The literary era since 1979

North China Institute of Water Resources, male dormitory building.

When Liu Cixin got "Science Fiction World", he did not go to see "The Ring" or "Artificial Intelligence" first.

My attention was immediately drawn to the review article "A Review of Xinjun's "The Collapse of the Universe" - What makes hard science fiction so hard?"

Not only because "The Collapse of the Universe" was written by myself, but also because the comments were actually written by Teacher Fang.

It's like an unknown scientific researcher having his paper reviewed by an academician himself one day. He would be so happy that he wants to fly. Moreover, the concept of "hard science fiction" mentioned in the article seems to have opened a new door to science fiction literature.

"Science fiction writers have an awkward identity, which is that they are often confused with scientists."

"The problem lies in the classification of science fiction. In addition to 'hard science fiction' based on scientific theories, there is also 'soft science fiction' that borrows science fiction elements or uses science fiction background settings, as well as 'pseudo science fiction' that is completely beyond logic and common sense..."

Read it from beginning to end, over and over again.

Especially seeing Fang Yan's evaluation of "The Collapse of the Universe", "The author has a wild imagination. Although the novel is a little raw, the writing is a little immature, and the style is a little rough, but the overall style contains a grand pattern, great spirit, and broad vision!"

All of a sudden, my heart was filled with joy and I felt like every pore was breathing a sense of happiness.

Teacher Fang praised me!
Teacher Fang praised me for my good science fiction writing!

Just when Liu Cixin was feeling elated, the sound of footsteps was heard in the corridor.

At the same time, the science and engineering guys on the same floor were discussing the latest issue of "Science Fiction World" enthusiastically.

"After a month of waiting, the update of "The Ring" finally arrived."

"You dare to watch The Ring at this late hour? Aren't you afraid that Sadako will crawl into your bed in the middle of the night?"

"What are you afraid of? I've practiced Qigong! All evil spirits will be warded off!"

"What's the use of shunning evil spirits? Sadako is not a ghost. She is a deadly virus that spread from the virtual world to the real world. What's the point of practicing qigong?"

"........."

"Compared to The Ring, I think Artificial Intelligence written by Mr. Fang is more exciting, especially the technological products in it."

"Teacher Fang has a new work?!"

There was a commotion outside the house, and Liu Cixin was also startled, and his attention immediately shifted to "The Ring".

The magnificent and magical plots and the wild imagination kept lingering in his mind, and gradually he felt as if he was there himself.

Mobile phones, computers, the Internet, new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, etc. In short, whether it is science fiction elements and scientific and technological elements that you have heard of or not heard of, waves of information are like firecrackers, exploding one after another in the brain.

"Lights out! Lights out!"

With a sudden roar, the light above my head suddenly went out, and everything around was pitch black.

After reading "Artificial Intelligence", Liu Cixin felt a little empty in his heart. Instead of going to bed immediately, he went to the windowsill.

Looking up, I saw the deep and boundless starry sky.

Suddenly, it felt like everything around me disappeared, and the ground beneath my feet turned into an infinitely stretching, snow-white, smooth, pure geometric plane.

On this infinitely vast two-dimensional plane, under the magnificent starry sky, I stand alone, facing the mysterious and vast universe that currently cannot be grasped by human beings. When will I be able to write such a good science fiction novel like Teacher Fang?
The night at this moment is as deep as thick ink and cannot be dissolved.

It’s black, so fucking black!

If Teacher Fang had not been born, science fiction literature would have been in darkness forever!
Not only Liu Cixin, but Zheng Yuanjie, who lives in a tube-shaped building in Yanjing, also holds the same idea.

Holding the latest issue of "Science Fiction World" in one hand and rocking the crib with the other, his one-year-old son was drowsy inside.

"It's a bit like the story of Pinocchio's transformation into a human."

As a children's writer, the more he reads "Artificial Intelligence", the more he feels it resembles "The Adventures of Pinocchio".

It was with the help of the Blue Fairy that Pinocchio finally became a human after going through numerous hardships. And "Beibei" in "Artificial Intelligence" embarked on an adventure to find the Blue Fairy after listening to the story of "The Adventures of Pinocchio" told by his mother.

"Children will definitely like this fairy-tale-like science fiction novel." "Teacher Fang is worthy of being Teacher Fang. She can actually come up with such a story."

"My 'Pippi Lu' and 'Lu Xixi', should we learn from the companion robots in novels?"

While thinking in his mind, Zheng Yuanjie turned to the last page of "Artificial Intelligence".

That's it?

That's it?
Teacher Fang is too extravagant. If it were me, I would have to arrange Beibei's adventure trip like in Gulliver's Travels. The reason is simple.
You can earn more royalties!
The literary world is full of contempt chains. If science fiction can only be ranked last in literature, then children's literature can only be placed at the children's table. The royalties are also the lowest among all literary genres, and it cannot be any lower.

Even though I was writing fairy tale serials for 16 different newspapers and magazines at the same time, writing more than 2 words a month, and receiving dozens of letters from children every day, my royalties were still yuan per thousand words. Even the standard of royalties had increased, but I still didn't get a penny.

Zheng Yuanjie looked at the densely packed words in "Artificial Intelligence". The royalties from this novel exceeded what he earned from more than a dozen other novels!

Am I not as diligent as Teacher Fang?
Or do readers not like the fairy tales I write?
Or, try submitting your manuscript to Science Fiction World?
Looking at his sleeping son again, Zheng Yuanjie felt that he must fight for his royalties and treatment.

The love of the parents is far-reaching.

As long as it is related to children's education, parents are 100% willing to spend money. Nowadays, there are many kinds of children's literature magazines, and the sales volume is high, such as "Childhood", "Little Friends", "Children's Pictorial", "Master of Humor"...

"Artificial Intelligence", a science fiction novel aimed at children and teenagers, is naturally suitable for all ages and has received widespread acclaim.

For a time, the sales of "Science Fiction World" magazine skyrocketed and was in short supply.

Even the post offices in southern Yunnan and the three northeastern provinces sent urgent telegrams to the post office and the Writers Association in Sichuan because they were unable to subscribe.

Some readers from other places couldn't buy it, so they had to ask their friends living in Chengdu to buy it for them.

The Science Fiction World Publishing House was extremely busy, and the dialect was also a headache for newspaper reporters and editors.

It has developed to the point where it has blocked Renwenshe, Nanluoguxiang, Shichahai and other places, waiting for opportunities to come to it.

Forced into a corner, Fang Xiaojiang could only wander around the street, and saw a little boy on the side of the road grabbing his mother's skirt and crying loudly.

"I want a tin frog, Mom, buy me a frog!"

"How can you be so ignorant, kid? If you continue to be like this, mom will not like you anymore."

"I want this, I want to buy that!"

"If you keep making trouble, I won't want you anymore and will buy a robot child as obedient as Beibei."

Faced with the boy who was crying, making a fuss, and rolling on the ground, the woman did not indulge him. She put her hands on her hips and had a stern face.

Looking at this scene, Fangyan couldn't help but think of the scene between Crayon Shin-chan and Misae, and couldn't help but smile.

Once children reach the age where they are disgusted by others, they often hear their parents say in a threatening tone:

"You were picked up from the trash can. If you don't listen, I'll throw you into the trash!"

Or, "You popped out from a crack in the rock. If you don't obey me, I'll throw you into a mountain of rocks!"

But since the publication of "Artificial Intelligence", the rhetoric has become "You are a robot child. If you don't listen, I will throw you away and replace you with a robot child", "I don't want you anymore. I still want an obedient and sensible 'Beibei'", etc.

"Beibei" suddenly became the "other people's child" in the eyes of her parents, and also became the most hated person among the children!

There is even a rumor that hearing the name "Beibei" can stop children from crying at night!

Fangyan just regarded it as a joke and hid in a courtyard house on the newly cleaned Lama Temple Street, devoting himself to collecting manuscripts for the new magazine "Mystery World". He did not drive back to Yandaixie Street until dusk when the sun set.

As soon as I entered the house, I saw Gong Xing wearing an apron and holding dishes in both hands, walking out of the kitchen:

"You're back just in time!"

"Mr. Wu sent me a letter, saying that he and Xu Ke and others will come to Yanjing this weekend." (End of this chapter)