Podcasts about Hao Jingfang

"Folding Beijing" is one of the most talked-about science fiction stories to come out of China since Liu Cixin, Hao Jingfang's story is about a Beijing divided into three parts. First Space is for the rich, Second Space is for the middle class and Third Space is for the poor, who clean up after First and Second Space Beijing. The three spaces never exist simultaneously, but rather when First Space is open, Second and Third Space are folded up and put away. A man, struggling to put his daughter through school, agrees to take up an illegal job to smuggle a message from Second to First Space.  This is a story that is fascinating because it is all about class, even though China has been run by the CCP for almost a century. Join the podcast as we get folded into Third Space and find ourselves in a new world. 

This week we discussed Jumpnauts, written by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu, and narrated by Catherine Ho. Jumpnaut [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] Vagabonds [Libro.fm] / [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible] / [Episode 81] 3 Body Problem (2024) [IMDb] / [Netflix] Rendezvous with Rama [OverDrive/Libby] / [Audible]

Il successo della serie tv Netflix tratta da Il problema dei tre corpi dello scrittore cinese Liu Cixin, ha permesso di svelare il mondo della fantascienza cinese: dai “tre generali”, alla produzione letteraria legata all'ideologia e alle aspettative del partito comunista, fino alla prima opera di fantascienza cinese, scritta nel 1902 e in grado di immaginare una Cina che assomiglia molto a quella di oggi. Di seguito alcuni dei libri citati nel corso della puntata: Il problema dei tre corpi, Liu Cixin (Mondadori); Oceano Rosso, Han Song (Add editore); I mattoni della rinascita, Han Song (Future fiction); Pechino pieghevole, Hao Jingfang (Add editore), Festa di primavera, Xia Jia (Future fiction); Marea tossica, Chen Qiufan (Mondadori). Le fonti audio di questa puntata sono tratte da: Why is Sci Fi So Hot in China? Cixin Liu and Jiayang Fan in conversation at China Institute, canale YouTube China Institute in America, 5 novembre 2018; 韩松：生存在科幻的时代, zihu.com, 8 marzo 2022; Hao JIngfang e lo spazio futuribile, Istituto Confucio dell'Università di Milano, 15 novembre 2020 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to BookShook! This episode is all about the second half of December's book, Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang trans. Ken Liu published in 2020 (from 'Medal' on page 332 if you're reading alongside). The idea of the episode is that I take a book I've never read, split it in two and discuss each half on the second and last Fridays of the month. I'll do a first impressions summary alongside my thoughts and reactions and then raise any interesting ideas so far in the novel (be aware - there may be spoilers.) And then on the last Friday of the month, I'll discuss the second half of the book. We'll see together how the novel concludes and decide whether it's a book we'd recommend to a friend - or not. Of course, you don't have to read the book, you can listen to it, or just follow along without doing either since I'll be summarising what happens (but be aware! - there will be spoilers). You can leave a comment or start a conversation at the youtube.com/@BookShook (link below) or send an email to bookshook@yahoo.com. The book we'll be reading for January is Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (trans. Margaret Sayers Peden) (139 pages) — we'll be reading up to page 72 (so get that ready if you're going to read alongside me). The first episode will be on 13th January. Thanks for listening to BookShook! RogerAll episodes can be listened and discussed at youtube.com/@BookShookFuture Reads:January: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (trans. Margaret Sayers Peden) (139 pages) February:One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn trans. Ralph Parker(143 pages)I'm delighted that this podcast has been voted in the Top 30 UK Books Podcasts at https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_book_podcasts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to BookShook! This episode is all about the first half of December's book, Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang trans. Ken Liu published in 2020 (up to page 332 'MEDAL' if you're reading alongside). The idea of the episode is that we'll split a book into two equal halves — a book that I and perhaps you have never read. In the first episode, published on the second Friday of the month, we'll discuss the first half. And then in the second episode (published on the last Friday of the month - 30th December), we'll look at the second half of the book (in this case from 'Medal' on page 332). We'll see together how the novel concludes and decide whether it's a book we'd recommend to a friend - or not. Of course, you don't have to read the book, you can listen to it, or just follow along without doing either since I'll be summarising what happens (but be aware! - there will be spoilers). You can leave a comment or start a conversation at youtube.com/@BookShook or send an email to bookshook@yahoo.com. The book we'll be reading for January is Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (trans. Margaret Sayers Peden) (139 pages) (so get that ready if you're going to read alongside). Thanks for listening to BookShook! RogerFuture Reads:January: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (trans. Margaret Sayers Peden) (139 pages) February: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn trans. Ralph Parker(143 pages)I'm delighted that this podcast has been voted in the Top 30 UK Books Podcasts at https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_book_podcasts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to BookShook! This episode is all about the second half of November's book, The Castle by Franz Kafka trans. J.A.Underwood published in 1926 (from page 146 - chapter 14 'Frieda's Reproach' if you're reading alongside). The idea of the episode is that I take a book I've never read, split it in two and discuss each half on the second and last Fridays of the month. I'll do a first impressions summary alongside my thoughts and reactions and then raise any interesting ideas so far in the novel (be aware - there may be spoilers.) And then on the last Friday of the month, I'll discuss the second half of the book. We'll see together how the novel concludes and decide whether it's a book we'd recommend to a friend - or not. Of course, you don't have to read the book, you can listen to it, or just follow along without doing either since I'll be summarising what happens (but be aware! - there will be spoilers). You can leave a comment or start a conversation at youtube.com/@BookShook or send an email to bookshook@yahoo.com. The book we'll be reading for December is Hao Jingfang's Vagabonds trans. Ken Liu(594pages) — we'll be reading up to Page 332, the chapter entitled 'Medal' (so get that ready if you're going to read alongside me). The first episode will be on 9th December. Thanks for listening to BookShook! RogerContent Warning: There will be spoilers. Future Reads:December: Hao Jingfang's Vagabonds trans. Ken Liu (594pages) January: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (139 pages) I'm delighted that this podcast has been voted in the Top 30 UK Books Podcasts at https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_book_podcasts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to BookShook! This episode is all about the first half of November's book, The Castle by Franz Kafka trans. J.A.Underwood published in 1926 (up to Chapter 14 ("Frieda's Reproach") if you're reading alongside). The idea of the episode is that we'll split a book into two equal halves — a book that I and perhaps you have never read. In the first episode, published on the second Friday of the month, we'll discuss the first half. And then in the second episode (published on the last Friday of the month - 25th November), we'll look at the second half of the book (in this case from page 146 - chapter 14 'Frieda's Reproach'). We'll see together how the novel concludes and decide whether it's a book we'd recommend to a friend - or not. Of course, you don't have to read the book, you can listen to it, or just follow along without doing either since I'll be summarising what happens (but be aware! - there will be spoilers). You can leave a comment or start a conversation at the BookShook YouTube channel (link below) or send an email to bookshook@yahoo.com. The book we'll be reading for December is Hao Jingfang's Vagabonds trans. Ken Liu(594pages) (so get that ready if you're going to read alongside). Thanks for listening to BookShook! RogerContent Warning: There will be spoilers. This episode will be available until $ThisMonth+3$ but all episodes can be listened and discussed at the BookShook YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-UchFXG7hqzGyGQ7l1YIpgFuture Reads:December: Hao Jingfang's Vagabonds trans. Ken Liu(594pages) January: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (139 pages) Links:Guardian Article on Wide Sargasso Sea: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/jul/15/book-beach-wide-sargasso-sea-jean-rhysI'm delighted that this podcast has been voted in the Top 30 UK Books Podcasts at https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_book_podcasts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to BookShook! This episode is all about the second half of October's book, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys published in 1966 (from page 77 if you're reading alongside). The idea of the episode is that I take a book I've never read, split it in two and discuss each half on the second and last Fridays of the month. I'll do a first impressions summary alongside my thoughts and reactions and then raise any interesting ideas so far in the novel (be aware - there may be spoilers.) And then on the last Friday of the month, I'll discuss the second half of the book. We'll see together how the novel concludes and decide whether it's a book we'd recommend to a friend - or not. Of course, you don't have to read the book, you can listen to it, or just follow along without doing either since I'll be summarising what happens (but be aware! - there will be spoilers). You can leave a comment or start a conversation at the BookShook YouTube channel (link below) or send an email to bookshook@yahoo.com. The book we'll be reading for November is The Castle by Franz Kafka (280 pages) — we'll be reading up to Chapter 14 'Frieda's Reproach' (so get that ready if you're going to read alongside me). The first episode will be on 11th November. Thanks for listening to BookShook! RogerContent Warning: It is assumed that you have read the first half of the novel so their may be spoilers up to 50%. I also read Jane Eyre in preparation for this podcast, and although I've tried to alert to any possible spoilers where possible, if you hate spoilers, my advice would be to read that book before listening. There are references to the following topics in the book: arson, mental illness, racism. I don't use any swear words in this podcast. The n-word is used widely throughout the novel and any quotations from the novel that contain this word have been replaced with the phrase “n-word”. Also, apologies for not pronouncing Jean correctly. If there is anything I have missed, do let me know. This podcast as always, is a learning process for me. I'm learning from the novels , and also learning how to communicate effectively the ideas in the novels. Thanks. All episodes can be listened and discussed at the BookShook YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-UchFXG7hqzGyGQ7l1YIpgFuture Reads:November: The Castle by Franz Kafka (280 pages) December: Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang (trans. by Ken Liu) 642 pagesI'm delighted that this podcast has been voted in the Top 30 UK Books Podcasts at https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_book_podcasts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to BookShook! This episode is all about the first half of October's book, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys published in 1966 (up to page 77 beginning "After I had waited half an hour" if you're reading alongside). The idea of the episode is that we'll split a book into two equal halves — a book that I and perhaps you have never read. In the first episode, published on the second Friday of the month, we'll discuss the first half. And then in the second episode (published on the last Friday of the month - $Part2EpisodeDate$ October), we'll look at the second half of the book (in this case from page 77). We'll see together how the novel concludes and decide whether it's a book we'd recommend to a friend - or not. Of course, you don't have to read the book, you can listen to it, or just follow along without doing either since I'll be summarising what happens (but be aware! - there will be spoilers). You can leave a comment or start a conversation at the BookShook YouTube channel (link below) or send an email to bookshook@yahoo.com. The book we'll be reading for November is The Castle by Franz Kafka (280 pages) (so get that ready if you're going to read alongside). Thanks for listening to BookShook! RogerContent Warning: It is assumed that you have read the first half of the novel so their may be spoilers up to 50%. I also read Jane Eyre in preparation for this podcast, and although I've tried to alert to any possible spoilers where possible, if you hate spoilers, my advice would be to read that book before listening. There are references to the following topics in the book: arson, mental illness, racism. I don't use any swear words in this podcast. The n-word is used widely throughout the novel and any quotations from the novel that contain this word have been replaced with the phrase “n-word”. If there is anything I have missed, do let me know. This podcast as always, is a learning process for me. I'm learning from the novels , and also learning how to communicate effectively the ideas in the novels. Thanks. All episodes can be listened and discussed at the BookShook YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-UchFXG7hqzGyGQ7l1YIpgFuture Reads:November: The Castle by Franz Kafka (280 pages) December: Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang (trans. by Ken Liu) 642 pagesJanuary: $ThisMonth+3Book+Author+PageCount$I'm delighted that this podcast has been voted in the Top 30 UK Books Podcasts at https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_book_podcasts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silvia Pozzi"Premio Mario Lattes per la Traduzione""Pechino pieghevole" di Hao Jingfang Add Editorehttps://www.addeditore.it/https://fondazionebottarilattes.it/Pechino è divisa in tre spazi e le ventiquattr'ore di ogni giorno sono state accuratamente organizzate per salvaguardare il tempo e l'aria che respira l'élite, composta da cinque degli ottanta milioni di persone che abitano la metropoli. Tutti gli altri, incastrati nella rigida stratificazione urbana, si spartiscono quello che rimane. Lao Dao è nato nella città pieghevole e lavora in discarica come suo padre. Vive nel sottosuolo, ma per consegnare una lettera in cambio di denaro si intrufolerà negli spazi della classe media e di quella alta, scoprendo l'esistenza di mondi diversi dal suo.Catastrofe ecologica, tecnologie di sorveglianza e disuguaglianze sociali stravolgono il tempo e lo spazio in Pechino pieghevole, l'emblematico racconto che dà il titolo a questa raccolta folgorante, un caso letterario che si inserisce nell'«ultra-irrealismo» (chaohuan), il nuovo genere letterario ispirato dalla realtà allucinata della Cina odierna. Negli undici racconti, Hao esplora la fragilità umana alle prese con gli spettri del cambiamento e del possibile, l'intelligenza artificiale e l'automazione, costruendo una narrazione pervasa di sensibilità per quest'epoca di incertezza, solitudine e disorientamento.Se la science fiction è il realismo dei nostri tempi, Hao Jingfang rivela angolazioni inattese ed estreme da cui osservare il mondo futuro in cui già viviamo.L'ultra-irrealismo di Hao Jingfang ci restituisce un futuro cinese sempre più simile al nostro. – Simone PieranniL'opera cinese di fantascienza che svela il presente in cui viviamo. – New York TimesDopo questa lettura la realtà non è più la stessa. Teoria scientifica e riflessione politica si uniscono in uno sguardo tagliente sul conflitto di classe e il mondo che abitiamo.– Uncanny MagazineHao Jingfang (1984) è un'autrice cinese di fantascienza, la prima ad aver vinto lo Hugo Award, grazie a Pechino Pieghevole, il suo primo libro tradotto in italiano. Vive a Pechino dove lavora come ricercatrice presso la China Development Research Foundation.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/

Nicoletta Pesaro"Premio Mario Lattes per la traduzione"Fondazione Bottari Latteshttps://fondazionebottarilattes.it/È dedicata alla letteratura contemporanea in lingua cinese tradotta in italiano la seconda edizione del Premio biennale Mario Lattes per la Traduzione, promosso dalla Fondazione Bottari Lattes, in collaborazione con l'Associazione culturale Castello di Perno e il Comune di Monforte d'Alba.Le finaliste e i finalisti selezionati dalla Giuria stabile del Premio per questa edizione sono: Marco Botosso e Maria Teresa Trucillo traduttori di Colora il mondo di Mu Ming (Future Fiction); Maria Gottardo e Monica Morzenti traduttrici di I due Ma, padre e figlio di Lao She (Mondadori); Patrizia Liberati e Maria Rita Masci traduttrici di Il dizionario di Maqiao di Han Shaogong (Einaudi); Nicoletta Pesaro traduttrice di Grida di Lu Xun (Sellerio); Silvia Pozzi traduttrice di Pechino pieghevole di Hao Jingfang (add editore).Lu Xun"Grida"traduzione di Nicoletta PesaroSellerio Editorehttps://sellerio.it/it/Con lo scrittore Lu Xun (1881-1936) inizia, nei primi del Novecento, la letteratura cinese moderna. Autore di opere narrative e in più scritte nella «lingua piana», più comunemente parlata («il fondatore della lingua cinese moderna», lo presentava Dario Fo), completava, grazie a queste sue decisive innovazioni, due rivoluzioni nella tradizione. Nel Celeste Impero solo le opere poetiche avevano le doti per essere considerate vera letteratura, mentre ne era esclusa la narrativa, e per di più dovevano essere composte in lingua letteraria, cioè aulica, artificiale, poco comprensibile a chi era fuori dalle élite. Questa spinta al cambiamento è spesso evidente nelle situazioni e nei personaggi dei suoi racconti, che per lo più parlano di storie piccole, quotidiane, che dipingono in modo vivacissimo la vera vita nei villaggi e nei quartieri delle persone vere, incastrate nelle ironie, o nei paradossi, o nelle tragedie della loro esistenza. In uno stile ondeggiante tra il satirico e il grottesco. Opere che fra l'altro in generale mostrano la forza universale del genere racconto, capace di trasmettere in un lampo di immediatezza la colorazione emotiva di una condizione, per quanto lontana. Di farla sentire.Lu Xun fu introdotto in Italia fin dalla metà del secolo scorso, con rare anteprime precedenti. Interessava la varietà del suo lavoro, dal saggio al racconto; e probabilmente attirava che l'autore rappresentasse contemporaneamente due aspetti, gli sforzi di un enorme paese per entrare nella modernità e il peso e le permanenze di una civiltà antichissima e ammirevole.Grida è il primo dei tre volumi dell'edizione completa dei suoi racconti, in una nuova traduzione originale.Scrive nella Postfazione Nicoletta Pesaro che ha curato il volume: «Ma l'intuizione e la genialità dello scrittore, sicuramente il più significativo e influente di tutto il secolo scorso in Cina, non si manifestano soltanto nell'aver promosso la narrativa nel sistema letterario cinese; la forza e la passione riformista e rivoluzionaria, una straordinaria e suggestiva potenza artistica, il dualismo fra tradizione e modernità così come lo scarto tra volontà illuministica dell'intellettuale e la pessimistica constatazione dell'inerzia del popolo contadino, uno stile, infine, irregolare e a tratti spigoloso che coglie spunti sia dall'esperienza del racconto russo e dell'est europeo sia dalla tradizione lirica cinese: tutti questi elementi rendono irripetibile e artisticamente eccezionale la sua narrativa».IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/

Sector01_Temporada 02X08: Hoy rekens nos hablará del proceso de creación de la película "Quien engañó a Roger Rabbit", Seburo nos analizará "Hyrule Warriors: La era del cataclismo" y además nos comentará (o destrozará) las novedades de el último E3, el Señor Marrón nos acercará al universo de los "Exploradores de las profundidades sombrias", Akasha nos hablará sobre al cómic "The Woods", y el Camarada Mò nos transportará al universo de la ciencia ficción china con el libro "Vagabundos" de Hao Jingfang.

This week we wrap up our series on Contemporary Chinese Sci-Fi where we read Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem, Hao Jingfang's Vagabonds and Chan Koonchung's The Fat Years.  We talk about how these books imagine the role of the state and whether cultural differences play a role in how we evaluate Chinese fiction.  For more on these books, you can find our previous episodes in our archives.  Next week we will start our series on Obsession with Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire. Want to join our discussion? Join our book club at https://www.reddit.com/r/CanonicalPod where you can also find show notes, credits and discussion questions for every episode. You can support us by rating/liking/sharing our podcast! Subscribe to us here: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google | Youtube You can also support us by buying a book from one of our curated lists:  https://bookshop.org/shop/CanonicalPod. We earn a commission on every purchase and your local indie bookstore gets a cut too! We are also on Twitter and Facebook @CanonicalPod and on Instagram @Canonicalpod. Follow us to get updates on upcoming episodes!

What is the subtext of Vagabonds?  Is there any subtext?  Join us this week as we try to figure out the deeper meanings of this book. This is the second novel in our Contemporary Chinese Sci-Fi series. Want to talk about Vagabonds? Join our book club discussion here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CanonicalPod where you can also find show notes, credits and extended discussions for every episode.  If you're interested in our first book The Three Body Problem, you can find it in our archives. You can support us by rating/liking/sharing our podcast! Subscribe to us here: Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google | Youtube You can also support us by buying Vagabonds or another book from one of our curated lists:  https://bookshop.org/shop/CanonicalPod. We earn a commission on every purchase and your local indie bookstore gets a cut too! We are also on Twitter and Facebook @CanonicalPod. Follow us to get updates on upcoming episodes!

This week we review Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, a novel we found to be less than stellar.  Were we conned by the positive reviews or did we miss something in our reading of the book?  Listen and let us know!This is the second novel in our Contemporary Chinese Sci-Fi series. We previously reviewed and discussed The Three-Body Problem which you can find in our archives.  Want to talk about Vagabonds? Join our book club discussion here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CanonicalPod where you can also find show notes, credits and extended discussions for every episode.You can support us by rating/liking/sharing our podcast! Subscribe to us here:Apple | Stitcher | Spotify | Google | YoutubeYou can also support us by buying Vagabonds  or another book from one of our curated lists:  https://bookshop.org/shop/CanonicalPod. We earn a commission on every purchase and your local indie bookstore gets a cut too!We are also on Twitter and Facebook @CanonicalPod. Follow us to get updates on upcoming episodes!

Bienvenidos y bienvenidas a una nueva reseña sin spoilers en Librorum podcast. En esta ocasión, os traigo un libro publicado en 2020 por la editorial Nova, con la traducción de Agustín Alepuz y la revisión de Gisela Baños y Antonio Torrubia. Vagabundos es una novela de ciencia ficción social escrito por la primera mujer china […] The post #79 VAGABUNDOS, HAO JINGFANG first appeared on Sons Podcasts.

John wants Palm Springs to win a Hugo, Alison is lonely, and Liz is not going to buy a Nintendo Switch. Please email your letters of comment to octothorpecast@gmail.com and use #OctothorpeCast or tag @OctothorpeCast when you post about the show on social media. Letters of comment: Duncan MacGregor Anonymous Claire Sheffield SF and Fantasy Society First Thursday Fandom Drinks A party in a Google Sheet Claire Brialey Chris Garcia Mark Plummer DisCon III They announced that they were going to make an announcement, but not what it was Then it turned out that the announcement they had announced was an announcement regarding the lack of anything to announce Their hotel is going bust This is not particularly recent news though Capricon The 2021 UK filk convention Long (Distance) Play Boskone Mass Con '21 Hugo reading/nominations John's reading list: The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang (translated by Ken Liu) Network Effect by Martha Wells A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin Movies Palm Springs (coming soon to Amazon Prime) The Vast of Night Ice Cold in Alex **(buy or rent) The big Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom Our theme music is Fanfare for Space by Kevin MacLeod, used under a CC BY 3.0 license. Dun Dun Dun Brass is by Orange Free Sounds, used under a CC BY NC 4.0 license.

Amanda and Jenn discuss cozy murders, no pining, ending our productivity obsession, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. Feedback Bunheads by Sophie Flack (rec’d by Caroline) My Casting Couch was too Short by Marion Dougherty (rec’d by Wynnde) Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, The Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin, and The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie (rec’d by Cari) Questions 1. My book club has a “read your own book” format – each month we choose a theme and everyone chooses their own book to read based on it. For February, we’re doing an anti-romance theme. Basically, books about dysfunctional couples who should definitely not be together! The only book I can think of along these lines is Gone Girl (Nick and Amy are the worst). Do you guys have any suggestions for books about dysfunctional relationships? Thanks! -Sarah 2. I dipped my toe into capital-R adult Romance in 2020 for the first time, and… it wasn’t great, mainly because I deeply hate  grand public gestures/declarations of love, and also am not a fan of either the third-act breakup or the ‘this could be resolved in a five minute conversation’ miscommunications! So I’m looking for books that don’t contain any of the above, please! Other details: any sub-genre is fine; I like steamy kissing but not *too* much explicit sex (a little is okay); I’m not super keen on enemies to lovers but it’s not a hard no; and if it could have an easily accessible audiobook that would be extra great! (But I know this is a lot of very specific asks so if it doesn’t tick all the boxes that’s okay.) As I say, I’m very new to Romance so super mainstream things are probably fine! (The main authors I’ve read from are Christina Lauren, Alyssa Cole and Tessa Dare: my feelings on all of them were pretty ambivalent.) Thank you so much! -Hana 3. I love your podcast and listen to every episode

Sharifah and Jenn answer some listener book questions and recommend their sci-fi and fantasy picks for holiday gift-giving this year. This episode is sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life, Tor Books and Kalipso by Marie Blanchet. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter! Questions 1. Hi! I have the stereotypical hard to buy for husband. He’s a big epic Sci-fi/fantasy fan. He loves the Expanse series, Game of Thrones, Peter F. Hamilton, Jeff Vandermeer, and Neal Stephenson. He’s also likes NK Jemison’s series and Octavia Butler. Any ideas for some new author or series? Thanks so much! -Melanie 2. I would love some great winter fantasy books to curl up with over this holiday season. Living in Florida I don’t really experience a winter unless I travel, which is obviously not happening this year, so I get all of my snow feels from books. I loved Katherine Arden’s series and I already have Sisters of the Winter Wood on my TBR. I lean towards fantasy, but if you have a great sci-fi rec then that would be awesome too! Thanks so much, y’all are amazing! -Liza 3. Hi, This year for Christmas, my sister and I are buying each other books so she’s writing in to When in Romance to request a recommendation and I’m writing into y’all. I’m looking for something in the vein of Orphan Black, Ex Machina, Dollhouse and the Villains duology by V.E. Schwab. The best way I can think of to describe is: amoral people doing kind of terrible things in the name of science that brings up questions of humanity (but isn’t that just all sci-fi?) Anyway, I’ll put a link to my goodreads at the bottom but it’s kind of a mess so here’s a quick(ish) rundown: I think the only ones already on my radar are Gemsigns and Jurassic Park (even though it’s dinosaurs and not humans, I’m gonna give it a go.) Books I’ve read that seem like they would fit here include: -Never Let Me Go – tbh I probably would have liked this better if it had followed the people that ran the school instead of the kids. -Island of Dr. Moreau – obvious OB connection and it’s been years but I remember loving it. -Frankenstein and Brave New World – putting these together because both of them just weren’t what I was expecting, if that makes sense. -Mila 2.0 – again it’s been years and I remember it being fine but it was the same situation as Never Let Me Go. -Crystal Books Recommended The Poppy War trilogy by RF Kuang (trigger warnings: basically all of them, it’s really brutal) The Green Bone saga by Fonda Lee (Trigger warnings: mentions of sexual assault, suicide and self-harm) Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas (tw: self-harm, disordered eating, hazing) Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, translated by Julia Meitov Hersey The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (tw: child abuse) Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (tw: harm to children, graphic violence) Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (tw: transphobia) Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu (tw: reference to suicide) The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo The Down Days by Ilze Hugo (TW: child abuse/death; CW: drug addiction, fatphobic language) Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (all the trigger warnings) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time we discuss a pair of recent listens, with Shachi sharing These Ghosts are Family written by Maisy Card and narrated by Karl O’Brian Williams; while Scott shares Vagabonds, written by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu and narrated by Emily Woo Zeller.  Thank you to the Libro.fm ALC Program and Simon & Schuster Audio for providing review copys of These Ghosts are Family and Vagabonds for today’s episode. These Ghosts are Family [Libro.fm] Vagabonds [Libro.fm] Other Referenced Works: Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots [Libro.fm] [Ep 78] The Three-Body Problem [Libro.fm] Red Mars [Libro.fm]

Esce per add editore una raccolta di storie firmate da Hao Jingfang, vincitrice del prestigioso premio Hugo proprio per quella che dà il titolo al volume. Ne parliamo Ilaria Benini, la editor che si occupa della collana Asia per l'editore, per capire come la fantascienza, per quanto surreale, possa raccontarci di un mondo verissimo ma lontano da noi

Sharifah and Jenn discuss the Locus Award Winners, some exciting reprints, their favorite titles from the Spring of 2020, and more! This episode is sponsored by TBR, Book Riot’s subscription service offering reading recommendations personalized to your reading life, Tor Books, and The Harbinger Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, published by Inkyard Press. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter! News 2020 Locus Award Winners Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s backlist is being reprinted The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Cancelled “New” Lyra novella from Philip Pullman Books Discussed Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu (tw: suicide) TheHouse in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (tw: discussion of past child abuse) The Down Days by Ilze Hugo (TW: child abuse/death; CW: drug addiction, fatphobic language) Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (TW: Sexual Assault, mention of rape)

Emily Woo Zeller is one of AudioFile’s 2020 Golden Voice narrators, with compelling narrations of popular favorites such as Marie Kondo’s THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP and Mary Roach’s GULP. To many listeners, she’s known for her numerous science fiction and fantasy narrations, and part of that comes from her success with creative and believable world-building. She was nominated for a 2020 Audie Award in romance for Helen Hoang’s deeply moving love story, THE BRIDE TEST. She’s a gifted teller of stories and has a special sensitivity for crafting emotional connections between the listener and the characters. In today’s episode, host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss Emily’s skills with world-building in VAGABONDS by Chinese author Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu. A complex exploration of interplanetary diplomacy between Mars and Earth in 2201, it’s literary, contemplative science fiction with elegant prose. Emily balances the philosophical style with deliberate elegance and clarity, and her charafterizations are consistent and multi-layered. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Support for Behind the Mic comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of the complete Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library and the all-new Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Liberty and Vanessa discuss The Unsuitable, Braised Pork, The Happily Ever Playlist, and more great books. This episode was sponsored by Book Riot Insiders; Tundra Books and Lucy Crisp and the Vanishing House; and Literati. Pick up an All the Books! 200th episode commemorative item here. Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS, iTunes, or Spotify and never miss a beat book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: The Unsuitable by Molly Pohlig Redemption Prep by Samuel Miller Braised Pork by An Yu Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths by Helen Morales Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles What You Become in Flight: A Memoir by Ellen O'Connell Whittet The Eighth Life: for Brilka by Nino Haratischvili, Charlotte Collins (translator), Ruth Martin (translator) The Happily Ever Playlist by Abby Jimenez WHAT WE'RE READING: The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole MORE BOOKS OUT THIS WEEK: Art Life by Catherine Ocelot, Aleshia Jensen (translator) Comics and Stuff by Henry Jenkins The Unsettling Stars (Star Trek) by Alan Dean Foster The Multi-Hyphen Life: Work Less, Create More, and Design a Life That Works for You by Emma Gannon Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators by Susanne Tedrick The Spiral Shell: A French Village Reveals Its Secrets of Jewish Resistance in World War II by Sandell Morse Mountain of Full Moons: A Novel by Irene Kessler Anti/Hero by Kate Karyus Quinn, Demitria Lunetta, Maca Gil (Illustrator) The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask Year of the Dog (American Poets Continuum) by Deborah Paredez Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask by Jon Pessah Fifty-Two Stories: (1883-1898) by Anton Chekhov, Richard Pevear (translator) Illuminating History: A Retrospective of Seven Decades by Bernard Bailyn The Eyelid by S. D. Chrostowska Plenty of Hugs by Fran Manushkin and Kate Alizadeh Ingredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put in Us and on Us by George Zaidan This Is Big: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World -- and Me by Marisa Meltzer Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties by Mike Davis and Jon Wiener Apsara Engine by Bishakh Som Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life by Ozan Varol Bring Now the Angels: Poems (Pitt Poetry Series) by Dilruba Ahmed Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen by Anne Nesbet The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty by Ethan Sherwood Strauss Bronx Heroes in Trumpland by Tom Sciacca and Ray Felix Die Next by Jonathan Stone The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann, Jen Calleja (translator) Not That Kind of Guy by Andie J. Christopher Old Food by Ed Atkins Not in the Job Description: The Unspoken Roles That Women Must Play at Work by Alana Massey The Betrayal of the Duchess: The Scandal That Unmade the Bourbon Monarchy and Made France Modern by Maurice Samuels A Shadow Intelligence by Oliver Harris You Are an Artist: Assignments to Spark Creation by Sarah Urist Green Heaven by Emerson Whitney The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan: Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously by Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller The Good Family Fitzgerald by Joseph Di Prisco Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost Why Fish Don't Exist : A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller Cars on Fire by Mónica Ramón Ríos, Robin Myers No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky Beast: Face-To-Face with the Florida Bigfoot by Watt Key When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, Iman Geddy What Lane? by Torrey Maldonado Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st-Century Memoir by Madeleine Albright Overkill: When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far by Paul A. Offit, M.D. A Strange Country by Muriel Barbery, Alison Anderson (translator) The Last Emperox (The Interdependency Book 3) by John Scalzi This Boy by Lauren Myracle What Is the Grass: Walt Whitman in My Life by Mark Doty Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, Ken Liu (Translator) No Justice in the Shadows: How America Criminalizes Immigrants by Alina Das I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider For Joshua: An Ojibwe Father Teaches His Son by Richard Wagamese Miss Aluminum: A Memoir by Susanna Moore The Planter of Modern Life: Louis Bromfield and the Seeds of a Food Revolution by Stephen Heyman Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace by Carl Safina Deeplight by Frances Hardinge Simantov by Asaf Ashery The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin Don Tillman's Standardized Meal System: Recipes and Tips from the Star of the Rosie Novels by Graeme Simsion The Coyotes of Carthage: A Novel by Steven Wright The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum Man of My Time: A Novel by Dalia Sofer Synthesizing Gravity: Selected Prose by Kay Ryan The Essential T.S. Eliot by T.S. Eliot Bubblegum: A Novel by Adam Levin The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States by Walter Johnson The New Husband by D.J. Palmer The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey Notes from an Apocalypse: A Personal Journey to the End of the World and Back by Mark O'Connell A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Joy McCullough Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer A Luminous Republic by Andrés Barba, Lisa Dillman (translator) Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982: A Novel by Cho Nam-Joo, Jamie Chang (translator) The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels Lake Like a Mirror by Sok Fong Ho, Natascha Bruce (translator) A Girl in Three Parts by Suzanne Daniel On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear by Lynn Casteel Harper Finally, Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began by Valerie Hansen Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan Expectation: A Novel by Anna Hope Department of Mind-Blowing Theories by Tom Gauld Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder No Going Back: A Novel by Sheena Kamal This is My Brain in Love by I.W. Gregorio St. Ivo: A Novel by Joanna Hershon The Rock: Poems (Counterpoints) by Wallace Stevens A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese Blood Moon by Patricia Kirkpatrick Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest by Ian Zack The Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons The Book of Koli: The Rampart Trilogy, Book 1 by M. R. Carey Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou by Melissa M. Martin Primitive: Tapping the Primal Drive Powering the World's Most Successful People by Marco Greenberg Dolly: An Unauthorized Collection of Wise & Witty Words on Grit, Lipstick, Love & Life from Dolly Parton by Mary Zaia Peter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Night by Graham Annable Everyone Can Bake: Simple Recipes to Master and Mix by Dominique Ansel The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha, Irene Latham, Yuko Shimizu (Illustrator) Plan for the Worst by Jodi Taylor Coffee (Object Lessons) by Dinah Lenney Bulletproof Vest (Object Lessons) by Kenneth R. Rosen The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel, Mark David Wyers (translator)

Chinesische Science-Fiction ist in den vergangenen Jahren zu einer Marke auf dem Buchmarkt geworden – auch dank der Übersetzungsarbeit von Ken Liu. Nun hat der US-Autor in „Zerbrochene Sterne“ erneut Geschichten chinesischer Science-Fiction-Autoren versammelt.Rezension von Marten Hahn.SciFi-Stories von Cixin Liu, Hao Jingfang, Qiufan Chen und anderenDiverse ÜbersetzerInnenHeyne-VerlagISBN: 978-3-453-32058-1672 Seiten16,99 Euro

Die Buchläden sind zu? Mitnichten! Etliche Geschäfte halten zwar die Ladentüren geschlossen, sind ansonsten aber ständig erreichbar. Wie zum Beispiel die Bücherstube Kirchzarten. Inhaberin Katrin Schmidt erzählt vom buchhandeln in Zeiten von Corona.Bei ihr und vielen anderen Buchhändlern im Land bekommt man natürlich auch die Bücher, die wir heute vorstellen:Wir reden mit Nerds, die die Welt retten. Wir tauchen ein in die französische Résistance. Wir hören Rockmusik aus der DDR. Und reisen mit chinesischer ScienceFiction in die Zukunft."Türen zu - Laden offen!"Wie die Kirchzartener Bücherstube durch die Coronakrise kommt(Gespräch mit der Inhaberin Katrin Schmidt)Sibylle Berg: "Nerds retten die Welt: Gespräche mit denen, die es wissen" Verlag Kiepenheuer & WitschISBN: 978-3462054606329 Seiten22 Euro(Rezension von Carolin Courts)Anne Weber: "Annette. Ein Heldinnenepos" Verlag Matthes & SeitzISBN: 978-3-95757-845-7208 Seiten22 Euro(Gespräch mit Anja Brockert)Lutz Kerschowski und Andreas Meinecke( Hg.): "Östlich der Elbe" Songs und Bilder 1970-2013Christoph-Links-VerlagISBN: 9783962890827352 Seiten40 Euro(Rezension mit Musik von Michael Kuhlmann) Ken Liu (Hg.): "Zerbrochene Sterne" SciFi-Stories von Cixin Liu, Hao Jingfang, Qiufan Chen und anderenDiverse ÜbersetzerInnenHeyne-VerlagISBN: 978-3-453-32058-1672 Seiten16,99 Euro(Rezension von Marten Hahn)

"A person from one civilisation looks at their surroundings as distinct objects and events and considers them separately. But when a person from another civilisation looks in as an outsider, they prefer to view everything through the lens of political power and try to explain everything based on that perspective." In the twenty sixth episode of The Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast, we are looking at Hao Jingfang's Vagabonds (流浪玛厄斯 / Liúlàng Mǎèsī) It would be tempting to say that Vagabonds is a Chinese science fiction rewrite of Ursula K le Guin's The Dispossessed. My guest Ken Liu would be the first to stress that while there's some truth to this, readers would be much better off treating the book as thing unto itself. He's right- this is a book with no shortage of ideas or interpretations. Storywise, here's what you need to know: it's a red socialist planet ‘versus' a green and blue corpocracy. Sit down, get comfy, and pick a side. Or don't. Not picking a side may be the point. Publishers: EN - Simon & Schuster - Head of Zeus  // CN - New Star Press Hao Jingfang on Paper Republic Ken Liu on Paper Republic    // NEWS ITEMS & UPCOMING BOOKS // THE HIDDEN GIRL by Ken Liu SECOND SISTER by Chan Ho Kei MINECRAFT THREE BODY PROBLEM!!!  Hao Jingfang & Ken Liu's Hugo acceptance speeches Neoplatonism Camus on rebellion Inequality in UK politics 'Minzhu' in Chinese politics   // Handy TrChFic Links // Buy Me a Coffee Bonus Shows on Patreon  The TrChFic Map INSTAGRAM // TWITTER // DISCORD // MY SITE

Invisible Planets features a range of unique planets with their distinctive residents.One of the planets in the story has exceptionally beautiful landscapes and happy people habitual of telling lies.Meanwhile, another planet inhabits people who appear open to all sorts of new ideas but never really accept any. At the same time, another planet is ruled by two species that depend on each other but never get to know about each other's existence. This story is full of insight, imagination, and metaphors of human society.Born in 1984, Hao Jinfang, has degrees in both physics and economics from Tsinghua University. She works as a macroeconomics researcher at China Development Research Foundation. In 2016, she won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for her science fiction Folding Beijing.

Sharifah and Jenn discuss Dracula, PAX Unplugged, the Wonder Woman trailer, their most anticipated sci-fi and fantasy of 2020, and more. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, LMBPN Publishing, and Anyone by Charles Soule, and by Harper Perennial. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter! NEWS Steven Moffat on Dracula’s Sexuality Follow-up: Jenn has further thoughts on The Mandalorian PAX Unplugged Report! Tea Dragon Society & Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill, Dune, Star Trek Catan Hasbro Announces New Baby Yoda Collectibles (crochet’d Child) Wonder Woman trailer BOOKS DISCUSSED Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, transl. by Ken Liu (April 14 2020) The Down Days by Ilze Hugo (May 5 2020) The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by KS Villoso (February 18 2020) The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (March 17 2020) Docile by K.M. Szpara (March 3 2020) Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (January 21 2020) The City We Became by NK Jemisin (March 24 2020) – short story: The City Born Great Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco (March 3 2020)

Hao Jingfang is a Chinese science fiction writer. Her story “Folding Beijing” won the 2016 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, marking the first Hugo awarded to a Chinese woman. Jingfang used to work as a researcher at the China Development Research Foundation for six years. She now runs a startup in the field of child education, aiming to bring high quality general education to Chinese children.

'The folding city was divided into three spaces. One side of the earth was First Space, population five million. Their allotted time lasted from six o'clock in the morning to six o'clock the next morning. Then the space went to sleep, and the earth flipped.' this is episode 1 of 7 in our Chinese Science Fiction Season In the seventeenth episode of The Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast, we are looking at Hao Jingfang's Folding Beijing (北京折叠/běi jīng zhé dié)   This is a Hugo Award-winning ‘novelette' translated by Ken Liu that imagines a city that has ‘economised' by splitting social classes more fundamentally than ever before. It was first published by Uncanny Magazine. Helping me out in this episode is the charming and insightful Lyu Guangzhao of the London Chinese Scifi Reading Group. He's a legend. -   // Discussed this Episode // Hao Jingfang's essay - I Want to Write A History of Inequality Paul Mason on automation & future economics Linus 林路's Chinese SF cinema IG is @sinoscifi - // Handy TrChFic Links // Buy Me a Coffee Bonus Shows on Patreon  The TrChFic Map INSTAGRAM // TWITTER // DISCORD // MY SITE

Bookmark This! Ep 6: Assassins, AI and alternate histories   20:31 mins   Synopsis: A new monthly podcast by The Straits Times, where we talk about titles in the headlines and sizzling reads.   This month, we take a stab at two new books in translation. Korean novelist Kim Un-Su's offbeat thriller The Plotters is about a society of assassins who work out of a library. Broken Stars is an anthology of cutting-edge Chinese science fiction by the likes of Liu Cixin, Xia Jia, Hao Jingfang and more, edited by Ken Liu.   Produced by: Olivia Ho and Toh Wen Li Edited by: Adam Azlee Discover more Bookmark This! podcasts and rate us on: Spotify: http://str.sg/oeGg Apple Podcasts: http://str.sg/oeXN Google Podcasts: http://str.sg/oeLG Playlist: https://str.sg/JZnG Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Thank you for your support! ST & BT Podcasts picked up a silver medal for Best Digital Project to engage younger and/or millennial audiences at 2019 Asian Digital Media Awards by Wan-Ifra:  https://str.sg/Jw5T  Watch a video of Podcasts on the rise in Singapore: https://youtu.be/aGJ4cbch6eQ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bookmark This! Ep 6: Assassins, AI and alternate histories   20:31 mins   Synopsis: A new monthly podcast by The Straits Times, where we talk about titles in the headlines and sizzling reads.   This month, we take a stab at two new books in translation. Korean novelist Kim Un-Su's offbeat thriller The Plotters is about a society of assassins who work out of a library. Broken Stars is an anthology of cutting-edge Chinese science fiction by the likes of Liu Cixin, Xia Jia, Hao Jingfang and more, edited by Ken Liu.   Produced by: Olivia Ho and Toh Wen Li Edited by: Adam Azlee Discover more Bookmark This! podcasts and rate us on: Spotify: http://str.sg/oeGg Apple Podcasts: http://str.sg/oeXN Google Podcasts: http://str.sg/oeLG Playlist: https://str.sg/JZnG Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Thank you for your support! ST & BT Podcasts picked up a silver medal for Best Digital Project to engage younger and/or millennial audiences at 2019 Asian Digital Media Awards by Wan-Ifra:  https://str.sg/Jw5T  Watch a video of Podcasts on the rise in Singapore: https://youtu.be/aGJ4cbch6eQ

Rezensionen zu "After Atlas" von Emma Newman, "NSA" von Andreas Eschbach und "Wandernde Himmel" von Hao Jingfang

Jack Ma said last month that China needs to focus on "new manufacturing", while the U.S. launched a trade war in order to bring "old manufacturing" back to the world's largest economy. Putting the contrast aside, the focus on new manufacturing has never been stronger in China. Efforts to build smart factories and government subsidies toward the initiative are growing across the country. A recent report published by the China Development Research Foundation, a think tank initiated by the Development Research Center of the State Council, documented some of such campaigns. In one example, Dongguan, a small city in coastal Guangdong province, has cut 250,000 jobs, or around 5% of the city's registered labor force, during a three-year "robot-for-humans" campaign. The city government spent RMB200 million (US$29 million) each year to finance companies to upgrade automation equipment. A company in Hangzhou has cut the number of workers to 11 to 13 per production line from 200 to 300 per production line ten years ago. Another kitchen appliances maker in Hangzhou received government subsidies equaling 5% of the costs to upgrade its production lines. Now it is able to cut labor force by over one third from three years ago and is aiming to achieve fully automated productions in ten years. Shenzhen government is spending RMB500 million (US$72 million) to support robotics, wearable and smart equipment sectors locally each year. Our guest of this episode of China Money Podcast, Hao Jingfang, is one of the authors of the report. Hao is also a science fiction writer and won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for "Folding Beijing" in 2016, becoming the first female writer in Asia to receive the award. China's new manufacturing efforts echo Hao's observation that, "Whenever there’s a technological breakthrough, it is an advantage for Chinese tech companies to test the idea in a massive market." As companies, governments and investors push to "upgrade" Chinese manufacturing to full automation and "intelligent factories", a large number of jobs will disappear. But the report concludes that with careful management and retraining of the labor force, China will be able to overcome the coming labor disruptions from mass adoptions of robots and AI. However, Hao, a PhD graduate from Tsinghua University with degrees in both physics and economics, is concerned over the difficulties China will face transitioning from "technology adopters" to "technology originators." "A lot of companies are just too short-sighted. Because in the past, there were many opportunities for those companies to make quick money...Perhaps there’s no patience in these companies to aspire for bigger things. And also the investors, they want to just copy the fastest successful business model. So they are not patient enough to make long term investment," Hao told China Money Network during during an interview on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions held by the World Economic Forum in Tianjin last month. Read an interview Q&A below. Also subscribe to China Money Podcast for free in the iTunes store, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Below is an edited version of the interview. Q: You have written science fictions about China at a distant future. And as a director working at China Development Research Foundation, you have a unique vintage point observing China's technology space. What's your overall view of how the Chinese technology sector has grown and developed? A: The Chinese technology sector has grown quite rapidly. It has advantages of a large (domestic) market and close relationships to its customers. Whenever there's a technological breakthrough, it is an advantage for Chinese tech companies to test the idea in a massive market. However, there are some fallback too. The one main problem is the lack of basic research. Investments in basic research in China is comparatively lower comparing to developed countries.

This episode features "The Loneliest Ward" written by Hao Jingfang and translated by Ken Liu. Published in the August 2018 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker. The text version of this story can be found at: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/hao_08_18 Support us on Patreon at http://patreon.com/clarkesworld

This episode features "The Loneliest Ward" written by Hao Jingfang and translated by Ken Liu. Published in the August 2018 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker. The text version of this story can be found at: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/hao_08_18 Support us on Patreon at http://patreon.com/clarkesworld

Patreon support now standing at 404 – last week 406. Help us get to 500 Patreon Supporters. Bitcoin address: 1FcqW3GEWFX9tuoyFrn1ySKoeybyc3J4W9Ethereum address: 0xacC43A99b1eDe0e4a04B43A7A7fa3aA476B87EAA Main Fiction: "Gossamer" by Ken LiuOriginally published in Writers of the FutureKen Liu is an author of speculative fiction, as well as a translator, lawyer, and programmer. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, he is the author of The Dandelion Dynasty, a silkpunk epic fantasy series The Grace of Kings The Wall of Storms, and a forthcoming third volume) and The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, a collection. He also wrote the Star Wars novel, The Legends of Luke Skywalker (2017). In addition to his original fiction, Ken also translated numerous works from Chinese to English, including The Three-Body Problem (2014), by Liu Cixin, and “Folding Beijing,” by Hao Jingfang, both Hugo winners.Narrated by: Deanna SanchezDeanna Sanchez is a voiceover talent and actress who has performed professionally for 14 years. She has voiced various commercials, industrials, and characters, and specializes in the “sexy voice” of powerful female roles. Deanna also consults in Geographical Information Systems and develops custom mapping applications for real estate and other industries. Three-dimensional visualization of spatial data is a favorite pastime, and she has spent many hours translating real-Earth elevation data into unique 3D worlds. Deanna’s voice over demo can be heard at the Lambert Studios website, an outstanding full service recording studio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Topic: Folding Beijing, by Hao Jingfang. Originally published in 2012 on newsmth.net. English translation by Ken Liu originally published in 2015 on Uncanny Magazine. Intro / Outro Music: "Go Cart" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Summary Music: "Bathed in the Light" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news. The gaokao, China's national college entrance exam, is winning more recognition as a way for universities overseas to evaluate Chinese students. Stanley Nel, vice-president of international relations at the University of San Francisco in the United States, said they have had several inquiries from US universities about how to recruit Chinese students on the basis of their gaokao scores. Nel is responsible for the university's admissions from China. The Test of English as a Foreign Language and the Scholastic Aptitude Test have long been two musts for students from other countries, including China, to apply to study in the US. USF, a private university in California, started a pilot program to accept Chinese students based on their gaokao scores in 2015. The idea came from USF President Paul Fitzgerald's belief that standardized tests like the SAT are not very good predictors of how well students will do at the university. He said they are aware of many criticisms that have been made of the gaokao, but it has the advantage of being what educational experts call a 'criterion-referenced' exam. It tests whether students are able to master a given body of knowledge, as well as their ability to work hard and consistently. Currently, at least four higher education institutions in the US are recruiting Chinese students based on their gaokao performances. The Illinois Institute of Technology, a private institution in Chicago, started the practice first, in 2009. This is Special English. China has more than 15 million full-time teachers nationwide. The Ministry of Education said there are more than 15 million teachers working in the country's schools, colleges and universities last year, marking an increase of 300,000 teachers since 2014. Among these teachers, a total of 2 million work in preschool education, almost 2 million are college or university teachers, and 50,000 are special education teachers. The ministry has launched a series of campaigns to improve the professional quality and treatment of teachers in rural areas, with the central government earmarking 3 billion yuan, roughly 450 million U.S. dollars, in subsidies for them this year. A pilot program for qualification exams and registration of teachers is also being launched. Last year, almost 2 million people applied to register as first-time teachers, with almost all of them being approved. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. The State Council has reviewed a draft film law with a key focus on making sure that people working in film industry maintain professional ethics. According to the draft, people working in the film industry should strive for "excellence in both professional skills and moral integrity", and build a positive public image. The past few years have seen a string of high-profile arrests of film celebrities involved in drug abuse and prostitution. In 2014, China's media watchdog banned screenings involving anybody who had engaged in criminal activity. It is establishing a professional ethics committee, aiming to guide organizations and people in the media to practice core socialist values. Works featuring "tainted artists" will be ineligible for awards. The revisions add clarity regarding domestic movie screenings, stating that cinemas should properly arrange screenings and time slots of films made by domestic organizations. Homegrown films should take up at least two thirds of the total movie run time. The draft also stressed that film distribution companies and cinemas should not fabricate movie ticket sales or engage in improper methods. Those involved in illegal activity will be liable for administrative punishments, including fines up to 500,000 yuan, roughly 75,000 U.S. dollars, business suspensions or outright bans. This is Special English. China's State Forestry Administration has said it is too early to downgrade the giant panda's conservation status after an international group reclassified them from "endangered" to "vulnerable". The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced the change in a report, after reviewing the results of conservation efforts that have boosted the panda's population. The administration has insisted that the pandas remain classed as endangered. It stressed that there are still threats to the animal's survival. The wild giant panda population is fragmented into 33 isolated groups, with some having fewer than 10 animals, which limits the gene pool for reproduction. Meanwhile, climate change is predicted to wipe out more than one third of the panda's bamboo habitat, a situation that will only be exacerbated by insufficient funding and technical support. Over the years, China has implemented a series of environmental initiatives, including the establishment of nature reserves, to increase the giant panda's population. China has almost 2,000 giant pandas in the wild, increasing from 1,000 in the year 2000, and there were 420 in captivity. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. From artificial intelligence to smog control, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has unveiled 60 major science and technology breakthroughs China aspires to make in the next five years. The academy said it will strive to occupy the international high ground in strategic hotspot fields and blaze the trail in cutting-edge and cross-discipline areas. It also vowed to achieve a series of major original achievements, technology and products. The academy made the announcement while unveiling its new five-year plan spanning from 2016 to 2020. Key projects on its bucket list include organ repair and reconstruction, water pollution control, research on Moon samples, a low-frequency radio telescope on the far side of the Moon and the development of a ground application system for the Mars mission. China recently released images of a Mars probe and rover which the country plans to send to the Red Planet within five years. The projects span the fields of life and health, resources and environment, new generation materials, energy, oceans, information, and space. This is Special English. China will establish a rehabilitation university before 2020 to help disabled people. The China Disabled Persons' Federation said an estimated 85 million disabled people live in China, and around 26 million of them are registered. The federation said it aims to provide high quality rehab services; and the current main problem is the lack of trained professionals. Under the current system, fewer than 8,000 rehab students graduate every year, and 70 percent of them are from two-year colleges, far from meeting the demand for such services. Last year, only 30 percent of registered disabled people received any kind of rehabilitation services. According to the federation, China had 7,000 rehab centers as of last year, with 230,000 employees. Establishment of more rehab programs was written into the country's national Five-Year-Plan spanning 2016 to 2020. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. Science-fiction author Hao Jingfang has become the first female in China to win a Hugo Award, beating best-selling horror and fantasy writer Stephen King in the best novelette category. The 32-year-old from Tianjin received the prize for Folding Beijing, in which she depicts the Chinese capital as a city divided by social class. Hao said her story suggests a possibility for the future and also proposes a solution. She made the remarks when accepting her award at the Kansas City Convention Center Grand Ballroom. She said that in her story, the future is brighter than people thought, and she hopes it is even better. Hao said she was not confident about winning and joked that she had been planning to attend the Hugo losers' party after the ceremony. She added that "sci-fi writers always consider all possibilities". Her win comes a year after Liu Cixin won a Hugo for his novel "The Three-Body Problem". He was the first Chinese author to win the prize. In Folding Beijing, the city is separated into three areas, and the residents of the First Space see the extra soil as part of their privilege. Hao's story, which was translated by Ken Liu and published last year by "Uncanny" magazine. At an earlier book event in Beijing, Hao said the story is about the societal and wealth gaps that she has observed in her own life. Last year's Hugo winner Liu told China Daily that he thinks Hao's stories convey warmth and a unique color like "golden sunlight". He believes the growing global acceptance of Chinese sci-fi stories is thanks to experienced translators like Ken Liu, who promote Chinese works, and the stronger presence of Chinese culture as a whole. This is Special English. China's e-commerce giant JD.com has announced that its first-ever driverless delivery vehicle is undergoing road test and will be put into trial soon. The company formed a partnership with a robots company earlier this year to automate its logistic network and develop delivery drones and driverless vehicles. The autonomous scooter launched by the company is 1 meter long, 80 centimeters wide and 60 centimeters tall. It has six different sized compartments to carry the deliveries. Equipped with an advanced navigation system, along with multiple radar-based sensors, the vehicle can calculate the shortest route to the costumer, as well as how to avoid traffic jams. While in motion, it can identify the potential obstacles as well as traffic lights to change its route if needed. When it reaches its destination, it can automatically send the customer a passcode via an app or text message that allows the customer to unlock the right compartment. The application of driverless vehicles is confined to temporary deliveries as of now, and the traditional delivery method will be replaced gradually. That's according to JD's X Lab, a business unit dedicated to adopting cutting-edge technology in logistics and delivery. The company will start the trial run in October and the automatic delivery method is expected to be put into wide use next year. This is Special English. （全文见周日微信。）

In this episode of Watch.Read.Listen., we discuss Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" and three adaptations of Poe's short story by Roger Corman (in 1962's Tales of Terror), Dario Argento (in 1990's Two Evil Eyes), and Stuart Gordon (in Masters of Horror Season 2). What is the fundamental nature of a story: plot, character, theme? How can a story with little plot be adapted? This Week: Duane - The Office (UK), Star Ship Sofa 449 - "Folding Beijing" by Hao Jingfang and "His Fordship in the Capital and Big Brother in the Districts" by Amy H. Sturgis, David - The Last Podcast on the Left, and The Nice Guys (2016) directed by Shane Black Promo: Cinema PsyOps - You can hear David on Episode 54 discussing Stephen King's It (1990)  

Week 2 of Hugo Nominees This story is nominated for Best Novelette Main Fiction: "Folding Beijing” by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu Originally appeared in Uncanny Magazine In 2002, Hao Jingfang was awarded First Prize in the New Concept Writing Competition. She gained her undergraduate degree from Tsinghua University’s Department of Physics and her PhD from the same university in Economics and Management in 2012. Her fiction has appeared in various publications, including Mengya, Science Fiction World, and ZUI Found. She has published two full–length novels, Wandering Maearth and Return to Charon; a book of cultural essays, Europe in Time; and the short story collection, Star Travellers. Her fiction has appeared before in English translation in Lightspeed. Ken Liu (kenliu.name) is an author and translator of speculative fiction, as well as a lawyer and programmer. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards, he has been published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov’s,... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is Special English. I am Sam Duckett in Beijing. Here is the news. China is open to space cooperation with all nations including the United States. The heavyweight of China's space program, China's first astronaut Yang Liwei, made the remark recently on the occasion of the anniversary of China's first satellite launch 46 years ago. Yang said China does not rule out cooperating with any country, including the United States. The senior astronaut said payload has been reserved in the Chinese space station for international projects and foreign astronauts. The space station is due to enter service around 2022. China marked its first Space Day, which was newly designated by the government to commemorate China's first satellite launch on April 24, 1970. Upon request, China will also train astronauts for other countries, and jointly train astronauts with the European space station. Yang said the future of space exploration lies in international cooperation, and it's true for China as well as for the United States. Citing security reasons, the United States Congress passed a law in 2011 to prohibit NASA from hosting Chinese visitors at its facilities or working with researchers affiliated to any Chinese government entity or enterprise. The ban remains in effect. The US-dominated International Space Station, which unsurprisingly blocks China, is scheduled to end its service in 2024. China's space station will be the only operational one in outer space, at least for a while. This is Special English. Five domestic airlines have agreed to tackle air rage by blacklisting passengers who misbehave. The five airlines, including Air China and China Southern, are the country&`&s major carriers. They will collectively keep records of those who are not behaved. Improper behaviors include attacking on check-in counters, forcibly occupying airplanes and fighting on board an airplane. Passenger records will be shared throughout the country's civil aviation and tourism industries. Those who are blacklisted will face penalties including being denied special seats, ticket discounts, or even service. However, an official from the Civil Aviation University of China said airlines do not have the right to limit passengers&`& travel rights. The official said that although air passenger blacklists have been adopted overseas, there is no legal provision for them in China, adding that this may lead to disputes. Others say that the provisions for the blacklist should be decided by a third party rather than just the airlines. It is the first time that a blacklist has covered most of the domestic civil aviation industry. The five airlines and their subsidiaries handle more than 80 percent of China&`&s air traffic. The decision comes after the China Air Transport Association adopted a new management policy to record uncivilized behavior by air passengers. You are listening to Special English. I am Sam Duckett in Beijing. The authorities are trying to restore public confidence in vaccines after a nationwide scandal struck fear into the hearts of parents. China banned drug wholesalers from selling vaccines, according to a decision publicized on the nation&`&s Vaccination Day, which fell on April 25th. The decision requires B-class, or non-compulsory, vaccines to be distributed in the same way as A-class, which are covered by the national compulsory immunization program. It also requires disease control departments, hospitals and clinics to keep records of purchases and received inventory. According to the decision, China will establish a system to track vaccines. Enterprises and user agencies must record circulation and use, so all vaccines can be tracked across their life cycle. The public were shocked and appalled in March when the news that improperly stored vaccines worth millions of dollars were sold nationwide. More than 300 officials implicated in cases concerning the event will be penalized. In the eastern city of Ningbo, the number of vaccinated children decreased by around one fourth from March 18 to 31. Local authorities are trying to quell public unease. This is Special English. Individuals and organizations that conduct medically inessential prenatal sex discernment or sex-selective abortions will be fined up to 30,000 yuan, roughly 4,600 U.S. dollars. Under a revised regulation taking effect recently, besides a fine, the government will confiscate the income from such screenings and abortions, which are illegal in China. Those who introduce expectant parents to take up illegal prenatal sex discernment and selective abortion will also face the same punishment. The regulation has been jointly issued by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the China Food and Drug Administration. The revision to the law aims to tackle China&`&s high gender imbalance, a direct result of pre-birth sex discernment and sex-selective abortions driven by cultural preference for boys. The birth sex ratio stood at almost 114 in 2015, much higher than a normal ratio between 103 and 107, though it has decreased from 121 in 2004. In China, legitimate reasons for a hospital conducting a sex-selective abortion include serious genetic disease or deadly threat to the mother's health. It requires at least three senior doctors with a genetics background and clinical experience to decide whether prenatal sex discernment is necessary. If an abortion is necessary, the hospital must report the case to the local health department. You are listening to Special English. I&`&m Sam Duckett in Beijing. The State Council has published its major health care reform tasks for the year, with a general practitioner pilot program, and reduced reliance on drug revenue for health centers. This year, 200 cities will trial GP practices, making the service available to 15 percent of urban citizens and 30 percent of key groups. According to the statement from the State Council, China's Cabinet, GPs will open their practices to residents, providing them with basic, consistent medical services. The plan is part of a tiered health system being rolled out across the country. To improve local-level medical institutions, the government will allow physicians in public hospitals to practice or establish their own practices. Another health reform task this year will be the establishment of a pricing mechanism for medicine to reduce the cost born by patients. Patients will be given the choice of buying drugs from hospitals or retail pharmacies. The public hospital reform will be further advanced, as 100 more cities will carry out pilot public hospital reform this year. According to the pilot reform, revenues of public hospitals will not rely on drugs but medical service charges. This is Special English. Chinese scientists are working on new projects inspired by the documented case of a man who was cured of AIDS. They hope eventually find a way to ensure that humans are born with immunity to the condition. Nine years ago, a 41-year-old man, who has since been dubbed the "Berlin patient", was close to death and in the advanced stages of both AIDS and leukemia. Doctors gave him a stem cell transplant from an HIV-resistant donor, and miraculously cured both conditions. The event made him arguably the first person ever to be cured of AIDS. The remarkable case shed light on CCR5, a receptor in humans that helps HIV enter cells. The bone-marrow transplant had changed the Berlin patient&`&s gene to a mutation called CCR5-delta32, which blocks HIV. With new gene technology now available, Chinese scientists have recently moved forward with attempts to modify the CCR5 gene in embryos, advancing their drive to ensure humans are born already immune to HIV. In the latest case, researchers from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University used a gene editing technique to attempt to replace the CCR5 gene in 26 human embryos. The researchers tried to give the embryos the HIV-resistant mutation. Four embryos were successfully edited, while the other 22 cases failed to produce the desired results. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Sam Duckett in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That&`&s mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. Chinese science fiction writer Hao Jingfang was shortlisted for the Hugo Award for her book "Folding Beijing". According to Tsinghua University, where she is pursuing her doctorate, the news was posted on the official website of the World Science Fiction Convention. "Folding Beijing", one of five candidates, is listed under the "Best Novelette" category. Hao said on her Sina Weibo microblog that she is so excited to be shortlisted. The story was first published in a new electronic magazine. She didn&`&t expect to have this result. Hao graduated from the department of physics at Tsinghua University in 2006. The story follows the protagonist, Lao Dao, as he tries to navigate the complicated class barriers of a futuristic Beijing in order to send his daughter to school. She said she used to live in suburban Beijing. Near her apartment building there were noisy alleys, small restaurants and an open-air market. The experience inspired her to write the story. Hao said she regretted that the second volume of "The Three-Body Problem" by Liu Cixin, who won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel, was not shortlisted. Established in 1953, the Hugo Awards are given annually to the best works of science fiction or fantasy and are seen as the "highest honor bestowed in science fiction and fantasy writing. Fifth-three-year old Liu was the first writer in Asia to win the honor. This is Special English. A university in northwest China's Qinghai Province plans to offer international students Master&`&s degrees in traditional Tibetan medicine. Tibetan Medical College of Qinghai University has said that it planned to recruit five foreign postgraduates this autumn. The Master&`&s program will last three years, with students taught in both English and Tibetan. Established in 1987, the college is one of the two higher educational institutes in China which train traditional Tibetan medicine practitioners. The other is in Tibet. The college's honorary president said the school had exchange programs with universities in the United States, Russia, South Korea and Japan since 2007. So far, almost 100 overseas students have come for short-term training in Tibetan medicine. Traditional Tibetan medicine was also listed as optional course at University of Virginia medical school last July. The president said the core of development of Tibetan medicine lies in training. Helping it go global will be beneficial to more people. Tibetan medicine is at least 2,300 years old. It has absorbed the influences of traditional Chinese, Indian and Arab medicines and is mainly practiced in Tibet and the Himalayan region. Tibetan medicine uses herbs, minerals and sometimes insects and animal parts. It was put on the list of China's national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. You're listening to Special English. I&`&m Sam Duckett in Beijing. Disney's "The Jungle Book" continued to lead the box office in its second week after release. （全文见周六微信。）

Our fifth podcast for October is “Summer at Grandma’s House ” written by Hao Jingfang, translated by Carmen Yiling Yan, and read by Kate Baker. Subscribe to our podcast.   Originally published in Chinese in Science Fiction World, 2007.   Translated and published in partnership with Storycom.

Our fifth podcast for October is “Summer at Grandma's House ” written by Hao Jingfang, translated by Carmen Yiling Yan, and read by Kate Baker. Originally published in Chinese in Science Fiction World, 2007. Translated and published in partnership with Storycom.

Chichi Raha is a fascinating place, its flowers and lakes unforgettable to all visitors. There, you cannot see a single inch of exposed soil because the land is covered by vegetation: the anua grass, as fine as silk thread; the kuqin tree, tall enough to scrape the clouds; and many varieties of unnameable, unimaginably strange fruits, exuding seductive aromas. Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki.