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Ken Liu, Writer

Author of The Grace of Kings and The Paper Menagerie

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Taking Care of God

April 18, 2012 by Ken

My translation of Li Cixin (刘慈欣)’s “Taking Care of God” (《赡养上帝》) is now out in Pathlight, an English-language publication of People’s Literature Magazine (人民文学). You can download a free electronic copy of the magazine on their web site.

It’s a science fiction story with a lot of heart. I really recommend it.

Some context for readers who don’t know much about China’s literary history: Liu Cixin is among China’s most prominent science fiction authors, and People’s Literature is something like a Chinese version of Ploughshares. It’s very rare for a literary magazine like People’s Literature to go genre — but with Pathlight, edited by a Western staff, the idea is to introduce Chinese authors who’re a bit more outside the well-trodden path to English readers.

I’m really honored to have been given a chance to translate this work. Liu is a literary hero of mine and influenced me more than a little.

Hope you enjoy!

Filed Under: writing Tagged With: scifi, translations

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