Poster of The Three-Body Problem II Dark Forest drama is seen in a shopping mall in Shanghai on March 17, 2019. Photo: CFP

The Dark Forest, the second novel in Chinese science fiction trilogy The Three-Body Problem, won Best Translated Long Work at the Seiun Awards, Japan's answer to the Hugo Awards, getting applause from Chinese science fiction fans on Thursday.

The sci-fi series from Chinese writer Liu Cixin is very popular in Japan. The first book in the trilogy, The Three-Body Problem, won the same award in 2020.

The Seiun Award is a Japanese speculative fiction award for the best science fiction works and achievements during the preceding year. Organized and overseen by the Science Fiction Fan Groups' Association of Nippon, the awards are given out each year at the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention. The oldest sci-fi award in Japan, it was first given in 1970.

The second book in the series continues the first's story about humanity fighting for its life in the universe. Since debuting in Japan in June 2020, the Japanese-version of The Dark Forest has risen to the top spot on the best-selling sci-fi chart.

Even some Japanese celebrities have become fans of the Chinese science fiction series.

Japanese novelist Fukuda Kazuyo said in her recommendation of the book that she became so absorbed by it that she even forgot about the deadline for her own novel.

Another Japanese writer, Kitahara Naohiko, was highly complementary of the work, saying that the book was so full of fantastical ideas that he couldn't put it down.

Chinese netizens congratulated the writer and said they looked forward for more Chinese sci-fi writers to create even more splendid novels and stun the world.

The first book in the trilogy became a huge hit after it launched in Japan in 2019. Four days after hitting stores, the Japanese press announced that the book had already reached its eighth printing.

The last book in the series, Death's End, hit stores in Japan in May.