Hesitant journey to the West: SF's changing fortunes in mainland China

Sf in mainland China is often assumed by Chinese scholars to be either non- existent or not worth studying because of its poor literary quality. This a rticle outlines the development of Chinese sf during the twentieth century, emphasizing the constraints under which it has periodically suffered. Desp ite a sometimes hostile climate, the sf culture of today's China is burgeon ing, with a large fan base and an openness to new ideas that bode well for the future. In this essay, I have concentrated on first-hand Chinese-langua ge materials, including fanzines, newspaper articles, and internet home pag es.