To my surprise, his writing skills have shown a unique epic quality long before the Three Body trilogy. It is incredible how each short story tells a humane theme with such depth that can only be achieved in the Sci-Fi genre, thus cementing Liu's status as a pioneer in not just Chinese Sci-Fi but globally as well.
流浪地球 talks a rather unrealistic fantasy that refracts how madness and distrust spread like a pandemic in times of crisis. Here are many beautiful settings that are only possible in such a whimsical sci-fi world, such as getting married off the coast of New York on the glistening frozen Atlantic Ocean or comparing oneself to a germ in an Athenian pantheon when gazing at the thrusters.
鄉村老師 takes a more 傷痕文學/魯迅 tone and undermines the weight of education in bringing together our evolving civilization. While superstition may still be rooted in some rural places, the seed of enlightenment must sprout as it has happened many times in our history.
山 connects an individual story to a spectacular struggle of another species. It is fascinating to imagine how the course of evolution can take so many different forms when the habitat has changed. For example, for the dwellers of the planet's core, their concept of gravity is linked to space before correcting it to mass. 山無處不在,we are still an infant trying to comprehend the universe.
朝聞道 depicts the stubborn and undying spirit that has led us to incredible heights - our curiosity. Just like our innate instinct to mount a mountain even if it risks our survival, we are drawn to truths like a moth towards fire. The fact that the universe is comprehensible is itself a miracle (Einstein).
黃金原野 is a visionary tale that reminds us of the lure of the sky. 帶上她的眼鏡 on the other hand reinstills our respect for the Earth.