Beijing, April 27, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the CSFC Organizing Committee]

Shi Yi believes that "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon" not only is a platform for writers' to talk about their hometowns but is also a means to reimagine these places, connecting their pasts, presents and futures. "It is a new definition and a new subgenre added to Chinese sci-fi, a bold attempt to achieve the vision of 'New Sci-Fi Rises from the East.' I think this is a very unique creation and compilation by the Chinese, and a new contribution from the Chinese sci-fi community to the world."

He added that this book is also a gift to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Chinese Nebula Awards, which is being held from May 17-18 in Chengdu, Sichuan province. In the future, there is potential to expand the franchise to develop new projects. For example, he mentioned a tentative idea titled "New Dreams About Hometowns."

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