Wu Xiankui, the inaugural winner of the Galaxy Award for Science Fiction, once insightfully noted that Chengdu, despite being a geographical lowland in China, undoubtedly stands as the highland of Chinese science fiction. This is the cradle where Chinese science fiction took root, sprouted, and blossomed, bridging the gap from a niche fandom to a robust industry.

As science fiction culture emerges as an engine of urban dynamism, Chengdu Plus is delighted to unveil the fresh series, Visions of Future World. We aim to connect with science fiction authors, scholars, and industry insiders, unlocking the unique sci-fi DNA embedded within the city. Our mission is to gain insight into the hurdles and opportunities facing Chinese science fiction as it steps onto the global platform. Furthermore, we aim to explore how science fiction, as a universal tongue, can build bridges fostering cultural discourse and shared learning between Eastern and Western perspectives.

Just like many other sci-fi devotees, Wanxiang Fengnian, who was born in the 1980s, stepped into the enchanting realm of science fiction through Science Fiction World magazine during his high school years. In 2007, his stories City, City and Chronicles of the Post-Ice Age made their debut in the  Science Fiction World magazine. That was the turning point when he resolved to evolve from being a sci-fi fan to a sci-fi author, using his narratives to draw us closer to the boundless universe.

✦PART.01

Rising Imagination in Everyday Life

Yulin

In 2012, Wanxiang Fengnian traded the bustling streets of Beijing for the tranquil charm of Chengdu, a city he reveres as a sci-fi haven. He nestled into Yulin, a neighborhood steeped in the relaxed allure of old Chengdu. This vibrant quarter, teeming with artistic cafes, lively bars, mural-adorned walls, sizzling hotpot restaurants, and bustling markets, had a profound impact on him. Submerged in Yulin's unique ambiance, Wanxiang Fengnian began infusing more aspects of reality into his creations, marrying them with his imagined realms.

✦PART.02

Immersed in the Science Fiction of the City

Inspiration

In his time living in Chengdu, Wanxiang Fengnian didn't just dedicate himself to relentless sci-fi crafting but also found his life partner. Guided by his wife, they launched a café that is partly SciFi-themed. As he put it, sci-fi may not comprise all of life, but it invariably forms a part of it.

✦PART.03

呼吸城市的科幻 • 灵感 

From Wanxiang Fengnian's perspective, Chengdu holds one of the most powerful sci-fi vibes in the country. It houses a multitude of sci-fi aficionados and also presents numerous cityscapes echoing sci-fi, one of which is the Chengdu Natural History Museum.

The Chengdu Natural History Museum stands as the largest natural history museum in China's southwest region, housing over 60,000 exhibits spanning geology, minerals, dinosaur fossils, and rare animal specimens. These artifacts serve as keys to unraveling the mysteries of the universe and treasures concealed in parallel worlds, awaiting sci-fi enthusiasts like Wanxiang Fengnian to discover.

According to Wanxiang Fengnian, Chengdu is a city imbued with a unique sci-fi charm. It presents diverse offerings, fostering the coexistence of various forms of sci-fi and stimulating more sci-fi interests into creative drive. 

As Carl Abbott concisely argued in Imagining Urban Futures: science fiction is about the future; the future is about cities. Therefore, science fiction is about cities.

We eagerly anticipate the upcoming World Science Fiction Convention in Chengdu. It promises to act as a Tower of Babel, breaking down communication barriers, catapulting Chinese sci-fi to unprecedented heights, and spearheading the global sci-fi trend.