Chinese sci-fi writer Hai Ya’s The Space-Time Painter won the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novelette

On the evening of October 21st， the 81st Hugo Awards winners were announced， and Chinese sci-fi writer Hai Yas The Space-Time Painter secured the Best Novelette title. The work was first published in the jointly produced Galactic Edge 009： The Space-Time Painter （published in April 2022 by New Star Press and Ba Guang Fen Culture Ltd.）.

The Hugo Awards， named after “the father of science fiction magazines，” Hugo Gernsback， are among the most prestigious in the sci-fi realm. Winning works are voted for by the World Science Fiction Convention members and announced annually at the convention. From October 18th to 22nd， the World Science Fiction Convention was held in Chengdu， marking its first time in China. From the nomination announcements in June to the final award ceremony， there was fervent participation and interest from Chinese sci-fi enthusiasts， and Chinese works shined in the Hugo Awards nominations.

The Space-Time Painter is the only Chinese sci-fi work to be nominated in the novelette category. It weaves together historical， sci-fi， and mystery elements centered around the creation and backstory of the Northern Song Dynasty painting A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains， offering a poignant tale of past artistic endeavors.

History and science fiction appear as two points on a continuum， with one looking back to the past and the other projecting into the future. Since the future has yet to occur， it invites boundless imagination. However， the past has already settled， and any exploration reveals it to be shaped by politics， economics， culture， society， and chance events. Still， history has its mysteries， like the primary symbol in The Space-Time Painter： the Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains， painted by Wang Ximeng. According to the epilogue of the painting， Wang Ximeng was only eighteen when he created it. How could such a young artist possess such skill， and why is there no trace of him afterwards， not even a mention in any historical records？ With this enigma as a starting point， Hai Ya began to imagine the life of this young man.

This isnt Hai Yas first foray into historical sci-fi; his works often shadow history， with pieces like Blood Disaster and Dragon Corpse being historical sci-fi stories previously published in Galaxy Edge. His passion for this genre stems from his childhood environment. With both parents working， Hai Ya read many books like Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio， Records of the Hidden World， and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The wondrous imagination of ancient Chinese and modern sci-fi adventures captivated him. Combining both through “imagination” to find where vast historical facts meet creative content is a joy Hai Ya seeks in his writing. However， Hai Ya respects history. He avoids writing about time-traveling to change the future， believing everyone in history is insignificant， but some shine brilliantly because of their modesty. Whether in the past or future， human courage endures， and that is the essence of civilization.

Finding vibrant stories in snippets of historical records， Hai Ya “resurrects” history with his writing， providing readers with a sense of authenticity and wonder， presenting an alternative historical truth.