Short Stories/Novellas

“The Wandering Earth” is a collection of short stories by Cixin Liu, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. Unabashedly classic in the great tradition of Asimov and Clarke, Cixin Liu's science-fiction is firmly rooted in the cosmic. “[most] literature has always left me with the impression of indulging an intense anthropocentric narcissism. […] In the world of literature, the Sun exists for no other reason than to illuminate the pure, unadulterated countryside, the Moon has no other reason to shine than to cast the shadows of the seaside lovers, [but] if the universe is the Sahara, then all that makes the Earth a grain of gold within it, is that a particular bacteria called humanity clinging to its surface.” Cixin Liu uses the unique perspective of science-fiction to take us on a journey into this majestic, desolate cosmos. He gives us the chance to reacquaint ourselves with the fundamental truth that in the face of a vast universe we are no more than a speck of dust; That the Earth is just another celestial body – And an extremely vulnerable one at that. The flash of a gamma-ray burst or the blast of a nearby supernova could, at any moment, reduce our cherished home to nothing but ashes. It can be terrifying to contemplate the end of our world and stories that describe such destruction can be disturbing. At the same time however, they can leave us feeling not only entertained, but exhilarated and inspired. Maybe, they can even give us a chance to renew our love of life. Most stories found in the “The Wandering Earth” collection take us to a sci-fi vision of Earth's end. But here, there are no Hollywood aliens, descending from the depths of space to blow up our cities. In these futures, the dangers humanity faces are much stranger and whimsical than that. The unexpected calamities that befall his richly detailed worlds are only eclipsed by humanity's epic, but always plausible, attempts to escape destruction. In all this peril and doom, Cixin Liu always feels for humanity. His stories are full of a deep love for all of Earth's peoples. But even this love does not escape reflection and even ridicule when viewed through his unrelenting cosmic lens. No matter how dearly one loves the Earth, humanity and all its cultures, there is no avoiding the cold, hard truth that they mean absolutely nothing when viewed against the vastness of the universe. But even an infinite universe could not change the simple fact that we are worthy of love, that we need love. It is this twist that lies at the very heart of the stories in this collection. ----------------------- Reviews Cixin Liu's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian A science fiction tale with a Chinese touch. The Wandering Earth is filled with imaginative tech and a moving world, literally. – Indiebookoftheday.com

A crystalline structure floating through the depths of space bears tidings of destruction: “The Devourer approaches!” Countless cables, thousands of miles long, are lowered from the Devourer's inside wall to the Planet's surface below. An entire world is trapped, like a fly in the web of a cosmic spider. Giant transport modules are then sent back and forth between earth and Devourer, taking with them the planet's oceans and atmosphere. Humility starts the first and final star war in its history. What would be the result? A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. China Galaxy Science Fiction Award of 2002. ------------------------------ Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking! – Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World” First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past. – Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”

"When a Tyrannosaurus rex suffers pain from meat trapped between its enormous teeth, a nearby colony of ants risks entering the great creature's maw to make their own repast from the remains of the dinosaur's most recent meal. From this humble beginning,over the course of millennia, a symbiotic civilization achieves amazing advances, reaching dizzying heights in countless endeavors scientific and social, facing dangers and exploiting opportunities at every turn"--

The Forerunner now knew that he was the only person left in the universe. It had already happened. HNS Ark truly had become a true ark; An Ark with a lone Noah. Of the other seven Forerunners four had been killed by radiation when a star exploded in a nova four light years from the Ark, two had succumbed to illness, one man had, in the silence of that fateful slow-down, shot himself. The Ark returned to the Solar System, 25,000 years after its departure from Earth; 9,000 years later than first planned. According to predictions in the "Living Planet Report," a biannual report issued by the London Zoological Society and the World Wildlife Foundation, if humans continue their development of the land and sea at the current rate, then by the year 2030 in order to produce enough food, raw materials, and water resources, as well as absorbing the carbon dioxide produced by human activities, we will need two planets to survive. What will save us? A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. ---------------------------------- Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking! – Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World” First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past. – Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”

He has an opportunity to travel and so he takes a pair of eyes along. In the future, those who cannot go on their own journeys can ask travelers to take electronic eyes along for them, offering another a virtual window to their experiences. Whose eyes is he carrying? And why is she insistent to the point of tears that he show her a sunrise? China Galaxy Science Fiction Award of Year 1999. A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. ---------------------------- Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian A science fiction tale with a Chinese touch. The Wandering Earth is filled with imaginative tech and a moving world, literally. – Indiebookoftheday.com Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking! – Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World” First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past. – Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”

From the author of The Three-Body Problem , The Dark Forest , and Death's End comes a story about unborn memories. With The Three-Body Problem , English-speaking listeners got their first chance to experience the multiple-award-winning and bestselling Three-Body Trilogy by China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu. The Weight of Memories is a Tor.com Original story. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

No one could know how far the China Sun would fly and what strange and wonderful worlds Ah Quan and his crew would behold. Perhaps one day they would send a message to Earth, calling them to new worlds. Even if they did, any response would take thousands of years to arrive. But no matter what would happen, Ah Quan would always hold to his parents living in a country called China. He would hold to that small village in the dry West of that country. And he would hold to the small road of that village, the road on which his journey began. This is a sentimental work by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. The story's narrative unfolds against the accurate and fully realized background of a modern China —A country where bustling cities, the super rich and a cutting edge aerospace industry can be found next to remote villages, an impoverished peasantry and the most basic forms of labor. Through a long line of dramatic and colorful lucky breaks our protagonist crosses this chasm, climbing the rungs from an absolute nobody, a peasant boy whose greatest dream is a full stomach, to become a lone hero, dedicated to the cause of space exploration. Though many regard his destiny a tragedy, he himself welcomes the glorious deadly mission. Realized in natural language and vivid imagery, the “Sun of China” full of heroism and bitter-sweet melancholy. Which is to say nothing of the guest appearance by a well-known luminary that is sure to leave you astonished. China Galaxy Science Fiction Award of 2002. ------------------------------ Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking! – Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World” First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past. – Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”

Some people enjoy mountain-climbing as a hobby, while others hate it. What if mountain-climbing had become something necessary for survival? A group of pitiful aliens are forced to exist within a small spherical space, surrounded by layer upon layer of rock. They have named this space the "Bubble World," and their lifelong ambition is to find out what might exist beyond the rock walls that envelop them. Do the strata just go on forever? Or could they end in a void? To this end they build great ships of exploration, dying generation after generation as they adventure outward. Consequently, they form a completely unique world view, as well as theories of physics and cosmology that are vastly different from our own. A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. ------------------------------- Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking! – Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World” First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past. – Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”

One day two billion white beard in white came to earth, claiming that they were the creators of human beings. A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. ------------------------------- Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking! – Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World” First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past. – Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”

It was an idea right on the thin line between madness and genius: Penetrate the Earth and build a tunnel through its core. Using nothing beyond gravity and inertia one could now travel from the eastern to the western hemisphere in less than an hour. The future of travel was not the sky, it was deep below the earth. It all came crashing down when its inventor was accused of crimes against humanity. With its creator a monster in the eyes of the world the tunnel has fallen into disuse, but now it will be used once more ... A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author. China Galaxy Science Fiction Award of Year 2003. ---------------------------- Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today. – Damien Walter, The Guardian A science fiction tale with a Chinese touch. The Wandering Earth is filled with imaginative tech and a moving world, literally. – Indiebookoftheday.com Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking! – Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World” First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past. – Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”

The sixth in a new series of graphic novels from Hugo Award-winning author Liu Cixin and Talos Press After infamously failing to assassinate King Zheng of Qin with a hidden dagger, the world-renowned scholar Jing Ke is tossed in prison. Yet the king is though Jing Ke conspired to kill him, he also turned his dagger’s blade away from the king and saved him. Why would Jing Ke attempt regicide . . . and why would he foil his own plot? No amount of torture will make the would-be assassin tell the truth—Jing Ke will only disclose his great secret to King Zheng himself. Under the suspicious glares of the king’s ministers, Jing Ke reveals the true purpose of his to gift King Zheng with a treasure. This gift is not gold, silver, gems, or land, but rather a mathematical language that can decipher even the Will of Heaven. Once 100,000 digits of this ratio are calculated, the king would be able to perceive the Will of Heaven, understand the mysteries of the gods, and even unlock the secret of immortality. King Zheng puts his trust in Jing Ke and mobilizes three million of his elite soldiers to construct a “calculating formation” than can compute Pi at high speeds. All the while, a coup to overthrow King Zheng is steadily growing in the shadowThe sixth of sixteen new graphic novels from Liu Cixin and Talos Press, The Circle is an epic tale of the future that all science fiction fans will enjoy.

A satirical fable, a political allegory and an ecological warning from the author of The Three-Body Problem . On an otherwise ordinary day in the late Cretaceous, the seeds of Earth''s first and greatest civilization were sown in the grisly aftermath of a Tyrannosaurus'' lunch. From humble tooth-picking origins, ants and dinosaurs – two species so unalike and yet so complementary – forged an alliance that culminated in an antimatter-powered Age of Wonder. But such magnificent industry came at a price – a price paid first by Earth''s biosphere, and then by all those dependent on it. And yet the dinosaurs refused to heed all warning of impending ecological collapse, leaving the ants facing a single dilemma: destroy their allies... or perish alongside them? ''Made my brain itch with its creativity and klaxon alarm... Deceptively simple and brilliantly clever, I simply adored it'' LoveReading ''Liu''s sense of fun is contagious'' Locus