Sci-fi writer happy to break new groundBy GUI QIAN | China Daily | Updated: 2023-04-05 10:55Tianrui Shuofu introduces his work. [Photo/China Daily]Science fiction writer Tianrui Shuofu's fourth full-length work Guard the Nanshan Park is being serialized on the literary site qidian.com.It tells how the four-dimensional "angles" take over Earth, leaving the Sichuan Basin as humankind's last shelter and for the giant mecha weapon to be invented for use on the frontline — Nanshan Mountain in Chongqing.Each of the writer's previous three books were winners at China's top sci-fi event, the Galaxy Awards.With these successes and a solid fan base that closely follows his work, the 26-year-old has become a leading figure among China's young sci-fi writers.In his latest book, Tianrui Shuofu, who comes from Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, incorporates elements of super-high-technology and ancient martial arts.Before turning to sci-fi, he wrote fantasy tales, romantic novels and stories about city life.He said writing that crosses boundaries has become a trend for online sci-fi works by young writers. "This is a good thing. Cross-boundary means going beyond limits, which contributes to writing good stories and helps sci-fi reach more readers," he added.His observations are supported by a white paper on the development of China's online sci-fi literature last year, which was published at the 33rd Galaxy Awards ceremony.Compared to traditional sci-fi, the themes and elements used in today's works have been expanded significantly.Popular themes for other online writing such as mecha (ancient martial arts), space farming and time travel have also been incorporated in sci-fi writing. The white paper states that the largest growth has been witnessed in the themes of evolution and super power, future world, and interstellar civilizations.Tianrui Shuofu has crossed another boundary by using real place names. He said this is rarely done for online sci-fi works, as many writers try to avoid offending certain groups of readers."Some people think sci-fi is a literary genre that solely comprises ideas, but that alone is not enough for a full-length work," he said."Characters, plots and skills that matter in other forms of writing, such as martial arts novels, romantic fiction and detective stories, are also important in sci-fi, especially for full-length works. After all, a good story keeps readers reading."By staying for several months in the cities he plans to write about, Tianrui Shuofu strives to give his readers a sense of immersion in his work.He lived in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, to write We Live in Nanjing, and in Chongqing for Guard the Nanshan Park. He visited the neighborhoods in which his main characters live, counted the number of bus and subway stops, took pictures of landmarks, and even learned the local dialects.Real-life details in Tianrui Shuofu's novels include numerous references to space engineering, radio communication and other technologies.Although recognized as a hardcore sci-fi writer, he thinks this is just one style of the genre, and he may include more themes in future works."Many people argue about what constitutes real sci-fi. Some hardcore sci-fi fans look down on soft sci-fi, but that's just killing expansion of the genre in China," he said."Whether writers use sci-fi elements as the core of their work or just for background should not be a problem. For mainstream, online, hardcore or soft sci-fi, feeling superior or having a divisive mindset is not conducive to building a good environment for Chinese sci-fi."原文翻译如下：科幻作家乐于打破界限记者 桂茜科幻作家天瑞说符的第四部长篇作品《保卫南山公园》正在文学网站起点中文网连载。它讲述了四维生物占领地球，四川盆地成为人类最后的避难所，人们在重庆市南山制造用于前线抗敌的巨型机械武器的故事。这位作家之前的三本书都获得了中国最高科幻奖项银河奖。凭借作品的成功和密切关注他的坚实粉丝，这位26岁的科幻作家已成为中国年轻科幻作家中的领军人物。来自江西省九江市的天瑞说符在他的最新著作中融入了高技术和古代武术的元素。在转向科幻小说之前，他写过玄幻、奇幻、仙侠和都市等故事题材。他认为，跨界已经成为年轻作家网络科幻作品的一种趋势。他补充说：“这是一件好事。跨界意味着打破界限，有助于写好故事，也有助于科幻小说吸引更多读者。”他的观察得到了去年在第33届银河奖颁奖典礼上发表的一份关于中国网络科幻文学发展的白皮书的支持。与传统科幻小说相比，当今作品中使用的主题和元素有了显著的扩展。古武机甲、太空种田和时间旅行等其他网络写作的热门题材也被纳入科幻写作当中。白皮书指出，大国崛起、未来世界和星际文明等题材的增长最大。天瑞说符通过使用真实的地名打破了另一个界限。他说，网络科幻作品很少这样做，因为许多作家试图避免触碰某些审核红线。他说：“有些人认为科幻小说是一种只需要点子的文学类型，但单凭点子其实不足以构造一部长篇作品。”“武侠小说、言情小说和悬疑小说等其他类型小说中重要的写作技法在科幻小说中也很重要，尤其是长篇作品。毕竟，只有一个好的故事才能让读者阅读下去。”通过几个月的实地考察，天瑞说符努力让读者对他的作品有一种沉浸感。他住在江苏省省会南京创作《我们生活南京》，住在重庆创作《保卫南山公园》，他参观了主人公居住的社区，统计了公共汽车和地铁站的数量，拍摄了地标的照片，甚至学习了当地的方言。天瑞说符小说中包含大量现实细节，包括太空工程、无线电通信以及其他技术。尽管他是公认的硬核科幻作家，但他认为这只是一种风格，他可能会在未来的作品中加入更多元素。“很多人都在争论什么是真正的科幻。一些硬科幻爱好者看不起软科幻作品，但这只限制了科幻小说在中国的发展。”他说。“作家应当将科幻元素作为作品的核心，还是仅仅作为故事背景，这种争论不应该是一个问题。对于科幻行业而言，优越感或制造对立心态不利于为中国科幻发展创造良好的环境。”九江发布官方视频号来源：中国日报编辑：李芳复审：夏莹审签：杨高文出品：九江日报社（九江新闻网）

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