2006- China Xuanhuan Novel Annual Selection

Author: Huang Xiaoyang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Currently, academia has not yet provided a definition for fantasy novels. Their connotations are constantly being enriched, and it is an ongoing process. More and more novel elements are being incorporated one by one by authors who believe "the more daring a person is, the more productive the land will be." Elements such as metaphysics, mythology, martial arts, science fiction, fairy tales, romance, mystery, suspense, and thrillers are being stir-fried, boiled, braised, stewed, and braised in the pot of fantasy. They are "highly addictive to read," "fully inspire readers' imagination," "possess a strong gaming spirit," and "disdain reality." Therefore, since 2003, fantasy novels have surged online in a fervent wave, with many works achieving click rates of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions. Their prosperity has left the entire literary world in awe. It cannot be denied that over 99% of the works are poorly written, especially the lengthy, million-word fantasy epics that are currently in vogue—except for a few exceptions, their literary value is almost zero. However, due to the needs of this plasticized era; the needs of readers' self-gratification; and the needs of publishers who have become economic animals, they swept the entire year of 2005. I won't name them one by one for critique. I just want to say that even the work I personally admire and consider the pinnacle of Chinese fantasy, Dragon Raja of the Great Tang Dynasty, has numerous flaws. For example, Kou Zhong gives up his ambitions, abandons the world, and follows Li Shimin as a lackey after a single conversation with Xu Ziling. This abrupt ending not only contradicts the character's personality but also defies the grand scheme of the world and the logic of the text. Another example is the details: tobacco was introduced to China in the mid-Ming Dynasty, so how could it exist during the Sui and Tang periods? The Korean alphabet emerged after the Tang Dynasty, yet why is it written on Jin Zhengzong's sail? Can Shi Zhixuan fluently quote the sayings of Wang Yangming from the Ming Dynasty? Shi Qingxuan's medical skills are sometimes attributed to Shi Zhixuan and sometimes to her mother Bi Xiuxin.
Therefore, allow me to express my respect for Huacheng Publishing House. It remains clear-headed about the false prosperity of fantasy novels, does not get swept up in the trend, and does not turn a deaf ear or pretend the phenomenon does not exist. Instead, it has decided to publish The 2006 Chinese Fantasy Novel Annual Selection, aiming to start with the short and medium fantasy works with the highest literary and artistic value, to uncover the stones hidden beneath the bubble, to provide literary recognition for authors who may become fantasy masters but are currently unknown, and to create a future platform for the emergence of true fantasy classics.