How Liu Cixin lost control over "The Three-Body Problem" universe, likely China's most valuable intellectual property.
Illustration by Luis Grañena
Late last month, the world’s top science-fiction authors and thousands of adoring fans convened in Chengdu for the World Science Fiction Convention, or WorldCon. Although the event, which gives out the prestigious Hugo Awards, has been held each year since 1939,Except for 1942–1945, during World War II. this year was the very first time that China hosted it, a coup that can be largely attributed to one man: Liu Cixin.
Liu Cixin is the author of the trilogy Remembrance of Earth’s Past, a series that is better known by the title of its first novel, The Three-Body Problem. Originally published as a novel in China in 2008, The Three-Body Problem was translated into English in 2012 and quickly became a global phenomenon. It has sold more than 30 million copies and been translated into over 30 languages. At 2015’s WorldCon, Liu became the first Asian writer to win a Hugo Award, and the book even got former President Barack Obama’s stamp of approval, as he put it on his annual re
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
A decade ago, China arrived on the global art scene with deep pockets and an abundance of swagger. Recently, however, China's economic downturn has caused a spate of museums to close and once prominent collectors to sell their collections. Can China ever achieve its dreams of "cultural self-confidence"?
The Harvard professor discusses the effects on Chinese society of the country's high-tech development, and how the pandemic may have shifted public attitudes.
The Global Intelligence Platform used by The Wire China