China's first science fiction academy opens in Chengdu

Sichuan University in the city of Chengdu established China's first science fiction research academy last week.

Sichuan University in Chengdu. [File photo: VCG]

The institute, which was set up in partnership with the Sichuan Association for Science and Technology, aims to support the development of the science fiction industry and related literary and artistic endeavors, according to a report by the news agency Xinhua. The academy will be run by Sichuan University's literature and journalism school.

The academy will train researchers in the fields of sci-fi literature, sci-fi culture, sci-fi communications, and the sci-fi industry, said Li Yi, who is the school's dean. He added that the university is one of the birthplaces of contemporary science fiction in China, having trained a number of contemporary sci-fi masters. The school now has a number of teachers engaged in science fiction translation and criticism.

Following the establishment of the academy, the "China Science Fiction Review", the country's first academic journal to be focused on this field, is expected to be launched early next year by the school together with the publisher of the magazine "Science Fiction World".

China has seen a boom in its science fiction industry. Last year, it had a market value of 45.6 billion yuan (6.5 billion U.S. dollars), 2.26 times what it was worth in 2017, according to an industry report released last month.

A stage photo of Chinese movie "The Wandering Earth" [File photo: IC]

"The Wandering Earth", an iconic science fiction film made in China, was a hit at the box office in the country, pulled in 4.6 billion yuan earlier in the year, the third-largest box office take in the country's history. The film was based on a novella of the same name written by Liu Cixin, who is also the author of "The Three-Body Problem", which won a Hugo Award for best novel in 2015.

(Story includes material sourced from Xinhua.)