International awards for Chinese-language science fiction announced

CHENGDU - Ten science fiction writers, publications and organizations won prizes at the third Xinyun (nebula) Awards on Saturday.

Among the winners were Wang Jinkang, 64 year-old retired engineer and one of China's top sci-fi writers. He won best saga novel for his work "Be with Me". Zhang Xiguo, from Taiwan, won the best nouvelle with "Excess of the world". Chen Qiufan, a 31-year-old Google employee won best short story with "G stands for Goddess".

The event, the only international awards for Chinese-language sci-fi writers, was organized by the World Chinese Science Fiction Association (WCSFA) based in Chengdu, the capital of southwest Sichuan province.

Xingyun Awards cover works from all over the world since the birth of sci-fi in China 200 years ago. The awards were first set up in 2010 and are held annually.

"Chinese sci-fi has attracted increasing attention in recent years. It is true not only in China but also in other places around the world. Western writers and readers are trying to seek clues about China's future in sci-fi stories," said Wu Yan, president of WCSFA.

His work, "Western science fiction classic literary theories" won best sci-fi publication of the year.

"The third Xingyun Awards attracted unprecedented nominees and works, which brought great challenges to the selection work and also a great surprise to us," said Liu Cixin, China's most popular sci-fi writer and commission member of the third Xingyun Awards.

A total of 210 books, paintings, movies and other works were recommended this year. More than 20,000 votes were received online and ten people and works were selected after the jury's deliberations.

About 200 writers, publishers, critics, movie makers from China, the US and Japan gathered in Chengdu with more than 1,000 sci-fi fans attending the award-giving ceremony. Lectures, book signings and exhibitions were held during the sci-fi carnival.