刘敬堂

Liu Jingtang is a Chinese author who focuses on biographical fiction about historical figures. Public information about him is limited, and his dates of birth and death, native place, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the six works held in the catalog, his writing centers on narratives of the lives of classical Chinese literati. His representative works include The Wind and Rain Blow Away All Romance: A Biography of Xin Qiji, Biography of Li Qingzhao: In Life Be a Hero, in Death Be a Heroic Ghost, Biography of Li Yu: How Much Regret, in Last Night's Dream, Biography of Li Shangyin: It Is No Harm to Be Melancholy and Pure Madness, and High Tang, the Madman Is Also Lonely: A Biography of Li Bai, as well as the seven-volume Series of Biographical Novels of Historical Celebrities. These works mostly unfold their characters' fates in the form of biographical fiction, blending historical sources with literary imagination. The language is refined and the emotional tone tends toward the somber, with emphasis on how talented people struggle between their era and their personal circumstances. The catalog classifies his works under general biography, social fiction, and otherworld fantasy, suggesting that his subject matter is not limited to a single genre.