The reception of contemporary Chinese science fiction in the English-speaking world

Abstract This article examines the reception of ten contemporary Chinese science fiction novels translated by Ken Liu, Martinsen, and Lanphier, among others, focusing on their global library holdings, sales rankings, reader ratings, and the number of ratings on platforms such as Amazon and Goodreads. By analyzing the dissemination, reader attention, and reader recognition of these works, the study aims to assess the reception of contemporary Chinese science fiction novels in the English-speaking world. The findings reveal that Chinese science fiction novels published between 2014 and 2018, represented by the English translations of The Three-Body Problem trilogy and The Wandering Earth , have achieved significant dissemination, high reader attention, and strong recognition in the English-speaking world, indicating a positive reception. However, science fiction novels translated and published more recently (2019 to the present) have not achieved comparable levels of reception. Maintaining the prosperity and development of Chinese science fiction in overseas markets and ensuring the sustained and effective dissemination of Chinese science fiction literature abroad remain critical challenges that need to be addressed in current science fiction translation research and practice.