刘肃

Liu Su's birthplace, dates of birth and death, and other biographical details are not clearly recorded, and publicly available information is limited. Three works by him survive, all editions of the Tang dynasty notebook collection Dà Táng Xīn Yǔ (New Tales of the Great Tang), namely the upper and lower volumes of the collection and a further volume that includes five other works. This indicates that Liu Su was chiefly associated with the compilation and study of Tang notebook literature. His works draw largely on observations of court and popular life in the Tang dynasty, recording people's words and deeds, institutions and social customs. They combine documentary and biographical qualities, and also touch on philosophical discussion, which is why they are often classified under documentary literature, biography and Eastern philosophy. Written in a concise style with concrete narration, these notebooks offer valuable primary material for understanding Tang political culture and social life and are important texts for the study of Tang notebook fiction.