Liu Cixin and small form

Almost all fans of modern science fiction in one way or another know the name of Liu Cixin, a Chinese writer, author of the trilogy “Memories of the Earth’s Past” (which is sometimes also called the “Three-Body Problem” by the title of the first book). But today we will not talk about what is remarkable about that very trilogy and what popularity it brought to the author. Instead, I would like to talk about two collections of small form by Liu Cixin, published in Russian: “The Wandering Earth” and “Hold the Sky”. There is an impression that in his stories and novels, Liu Cixin lays ideas that other authors would have enough for a whole novel (at least). At the same time, they have all the necessary elements of structure, ups and downs, the very turn after which nothing will be the same. And, of course, a great interest in the exact sciences, philosophy and the search for the place of man in the Universe with the help of these tools.

The Wandering Earth was released in Russian back in 2021 and includes most of Liu Cixin’s stellar stories, awarded in his homeland with the Galaxy Prize from 1999 to 2005. Looking ahead, I would like to say that the mood of all of them is rather melancholic and some understatement is felt in them – stories without clear answers, but with a tangible touch of melancholy. Compared to The Wandering Earth, there seems to be more hope in the fresh collection Hold the Sky – this feeling is already created from the first two stories. At the same time, the topics that captivate and inspire the author are recognizable and resonate quite strongly. As well as the fact that in most cases the main character will not be a written deep character with deep psychologism, but “just a man”, a conditional representative of humanity. The author outlines the personalities of the characters with a couple of strokes: these are their passions, hopes, fears. Perhaps, the protagonist of the story “The Village Teacher” breaks out of this generality, which opens the collection “Keep the Sky” (and, it must be said, in the preface, Liu Cixin himself writes that the work turned out to be not quite typical for him). One way or another, in the works of Tsyxin there is often this ordinary person who becomes a guide for readers in the era of fateful events (or no less fateful accidents). The absence of his bright individuality provides an opportunity to seem to become him, to really look at everything with his own eyes. And to make it easier to do, the writer tries to add vivid visual images to the text and capture the moments of the most vivid emotional experiences of the characters.

So the protagonist of The Wandering Earth takes part in a rally across the frozen Pacific Ocean from Shanghai to New York, and Liu Cixin describes his sudden and frightening loneliness when no one is left on this route in the icy void under the dome of stars: not too much detail but in such a way that you are immersed in what is happening. By itself, this scene should not generate much interest now. But, if you know the history of the character’s life (and the life of his generation in general), this episode will take on much deeper levels.

So, the most important works of Liu Cixin were included in the first collection, and “Hold the Sky” – what was left after that? Hardly. The new collection is also full of interesting concepts and thought experiments. The story “Mirror” and the story “Full spectrum barrage” also became winners of the “Galaxy” award. At the same time, it will not be very easy to formulate how they differ. But when the settlers reach their limit in time, it comes to understanding that we have been given an answer, and it gives a feeling that the trouble has been avoided (and a little thought about how important it is to take care of the environment). In other stories, there may not be such an explicit answer, but there will be a vector of movement that the hero has chosen for himself and is ready to follow it further. In The Wandering Earth, people with such confidence often have to pay a high price: for example, the navigator from the story “The Mountain”, after an encounter with aliens, reflects on his long-standing desperate decision, as a result of which four of his comrades died. And he realizes that now he would do it again.

However, there is always a chance that another reader will read both of these collections differently. The ability (and even willingness) of people to look at an idea from different angles after reading Liu Cixin is another nice feature of his work. Storybooks can also be a great opportunity to get to know the author for those who are wary that the “Memories of the Earth’s Past” trilogy is long and complicated (which is also quite subjective, it’s worth noting).

One way or another, moving away from the question of deep meanings, I would like to say that the stories from both collections are simply … fascinating. The scenarios that Liu Cixin offers are interesting to explore, even if the narrative is slow. Here you can meet carbon, silicon and even mechanical life forms, you can go to the edge of the Universe or radically reconsider our impression of it. And few of the authors of modern times give their readers such dizzying opportunities to be travelers and discoverers in such unique conditions. And especially in small form. Both collections contain a lot of exciting and unexpected concepts, a whole kaleidoscope of impressions that touch the nerve: they make you want to sort through and think over again and again.