Earth's Last Day Journal

Author: Pan Jiazheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Pan Jiazheng, a renowned expert in hydraulic engineering, is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He has dedicated his life to the field of water conservancy, with his footsteps spanning the vast landscapes and towering mountains of China. He has participated in and led numerous large-scale hydraulic engineering projects that have gained international acclaim. At the age of over seventy, he took a different path, writing science fiction novels, which was indeed something I had never anticipated. When I faced stacks of manuscripts written in his elegant handwriting, a sense of astonishment and admiration arose within me. Pan Sir asked me to write a preface for his collection of works, but I truly felt that this was beyond my capabilities. You see, nowadays, those who write prefaces are either prominent authorities or pioneers in their respective fields. Although I consider myself an avid reader, fiction has always been my favorite genre. From my childhood, when I was captivated by novels like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin, which celebrate loyalty and heroism, to my middle school years, when I extensively read the works of May Fourth-era writers such as Lu Xun, Ba Jin, and Mao Dun, as well as Soviet-translated novels after the liberation, I have always read them cover to cover but never gained any artistic insight or developed a passion for writing. This "superficial reading" approach has often been reprimanded by my elders as "wasting time on frivolous books." This clearly shows that I am not qualified to write a preface for a novel, let alone a science fiction one. After much hesitation, I finally came up with a relatively honest solution: to share my modest views on science fiction as a "light appetizer" (an entrée in Western cuisine) before the readers dive into the main course. If they find it appealing, they can savor it; otherwise, they can skip straight to the main text. Although I have never written a novel, as a reader, I deeply understand how challenging it is to write one. An author must not only possess rich life experience and a sharp, penetrating gaze to understand society and its diverse people but also must have meticulous planning, compelling plots, and suspense to keep readers hooked, making them eager to find out what happens next. I believe writing science fiction is even more difficult, as it requires not only the general storytelling skills and literary foundation of other novels but also extensive scientific knowledge and an incredibly rich imagination. Thus, it can be said to be a fusion of scientific phenomena and literary art, a crystallization of realism and romanticism. Generally, science is based on facts and experiments, adhering strictly to logical deductions, which often gives it a rigid and dry impression. However, throughout human history, science has sometimes required bold hypotheses and assumptions. The early 20th-century debate over the particle theory and wave theory of light, as well as the 1950s' hypothesis of the double helix structure of DNA, serve as clear examples. Science fiction takes this a step further, offering more imaginative space and speculative elements. The famous French science fiction writer Jules Verne, with his works like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Children of Captain Grant, has captivated generations of students, playing an invaluable role in fostering their spirit of scientific exploration. Of course, science fiction is not the same as fantasy or magical realism, which are purely speculative, such as the Chinese fantasy novel The Investiture of the Gods or the American blockbuster The Lord of the Rings. While these works may feature intricate plots and engaging stories, their core revolves around unscientific "mystical forces." In my opinion, such novels and films are generally recreational and leisure-oriented. After a tiring day of work or life, readers can use them to relax, but if they take them too seriously or attempt to imitate them, they may easily stray into delusion or the wrong path. In short, science fiction can be seen as a new "compound" formed by arranging the "elements" of science in a "non-conventional order." Its "building blocks" should be rational and scientific, but its development and extrapolation go beyond the conventional norms of current science, being futuristic or even highly imaginative. This is my humble understanding of science fiction, and naturally, the novels written based on this foundation are, by definition, science fiction. I believe it is highly beneficial for cultivating young people's love for science, courage in innovation, and pioneering spirit. And for adult scientists and engineers, isn’t it just as inspiring and motivating? As people age, they often become confined to their familiar domains due to the wealth of experience they accumulate in a particular field. Once they step out of their "line," they may feel lost and aimless. Pan Sir is a renowned engineering and technology expert with profound knowledge and a successful career. While continuing to contribute to China's hydraulic engineering, he has also a "second front" by writing science fiction novels and inspiring the younger generation. Isn't this a model that all scientists and engineers can emulate?