Liu Cixin highlights power of reading during China's first national reading week

As China hosts its first national reading week, renowned sci-fi writer Liu Cixin told China.org.cn that reading is more than a pastime, describing it as a way for humanity to overcome cognitive limitations and preserve the flame of civilization. 

Liu Cixin. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

"We are living in an era of rapid technological development, where many former science fiction concepts are becoming reality," Liu said. "Reading allows us to calm down, build complete cognition and reflect on technology, civilization and humanity's place in the universe."

He noted that for Chinese science fiction, reading presents a rare opportunity.

"The greatest opportunity for Chinese science fiction is China's own development, and reading is precisely the vehicle that transforms this opportunity into strength," he said. "Reading cultivates larger science fiction audiences, helping the genre move beyond niche circles. The robust development of science fiction depends on this very power of reading and dissemination."

Liu also emphasized the advantages of reading. "Literature and science are the core of science fiction. Reading allows creators to absorb scientific knowledge, learn from narrative techniques and find a balance between imagination and science. At the same time, it breaks down creative limitations, grounding Chinese sci-fi in local soil, combining Eastern sensibilities with cosmic narratives to form our own sci-fi aesthetics," he said.

The writer expressed his hope that the national reading week could awaken people's awareness of reading, make reading a habit, and allow different people to find books that suit them and experience the joy of reading.

He added, "At the same time, I also hope that science fiction can be seen by more people and that they will understand that science fiction is not just wishful thinking, but a rational inquiry into the future."

Liu Cixin recommended the 2024 sci-fi anthology "The Mountain, the Pine and the Moon" for reading during this week. The three-part collection of short stories features the works of 56 Chinese sci-fi writers that portray their hometowns through the lens of sci-fi imagination.

"It doesn't have the vast cosmic narratives found in many sci-fi works, but it contains the most simple and profound sense of national and family devotion, along with reflections on life," he said. "In this fast-paced era, it allows us to settle our minds through words and understand the foundations of civilization. This is connected to the very meaning of reading itself, as well as our reflections on the future."