Winning effort

A view of the Shanghai Book Fair held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from Aug 18 to 23. Wang Rongjiang/China Daily

As to why the work has been so widely welcomed in the West, Yao believes the excellence of the translation is a major factor.

"It has also set up a link between China and the West, through which foreign readers can attempt to hypothesize about the future of the country," he said.

His view is shared by Liu.

"Science fiction is becoming a key to the world's understanding of China," he says.

In China, demand for science fiction is on the rise. Audiences have become interested in such movies and many high-profile figures from beyond the literary world - Li Yanhong, head of internet giant Baidu, and Lei Jun, co-founder of smartphone maker Xiaomi - have heaped praise on Liu's work.

Despite these accolades and a certain amount of financial success, science fiction in China is still in its infancy and in dire need of a nurturing system.

Liu recalls attending a writers' conference in the US.

"Before stepping in the room, I thought it was a roundtable meeting with twenty plus people," he said.

But when the door opened, Liu was shocked to see thousands of participants.

In contrast, Chinese fans struggle to name 30 domestic science fiction writers, among whom less than 10 are making a living from their craft.

"We need to create an environment that allows more writers to develop their talent and the genre to prosper," Liu said.

To increase the number of science fiction writers in China, Beijing's Future Affairs Administration, a startup that mainly deals with science fiction copyright business, plans an incubator for talents.

"How to attract the young generation is the biggest challenge for sci-fi," said British science fiction writer Ian McDonald at the Shanghai fair.

Liu echoed his views, suggesting that it will be increasingly difficult for science fiction writers to write satisfying works in an era when people have instant access to the latest developments in technology, such as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, dark-matter detection satellites and so on.

At the same time, however, Liu sees a new opportunity in every development.

"New technology would provide a knowledge foundation for writers."