Yan Xi (center), the author of Zaoshen Niandai, or Age of the Godmakers, receives his award for Best Novel at the 35th Galaxy Awards in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on September 28, 2024. The awards are China’s most prestigious science-fiction literature awards. Photo: Courtesy of the 35th Galaxy Awards

The award ceremony for the 35th Galaxy Awards, China's prestigious literary science fiction awards, was held Saturday evening in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, with leading science fiction author Liu Cixin presenting the awards to up and coming authors.

Yan Xi, a sci-fi writer from Sichuan, won the top honor, the Best Novel Award, for his book Age of the Godmakers. The Best Sci-Fi Online Literature Award went to Genius Club, written by Chengchengyuchan. The Best Newcomer Award went to Tan Gang, while the Most Popular Foreign Author Award was given to British writer Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The “China Science Fiction Online Literature White Paper (2023-2024),” jointly released by Science Fiction World magazine in collaboration with Sichuan University at the event, highlighted the unprecedented creativity and influence of science fiction online literature in revealing "Chinese stories, Chinese experiences, and Chinese imagination," noting that the genre has become an important source for downstream IP adaptation.

According to the white paper, the number of sci-fi online works has surged in the past two years, creating a flourishing "new ecosystem." On the platform operated by publishers China Literature, 47,000 sci-fi works had been added by June 2024, with a total word count of 5.031 billion characters.

In terms of themes, current sci-fi online literature not only continues established subgenres like advanced technology and interstellar martial arts, but has also developed emerging subgenres reflecting contemporary trends, such as cyberpunk and time travel. High-quality new works, such as Genius Club, are quickly setting new trends.

In recent years, sci-fi online literature has shifted from the periphery to the mainstream, with multifaceted explorations of modern Chinese technological civilization. Since June 2023, the China Writers Association has launched the Chinese Online Literature Review and Support Program, and sci-fi works such as The Sword of Dawn and Stellar Dreams have been included in the list, gaining widespread attention.

Today’s sci-fi writers tend to be relatively young and have high educational backgrounds, with China Literature noting that 87 percent of its sci-fi writers hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 

The adaptation of quality sci-fi works into movies and TV dramas is a crucial step in the future expansion and growth of China's online literature industry. Not only does it allow for the original content to benefit from cross-media operations, but also enhances the cultural and economic value of sci-fi online literature, according to the white paper.

Global Times