Asian SF/F (not Japan)

[oyceter]

Hi! I am lazy and depending on the goodwill of the internet to help with research!

So: tell me about Asian SF/F!

It must be:

• Created in Asia by Asians


• NOT from Japan


• Any medium


• Bonus points if I can get my hands on it (I am in the US and read/understand Mandarin Chinese)


• Extra bonus points for SF/F from and/or about Southeast Asia or South Asia

I have a slightly better sense of SF/F created in Asia and popular in the US, though if you have notes for your specific country, that would also be good! Please note: NOT from Japan.

For self: rachelmanija's notes on Indian SF/F

ETA:
Korea:
- Pahanjip (Korean folklore + Tang China ghost hunters, manhwa)
- Bride of the Water God (Korean folklore (?) + alternate world + beast bridegroom, manhwa)

China:
- Swordsman II

Comments

Random note from a stalker of daegaer's LJ

[drelfina.livejournal.com]

宝莲灯(I hope I got the words right) - the original movie is rather bleah, but if you can find the series made in 2000, starring Jimmy Lin, I think it qualifies as fantasy, especially with the time-travelling elements, the magical items, etc.

Here's a link I managed to find: Here (http://asianeu.net/forums/index.php?s=b670382a14b43e9feef522a46636e05a&showtopic=59084&pid=756799&st=0&#entry756799)

Title is 天地传说之宝莲灯 - I remember it was really and truly good.

Another is 我和僵尸有个约会. That has vampires. Lots of them, with a the hero as a vampire touting a vampire kid, and his love interests include a vampire hunter. Modern day Hong Kong, if I'm right. The second series has most of the first cast, but with a different rewrite, and personally I feel it wasn't as good as the first.

Do fox spirits et al count as fantasy? In my book it does, so you could try looking up 西游记, 封神演义, 聊斋志异. The first two are Chinese classics (Journey to the West, and another one about blaming the downfall of the Yin Dynasty on a fox spirit named Daji), and the other is a rather interesting collection of folk stories that just take the turn for the bizarre and supernatural.

These are those I can think about off the top of my head - I'd personally count the Wisely series as Sci-fi.

I'm glad that someone is actually looking for Asian sci-fi/fantasy! It's frustrating to look at the fantasy sections and find everything based off the medieval/European idea of fantasy, and Asia gets such short shift, especailly considering the rich diversity of Asian culture.

<.<

*leaves*

Re: Random note from a stalker of daegaer's LJ

[drelfina.livejournal.com]

(Oh, and since you said bonus points from SEAsia - does the naming story of Singapore count? there was a hint of supernatural in it, after all...)

There're a couple of Malaysian stories/folklore if you can find it - if talking animals count as fantasy? There's a thing about were-tigers in Malaysia/Singapore.

There was even one story I remember reading a LONG time ago about Japanese left behind in Singapore after world war two, and they formed a little mini-ninja clan in the MacRitchie Nature Reserve. I don't remember where I read it, but if you have better google fu than I do, you might be able to find it again. -__-

Re: Random note from a stalker of daegaer's LJ

[drelfina.livejournal.com]

(... and here I am back again. >.<)

There's that legend about Eight Immortals, I'm sure you've heard about.

There was a TV series made, I think it was made by Singapore/HK, or smething. There were gods, Sun Wukong's shadow having it's own life (I think), a Plum Fairy, a pangolin spirit...

And YET another series that has a tiny bit of supernatural at the end - 杨门女将. Find the series that stars Cheng Pei Pei.

Then the Taiwanese series 花木兰, involves the gods meddling with human life, the Jade Emperor and his wife making bets that women couldn't make it in the army.

Aaaand now I leave. For real.

Re: Random note from a stalker of daegaer&#39;s LJ

[oyceter]

OMG! Thank you so much! I'm not sure if I will have time to watch everything before Wiscon, but since I'm going to Taiwan for the summer, I am SO going to look for stuff there! Eeeee!

Re: Random note from a stalker of daegaer&amp;#39;s LJ

[drelfina.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

At the very least, you could try Liao Zhai, in English translation. IT's the only reason I read it. *has terrible, terrible grasp on Chinese*

Have fun in Taiwan!

[littlebutfierce]

I am super-bummed that your panel is up against this one:

15 Elves and Dwarves: The Racism Inherent in Fantasy

Power, Privilege & Oppression ♦ Friday, 8:45-10:00 P.M. ♦ Senate A

Elves are slim, tall, light-skinned forest-lovers. Dwarves are stout, working-class, good craftsmen. Asians are good with math. Jews have a natural gift with money. Issues of racial stereotyping in fantasy are generally passed over pretty lightly. If a race of lizards are portrayed as slow-moving and lazy, well, that's to be expected, they're cold-blooded, right? They're biologically different from the rest of us. Is it OK to casually make generalizations and judgments about cultures and races in SF/F, whether real or imaginary, or this dangerous racism? Do responsible authors owe it to their readers to avoid using simple biological imperatives instead of carefully developing alternate cultures? And what of the characters that rebel against the norm? Are they brave iconoclasts, or merely the exception that proves the rule?

M: Vito Excalibur, Janine Young, Carol Hightshoe, Elise Matthesen

I always end up saying I'll dash between two panels, but I get inert (&/or the room is so packed I feel like a jerk picking my way to the door halfway through). Sigh!!!

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

Chinghiz Aitmatov wrote some SF that's been translated into English (I think it was originally in Russian). He's Kirgiz, iirc. Very, very, very different from British/American SF.

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

This is the story I was specifically thinking of as having SF elements (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_Lasts_More_Than_a_Hundred_Years).

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Asian SF/F artists!
Banu Andaru Adhimuka
Indonesia
www.banuadhimuka.com

Wen-Xi Chen
www.acidlullaby.net
ZOMG so gorgeous. I am not sure if she counts--she was born in China but spends time in the UK--so maybe not? But eeeeee, I think her art is amazing.

I have a bunch more bookmarked at home!

[keilexandra]

Doesn't really count, but the Journey to the West myth (definitely the old Xi You Ji television series) is sort of fantasy-ish. There's magic, anyway.

[jiawen]

Here's another good source for Chinese SF&F: Science Fiction World 科幻世界, especially their online shop.