Lingering Heart

Name: Lingering Heart
ISBN: 9787559659095

Carme Torras / 郑骁Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaJul 2022

3.8

Word count: 160K words
Chapters: 48
ISBN: 9787559659095

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Summary

In the future, people rely on assistive robots to handle daily life; students are taught not to think but to use search programs; companies protect intellectual property by erasing employees' memories. Many human emotions have become extinct, and "emotional masseurs" try to help people recover those lost emotions; a girl who lived half a century ago wakes from sleep into this unfamiliar world...

Editor's review

With a set of near-future everyday premises, Residual Heart holds technological convenience and emotional atrophy up to the same mirror. Assistive robots tend daily life, students are taught to rely on search rather than thought, and companies protect intellectual property by erasing employees' memories—these premises are not showy, but quietly ask: when both thinking and emotion are outsourced, what is left of a person? In the book, "emotional masseurs" try to help people recover lost emotions, and a girl who slept half a century ago wakes to face an unfamiliar world; the two threads give the cool premises a pulse. Its strength lies in restraint: it does not drive forward on violent conflict but uses details to make readers feel unease and reflect. Suitable for readers who like speculative science fiction and care about technology ethics and emotional issues, and also as a discussion text for reading groups. When reading, slow down and notice the real-world counterparts behind the premises; look back at the opening after finishing, and you will find new understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like speculative, social science fiction and prefer ethical questions behind the premises over grand battle scenes.
Readers concerned with technology ethics, memory, and emotion who hope to see real-world reflections in the story.
Participants in reading groups or general education courses who need a light science fiction text that can spark discussion.
Literary readers who seldom read science fiction but are willing to try a near-future subject; the book's premises are not demanding.

Not a good fit for

Science fiction readers seeking hard tech details and rigorously built worldbuilding; this book's focus is not technological extrapolation.
Readers expecting fast-paced adventure and strong plot conflict; the book's narrative is restrained and inward-looking.
Readers who only want light, comforting stories; the depiction of emotional absence may feel oppressive.

Reading tips

Read the first pass without preconceptions, notice which premises make you uneasy, then revisit the relevant passages.
Make brief notes comparing premises such as "memory deletion" and "reliance on search" with corresponding real-world technological phenomena.
After finishing, discuss with friends or a reading group: can emotions be restored by "massage," and where is the boundary of outsourced thinking?
If the first half feels slow, read the chapters where the girl wakes first, then go back to fill in the emotional masseur's thread.

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

版权信息
中文版序
1 机器人、按摩与领养
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
2 除夕之夜
10
11
12
3 创新义体
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
4 意外事件
20
21
22
23
24
25
5 情感传输
26
27
28
6 “暂停”机制
29
30
31
32
33
附录人机未来的6个问题
问题1：设计一个“完美”的助理
问题2：机器人的外观和情感
问题3：工作环境中的机器人
问题4：教育领域的机器人
问题5：人类—机器人互动和人类尊严
问题6：社会责任和机器人道德

FAQ

Is this book hard science fiction or soft science fiction?

Judging from the synopsis, the book is closer to soft science fiction or speculative near-future fiction. Premises such as assistive robots, memory deletion, and search programs serve the inquiry into emotion and thought rather than rigorous extrapolation of technical principles. If you expect a wealth of technological detail and worldbuilding research, you may find it unsatisfying; if you like social reflection behind the premises, it will suit you better.

What role does the "emotional masseur" play in the book?

According to the synopsis, the emotional masseur is a professional role that tries to help people recover lost emotions. In a world where interpersonal emotion is generally shrinking, this premise serves an observational and intervening function, letting readers see the everyday form of emotional absence through this perspective. The book does not portray the character as an all-powerful savior; it mainly raises the question of whether emotions can be recovered.

Is it suitable for middle school students?

The book's premises are not complex and the language barrier is not high, so middle school students can read it. But it involves heavier themes such as memory deletion and emotional absence, making it more suitable for upper-grade students with some speculative ability. If used for classroom or parent-child reading, it is recommended to discuss questions such as "can thinking be outsourced" and "can emotions be recovered" to aid understanding.

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About the author

Carme Torras Author · Spanish · 1956

Carme Torras, born in 1956, is a Spanish roboticist and a research professor at the Spanish National Research Council, and she is also active as a writer of science fiction. Her works often move between real technology and imaginative storytelling. Her representative work, Between Reality and Science Fiction (12 volumes), as its title suggests, shows a sustained interest in the boundary between science and fiction, while her other work, Remnant Heart, further demonstrates her narrative exploration within the science fiction genre. Publicly available information about her personal life and writing career is limited; the verifiable details mainly concern her academic identity and the two works mentioned above. As a creator with both a research background and literary output, Torras often draws on robotics and the ethics of technology as underlying themes in her fiction. Her books are classified as science fiction in Chinese-language catalogues and are suited to readers interested in the intersection of technology and the humanities.

郑骁 Author

Zheng Xiao: publicly available information about this author is currently limited, and no clear records of birth and death dates, nationality, or educational background have been found. To date, one work by Zheng Xiao is held in the database, the science fiction novel Can Xin (Residual Heart). Based on this information, Zheng Xiao's writing involves science fiction, with Can Xin as the representative work. Because more verifiable material is lacking, it is difficult to comment on writing style, creative development, or the influence of the work; the author can only be positioned, according to database records, as a science fiction writer whose representative work is Can Xin. For readers wishing to learn more about this author, the confirmable content currently centers on this single work and its science fiction classification, while other biographical details await further public information.