SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases discussion
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We probably need to read some Chinese SF
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A short quote of what I consider a time bomb under WorldCon'23
Lately, though, the leeway afforded to cultural expression seems to be tightening even further. In recent years, authorities have scrubbed the internet clean of not only sensitive political content such as the Three T’s—Tibet, Tiananmen, and Taiwan—but also anything the party deems immoral, from tattoos and one-night stands to hip hop. Last summer, film authorities issued a set of guidelines on how to make sci-fi films, urging filmmakers to “highlight Chinese values,” “cultivate Chinese innovation,” and “thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping thought.” These measures have made writers and publishers more paranoid about making a misstep. (Last year, Chen wanted to write a story about Californian independence, but he was advised against it by his publishers for fear that it would not get past the censors. “It wasn’t even about China,” he exclaims, rolling his eyes.)
I loved Three Body and Vagabonds. So I’m very interested in reading more Chinese sff. I’m curious how big a difference the voting demographics will look though. Do most people only vote if they are planning to attend the convention? I’m quite happy just voting without attending.
Oleksandr wrote: "One of articles on Chinese SF..."That was really interesting. And yes, the possibility of regime censorship is certainly a potential problem for the 2023 Hugos, if major works are banned.
More translated works can only be a good thing, which will enrich the English part of the genre. But I don't think the Hugos are limited to English-language works; its just been that way because the Hugo electorate is dominated by English speakers. If that's no longer the case, there's a possibility for non-English works to make the ballot.
I am not seeking out Chinese SF because of the censorship. They are not allowed to say certain things. Even worse, some, especially the young, are not even aware of many things that are common knowledge elsewhere.That said, I'm willing to read some Chinese SF if one of my friends recommends a specific book and it sounds interesting to me. (I am NOT asking for recommendations in this thread. I have too many books on my TBR pile already.)
While Hugo's technically have always allowed any language to win, if we start seeing many books winning that are not available in English I would expect they would create a new category for English-specific books.
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Actually, from what I can guess from indirect hints there are two quite different groups -
1. book readers, oft introverts, who nominate/vote but don't go on convents
2. people, who like meeting like-minded ones to chat, discuss, exchange info, in more extraverted way.
one of the indirect ways to see it is how some nominees are at the end (5-6 place) but eventually win, or leaders getting not even a 2nd but lower places upon final voting
of course these groups are 'ideal' in Plato's sense, all real people are somewhere in-between
SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases
Books mentioned in this topic
The Three-Body Problem (other topics)Vagabonds (other topics)
https://hugoclub.blogspot.com/2022/01...
TL;DR: the Chinese fans who signed up for DisCon and voted in site selection for 2023 are also eligible to nominate for the 2022 Hugos, meaning that (likely for the first time ever) the awards will not be dominated by American voters and maybe not by American works.
So, anyone know what's hot in Chinese SF that we should aim to read?
(This is potentially a great horizon-broadening exercise, though I bounced hard off The Three-Body Problem and Vagabonds. But maybe I'll find some stuff I like).