“Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction” by Xueting C. Ni (editor)

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Rating: 4/5 Stars

An interesting anthology of Chinese Science Fiction. Some writers are already known to me, others are new. Of the stories featured, the ones I liked are by Gu Shi, Hao Jingfang, Ma Boyong, Regina Kanyu Wang and Jiang Bo. Special mention to A Que’s zombie story that plays with the usual zombie tropes, throws in a romance and offers hope for a future with and for zombies.

• “The Last Save” by Gu Shi: in a future where your existence can be saved and returned to whenever you like (like save files in a game), one man is determined not to return to his past saved lives. But his resolved is tested when his wife leaves him and he has to choose whether to continue living alone or return to a time when his wife is still there.
• “Tombs of the Universe” by Han Song: a story of a tradition, grave making, that has been going on for a long time during the exploration of the universe by humans. But it suddenly ends, and we are left with speculations and the words of one of the last grave makers.
• “Qiankun and Alex” by Hao Jingfang: an AI attempts to know a child, filling much of his behaviour under ‘unknown’. But then it acts on a question it never considered before, and learns to become his friend.
• “Cat’s Chance in Hell” by Nian Yu: a soldier infiltrates a fortress and now has to escape, for he has the desire to be reunited with his daughter. But he will then learn what it means to be a soldier in a future when man is no longer suppose to fight in wars.
• “The Return of Adam” by Wang Jinkang: an astronaut returns to Earth hundreds of years in the future to find humans in it mentally enhanced with a Second Intelligence. Now he must decide whether to remain ‘natural’ or become a New Human.
• “Rendezvous: 1937” by Zhao Haihong: a time traveler goes back to Nanjing to witness and record the massacre there, while another is sent back to stop her. But the actual sight of the violence affects both and changes their objectives.
• “The Heart of the Museum” by Tang Fei: an unusual alien who can see through all time becomes the protector of a boy who will build a fascinating museum.
• “The Great Migration” by Ma Boyong: the tradition of traditionally returning home continues, even if you are on Mars. And the fight to get tickets for the trip home reaches new heights as various attempts fail.
• “Meisje met de Parel” by Anna Wu: a different painting of a girl with a pearl leads an artist on a journey to meet an unusual woman several times in the course of her life.
• “Flower of the Other Shore” by A Que: an interesting zombie story with a difference, filled with the usual zombie tropes but going down a different path that starts with a zombie that discovers love.
• “The Absolution Experiment” by Bao Shu: a prisoner is offered freedom in return for taking part in an experiment in immortality.
• “The Tide of Moon City” by Regina Kanyu Wang: set in a place where two worlds orbit each other but are tidally locked, two researchers meet and fall in love, only to be separated by politics and jealousy.
• “Starship: Library” by Jiang Bo: a library and a librarian set out on a journey through the galaxy to find knowledge. Yet, it is always ready to welcome readers to the library.

Book read from 2022/03/30 to 2022/04/07