Contributions and Misunderstandings: Zheng Wenguang and “Science Fiction Realism”

Abstract

Zheng Wenguang described the concept of “science fiction realism” in 1981 as a form of misreading, aiming at exploring social problems. Personally, he was rethinking and developing a series of his own writing ideas since the 1950s. As for the science fiction community, it was a powerful challenge to the idea that “science fiction is a part of popular science,” which had existed for almost five decades. As soon as Zheng’s idea was put forward, it quickly received a warm response from Jin Tao and Wei Yahua, etc. The works, such as “The Moonlight Island” (Yueguangdao) and “Destiny Nightclub” (Mingyun yezonghui), broke down the narrow boundaries of contemporary popular science discourse. “Science fiction realism” should be understood to mean “realistic science fiction.” However, from a theoretical perspective, all kinds of writings in this period not only narrowed and vulgarized the understanding of “realism,” especially as they ignored heated discussions of this concept, but also blurred the core and boundary of the “science fiction” genre and even dissolved its autonomy to a certain extent. Zheng and his proponents’ explorations are Chinese science fiction authors’ beneficial attempts to construct local traditions. They reflect a profound anxiety towards reality and a strong desire for self-identification among a generation of science fiction authors. The core point they observe reappears in various guises across the development of the science fiction genre in the following decades. The basic conceptions they are trying to convey have also become important resources for the development of Chinese science fiction literary theory.

Keywords

Zheng Wenguang / science fiction realism / reality / science / fantasy

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