Jia Xia Knihy

"There is perhaps no voice better suited to tellthe stories of contemporary China's conflicted, layered reality. China is atonce a very young and a very old country, and as much guided by revolutionaryfervor as by the heavy memories of history. Where the techniques of literaryrealism often seem powerless before the many contradictions of the country'sheadlong plunge into uneven development, Xia Jia has discovered a way to usespeculative fiction, with its rich semantic web of fantastic metaphors, derivedfrom both the language of magic and science, to convey the psychological truthof being Chinese at this moment."-Ken Liu, from theIntroduction

Diese Geschichte spielt während der Herrschaft der Chen-Dynastie (einer fiktiven Dynastie der chinesischen Vergangenheit).Die kaiserliche Konkubine höchsten Ranges Jing gebärt unter den Strahlen der Abendsonne Zwillinge: einen Jungen und ein Mädchen.Der kleine Prinz wird mit einem zinnoberroten Muttermal auf der Stirn geboren, die kleine Prinzessin kommt mit sechs Fingern zur Welt.Glückverheissende Vorzeichen gehen mit unglückverheissenden Omen einher. Die beiden Geschwister, die im selben Mutterleib herangereift sind,treten in der Folge vollkommen unterschiedlichen Schicksalen entgegen, und sie werden dadurch von ihren nächsten Verwandten getrennt.Ein grosses Verhängnis naht drohend heran. Wird es zu einer Wiederbegegnung zwischen den beiden Geschwistern kommen, die von Geburt an voneinander getrennt waren?Und wie werden die beiden mit ihrem Schicksal ringen?

Broken Stars, edited by Ken Liu, is his second anthology of Chinese short speculative fiction, following Invisible Planets. This collection is the most comprehensive yet available in English, showcasing a thrilling array of stories that reflect the burgeoning interest in Chinese science fiction. It features both well-known authors like Liu Cixin and Hao Jingfang, as well as those making their English-language debut. Most stories were originally published in Chinese during the 2010s and range from short-shorts to novellas, evoking a wide emotional spectrum. The anthology includes familiar subgenres such as hard SF, cyberpunk, and space opera, while also delving into narratives deeply rooted in Chinese culture, including alternate histories and time travel. It does not claim to be "representative" or "comprehensive," but it highlights the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Chinese science fiction. Additionally, three essays at the end explore the history of Chinese science fiction publishing, the current state of fandom, and the impact of growing interest in the genre on previously obscure writers. This collection promises to captivate readers eager to explore the richness of Chinese speculative fiction.