Six authors in search of the 'body'

Chinese and South Korean sci-fi writers collaborate on anthology, using the genre to redefine the feminine form and convey concrete experiences, Yang Yang reports.

One hot afternoon in mid-August, at Beijing's Tsutaya Bookstore, a long line of readers wrapped around the venue for the book signing of Shenti, Zailai (Body, Again).

The Chinese edition of the book, launched in mid-August, is a sci-fi anthology coauthored by six female writers from China and South Korea.

Earlier in June, its Korean version had already attracted attention at the Seoul International Book Fair, where it was warmly received. Since being published in the country, it has sold over 10,000 copies in the first month.

This cross-border creative endeavor was launched by the Future Affairs Administration, a company based in Beijing specializing in sci-fi publications, consulting and filmmaking, in collaboration with the South Korean publisher Influential, and Shanghai Translation Publishing House.

Centered on the theme of the "body", the book features works by South Korean writers Kim Cho-yeop, Kim Chung-gyul and Cheon Seonran, and Chinese writers Zhou Wen, Cheng Jingbo, and Wang Kanyu.

Both Kim Cho-yeop and Cheon Seon-ran are hailed as rising stars "standing at the dawn of Korean science fiction".

Kim Cho-yeop garnered international attention with her debut work, If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light, which won South Korea's most prestigious Today's Young Artist Award in 2019. Cheon received the top prize at the 4th Korean Science Literature Award for A Thousand Blues in 2021 and was voted by 330,000 readers as a young writer representing the future of Korean literature. Cheon's novel is now being adapted into a Hollywood film by Warner Bros Pictures.

On the Chinese side, the three writers represent both established and emerging voices in sci-fi.

Zhou is the winner of the Terran Prize, sponsored by United States fantasy author George RR Martin. Cheng made history as the first Chinese woman to win both the Chinese Nebula Awards and the Galaxy Awards, the two most prestigious sci-fi accolades in China. Wang is also a recipient of the Chinese Nebula Awards, making her one of the genre's strongest new talents.