Actors perform at the opening ceremony of the 81st World Science Fiction Convention, with a digital version of a golden mask, one of most famous cultural relics discovered at the Sanxingdui Ruins site, in the background, in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on October 18, 2023. Chengdu is the second city in Asia and the first in China to host the convention, which is one of the most anticipated, longest-running and largest sci-fi events in the world.
The World Science Fiction Convention kicked off in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province on October 18, as writers, artists, and enthusiasts gathered to discuss inspirations for the development of science fiction in the five-day event. The Worldcon, an annual science fiction convention that has been held since 1939, is often regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Chengdu is the second city in Asia to host the Worldcon after Yokohama, Japan in 2007.
Renowned Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin, who won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel thanks to his work "The Three-Body Problem," said nowadays science fiction is much more needed due to the evolving technologies. “Technology pervades every aspect of our lives, and the combination of technology and imagination can give us a picture of the future and allow us to reach distant universes that are beyond our reach,” Liu told reporters at the Worldcon on Wednesday. “We can use our imagination to create worlds that we don't have in our reality. That’s why we need science fiction."
He believes that the rise of future science fiction talents lies in the general atmosphere rather than intentional cultivation. “The cultivation of science fiction talents is actually spawned by the time, not by our intention,” Liu told reporters. “Science fiction is something that can stimulate the imagination of young people, open up their horizons and make them interested in the unknown world and science. If we can do this, I think a lot of science fiction literary talents will emerge among young generations.”
Liu also expressed his hopes that the humans of a hundred years from now could live far beyond the imagination of current science fiction writers. “Hopefully, the humans of a hundred years from now will be far beyond our generation, whether it's their lives, their accomplishments, or that sphere in which the humans of their time lived, far beyond the imagination of the science fiction writers of our generation," he said. Echoing Liu’s view, Hugo and Nebula awards winner Robert Sawyer also insisted that he hopes “the world in 100 years is not a world of living machines or a cyber plant or AI world, but still a world of human beings.”
One of the central features of Worldcon is the presentation of the Hugo Awards, which are among the most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy literature. This year’s awarding ceremony will be held on October 21. The Worldcons have played a significant role in the development of science fiction and fantasy fandom and have been a platform for important discussions and debates within the genre. Dignitaries attending the Worldcon in Chengdu also include sci-fi hit "The Wandering Earth" director Guo Fan as well as film star Wu Jing.
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