Tuya's doodle

Author: Tu Ya
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: He is often referred to as the "Online Wang Shuo." Early netizens did not deliberately hide their real identities, but Tu Ya (sometimes also written as Tu Huā, nickname Yā) was an exception. His true identity remains a mystery to this day. It wasn't until 1994, when his prose "Xun Long Ji" won a literary award and required him to provide a brief personal introduction, that he first revealed some personal information. However, the details were very limited—just "born in Beijing in the 1950s," which could be deduced by carefully reading his articles. Tu Ya's writings often feature slang and Beijing dialect, giving the impression of being "full of mischief." But his language excels in creative metaphors, humor, and irony, rather than just reproducing colloquial expressions. Inspired by Tu Ya's online fame and in honor of the pioneers of Chinese-language cyberspace, we have published his collected works. This book is a personal anthology of Tu Ya, a legendary figure in overseas Chinese websites, consisting of short stories and essays. Tu Ya's short stories are known as the "Online Wang Shuo," characterized by wit, humor, playfulness, and sometimes a sense of cynicism and rebelliousness. They are often titled with "[X + Ji]" and depict the life in the courtyard where the author grew up, the treacherous workplace environment, as well as the extraordinary people, events, and encounters from his overseas life. Tu Ya's essays resemble the style of Wang Xiaobo, blending knowledge and entertainment with endless imaginative ideas, to the point where some mistakenly believe them to be "lost pearls" after Wang Xiaobo's passing. This book is a must-read for aspiring online writers.