In an interview with people.com.cn, Liu Cixin, author of 2015 Hugo Award-winning novel "The Three-Body Problem," talks about his writing process and his outlook toward the future of science fiction.
Liu Cixin is the first Chinese writer to win a Hugo Award. His novel has also been nominated for a Nebula Award and is in the process of being turned into a groundbreaking sci-fi film in China.
He talked about how imagination is at the center of his process when it came to writing science fiction.
"I like to think hard about the content of the novel, both its outline and the details," said Liu.
Liu says he likes taking long walks when working out the plot of a novel in his head. The creation process of "The Three-Body Problem" was no different.
Liu recalled that conceptualizing the novel took a long time, but the actual writing was finished relatively quickly.
It took him just short of four years to complete the entire trilogy, and most of that time was spent thinking about the concept and story. When he started writing, each book took around two to three months to complete.
"As a science fiction author, I usually get lost in my wild and fanciful thoughts. Many ideas are not generated in a sudden flash. However, they are like plants, growing slowly. When the time comes, they naturally come into view," Liu said.
An example Liu gave was a weapon featured in the trilogy that can destroy a whole world by reducing spatial dimensions. The idea for the weapon was in Liu's mind years before he even started writing "The Three-Body Problem," but he was only able to use his idea when he wrote the trilogy.
Liu also places importance on reading in order to strengthen his writing.
Liu says his first science fiction book was Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," a book his father owned. He says he felt that the novel was written especially for him.
Liu claims science fiction brought meaning to his boring life.
When asked about future creations, Liu expressed worries that new technology may be overtaking science fiction. There is a risk that science will advance beyond sci-fi, destroying the sense of mystery in readers.
"For science fiction authors, it's more than a sense of crisis; it is the end of the world. When thefuture breathes down your neck, you cannot get rid of it. Then, what can you write?"