Panda (PANDA SEX)

Author: Mian Mian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: In Panda, there's not only a television with a sci-fi vibe, but also a futuristic new dynamic between men and women. There's also a perfumer who creates a fragrance called "ChinaUnderground," and even a "Panda virus." It's said that pandas only mate twice a year, which inspired Mian Mian to come up with the concept of "Panda." She specifically explains that "urban pandas" are not sexually repressed and are not people who have lost interest in love—quite the opposite. Panda is a deeply affectionate work, a bow of gratitude to her beloved readers! Panda employs a fresh narrative technique, with almost the entire story being dialogue, minimal descriptive language, and very few adjectives. Within the fiction, there's more fiction, mixed with ninety images and the Shanghai Special Tourist Guide. Most of the images are by Zhuang Jie, a "famous player" in Shanghai's nightlife, taken during parties and later selected by Mian Mian as "still shots." For her return to the literary world, Mian Mian requested that all journalists who interview her not call her a "beautiful writer" or even a "female writer." She asked them not to talk to her about "body writing" and not to interview her without having read her books. As for the literature she loves, Mian Mian said: Traditional novel writing has become outdated for me. For me, the greatest charm of fiction lies in its, and I've kept only that—everything else, I've discarded. Because we need to stay in the "heat of the moment" and always maintain "freshness." As for the love she's always cherished, Mian Mian said: Love, men, art, money—they're all the same. They won't tell you anything, but they'll show you colors at important places. Love is my eternal theme. I was born into this world because of love, and I will ultimately find freedom through love. "Only when I die can I be sure whether I love you. Until then, we must be comfortable. If you love me, you must accept that I often need to be high alone." A young Shanghai couple allows each other to have "thirds," and this "perfectly open relationship" lasts for ten years. One afternoon, they go from place to place, playing a game of "story" at each location, using fiction to guess each other's uncertain "private lives." The story features parties one after another, both private and public. Every girl in the story talks about Miami Beach, and every girl has a special relationship with the male protagonist. There are six girls in the story, and the sum of the other five equals the sixth girl. This is China's first true "urban novel." At the end of the game, a virus appears—one who contracts it can only have sex twice a year. The couple eventually arrives exhausted at an artificial tropical storm beach. The woman says: Destruction is like a pool with no walls. The man says: Your smile is a virus I don't want to share with strangers.