Cixin Liu is the most prolific science fiction author in China; his numerous novels have sold millions of copies around the world, garnering widespread international support, as well as many awards. Liu’s journey to science fiction prominence ended the genre’s dearth in China: “Science fiction was a rarity in China when Liu was growing up because most western books were banned. Living in a coal mining town in Shanxi province as a young man, he found a book hidden in a box that once belonged to his father” (Reed, Betsy. “Liu Cixin: ‘I’m Often Asked—There’s Science Fiction in China?’” The Guardian, 2024). The book he found was Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864) by Jules Verne; this speculative adventure novel sparked Liu’s intense interest in science fiction.

Liu has written many science fiction novels, the most prominent of which is the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. Its popularity has transcended China, largely due to Liu’s eagerness to have his works published abroad as well as domestically: “Liu was motivated to have his books translated into English partly ‘to let people in the United States and the English-speaking world know that China also has science fiction novels’” (Reed).