Wesley's response

 

What stuck out to me in Ken Liu’s Introduction is how diverse Chinese science fiction can be. The stories are vast and varied, just like in any other genre or in any other language sphere. What also resonated with me is Ken Liu pointing out that there is a tendency in the West to view the products of Chinese artist and writers through a biased lens, one that imposes Western ideals onto the artist. Liu urges the reader to see the bigger picture and to think about what these stories reveal about human existence and the problems we all may face. I really think I’m going to read more science fiction.

 

Tongtong’s Summer made me sob uncontrollably, which means the translation did a good job in conveying the emotions in the story. I like how Ken Liu rendered the narrative passages, the dialogue, and the protagonist’s thoughts, everything flowed well. I really appreciate how Tongtong’s thoughts were italicized. In Chinese, and many other languages, text is usually not italicized. I am not sure if they are in the original story, but I like that Liu has the italicized internal monologue. I loved that many interjections and sounds remain in the dialogue, such as “aiya” and “eh”, this contributes to the story feeling more intimate. Overall, I loved Tongtong’s Summer, it made me think of my grandparents.

 

I enjoyed reading Folding Beijing. It’s a fantastical science fiction story, but it’s discussion of pertinent societal issues also really resonated with me. The story alludes to the issues of classism, migration, capitalism, family, etc. I felt very connected to Lao Dao’s pursuits and the story (and translation) really puts the reader in the protagonist’s shoes. There are many parts of the story that address classism, such as the First, Second and Third Spaces, the struggle of trying to get Tangtang into a good kindergarten, the fight for migrant workers to secure a job and remain in a city they built., etc. I also really enjoyed the references to Beijing’s food culture and geography, as I spend much of my childhood there. The description of shops and stalls overflowing with piles of jujubes, cured meats, and other items really painted a vivid picture. Another passage that evoked some memories was on page 229, where the truck drivers admire the city view and the Sixth Ring Road ground rotation from outside of the Seventh Ring Road. The sight is described to resemble an island at sea, which sounds dreamy. You can sometimes see amazing views into the city from the Sixth and Seventh Ring Roads, views of vast flat land, skyscrapers poking into the sky, and tall mountains in the horizon. I think this piece demonstrates effective storytelling because it uses the plight of one specific protagonist to speak on larger global issues.