Xia Jia

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Wang Yao (Chinese: ??; pinyin: Wáng Yáo), born June 1984, known by the pen name Xia Jia (Chinese: ??; pinyin: Xià Ji?), is a Chinese science-fiction and fantasy writer. After receiving her Ph.D. in comparative literature and world literature at Department of Chinese, Peking University in 2014, she is currently a lecturer of Chinese literature at Xi'an Jiaotong University.

Xia Jia's short fiction works have won five Galaxy Awards for Chinese Science Fiction, six Nebula Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy in Chinese. One of her short stories received honorable mention for 2013 Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards. Her stories have been published in Nature, Clarkesworld, Year's Best SF, SF Magazine as well as influential Chinese Sci-Fi magazine Science Fiction World. Besides those written in Chinese and English, her works have been translated into Czech, Italian, Japanese and Polish.

Video Xia Jia

Biography and notable works

Xia Jia entered School of Physics, Peking University in 2002. As an undergraduate, Xia Jia majored in Atmospheric Sciences. She then entered the Film Studies Program at the Communication University of China, where she completed her Master's thesis: "A Study on Female Figures in Science Fiction Films". Recently, she obtained a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and World Literature at Peking University, with "Chinese Science Fiction and Its Cultural Politics Since 1990" as the topic of her dissertation. She now teaches at School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University.

During her collegiate life she began to write science fiction works and took part in student clubs for science fiction and fantasy fans. Her short stories have attracted critical acclaim from the outset, beginning with her early Chinese Galaxy Award recipient "Guan Yaojing de Pingzi" ?????? (April 2004 Science Fiction World trans Linda Rui Feng as "The Demon-Enslaving Flask" November 2012 Renditions). A work of Fabulation, in which the Scientist James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) is offered a Faustian challenge by a literal demon, its selection was attended by a spat among critics as to whether it could be called sf at all. The story is mired so deeply in anecdotes from the history of science, and literal interpretations of famous Thought Experiments, that it requires copious footnotes to explain its own jokes (Infodump). This, however, seems very much in keeping with the classical, didactic tradition in Chinese sf, creating a story whose fantasy elements are mere vectors to convey information about the life and work of icon figures such as Archimedes, Einstein, Schrödinger and Maxwell himself.

Later work mirrored her personal academic journey from hard science into the creative arts. Her first longer work was the fixup "Jiuzhou Nilü" ??o?? ["On the Road: Odyssey of China Fantasy"] (coll of linked stories 2009), part of the Jiuzhou shared-universe fantasy series. "Bai Gui Ye Xing Jie" ????? (August 2010 Science Fiction World trans Ken Liu as "A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight" February 2012 Clarkesworld) is far subtler and more mature, a child's eye view of life inside what first appears to be a haunted Keep redolent of Chinese ghost stories, but is gradually revealed as a run-down Far Future theme park populated with Cyborg simulacra. It was nominated for the Short Form Award of 2013 Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards announced at Liburnicon 2013, held in Opatija, Croatia, over August 23-25, 2013, and received honorable mention at the ceremony.

On June 4, 2015 (online on the previous date) Xia Jia's short story "Let's have a talk" (Mandarin: "Rang Women Shuoshuohua" ??????) was published on Nature, 522, 122. One of the earliest Chinese fiction writers who published on Nature, Xia Jia has received international reputation among Sci-Fi fans worldwide.

Maps Xia Jia

Research and film experiment

A well-educated professional scholar, Xia Jia conducts literary research on Chinese science fiction. During her postgraduate programs, her academic advisor was the famous female cultural critic, Dai Jinhua ???, Professor in the Institute of Comparative Literature and Culture, Peking University. Following Professor Dai, Xia Jia does not only compose literary works and critiques, but also study Sci-Fi films and once directed and staged an experimental Sci-Fi film "Parapax" (2007), in which the protagonist (acted herself) appeared as three identities in their respective parallel universes.

One of Xia Jia's research treatises, "Chinese science fiction in Post-Three-Body era", originally published on People's Daily, April 7, 2015, received Silver Award for Best Review Articles at 6th Nebula Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy in Chinese, October 18, 2015.

While teaching at Xi'an Jiaotong University, one of the C9 League Chinese top research universities, Xia Jia presided lectures about Chinese science fiction and acts as the advisor for Xi'an Alliance of University Science Fiction Fans.

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Bibliography

Novel

• "Jiuzhou Nilü" ??o?? On the Road: Odyssey of China Fantasy, Wanjuan Publishing Company, August 2009.

Short stories

2004

• "Guan Yaojing de Pingzi" ?????? The Demon-Enslaving Flask, Science Fiction World, April 2004. Best New Writer Award at 16th Galaxy Award for Chinese Science Fiction, 2004. Trans. into English by Linda Rui Feng in Renditions, 77 & 78, Spring/Autumn 2012.

2005

• "Yeying" ?? Nightingale, Science Fiction Pictorial: Literature Show ????:???, June 2005.
• "Carmen" ??, Science Fiction World, August 2005. Readers' Nomination Award at 17th Galaxy Award for Chinese Science Fiction, 2005. Trans. into Japanese by Hisayuki Hayashi ? ?? as ???? "Karumen" in S-F???? (S-F Magazine) 614, June 2007, Special Volume II for Unique Writers ??????II.

2006

• "Jiuzhou Yuji" ??o?? Raining Season, Dinosaurs: Jiuzhou Fantasies ??:????, September 2006.

2007

• "Jiuzhou Meng Yao" ??o?? Dreaming of Yao, Jiuzhou Fantasies ????, January 2007.
• "Bingdilian" ??? Twin Lotus Flowers, Hongdou: Fantasies 1+1 ??o??1+1, February 2007.
• "Hei Mao" ?? Black Cat, World SF Expo ??????, February 2007.
• "One Day", Science Fiction World, March 2007.
• "Qiezi Xiaojie" ???? Miss Eggplant, Hongdou: Fantasies 1+1, June 2007.
• "Yujian Anna" ???? Encountering with Anna, Science Fiction World, July 2007.

2008

• "Yeying (Expanded)" ??(???) Nightingale (Expanded), Fly - Fantasy World ?o????, July 2008.
• "Yong Xia zhi Meng" ???? A Dream of Ever Summer, Science Fiction World, September 2008. Honorable Mention at 20th Galaxy Award for Chinese Science Fiction, 2008.
• "Miluo Jiang shang" ???? On the Miluo River, Science Fiction World, October 2008.

2009

• "Daosheng Bai Yutang" ????? Sage of Thieves: Bai Yutang, Science Fiction World, Supplementary issue, 2009.
• "Duzi Lüxing" ???? Travel alone, New Realms of Fantasy and Science Fiction ???, August 2009.
• "Wode Mingzi Jiao Sun Shangxiang" ???????? My Name is Sun Shangxiang, Fly - Fantasy World, September 2009.
• "Qingcheng yixiao" ???? A City-collaping Smile, Jiuzhou Fantasies: Ninefold Loom ????o???, New World Publishing House, September 2009.
• "Jiuzhou Shiri Jin" ??o??? Ten-day Brocade, Jiuzhou Fantasies: Ten-day Brocade ????o???, New World Publishing House, October 2009.

2010

• "Bai Gui Ye Xing Jie" ????? A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight, Science Fiction World, August 2010. Honorable Mention at 22nd Galaxy Award for Chinese Science Fiction, 2010; Silver Award at 2nd Nebula Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy in Chinese, 2010. Trans. into English by Ken Liu in Clarkesworld, February 2012, reprinted inYear's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2013 Edition, edited by Rich Horton, reprinted in The Apex Book of World SF: Volume 3, edited by Lavie Tidhar. Honorable Mention at the 2013 Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards, Short Form. Trans. into Polish by Piotr Kosi?ski as Nocna Parada Duchów in Nowa Fantastyka 361, October 2012. Trans. into Italian by Gabriella Goria as Stanotte sfilano cento fantasmi in Festa di Primavera (Future Fiction vol. 22), Mincione Edizioni, May 2015.

2011

• "Re Dao" ?? Heat Island, Science Fiction World, May 2011. Trans. into English by Ken Liu in Pathlight - New Chinese Writing, Foreign Languages Press, Spring 2015.
• "Tongyan Wuji Buke Yanchuan" ????o???? Children Say What They Like: Unspeakable, Jiuzhou Fantasies: Dance of Fire ????o???, New World Publishing House, November 2011.
• "Tongyan Wuji Yiyanweiding" ????o???? Children Say What They Like: Promise, Jiuzhou Fantasies: Haze at Night ????o???, New World Publishing House, December 2011.
• "Shasi Yige Kehuan Zuojia" ???????? To Kill a Science-Fiction Writer, Science Fiction World, December 2011. Readers' Nomination Award at 23rd Galaxy Award for Chinese Science Fiction, 2011; Silver Award at 3rd Nebula Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy in Chinese, 2011.

2012

• "Tongyan Wuji Yaoyan Huozhong" ????o???? Children Say What They Like: Misleading Spells, Jiuzhou Fantasies: Ironclad Still ????o????, New World Publishing House, January 2012.
• "Tongyan Wuji Yanchuan Shenjiao" ????o???? Children Say What They Like: Walk by Talk, Jiuzhou Fantasies: Dust in the Journey ????o????, New World Publishing House, February 2012.
• "Ni Wufa Dida de Shijian" ???????? Inaccessible Time
• "Duanceng -- Yige Dongye de Kehuan Gushi" ??----????????? The Fault--A Science Fiction Story in a Winter Night
• "Liuyue Wuyu" ???? A Monogatari in June
• "Yongyuan de Baise Qingrenjie" ???????? White Valentine Forever
• "Tianshang" ?? On the Heaven
• "Yongganzhe Youxi" ????? Game of the Brave
• "Maka" ?? Maca--All seven items above in Xia Jia's anthology "Guan Yaojing de Pingzi" ?????? The Demon-Enslaving Flask, Sichuan Science and Technology Press, October 2010, also included previous short stories published in SF magazines.

2013

• "2044 Chunjie Jiushi" 2044???? Spring Festival: Happiness, Anger, Love, Sorrow, Science Fiction World, June 2013. Silver Award at 4th Nebula Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy in Chinese, 2013. Trans. into English by Ken Liu in Clarkesworld, September 2014. Trans. into Italian by Gabriella Goria as Festa di primavera in Festa di Primavera (Future Fiction vol. 22), Mincione Edizioni, May 2015.

2014

• "Tongtong de Xiatian" ????? Tongtong's Summer, Zui Xiaoshuo ???, March 2014. Trans. into English by Ken Liu in Upgraded, ed. Neil Clarke, Wyrm Publishing, 2014. Trans. into Polish by Kamil Lesiew as Lato Tongtong in Nowa Fantastyka 388, January 2015. Trans. into Italian by Gabriella Goria as L'estate di Tongtong in Festa di Primavera (Future Fiction vol. 22), Mincione Edizioni, May 2015. Trans. into Czech by Daniela Orlando as Tchung-tchungino léto in XB-1: M?sí?ník sci-fi, fantasy a hororu, November 2015.
• "Ni Xuyao de Zhi Shi Ai" ??????? What You Need is Simply Love, Guangming Daily ????, August 15, 2014, page 14.

2015

• "Longma Yexing" ???? Night Walk of the Dragon-horse, Fiction World ???, February 2015.
• "Zhongguo Baikequanshu: Heiwu" ??????(1)?? Encyclopedia Sinica I: Dark Room, Science Fiction World, April 2015 (An expansion of "Let's Have a Talk" in Mandarin), Silver Award at 6th Nebula Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy in Chinese, 2015.
• "Zhongguo Baikequanshu: She Jiang" ??????(2)?? Encyclopedia Sinica II: Cross the River, Science Fiction World, May 2015.
• "Zhongguo Baikequanshu: Wan'an Youyu" ??????(3)???? Encyclopedia Sinica III: Goodnight Melancholy, Science Fiction World, June 2015.
• "Let's Have a Talk", Nature 522, 122, June 4, 2015. doi:10.1038/522122a (Originally written in English)
• "Handong Yexing Ren" ????? If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, Guangming Daily, June 5, 2015, page 14. Trans. by Ken Liu in Clarkesworld, November 2015.
• "Zhongguo Baikequanshu: Babie Luan" ??????(4)??? Encyclopedia Sinica IV: Babel Babble, Science Fiction World, August 2015.
• "Tick-Tock" ?? (English-Mandarin bilingual short story), Winner of SFComet 13th short story competition, August 2015.
• "Zhongguo Baikequanshu: Deng Yun Lai" ??????(5)??? Encyclopedia Sinica V: Waiting for Clouds, Science Fiction World, September 2015.
• "Xinli Youxi" ???? Mind Games, Knowledge is Power ??????, September 2015.
• "Xiri Guang" ??? Yesterday's Brilliance, Guangming Daily, October 30, 2015, page 14.

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Footnotes

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See also

• List of science fiction writers
• World SF
• Chinese science fiction
• Science Fiction World
• Ken Liu
• Liu Cixin

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External links

• Xia Jia's page on SFE - The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
• Xia Jia at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• A list of Xia Jia's works on the Translated SF Wiki, where her name was erroneously referred to as Xia Qie ?? (Madarin for "Eggplant in the Summer")
• Xia Jia's homepage on douban.com, where she interacts with readers in Chinese herself (in Chinese)
• Xia Jia's bio in Chinese, with a list of her works and photo album (in Chinese)

Source of article : Wikipedia