Ken Liu (born 1976) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy . Liu has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards for his novel translations and original short fiction, which has appeared in F&SF , Asimov's Science Fiction , Analog , Lightspeed , Clarkesworld , and multiple "Year's Best" anthologies.
93-522: Liu has also written an epic fantasy novel series, The Dandelion Dynasty , which he describes as silkpunk . The series is published by Simon & Schuster . Liu was born in 1976 in Lanzhou , China . He spent his childhood with his grandparents. His mother, who received her Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States, is a pharmaceutical chemist, while his father is a computer engineer. The family immigrated to
186-440: A hybrid genre . As a form of speculative fiction, it explores alternative futures or pasts but can also address real-world social issues. The first known appearance of the term steampunk was in 1987, though it now retroactively refers to many works of fiction created as far back as the 1950s or earlier. A popular subgenre is Japanese steampunk, consisting of steampunk-themed manga and anime . Steampunk also refers to any of
279-567: A "darker" bent. Mary Shelley 's The Last Man , set near the end of the 21st century after a plague had brought down civilization, was probably the ancestor of post-apocalyptic steampunk literature. Post-apocalyptic steampunk is set in a world where some cataclysm has precipitated the fall of civilization and steam power is once again ascendant, such as in Hayao Miyazaki 's post-apocalyptic anime Future Boy Conan (1978, loosely based on Alexander Key 's The Incredible Tide (1970)), where
372-564: A 20-year hiatus with an online steampunk alternate fantasy world called the Floating City, to promote his album A Map of the Floating City . Another setting is "Western" steampunk , which overlaps with both the weird West and science fiction Western subgenres. One of the earliest steampunk books set in America was The Steam Man of the Prairies by Edward S. Ellis . Recent examples include
465-473: A 450-year journey to Earth. However, the Trisolaran leadership is concerned that Earth's accelerating technological developments will outmatch the invasion force by the time of its arrival. Therefore, Trisolaris develops "sophons" (tiny supercomputers embedded in single protons by expanding their dimensions) in order to arrest Earth's technological development by interfering with its scientific experiments. By
558-485: A Victorian era-styled telectroscope . Utilizing this device, New York promoter Evelyn Kriete organised a transatlantic wave between steampunk enthusiasts from both cities, prior to White Mischief's Around the World in 80 Days steampunk-themed event. In 2009, for Questacon , artist Tim Wetherell created a large wall piece that represented the concept of the clockwork universe . This steel artwork contains moving gears,
651-559: A box of books under his bed in Yangquan, which included an anthology of Tolstoy , Moby-Dick , Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Silent Spring . Upon beginning to read Journey to the Center of the Earth , his father told him: "It's called science fiction, it's a creative writing based on science". This was his first encounter with the genre, and he later remarked: "My persistence stems from
744-604: A clockwork heart. The character Johann Krauss is featured in the comic and in the second film, Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), as an ectoplasmic medium (a gaseous form in a partly mechanical suit). This second film also features the Golden Army itself, which is a collection of 4,900 mechanical steampunk warriors. Since the 1990s, the application of the steampunk label has expanded beyond works set in recognisable historical periods, to works set in fantasy worlds that rely heavily on steam- or spring-powered technology. One of
837-484: A day; each of his books reportedly took about one year to complete. During China's Cultural Revolution , astrophysicist Ye Wenjie witnesses her father be beaten to death during a struggle session for teaching quantum physics . Ye is deported to a labor brigade in the Greater Khingan Mountains . She bonds with ecologist Bai Mulin, helping him write a petition to the government against the deforestation. Ye
930-434: A half million public posts on message boards, blogs, social media sites, and news sources, "that 'steampunk,' a subgenre inspired by the clothing, technology and social mores of Victorian society, will be a major trend to bubble up and take hold of the retail industry". Indeed, high fashion lines such as Prada , Dolce & Gabbana , Versace , Chanel , and Christian Dior had already been introducing steampunk styles on
1023-535: A lot like America's past. For an American reader, one of the pleasures of reading Liu is that his stories draw on entirely different resources", citing his use of themes relating to Chinese history and politics. Matthew A. Morrison wrote that the novel could "evoke a response all but unique to the genre: an awe at nature and the universe [which] SF readers call a ' sense of wonder ' ". American streaming service Netflix announced in 2020 that Game of Thrones writers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss would be adapting
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#17330852764531116-493: A love affair between Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson . Japanese steampunk consists of steampunk manga comics and anime productions from Japan. Steampunk elements have consistently appeared in mainstream manga since the 1940s, dating back to Osamu Tezuka 's epic science-fiction trilogy consisting of Lost World (1948), Metropolis (1949) and Nextworld (1951). The steampunk elements found in manga eventually made their way into mainstream anime productions starting in
1209-544: A nearby system of three Sun-like stars orbiting one another, a representative example of the three-body problem in orbital mechanics . The story was originally serialized in Science Fiction World in 2006 before it was published as a standalone book in 2008. In 2006, it received the Galaxy Award for Chinese science fiction . In 2012, it was described as one of China's most successful full-length novels of
1302-565: A number of festivals. The Steampunk Tree House is now permanently installed at the Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware . The Neverwas Haul is a three-story, self-propelled mobile art vehicle built to resemble a Victorian house on wheels. Designed by Shannon O'Hare, it was built by volunteers in 2006 and presented at the Burning Man festival from 2006 through 2015. When fully built,
1395-465: A perspective—plots, mysteries, conspiracies, murders, revelations and all—embedded in a culture and politic dramatically unfamiliar to most readers in the West, conveniently illuminated with footnotes courtesy of translator Liu." Joshua Rothman of The New Yorker also called Liu Cixin "China's Arthur C. Clarke", and similarly observed that in "American science fiction ... humanity's imagined future often looks
1488-414: A result, Trisolaris experiences great climate extremes, alternating between temperate "Stable Eras" during which civilization thrives, and "Chaotic Eras" of climate catastrophes. The worst such catastrophes are civilization-ending. Hundreds of Trisolaran civilizations have risen and fallen, each attempting but failing to develop an accurate calendar that can predict and help prepare for Chaotic Eras. Moreover,
1581-594: A start-up in Cambridge, Massachusetts . He later received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2004 and after working as a corporate lawyer, eventually became a high-tech litigation consultant. Liu began publishing fiction in 2002. His first published work was "Carthaginian Rose", a short story on mind uploading , which was published alongside nine other authors in The Phobos Science Fiction Anthology Volume 1 . Liu has said he wanted to become
1674-724: A steampunk anime show which loosely adapts elements from Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , with Captain Nemo making an appearance. Based on a concept by Miyazaki, Nadia was influential on later steampunk anime such as Katsuhiro Otomo 's anime film Steamboy (2004). Disney 's animated steampunk film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) was influenced by anime, particularly Miyazaki's works and possibly Nadia . Other popular Japanese steampunk works include Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli anime film Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Sega 's video game and anime franchise Sakura Wars (1996) which
1767-552: A submarine, sheathed in brass with giant cogs in the ceiling and portholes that look out onto fanciful scenes. The artist group Kinetic Steam Works brought a working steam engine to the Burning Man festival in 2006 and 2007. The group's founding member, Sean Orlando, created a Steampunk Tree House (in association with a group of people who would later form the Five Ton Crane Arts Group ) that has been displayed at
1860-506: A thing actually happen. The Three-Body Problem (novel) The Three-Body Problem ( Chinese : 三体 ; lit. 'three body') is a 2008 novel by the Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin . It is the first novel in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. The series portrays a fictional past, present, and future wherein Earth encounters an alien civilization from
1953-459: A war fought with superweapons has devastated the planet. Robert Brown 's novel, The Wrath of Fate (as well as much of Abney Park 's music) is set in a Victorianesque world where an apocalypse was set into motion by a time-traveling mishap. Cherie Priest 's Boneshaker series is set in a world where a zombie apocalypse happened during the Civil War era. The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling
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#17330852764532046-444: A working clock, and a movie of the moon's terminator in action. The 3D moon movie was created by Antony Williams. Steampunk became a common descriptor for homemade objects sold on the craft network Etsy between 2009 and 2011, though many of the objects and fashions bear little resemblance to earlier established descriptions of steampunk. Thus the craft network may not strike observers as "sufficiently steampunk" to warrant its use of
2139-628: A writer so he could make stories that “turn values upside down and inside out to gain new perspectives”. After a long career writing and publishing short fiction, Liu turned to epic fantasy novels, starting with The Grace of Kings (2015). He has also written for the Star Wars universe, with The Legends of Luke Skywalker (2017). Along with his original work, Liu has translated the works of multiple Chinese authors into English, including Liu Cixin , Hao Jingfang , Chen Qiufan , and Xia Jia . His translation of The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin helped
2232-668: Is an animated television series based on Liu's sci-fi short stories "The Gods Will Not Be Chained", "The Gods Will Not Be Slain", "The Gods Have Not Died in Vain", "Staying Behind" and "Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer" from the short fictions collection The Hidden Girl and Other Stories . It premiered on AMC+ in 2022. Silkpunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of
2325-583: Is another early example. Harry Harrison 's novel A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! (1973) portrays Britain in an alternative 1973, full of atomic locomotives, coal-powered flying boats, ornate submarines, and Victorian dialogue. The Adventures of Luther Arkwright (mid-1970s) was one of the first steampunk comics. In February 1980, Richard A. Lupoff and Steve Stiles published the first "chapter" of their 10-part comic strip The Adventures of Professor Thintwhistle and His Incredible Aether Flyer . In 2004, one anonymous author described steampunk as "Colonizing
2418-637: Is considered a strand of steampunk, one that looks at alternatives to historical imagination and usually created with the same kinds of social protagonists and written for the same type of audiences. One of steampunk's most significant contributions is the way in which it mixes digital media with traditional handmade art forms. As scholars Rachel Bowser and Brian Croxall put it, "the tinkering and tinker-able technologies within steampunk invite us to roll up our sleeves and get to work re-shaping our contemporary world." In this respect, steampunk bears much in common with DIY craft and bricolage artmaking . Many of
2511-456: Is framed by Bai for writing the letter, and is arrested. However, her academic background results in her recruitment by "Red Coast", a secret military initiative attempting to search for and communicate with extraterrestrial life. Ye discovers a method to greatly amplify radio frequency transmissions using the Sun, and she secretly broadcasts a message. Eight years later, she receives a reply from
2604-403: Is influenced by and often adopts the style of the 19th-century scientific romances of Jules Verne , H. G. Wells , Mary Shelley , and Edward S. Ellis 's The Steam Man of the Prairies . Several more modern works of art and fiction significant to the development of the genre were produced before the genre had a name. Titus Alone (1959), by Mervyn Peake , is widely regarded by scholars as
2697-572: Is set far in Earth's future where giant moving cities consume each other in a battle for resources, a concept Reeve coined as Municipal Darwinism . Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy is set during an alternate First World War fought between the "clankers" ( Central Powers ), who use steam technology, and "darwinists" ( Allied Powers ), who use genetically engineered creatures instead of machines. "Mash-ups" are also becoming increasingly popular in books aimed at younger readers, mixing steampunk with other genres. Stefan Bachmann 's The Peculiar duology
2790-502: Is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which a meteor shower in 1878 caused the collapse of industrialized civilization. The movie 9 (which might be better classified as "stitchpunk" but was largely influenced by steampunk) is also set in a post-apocalyptic world after a self-aware war machine ran amok. Steampunk Magazine even published a book called A Steampunk's Guide to the Apocalypse , about how steampunks could survive should such
2883-424: Is set in a steampunk version of Meiji / Taishō era Japan, and Square Enix 's manga and anime franchise Fullmetal Alchemist (2001). Steampunk used to be confused with retrofuturism . Indeed, both sensibilities recall "the older but still modern eras in which technological change seemed to anticipate a better world, one remembered as relatively innocent of industrial decline." For some scholars, retrofuturism
Ken Liu - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-619: Is the first work of fiction, of any length, to win all of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. In addition, his short story, "Mono no aware" won the 2013 Hugo Award , and his novella "The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" was also nominated for a Hugo. The first novel in his The Dandelion Dynasty series, The Grace of Kings , was a 2016 Nebula Award finalist. The novel was the 2016 Locus Award Best First Novel winner. Besides his original work, Liu's translation of Liu Cixin 's Chinese language novel The Three-Body Problem (the first in
3069-509: Is to employ appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, wood, and leather) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era, rejecting the aesthetic of industrial design . In 1994, the Paris Metro station at Arts et Métiers was redesigned by Belgian artist Francois Schuiten in steampunk style, to honor the works of Jules Verne. The station is reminiscent of
3162-650: Is to provide a place for steampunkers in the region to display artwork for sale all year long. A year later, a more permanent gallery, Steampunk HQ , was opened in the former Meeks Grain Elevator Building across the road from The Woolstore, and has since become a notable tourist attraction for Oamaru. In 2012, the Mobilis in Mobili: An Exhibition of Steampunk Art and Appliance made its debut. Originally located at New York City's Wooster Street Social Club (itself
3255-693: The Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy) won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel , making it the first translated novel to have won the award. Liu also translated the third volume of the Remembrance of Earth's Past series, Death's End , in 2016, which was a 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novel finalist. One of Liu's short stories, "Thoughts and Prayers", is a part of Jonathan Strahan 's The Year's Best Science Fiction (2020), Vol 1. Short works Many of Liu's short stories have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, and multiple other languages and published in short stories collections: Pantheon
3348-604: The Victorian era or the American frontier , where steam power remains in mainstream use, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power. Steampunk features anachronistic technologies or retrofuturistic inventions as people in the 19th century might have envisioned them — distinguishing it from Neo-Victorianism — and is likewise rooted in the era's perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art. Such technologies may include fictional machines like those found in
3441-547: The West 's fascination with an "exotic" East . The most influential steampunk animator was Hayao Miyazaki , who was creating steampunk anime since the 1970s, starting with the television show Future Boy Conan (1978). His manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1982) and its 1984 anime film adaptation also contained steampunk elements. Miyazaki's most influential steampunk production
3534-520: The 1970s, including television shows such as Leiji Matsumoto 's Space Battleship Yamato (1974) and the 1979 anime adaptation of Riyoko Ikeda 's manga Rose of Versailles (1972). Influenced by 19th-century European authors such as Jules Verne, steampunk anime and manga arose from a Japanese fascination with an imaginary fantastical version of old Industrial Europe, linked to a phenomenon called akogare no Pari ("the Paris of our dreams"), comparable to
3627-644: The April 1987 issue, Jeter wrote: Dear Locus, Enclosed is a copy of my 1979 novel Morlock Night ; I'd appreciate your being so good as to route it to Faren Miller, as it's a prime piece of evidence in the great debate as to who in "the Powers/Blaylock/Jeter fantasy triumvirate" was writing in the "gonzo-historical manner" first. Though of course, I did find her review in the March Locus to be quite flattering. Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be
3720-595: The Galaxy Award. In 2000, he wrote The Wandering Earth , which also received the Galaxy Award and was adapted into a film in 2019. When the short story Mountain appeared in January 2006, many readers wrote that they hoped Liu would write a novel. He decided to concentrate on novel-length texts rather than short stories. Outside of Remembrance of Earth's Past , Liu's novels include Supernova Era and Ball Lightning . When not otherwise busy, Liu wrote 3,000–5,000 words
3813-605: The Haul propelled itself at a top speed of 5 miles per hour and required a crew of ten people to operate safely. Currently, the Neverwas Haul makes her home at Obtainium Works, an " art car factory" in Vallejo, CA owned by O'Hare and home to several other self-styled "contraptionists". In May–June 2008, multimedia artist and sculptor Paul St George exhibited outdoor interactive video installations linking London and Brooklyn , New York, in
Ken Liu - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-545: The Past so we can dream the future." The first use of the word "steampunk" in a title was in Paul Di Filippo 's 1995 Steampunk Trilogy , consisting of three short novels: "Victoria", "Hottentots", and "Walt and Emily", which, respectively, imagine the replacement of Queen Victoria by a human/newt clone; an invasion of Massachusetts by Lovecraftian monsters, drawing its title from the historic racial taxonomy "hottentot" ; and
3999-575: The Punk . The stills at The Oxford Artisan Distillery are nicknamed " Nautilus " and " Nemo ", named after the submarine and its captain in the Jules Verne 1870 science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas . They were built in copper by South Devon Railway Engineering using a steampunk style. Steampunk fashion has no set guidelines but tends to synthesize modern styles with influences from
4092-543: The TV show The Wild Wild West and the movie adaption Wild Wild West , the Italian comics about Magico Vento , and Devon Monk 's Dead Iron. Kaja Foglio introduced the term "Gaslight Romance", gaslamp fantasy, which John Clute and John Grant define as "steampunk stories ... most commonly set in a romanticised, smoky, 19th-century London, as are Gaslight Romances. But the latter category focuses nostalgically on icons from
4185-529: The United States when Liu was 11 years old. They lived in California and Stonington, Connecticut before settling in Waterford , Connecticut. Liu graduated from Waterford High School in 1994, where he ran cross-country and track. At Harvard College , he studied English Literature and Computer Science, receiving his A. B. in 1998. After graduation, Liu worked as a software engineer for Microsoft , and then joined
4278-541: The Victorian era. Such influences may include bustles , corsets , gowns, and petticoats ; suits with waistcoats , coats, top hats and bowler hats (themselves originating in 1850 England), tailcoats and spats ; or military-inspired garments. Steampunk-influenced outfits are usually accented with several technological and "period" accessories: timepieces, parasols , flying/driving goggles, and ray guns. Modern accessories like cell phones or music players can be found in steampunk outfits, after being modified to give them
4371-502: The alien planet Trisolaris. Disillusioned by humanity's inability to live harmoniously with itself and nature, Ye invites the Trisolarans to Earth to help settle its problems. After China's reforms , Ye encounters Mike Evans, heir to the world's largest oil company. Evans is a radical environmentalist who shares Ye's hatred of humanity. Ye confides in him her communications with Trisolaris. Evans uses his inherited financial power to create
4464-645: The appearance of Victorian-era objects. Post-apocalyptic elements, such as gas masks, ragged clothing, and tribal motifs, can also be included. Aspects of steampunk fashion have been anticipated by mainstream high fashion, the Lolita and aristocrat styles, neo-Victorianism, and the Romantic Goth subculture . In 2005, Kate Lambert , known as "Kato", founded the first steampunk clothing company, "Steampunk Couture", mixing Victorian and post-apocalyptic influences. In 2013, IBM predicted, based on an analysis of more than
4557-424: The artistic styles, clothing fashions, or subcultures that have developed from the aesthetics of steampunk fiction, Victorian-era fiction , art nouveau design, and films from the mid-20th century. Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk. Steampunk
4650-399: The book become a best seller to English readers. He has also worked as an editor. While editing the anthology Invisible Planets , Ken Liu translated the stories contained within it from Chinese into English. Some of Liu's work have been adapted into visual media. His short story "Memories of My Mother" was the basis of Beautiful Dreamer (2016) by David Gaddie. His short story "Real Artists"
4743-404: The chaotic orbits threaten to eventually destroy Trisolaris by tidal forces or by direct collision with a star. Upon reception of Ye's broadcasts, the current and technologically advanced Trisolaran civilization identifies Earth as a colonization target, which will permit the Trisolaran civilization to escape their inhospitable and ultimately-doomed home planet. It dispatches an invasion force on
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#17330852764534836-722: The converted oil tanker housing ETO's communications with Trisolaris as it transits the Panama Canal . From these, Earth's governments learn of Trisolaris' existence and the approaching invasion force. Wang and his colleagues resolve to fight in Humanity's defence. In 2012, Chinese-American science-fiction author Ken Liu and translator Joel Martinsen were commissioned by the China Educational Publications Import and Export Corporation (CEPIEC) to produce an English translation of The Three-Body Problem , with Liu translating
4929-480: The earliest manifestations of the steampunk ethos in the mainstream media was the CBS television series The Wild Wild West (1965–69), which inspired the later film . Although many works now considered seminal to the genre were published in the 1960s and 1970s, the term "steampunk" originated largely in the 1980s as a tongue-in-cheek variant of " cyberpunk ". It was coined by science fiction author K. W. Jeter , who
5022-431: The earliest short stories relying on steam-powered flying machines is "The Aerial Burglar" of 1844. An example from juvenile fiction is The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell . Fantasy steampunk settings abound in tabletop and computer role-playing games . Notable examples include Skies of Arcadia , Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends , and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura . One of
5115-623: The fallibility of memory, and the essence of what it means to be human. During the COVID-19 pandemic , Liu was disturbed by finger-pointing, jingoism, and xenophobia in the face of what he saw as an existential, global threat; he began to seek solace in the Tao Te Ching and subsequently released a new translation of the ancient text, Laozi's Dao De Jing: A New Interpretation for a Transformative Time (2024). Liu lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts . Liu's short story " The Paper Menagerie "
5208-498: The fashion runways. In episode 7 of Lifetime 's Under the Gunn reality series , contestants were challenged to create avant-garde "steampunk chic" looks. America's Next Top Model tackled steampunk fashion in a 2012 episode where models competed in a steampunk-themed photo shoot, posing in front of a steam train while holding a live owl. In 1988, the first version of the science fiction tabletop role-playing game Space: 1889
5301-690: The first novel in the genre proper, while others point to Michael Moorcock 's 1971 novel The Warlord of the Air , which was heavily influenced by Peake's work. The film Brazil (1985) was an early cinematic influence, although it can also be considered a precursor to the steampunk offshoot dieselpunk . The Adventures of Luther Arkwright was an early (1970s) comic version of the Moorcock -style mover between timestreams . In fine art, Remedios Varo 's paintings combine elements of Victorian dress, fantasy, and technofantasy imagery. In television , one of
5394-463: The first and last volumes, and Martinsen translating the second. In 2013, it was announced that the series would be published by Tor in the United States and by Head of Zeus in the United Kingdom. Liu and Martinsen's translations contain footnotes explaining references to Chinese history that may be unfamiliar to international audiences. There are also some changes in the order of the chapters for
5487-415: The first major exhibition of steampunk art objects, curated and developed by New York artist and designer Art Donovan, who also exhibited his own "electro-futuristic" lighting sculptures, and presented by Dr. Jim Bennett, museum director. From redesigned practical items to fantastical contraptions, this exhibition showcased the work of eighteen steampunk artists from around the globe. The exhibit proved to be
5580-674: The first steampunk novels set in a Middle-earth -like world was the Forest of Boland Light Railway by BB , about gnomes who build a steam locomotive . Fifty years later, Terry Pratchett wrote the Discworld novel Raising Steam , about the ongoing industrial revolution and railway mania in Ankh-Morpork . The gnomes and goblins in World of Warcraft also have technological societies that could be described as steampunk, as they are vastly ahead of
5673-502: The first volume. In the translated version, chapters which take place during the Cultural Revolution appear at the beginning of the novel rather than in the middle, as they were serialized in 2006 and appeared in the 2008 novel. According to the author, these chapters were originally intended as the opening, but were moved by his publishers to avoid attracting the attention of government censors . In Liu's early childhood, when he
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#17330852764535766-450: The future world and lifestyle of human beings, and he tries to invoke readers' curiosity with his books. He also believes that humans should be treated as an entirety. Liu tried to answer the existential dilemma of "where should mankind go from here" through various efforts. The book structure was originally influenced by concerns of Liu Cixin's Chinese publisher; the initial draft's opening scenes were seen as "too politically charged" by
5859-508: The late nineteenth century rejected machines and industrial production. In contrast, steampunk enthusiasts present a "non- luddite critique of technology". In dutch amusement park De Efteling , there is a dive coaster themed to a steampunk Victorian haunted goldmine called Baron 1898 . Various modern utilitarian objects have been modified by enthusiasts into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style. Examples include computer keyboards and electric guitars . The goal of such redesigns
5952-497: The late years of that century and the early years of the 20th century—on Dracula , Jekyll and Hyde , Jack the Ripper , Sherlock Holmes and even Tarzan —and can normally be understood as combining supernatural fiction and recursive fantasy , though some gaslight romances can be read as fantasies of history." Author/artist James Richardson-Brown coined the term steamgoth to refer to steampunk expressions of fantasy and horror with
6045-469: The late-2000s/early-2010s, the sophon-induced apparent breakdown of science on Earth has prompted the suicides of several prominent scientists. These are noticed by Earth's governments, who form a task force to investigate. Beijing nanotechnologist Wang Miao and police detective Shi Qiang are recruited. Wang experiences paranormal phenomena, such as visions of a countdown to zero that stops when he ceases his research. As part of his investigations, Wang plays
6138-407: The militant and semi-secret Earth-Trisolaris Organization (ETO) as a fifth column for Trisolaris and appoints Ye its leader. Through Trisolaris-ETO communications, Trisolaris is revealed to be a planet orbiting the ternary star system of Alpha Centauri . Because of the three-body problem , the three stars' movements (and Trisolaris' position relative to them) are chaotic and unpredictable. As
6231-534: The most successful and highly attended in the museum's history and attracted more than eighty thousand visitors. The event was detailed in the official artist's journal The Art of Steampunk , by curator Donovan. In November 2010, The Libratory Steampunk Art Gallery was opened by Damien McNamara in Oamaru, New Zealand . Created from papier-mâché to resemble a large cave and filled with industrial equipment from yesteryear, rayguns , and general steampunk quirks, its purpose
6324-421: The next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for Powers, Blaylock and myself. Something based on the appropriate technology of the era; like "steam-punks," perhaps.... While Jeter's Morlock Night and Infernal Devices , Powers' The Anubis Gates , and Blaylock's Lord Kelvin's Machine were the first novels to which Jeter's neologism would be applied, the three authors gave
6417-592: The other sequels including its 2014 reboot , feature heavy steampunk-inspired architecture, setting, and technology. Amidst the historical and fantasy subgenres of steampunk is a type that takes place in a hypothetical future or a fantasy equivalent of our future involving the domination of steampunk-style technology and aesthetics. Examples include Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro 's The City of Lost Children (1995), Turn A Gundam (1999–2000), Trigun , and Disney's film Treasure Planet (2002). In 2011, musician Thomas Dolby heralded his return to music after
6510-614: The past two decades. The English translation by Ken Liu was published by Tor Books in 2014. That translation was the first novel by an Asian writer to win a Hugo Award for Best Novel ; it was also nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel . The book has been adapted into other media. In 2015, a Chinese film adaptation of the same name was in production, but it was never released. A Chinese TV series, Three-Body , released in early 2023 to critical success locally. An English-language Netflix series adaptation, 3 Body Problem ,
6603-477: The principles of Gibson and Sterling's cyberpunk writings to an alternative Victorian era where Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage 's proposed steam-powered mechanical computer, which Babbage called a difference engine (a later, more general-purpose version was known as an Analytical Engine ), was actually built, and led to the dawn of the Information Age more than a century "ahead of schedule". This setting
6696-408: The publisher, and moved deeper into the book, to avoid attracting criticism by Chinese government censors . Several interpretations of the novels and related film adaptations were presented by Ross Douthat of The New York Times in April 2024. In December 2019, The New York Times cited The Three-Body Problem as having helped to popularize Chinese science fiction internationally, crediting
6789-637: The quality of Ken Liu's English translation, as well as endorsements of the book by George R. R. Martin , Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg , and former U.S. president Barack Obama . George R. R. Martin wrote a blog about the novel, personally expressing its worthiness of the Hugo Award. Obama said the book had "immense" scope, and that it was "fun to read, partly because my day-to-day problems with United States Congress seem fairly petty". Kirkus Reviews wrote that "in concept and development, it resembles top-notch Arthur C. Clarke or Larry Niven but with
6882-575: The schism between the "Adventist" faction of the ETO, which views humanity as irredeemable and promotes its complete destruction by Trisolaris, and the "Redemptionist" faction, which aims to save the Trisolaran civilization by developing a solution to the three-body problem and producing an accurate calendar. Tipped-off by Wang, Shi and the People's Liberation Army raid the meeting, arresting Ye and killing several ETO soldiers. An international military force then seizes
6975-459: The sophisticated virtual reality video game Three Body . The game, which simulates Trisolaris, is created by the ETO with the purpose of identifying potential recruits and garnering sympathy for the Trisolaran plight. Wang's successes in Three Body result in his induction into the ETO. He is invited to an ETO meeting, where Ye reveals to Wang the full extent of the conspiracy. Wang also witnesses
7068-503: The subject of the television series NY Ink ), the exhibit featured working steampunk tattoo systems designed by Bruce Rosenbaum, of ModVic and owner of the Steampunk House, Joey "Dr. Grymm" Marsocci, and Christopher Conte. with different approaches. "[B]icycles, cell phones, guitars, timepieces and entertainment systems" rounded out the display. The opening night exhibition featured a live performance by steampunk band Frenchy and
7161-597: The technologies of men , but still run on steam and mechanical power. The Dwarves of the Elder Scrolls series , described therein as a race of Elves called the Dwemer , also use steam-powered machinery, with gigantic brass-like gears, throughout their underground cities. However, magical means are used to keep ancient devices in motion despite the Dwemer's ancient disappearance. The 1998 game Thief: The Dark Project , as well as
7254-455: The term little thought at the time. They were far from the first modern science fiction writers to speculate on the development of steam-based technology or alternative histories. Keith Laumer 's Worlds of the Imperium (1962) and Ronald W. Clark 's Queen Victoria's Bomb (1967) apply modern speculation to past-age technology and society. Michael Moorcock 's Warlord of the Air (1971)
7347-518: The term. Comedian April Winchell , author of the book Regretsy: Where DIY Meets WTF , cataloged some of the most egregious and humorous examples on her website "Regretsy". The blog was popular among steampunks and even inspired a music video that went viral in the community and was acclaimed by steampunk "notables". From October 2009 through February 2010, the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford , hosted
7440-446: The themed area the "Screampunk District" at Six Flags Magic Mountain and in the designs of The Mysterious Island section of Tokyo DisneySea theme park and Disneyland Paris ' Discoveryland area. Aspects of steampunk design emphasise a balance between form and function . In this, it is like the Arts and Crafts Movement . But John Ruskin , William Morris , and the other reformers in
7533-479: The visualisations of steampunk have their origins with, among others, Walt Disney 's film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), including the design of the story's submarine the Nautilus , its interiors, and the crew's underwater gear; and George Pal 's film The Time Machine (1960), especially the design of the time machine itself. This theme is also carried over to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Disney parks, in
7626-433: The words of my father." At that time, such books could only be safely read privately by individuals: "I felt like being alone on an island, it is a very lonely state". Reverence and fear of the universe is one of the main themes of Liu's writing. According to him, as humans we will stand in awe of the scale and depth of the universe. His novels also focus on curiosity about the unknown. Liu says he cannot help thinking about
7719-491: The works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne . Other examples of steampunk contain alternative-history-style presentations of such technology as steam cannons , lighter-than-air airships , analog computers , or such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage 's Analytical Engine . Steampunk may also incorporate additional elements from the genres of fantasy , horror , historical fiction , alternate history, or other branches of speculative fiction , making it often
7812-485: Was adapted into the short film Real Artists (2017) by Cameo Wood. His short story "Good Hunting" was adapted into an animated short as part of Netflix 's Love, Death & Robots series (2019). Several of the stories in The Hidden Girl and Other Stories were adapted for the animated Pantheon . Liu's short story collection The Hidden Girl and Other Stories (2020) explores ideas such as tradition and progress,
7905-434: Was different from most steampunk settings in that it takes a dim and dark view of this future, rather than the more prevalent utopian versions. Nick Gevers 's original anthology Extraordinary Engines (2008) features newer steampunk stories by some of the genre's writers, as well as other science fiction and fantasy writers experimenting with neo-Victorian conventions. A retrospective reprint anthology of steampunk fiction
7998-588: Was labeled a "steampunk fairytale," and imagines steampunk technology as a means to stave off an incursion of faeries in Victorian England. Suzanne Lazear's Aether Chronicles series also mixes steampunk with faeries, and The Unnaturalists , by Tiffany Trent, combines steampunk with mythological creatures and alternate history. Self-described author of "far-fetched fiction" Robert Rankin has incorporated elements of steampunk into narrative worlds that are both Victorian and re-imagined contemporary. In 2009, he
8091-517: Was made a Fellow of the Victorian Steampunk Society. The comic book series Hellboy , created by Mike Mignola , and the two Hellboy films featuring Ron Perlman and directed by Guillermo del Toro , all have steampunk elements. In the comic book and the first (2004) film , Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is a Nazi SS scientist who has an addiction to having himself surgically altered, and who has many mechanical prostheses, including
8184-426: Was published. The game is set in an alternative history in which certain now discredited Victorian scientific theories were probable and led to new technologies. Contributing authors included Frank Chadwick , Loren Wiseman , and Marcus Rowland . William Gibson and Bruce Sterling 's novel The Difference Engine (1990) is often credited with bringing about widespread awareness of steampunk. The novel applies
8277-631: Was released in March 2024. Liu Cixin was born in Beijing in June 1963. Before beginning his career as an author, he was a senior engineer working at a power plant in Shanxi province. In 1989, he wrote Supernova Era and China 2185 , but neither book was published at that time. His first published short story, Whalesong , was published in Science Fiction World in June 1999. The same year, his novel With Her Eyes won
8370-644: Was released, also in 2008, by Tachyon Publications . Edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer and appropriately entitled Steampunk , it is a collection of stories by James Blaylock , whose "Narbondo" trilogy is typically considered steampunk; Jay Lake , author of the novel Mainspring , sometimes labeled " clockpunk "; the aforementioned Michael Moorcock; as well as Jess Nevins , known for his annotations to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (first published in 1999). Younger readers have also been targeted by steampunk themes, by authors such as Philip Reeve and Scott Westerfeld . Reeve's quartet Mortal Engines
8463-703: Was the Studio Ghibli anime film Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), which became a major milestone in the genre and has been described by The Steampunk Bible as "one of the first modern steampunk classics." Archetypal steampunk elements in Laputa include airships , air pirates , steam-powered robots , and a view of steam power as a limitless but potentially dangerous source of power. The success of Laputa inspired Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax to create their first hit production, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1990),
8556-530: Was three years old his family moved from the Beijing Coal Design Institute to Yangquan in Shanxi , due to his father changing jobs. He also spent a part of his childhood in the countryside around ancestral hometown of Luoshan , Henan. On 25 April 1970, Dong Fang Hong 1 —China's first satellite—was launched. Liu remembered the launch as a pivotal event in his life, recalling a deep sense of longing on witnessing it. Several years later, Liu found
8649-445: Was trying to find a general term for works by Tim Powers ( The Anubis Gates , 1983), James Blaylock ( Homunculus , 1986), and himself ( Morlock Night , 1979, and Infernal Devices , 1987) — all of which took place in a 19th-century (usually Victorian) setting and imitated conventions of such actual Victorian speculative fiction as H. G. Wells ' The Time Machine . In a letter to science fiction magazine Locus , printed in
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