Deep in Solitude

Name: Deep in Solitude
ISBN: 9787533966409

郝景芳Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaNov 2021

4.2

Word count: 176K words
Chapters: 70
ISBN: 9787533966409

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Summary

This collection gathers Hao Jingfang's finest short science fiction, including "Folding Beijing," winner of the 74th Hugo Award, and "The Flight of the Valley God," winner of the first Jiuzhou Award, alongside two previously unpublished stories, "The 2050 Murder" and "The 2050 Celebrity Chase." These stories go beyond science-fictional premises to probe deeper social roots and to reflect on questions of life and philosophy.

Editor's review

Hao Jingfang's short science fiction collection is best known for "Folding Beijing," but the book's value extends well beyond that award-winning piece. Her science fiction is on the "soft" side: the premise is often merely an entry point, and what unfolds is really social structure, class difference, and individual circumstance—closer to a realist parable in futuristic dress. Stories such as "The Flight of the Valley God" continue this concern, treating technological imagination and human emotion and fate on the same plane. The new pieces, "The 2050 Murder" and "The 2050 Celebrity Chase," signal from their titles that the author is drawing near-future premises into everyday experience, discussing familiar social issues rather than distant stars. Best read one story at a time in quiet moments—not for plot thrills, but for the questions behind each premise. Readers accustomed to hard science fiction may find the scientific extrapolation sparse; but if you care about how literature uses science fiction to respond to the present, this collection offers a gentle yet substantial example.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy social-parable science fiction and care about real-world issues
Those who, after "Folding Beijing," want a systematic look at Hao Jingfang's short fiction
Literary readers who prefer short pieces and read in scattered moments
Students of middle-school age and above interested in the relationship between science fiction and reality

Not a good fit for

Science fiction fans who prefer hard technological extrapolation and grand cosmic settings
Genre readers expecting strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Those who only want "Folding Beijing" and would rather not read a collection

Reading tips

Read "Folding Beijing" first, then go through the rest in table-of-contents order to trace the consistency of the author's concerns.
Pause after each story and consider which real social issue its premise corresponds to.
Save the two new "2050" stories for last, comparing them with earlier work to see how the writing has changed.
Keep a pen handy to mark lines that move you, and revisit those marks after finishing.

About the publisher

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House is a Chinese publisher specializing in literary publishing. Judging from the 808 titles in the database, its publishing areas cover world classics, foreign literature, social novels, folk literature and classic works, as well as modern and contemporary literature and prose. Representative titles include foreign literary translations such as Anna Karenina, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, In Praise of Shadows and The Complete Tragedies and Comedies of Shakespeare, alongside classic works by Lao She and Lu Xun such as Camel Xiangzi, Teahouse and Wandering. Its authors and translators include Leo Tolstoy, Cao Ying, Lao She, Yukio Mishima, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Zhu Shenghao. The press emphasizes the translation and introduction of classic texts and the compilation of native literary works, giving equal weight to Chinese and foreign literature. Owing to limited public information, its specific series and editorial policies are not elaborated here.

版权信息
北京折叠
（1）
（2）
（3）
（4）
（5）
弦歌
（一）
（二）
（三）
（四）
（五）
繁华中央
阿房宫
（1）
（2）
（3）
（4）
（5）
（6）
（7）
（8）
（9）
（10）
（11）
（12）
（13）
尾声1
尾声2
尾声3
最后一个勇敢的人
（上）
（中）
（下）
谷神的飞翔
谷神
火星
谷神
祖母家的夏天
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
去远方
看不见的星球
希希拉加
皮姆亚奇
平支沃
阿米亚吉和埃霍乌
鲁那其
延延尼
提苏阿提和洛奇卡乌乌
秦卡托
津加林
癫狂者
积极砖块
2050年的杀人事件
（一）
（二）
（三）
（四）
（五）
（六）
（七）
2050年的追星事件
跋：时隔多年，我还是有一些改不了的习惯

FAQ

Is "Folding Beijing" the only story worth reading in this book?

No. "Folding Beijing" is the best known, but stories such as "The Flight of the Valley God" likewise reflect the author's concern with social structure and individual fate. The two new near-future pieces also offer a window into her recent writing, and reading the whole book reveals her creative trajectory more clearly.

Can readers who have never read science fiction get into it?

Yes. Hao Jingfang's premises are usually uncomplicated, the focus is on social relations and human circumstance, and the language is plain. Even without familiarity with the genre, one can read it as realistic stories with a futuristic backdrop; the barrier is low.

Is it better read in one sitting or story by story?

Story by story is recommended. The themes echo across the pieces, but the plots are independent, and reading too many at once can blur the different premises. Leaving a little time to digest after each story helps you appreciate the questions the author raises beyond the premise.

Comments

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About the author

郝景芳 Author

Public information about Hao Jingfang is limited, with no clear records of her birth year, birthplace, or educational background; what can be relied on is mainly the shape of her works. The library holds six of her books, spanning science fiction, world history, and light novels. Representative titles include Deep Loneliness, Wandering the Vast Sky, Cosmic Leaper, Europe in Time, The Journey of the Gods, and the "She Sci-Fi Series" light novels (four volumes). These works show that she moves between grand cosmic imagination and future settings on the one hand, and European history and humanistic travel on the other, with delicate language that often unfolds philosophical reflection within everyday experience. Her books are categorized under classics, quality fiction, science fiction, and world history, indicating that her writing crosses the boundary between fiction and knowledge-based prose. Despite the scarcity of biographical information, the breadth of her subjects and the texture of her narration have given her a recognizable personal voice in contemporary Chinese science fiction.