The Spirit of Science Fiction
Roberto Bolaño / 侯健Shanghai People's Publishing House · ChinaMay 2022
Rating 4.0- Word count
- 90K words
- Chapters
- 9
- ISBN
- 9787208175006
Tags
Foreign Literature Urban RomanceGrowing UpYouthful VibeHumor ReliefSelf-ReflectionSummary
An early work by Bolaño and a precursor to The Savage Detectives, full of humor and the bittersweet melancholy of impoverished youth; many of the elements and narrative structures that would later appear in his work can be found here.Though titled "science fiction," the novel is not a science fiction novel in the usual sense. The story revolves around 21-year-old Remo and 17-year-old Jan Schrella, who move to Mexico City after the Pinochet government comes to power and rent a small attic room. Jan spends most of his time in the room, writing lyrical and delirious letters to the science fiction writers he admires, telling them about his life, troubles, and dreams. Remo, meanwhile, roams Mexico City with various poet friends—exploring, investigating, gathering...
Editor's review
Roberto Bolaño's The Spirit of Science Fiction is not a science fiction novel in the traditional sense; it is more like a love letter to youth, literature, and a league of losers. This early work (written in 1984, after The Savage Detectives but before the publication of 2666) clearly foreshadows the signature themes of Bolaño's later writing: an almost martyr-like fervor for literature, the wandering and struggle of marginal artist communities, and the fascinating fissures between reality and fiction. Centered on two young poets, Remo and Jan, the novel follows them as they roam, write, love, and quarrel within the literary circles of 1970s Mexico City; their lives are themselves an adventure full of "science fiction spirit"—not pointing to outer space, but to the enormous tension between the infinite possibilities of the inner universe and the cramped constraints of the real world. Bolaño's touch is both sharp and passionate with youth, and already beginning to show his characteristic coldness and sorrow. Reading this book, you will feel a literary temperament "on the road," one concerned with how dreams are worn down by reality and how, in that wearing down, they burst forth with an even more brilliant, more nihilistic light. For veteran Bolaño readers, this is a precious key to understanding the origins of his literary universe; for first-time readers, it may be the lightest entrance into his unique narrative maze.Who it's for
A good fit for
- Bolaño's devoted readers who wish to trace the genealogy of his writing and the formation of his early style
- Readers who love literary youth-themed fiction and are curious about the lives and inner worlds of artist communities
- Literature lovers who appreciate a detached, cold, yet poetically and passionately wrapped narrative style
- Readers interested in Latin American literature, especially the post-Boom period
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting hard science fiction settings, space opera, or meticulously imagined technology
- Readers who prefer traditional linear narrative, strong plot conflict, and clear endings
Reading tips
- Read it alongside The Savage Detectives to feel how the author's "visceral realist" poet group changes from green to mature
- Do not rush to look for a complete "story"; try to immerse yourself in the novel's fragmented scenes, dialogues, and emotions, and feel its atmosphere and rhythm
- Pay attention to the multiple manifestations of the core metaphor "science fiction spirit" in the text—how it is both a fantasy of escaping reality and a weapon piercing reality
About the publisher
Shanghai People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1951Shanghai People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher whose list focuses on academic monographs and general-interest titles in philosophy, social sciences, politics and law, economics and management, and history. Among its books are Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties History in the Chinese Dynastic History series; The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in foreign literature; the Wenjing Classical Translation Illustrated Edition of The Complete Greek Tragedies of Euripides; and works of social theory such as Max Weber's Economy and Society and Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. Its authors include Wang Zhongluo, J.R.R. Tolkien, Luo Niansheng, and Zhou Zuoren.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 1
- 正文一
- 正文二
- 正文三
- 正文四
- 2
- 墨西哥宣言
- 译后记
FAQ
Is this book a science fiction novel?
It is not science fiction in the genre sense. The "science fiction" in the title is more a metaphor and a state of mind, referring to the protagonists' use of imagination to resist a mediocre reality and construct another dimension of existence in literature.Is the style of this book very different from 2666?
The differences are obvious. The Spirit of Science Fiction is more personal and focuses on the microcosm of young artists, with a relatively loose and emotional narrative; 2666 is grand, complex, and more epic and socio-historically profound. But the literary concerns and spiritual temperament of the two are in the same vein.Is this book suitable as an introduction to Bolaño?
It is one of the good introductory choices. Compared with the vastness of 2666, The Spirit of Science Fiction is moderate in length and clear in theme, allowing readers to quickly grasp the passion and melancholy at the core of Bolaño's literary world.Related on WeRead
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About the author
Roberto Bolaño Author · Chilean · 1953–2003Roberto Bolaño was a Chilean novelist and poet. Born in Santiago in 1953, he moved to Mexico in 1968, traveled to Europe in 1977, and later settled in Blanes, Spain. A driving force behind the infrarealist poetry movement, he worked across poetry and fiction, often following wanderers, marginal writers, and exiles while examining literature, violence, and time through a stark narrative gaze. His major works include the novels The Savage Detectives and 2666, the story collections Last Evenings on Earth and Distant Star, and the poetry collection The Unknown University; many of his books have appeared in Chinese translation. He died of liver disease in Barcelona in 2003 at the age of 50, and his work has continued to attract wide attention, earning him recognition as a major voice in contemporary Spanish-language literature.
侯健 AuthorPublic information about Hou Jian is limited, and the available details mainly center on his works. The library holds ten titles by him, spanning foreign literature, literary appreciation, law, biography, and Marxist philosophy, which indicates a broad range of reading and writing interests. Judging from his representative works, he pays close attention to Latin American literature, with titles such as More Than Magic: A First Course in Latin American Literature and The Obsession with Writing: The Life and Work of Vargas Llosa, and he has translated works including No One Lights the Lamps and Five Corners. He also explores Borges and Vargas Llosa in depth, as in Vargas Llosa on Borges: Half a Century with Borges. At the same time, his interests extend to criticism and institutional questions, as shown in The Right to Criticize: The Legal Principles and System of Citizen Criticism, as well as to Nietzsche studies in The Madman of Reason: Nietzsche. Overall, his works combine literary criticism, translation, and reflective essays, and will appeal to readers interested in Latin American literature and broader humanistic themes.