Ideas What Chinese science-fiction has to tell us about reality
Feb 12, 2026
Liu Cixin, Hugo-winning author of The Three-Body Problem, and Zichuan Gan, a PhD student studying Chinese sci‑fi, explore how Chinese science fiction blurs binaries. They discuss rapid modernization, techno‑fetishism, death and technology, queer readings, censorship, and why speculative stories reshape social imagination. The conversation highlights mixed realities rather than simple oppositions.
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Technology Meets Death As Critique
- Chinese science fiction links new technology with themes of death to critique techno-fetishism.
- This coupling reveals skepticism about technological promises and highlights social consequences.
E-Waste Roots Skepticism
- Zichuan grew up near electronic waste recycling sites that exposed environmental harm from discarded Western tech.
- That upbringing shaped his skepticism toward technological optimism and influenced his reading of sci‑fi.
Non‑Binary Thinking Runs Through Works
- Chinese sci‑fi often resists binary thinking across topics like gender, state and market, and human versus machine.
- This non‑binary approach reflects China's social complexity after the 1980s.
