The Death of Legend

Author: Li Rui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-05-01
Features: Since the 1980s, with the development of China's reform and opening-up, the impact and influence of global literary trends, contemporary Chinese literature has undergone unprecedented changes and growth. As the primary of this transformation, the landscape of contemporary Chinese literature has shifted from closed to open, from monolithic to diverse, from narrow to expansive, with unique choices giving way to a multitude of options. Realism remains the mainstream of contemporary Chinese literature, but alongside it, various artistic explorations and experiments have emerged, creating a pluralistic artistic landscape in the field of contemporary Chinese literature. Despite interference and even constraints, the artistic creativity of writers and the overall productivity of literature have indeed achieved unprecedented liberation and development. Looking back at the changes and growth of Chinese literature since the 1980s, we are filled with deep nostalgia, but we place even greater hope in the coming decades of the 21st century. We believe that future literature will undoubtedly undergo further, better, and more significant transformations and developments. Cross-Century Literary Series was born at the intersection of two centuries. It will integrate the new achievements of 20th-century literature, particularly the transformations in Chinese literature since the 1980s, to bridge the past and the future, contributing its modest efforts to creating a new framework for 21st-century Chinese literature. It will herald the dawn of the new century's literary landscape. Cross-Century Literary Series will be inclusive, regularly releasing new creative works by contemporary Chinese writers, primarily in fiction but also encompassing other genres: essays, poetry,literature, literary critiques, and more. Without regard to the fame or ranking of the writers, the length of the works, as long as they are creative, they will be appropriately accepted. Cross-Century Literary Series will be rooted in the present while looking to the future, upholding the realist tradition of Chinese literature while also advocating openness, exploration, and diversity. In its selection criteria, it will adhere to the principle of combining aesthetics and history, valuing both literary quality and the cultural depth, historical significance, and intellectual rigor of the works. It will prioritize artistic innovation while also considering the reading needs and expectations of the audience.