Since its first publication in English in November 2014, the science fiction novel "The Three Body Problem" has sold 6.5 million copies in 42 languages worldwide, becoming one of the most translated and internationally influential contemporary Chinese literary works since the founding of the People's Republic of China. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of "The Three Body Problem" winning the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 2025 Galaxy Science Fiction Conference was recently held in Chengdu. What is the biggest challenge currently facing science fiction? What are the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western science fiction? Can science fiction literature return to its' golden age '? Liu Cixin, author of "The Three Body Problem" and permanent guest of honor at the Galaxy Science Fiction Conference, was interviewed to interpret this. On September 18, 2025, before the 2025 Galaxy Science Fiction Conference, Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin was interviewed by China News Service's "Dongxiwen" in Chengdu, Sichuan. Reporter: What is the biggest challenge facing science fiction at present? Liu Cixin: The biggest challenge facing science fiction at present is that technology has penetrated into our lives and come to us. This makes technology that used to be considered magical become somewhat mundane. As for how to deal with this challenge, science fiction authors have made a lot of efforts. Some incorporate the creative methods and techniques of modern literature into science fiction literature to make its expression more diverse, while others focus on and criticize reality from the perspective of science fiction literature. But currently, none of these methods have had a significant impact on science fiction literature and have not reversed its declining trend. As for how to deal with this challenge, I'm really not sure. I believe that with the development of technology, just like the birth of science fiction literature, a new culture and new ways of expression will emerge to reflect an era of highly developed technology. But from the perspective of science fiction literature itself, I believe it is fulfilling its historical mission. Reporter: What impact have online literature platforms had on science fiction? Liu Cixin: Compared with traditional literature platforms, online literature platforms have a large number of readers and strong interactivity, which can better grasp readers' appreciation orientation and produce works that are more popular among readers. In recent years, many excellent science fiction works have initially emerged from online literature platforms. But this highly interactive writing style has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it updates quickly and can generate a large number of works. On the basis of a large number of works, more excellent works may emerge. Traditional magazines may only publish a few dozen short stories per year. But a large amount of rapid creation, updating thousands or tens of thousands of words every day, will inevitably have a certain impact on the quality of creation. There is a strong interaction between online literature authors and readers, and under the pressure of readers urging them to write, they are more likely to encounter such problems. Nowadays, artificial intelligence has begun to possess writing skills. Rapid updates of online articles are difficult to guarantee without the intervention of artificial intelligence. If artificial intelligence intervenes and can make literary works of high quality and readability, it will not make much difference to readers. But now artificial intelligence has not yet reached such a high literary level. Reporter: Have you ever considered incorporating some imaginative elements from traditional Chinese literature such as the Shan Hai Jing into science fiction literature creation? Liu Cixin: Whether it's the Classic of Mountains and Seas or other ancient Chinese fantasy literature, its way of thinking is different from science fiction literature. Writers can incorporate these elements into their science fiction creations, and there are indeed many science fiction writers doing so now. But currently, this creative approach has not had a fundamental impact on the appeal to science fiction readers and the trend of science fiction creation. On November 21, 2024, the "Fantasy Gathering Mountain and Sea · Qiu Qijing Science Fiction Art Exhibition" opened at Shougang Park in Beijing. The picture shows a citizen taking a photo in front of Qiu Qijing's sculpture "Zuwu" as a souvenir. Reporter Tian Yuhao from China News Service: How do you view the concept of "Chinese style science fiction"? What are the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western science fiction? Liu Cixin: The term 'Chinese style science fiction' is often mentioned overseas. But if you ask what are the characteristics and traits of Chinese science fiction, I cannot answer. Because Chinese science fiction is a rich and diverse literary field, it is not a monolithic entity. Almost every writer has a different style, and there are even significant differences. It is difficult to summarize the characteristics of Chinese science fiction in one or two sentences. But one thing is certain, compared to other science fiction in the world, Chinese science fiction has more similarities than differences, showing more commonalities rather than differences. Because science fiction itself is a global literature. As for the characteristics of Chinese science fiction itself, I believe it may focus more on a more positive future. The future depicted by other science fiction in the world now has a sense of crisis, a dim sense of projecting reality factors and problems into the future. In Chinese science fiction works, a considerable number of them are full of hope for the future, depicting a relatively bright and optimistic spirit. In addition, the main readers of Chinese science fiction are teenagers, which is in sharp contrast to the West, especially the United States. The majority of science fiction readers in the United States are aged 40 to 50. The rich teenage readership is a huge advantage for the development of science fiction in China. Since its inception, science fiction literature has been full of youthful energy and curiosity about the world. Excellent science fiction works may have many traits, but I believe the most fundamental one is that good science fiction works can stimulate young readers' curiosity about the universe, allowing them to feel the relationship between humans and the universe, small and large, from reading. Reporter: This year marks the 10th anniversary of "The Three Body Problem" winning the Hugo Award. How can science fiction literature show overseas readers a more three-dimensional and diverse China? Liu Cixin: In China, science fiction has gradually become popular from a peripheral existence, stemming from China's modernization process. Science fiction carries a Chinese imagination of the future of China and humanity. This imagination itself conveys modern China to the outside world from a sci-fi perspective. Reporter: Can science fiction literature return to its' golden age '? Liu Cixin: As a science fiction author, I certainly hope that science fiction literature will once again experience a 'golden age'. But overall, science fiction literature has gone through hundreds of years, and our current environment is different from the beginning of the birth of science fiction literature. From a global perspective, science fiction literature, like other narrative literature, is in a state of continuous decline, which is determined by the overall trend of historical development. Specifically speaking, Chinese science fiction literature is in an upward trend compared to science fiction literature in other parts of the world. But to go back to the 'golden age' of the 20th century, the environment of that time is no longer very suitable. At that time, science and technology had just unleashed their tremendous power to change the world, showcasing a tempting future with a strong sense of magic. But now that technology has penetrated into every aspect of our lives, it has lost its own sense of wonder. This sense of wonder is an important factor in the development of science fiction literature. To better develop science fiction, it is necessary to not only develop science fiction publishing and literature creation, but also strive to develop modern means such as movies, television, and the internet that are more suitable for expressing science fiction themed works. (Xinhua News Agency) Interviewee profile: Liu Cixin, a Chinese science fiction writer, is a permanent guest of honor at the Galaxy Science Fiction Conference. She won the Galaxy Award for Chinese Science Fiction from 1999 to 2006, and her science fiction novel "The Three Body Problem" won the Hugo Award for Best Novel at the 73rd World Science Fiction Conference.