Sinopticon 2021 - (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A stunning collection of the best in Chinese Science Fiction, from Award-Winning legends to up-and-coming talent, all translated here into English for the first time.

This celebration of Chinese Science Fiction -- thirteen stories, all translated for the first time into English -- represents a unique exploration of the nation's speculative fiction from the late 20th century onwards, curated and translated by critically acclaimed writer and essayist Xueting Christine Ni.

From the renowned Jiang Bo's 'Starship: Library' to Regina Kanyu Wang's 'The Tide of Moon City', and Anna Wu's 'Meisje met de Parel', this is a collection for all fans of great fiction.

Award winners, bestsellers, screenwriters, playwrights, philosophers, university lecturers and computer programmers, these thirteen writers represent the breadth of Chinese SF, from new to old: Gu Shi, Han Song, Hao Jingfang, Nian Yu, Wang Jinkang, Zhao Haihong, Tang Fei, Ma Boyong, Anna Wu, A Que, Bao Shu, Regina Kanyu Wang and Jiang Bo.

Review Quotes

"Xueting Christine Ni's translation ... contextualizes cultural differences while allowing something of the original tonality to remain. The result is a set of stories that feel familiar yet have an off-kilter quality that keeps them fresh. It's a wonderful introduction to a rich alternative viewpoint." --Vulture

"Sinopticon reads like Black Mirror and Love, Death, and Robots squeezed together and poured onto the page. I laughed, I cried, I read and re-read, I stayed up through the early hours if it meant finishing one of the longer stories. This book is everything I love about Science Fiction." -- FanFiAddict

"Sinopticon is an engaging brew of unsettling ideas and lively prose."-- "ParSec Magazine"

"The masterful result validates Xueting's endeavor--and will only whet readers' appetite for more translations." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
-- "Publishers Weekly"

"This is science fiction from another culture, another history - another world. And full of gems." -- Stephen Baxter

"A must-read for science fiction fans." -- Aurealis

"Important" -- Locus Magazine-- "Locus Magazine"

"Superb" -- Lavie Tidhar, The Washington Post-- "The Washington Post"

About the Author

Xueting Ni is a writer, translator and speaker on Chinese traditional and pop culture. Her translation work has ranged from comics, poetry, essays, film, fantasy and science fiction. Born In Guangzhou, Christine moved to the UK in 1993, and expresses her love for Britain and China equally. Her aim is to show the West that there is more to Chinese culture than kung fu and Monkey (though she thinks both ARE pretty cool). Xueting began giving talks on Chinese culture at Amecon 2008, where she unveiled the western premier of the animated feature "Stormriders: Clash of Evils".

She has written extensively on Chinese culture and China's place in Western pop media both for other publications and her own website of resources here, for anyone interested in China. Presenting publicly in collaboration with companies, theatres, institutions and festivals, she has spoken on tea culture, Chinese animation, indie music, classical literature, Chinese food, film and science fiction. Her book on Chinese deities will be published in June 2018.