Tales of the unexpected

Wang says he first began reading classic stories to the girl when she was 3. It started out no different to any other parent, but later he started adding personal touches, and then changing the plots. When his girl demanded further customization, he began making stories up on the spot.

Wang's daughter liked his stories so much that, in early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay at home, the girl asked for stories more frequently. The idea of recording the stories he told her came to mind.

"I didn't publish the stories in any other format. Books will endure longer," he says.

In his stories, zombies don't bite people randomly. They live in cautious seclusion and are very friendly to humans.

Evil queens, stepmothers and wizards in traditional stories were not bad in his book either. They channel their energy instead into positive outlets, for example, running a store that provides people with interesting entertainment experiences.

"There are no absolutely good or bad people. I try to help kids get rid of such stereotypes," he says.

Wang also incorporates some social issues that are close to his heart, including ocean ecology and animal protection, into the stories. He hopes readers will be inspired to consider more closely the relationship between people, society and the environment, as well as the advancement of science and technology.

Some of his inspiration for the stories is derived from his work experience, both good and bad, from different professions.

As a man enthusiastic about exploring different fields, he has previously worked as public relations and marketing specialist in both traditional and high-tech companies, and he once opened a restaurant that created a new dish every week.

He met with prominent and interesting people from different industries, but found that while some business investment was for the long-term well-being of the humankind and the planet, most solely focused on capital return.

He incorporated those observations into his stories. In one story, people frantically pursued wool products, and the excessive number of sheep exhausted all the plants on Earth.