From Physics to Fiction: A Physicist’s Journey to TianwenAward with City in the Well
By [Your Name], Professional Journalist and Editor
The world of science fiction often explores the vastness of space, but a new wave of writers is diving into the microscopic realm, finding inspiration in theintricacies of physics. One such writer, Liu Yang, a physics PhD who now teaches Chinese literature, has won the prestigious Tianwen Science Fiction Awardfor his novel City in the Well, a testament to the merging of science and storytelling.
Liu Yang, a native of Neijiang, Sichuan, earned his doctorate in condensed matter physics from Beijing Normal University. After teaching at Xi’an Universityof Technology, he moved to Southern University of Science and Technology before landing at Chongqing University, where he currently serves as a researcher at the Center for Science Fiction Literature and Technological Humanities.
His literary journey began with short story collections like PerfectDoomsday, Beehive, and Wings of Flowing Light, followed by novels Mars Orphan, City in the Well, and Crack. He has also authored the creative writing textbook Science Fiction Creation, and several of his works are being adapted for film and television.
Liu Yang’s2019 novel Mars Orphan garnered critical acclaim for its unique premise: a high school senior class is transported to space, where they face the threat of alien civilizations while grappling with the pressures of their exams.
City in the Well, published in 2023, delves into thehuman desire for freedom and spiritual liberation. Liu Yang, drawing upon his physics background, crafts a captivating world where a single atom is transformed into a bustling city, a concept both fantastical and grounded in scientific possibility. The protagonist, an ordinary delivery man, finds himself living within this extraordinary well city, ametropolis hidden deep beneath the earth, its entrance concealed from the outside world.
The novel explores themes of confinement and escape, prompting readers to consider the nature of reality and the limits of human perception. Liu Yang’s ability to weave complex scientific concepts into a compelling narrative has earned him recognition within the science fiction communityand beyond. His success demonstrates the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration, where the boundaries between science and art blur, creating a new landscape of imaginative storytelling.
References:
- [Link to the original article on Cover News]
- [Link to Liu Yang’s profile on People’s Literature PublishingHouse website]
- [Link to Tianwen Science Fiction Award website]
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